"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Heb 12:1
Who among us does not swell with pride at the winning performance of loved ones or favorite teams on the fields and courts of competition? Do we not also perhaps remember our own competitive days during which we heard the encouraging screams and yells from fans and supporters of our own?
Our scripture for the day analogizes just such a thing. First, our fore runners in the faith are cheering for us to carry the gospel forward by both sharing it verbally and leading godly lives. Imagine a packed stadium dotted with Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Ruth, Esther and so many others urging us forward. They are described as "so great a cloud of witnesses." Surely this speaks to both number and accomplishment in the Lord.
And while you were perhaps competing, do you recall hearing those encouraging yells urging you onward to even better performance? The second part of the verse is designed to do just that. There is an inherent warning that the things that can hinder our performance and therefore affect our outcome are never far away and are an ever present danger. The admonition is to be aware of those things, shed them if you've got them, keep them away if you don't and to stay the course. That is the only way that we can participate in the victory that has already been won.
Those witnesses? They ran before we did. But before they stopped, they handed the baton to us. To whom will you pass it?
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Are You Ready?-DD 1/10/2011
"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming." Matt 24:42
Is there any of us that does not expect to wake up tomorrow and do what we might do on any normal day? Whether it is going to work, school, community based activities or working around the house, we all expect to do what we always do. If we are leading lives that involve loving God with all our hearts, all of our souls and all of our minds, this represents a plan for success. If we are not, that is another matter all together.
Without giving it much thought, we assume that one day will lead to the next and the next and the next. If any of us gives thought at all to what comes after life as we know it, we typically push it out years if not decades into the future. The problem with this is that we do not assign any urgency to improving the aspects of our lives that are wanting. We think we have all the time in the world. Without constant vigilance, we may find that our lives could be required of us at any moment and that we may not be ready. It was said of those of Noah's time, "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be." Matt 24:38-39
The positive beloved, is that we have today. This moment is the only one of which we can be assured. And it is at this moment that we must take inventory and work on the things that are lacking. Just as we shore up our personal security by locking our homes and cars, we must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, shore up our spiritual lives. We do this by constantly seeking God's face and doing his will. Let us all get ready and stay ready, for surely the Lord is coming.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Is there any of us that does not expect to wake up tomorrow and do what we might do on any normal day? Whether it is going to work, school, community based activities or working around the house, we all expect to do what we always do. If we are leading lives that involve loving God with all our hearts, all of our souls and all of our minds, this represents a plan for success. If we are not, that is another matter all together.
Without giving it much thought, we assume that one day will lead to the next and the next and the next. If any of us gives thought at all to what comes after life as we know it, we typically push it out years if not decades into the future. The problem with this is that we do not assign any urgency to improving the aspects of our lives that are wanting. We think we have all the time in the world. Without constant vigilance, we may find that our lives could be required of us at any moment and that we may not be ready. It was said of those of Noah's time, "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be." Matt 24:38-39
The positive beloved, is that we have today. This moment is the only one of which we can be assured. And it is at this moment that we must take inventory and work on the things that are lacking. Just as we shore up our personal security by locking our homes and cars, we must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, shore up our spiritual lives. We do this by constantly seeking God's face and doing his will. Let us all get ready and stay ready, for surely the Lord is coming.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Up Side of Suffering-DD 1/7/2011
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." Job 1:21-22
Beloved, there are so many things for which we have no answers. When we see someone suffer in ways that to our human mind are needless or even when we endure hardship, the inevitable question "why?" comes.
It is as if that because God exists, He should provide us with lives in the lap of luxury or at minimum, a pain and inconvenience free life. We take no thought of the possibility of a larger picture, most often because we are consumed with out own situation.
I visited with a dear sister last evening who has endured a great deal of pain and suffering as a result of a medical situation. She asked members of the body to pray for her last Lord's day due to the fact that her flame was beginning to flicker in the midst of such difficulty. She shared with me during our visit that she told a medical professional about my plans to visit with her. The therapist was shocked, relating that she could not imagine her minister coming to visit her under any circumstance. Our sister continued on telling her about the warm, loving and supportive reception she received when she attended worship this past week. The therapist was stunned, citing that nothing like that has or likely ever would happen at her church. She went on to say how self absorbed and uncaring the people there had been during her time of need. Our sister simply stated, "You are in the wrong church."
Now I'm not church bashing, but simply making the point that trials provide testimony. It remains to be seen what the Lord will do in this situation, but had our dear sister not been suffering, she likely would not ever have met that particular medical professional nor made this particular profession to anyone. In the midst of her suffering, her light shone forth and was an encouragement to someone else.
God does not cause our suffering but it certainly can be used to encourage others and glorify Him. Paul famously wrote, "there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Cor 12:7-9
The next time you find yourself suffering and perhaps failing to understand why, access your faith in Him who made you. Surely it will not last always and some good, somehow, somewhere at some time will come of it.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Beloved, there are so many things for which we have no answers. When we see someone suffer in ways that to our human mind are needless or even when we endure hardship, the inevitable question "why?" comes.
It is as if that because God exists, He should provide us with lives in the lap of luxury or at minimum, a pain and inconvenience free life. We take no thought of the possibility of a larger picture, most often because we are consumed with out own situation.
I visited with a dear sister last evening who has endured a great deal of pain and suffering as a result of a medical situation. She asked members of the body to pray for her last Lord's day due to the fact that her flame was beginning to flicker in the midst of such difficulty. She shared with me during our visit that she told a medical professional about my plans to visit with her. The therapist was shocked, relating that she could not imagine her minister coming to visit her under any circumstance. Our sister continued on telling her about the warm, loving and supportive reception she received when she attended worship this past week. The therapist was stunned, citing that nothing like that has or likely ever would happen at her church. She went on to say how self absorbed and uncaring the people there had been during her time of need. Our sister simply stated, "You are in the wrong church."
Now I'm not church bashing, but simply making the point that trials provide testimony. It remains to be seen what the Lord will do in this situation, but had our dear sister not been suffering, she likely would not ever have met that particular medical professional nor made this particular profession to anyone. In the midst of her suffering, her light shone forth and was an encouragement to someone else.
God does not cause our suffering but it certainly can be used to encourage others and glorify Him. Paul famously wrote, "there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Cor 12:7-9
The next time you find yourself suffering and perhaps failing to understand why, access your faith in Him who made you. Surely it will not last always and some good, somehow, somewhere at some time will come of it.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Maintaining Your Fortitude-DD 1/6/2011
"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."
Rev 3:8
Does it ever seem to you like the whole world is loosing its mind? A brief glance at the paper or the evening news shows reveals that society seems to have lost its moral center. This is true because individuals are distinguishing themselves by their excesses rather than their fortitude.
Is the size and financial health of your congregation shrinking? Even those who call upon the name of Jesus can get distracted by the things the world has to offer. As things that used to be absolutely taboo become more and more acceptable, many in the church move right along with the current and find that though they continue to believe, they have developed a "different view" of things.
And what about you? Do you pray as much as you once did? Do you find yourself making excuses to miss worship? Do you spend more on entertainment than you do on giving? Do you read the word of God at all?
Beloved, the Lord sees all and knows our struggles and triumphs. As with many things in life, there are benefits to persevering, overcoming obstacles and staying the positive and correct course. He has promised great things to those who are not overcome by temptations, led astray by fickle desires or are influenced to slide back into the darkness from whence we came. Be it society, congregation or even a lack of personal fortitude, let nothing prevent you from walking through the door that Christ has opened. We have come this far by faith. Let us remain diligent until the very end.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Rev 3:8
Does it ever seem to you like the whole world is loosing its mind? A brief glance at the paper or the evening news shows reveals that society seems to have lost its moral center. This is true because individuals are distinguishing themselves by their excesses rather than their fortitude.
Is the size and financial health of your congregation shrinking? Even those who call upon the name of Jesus can get distracted by the things the world has to offer. As things that used to be absolutely taboo become more and more acceptable, many in the church move right along with the current and find that though they continue to believe, they have developed a "different view" of things.
And what about you? Do you pray as much as you once did? Do you find yourself making excuses to miss worship? Do you spend more on entertainment than you do on giving? Do you read the word of God at all?
Beloved, the Lord sees all and knows our struggles and triumphs. As with many things in life, there are benefits to persevering, overcoming obstacles and staying the positive and correct course. He has promised great things to those who are not overcome by temptations, led astray by fickle desires or are influenced to slide back into the darkness from whence we came. Be it society, congregation or even a lack of personal fortitude, let nothing prevent you from walking through the door that Christ has opened. We have come this far by faith. Let us remain diligent until the very end.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Certainty in the Midst of Calamity-DD 1/5/2011
"Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, " You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matt 14:31
The apostles, who found themselves on a ship (at Jesus' direction) in the middle of a storm on the Sea of Galilee, were terrified. Jesus came walking across the water in the midst of this storm and Peter caught sight of him. Seeing this and having enough faith to believe he could also walk on the water if Jesus would just call him to the task, did in fact step out of the boat and on to the waves. Famously, however, he took his eyes off of the Savior and began to sink.
Beloved, it is easy to have an intellectual faith in God. This is the type of faith that says, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept him as my Lord and Savior...but..." There are many things we can do with this kind of faith, but it is insufficient to carry us all the way. When the waves rise and the winds increase, we tend to take our eyes off of Jesus and begin contemplating either how we are going to handle the situation ourselves or how it is going to consume us. We forget all about the fact that Jesus is present with us in the midst of our storm and that he has given us power over it.
Let us not be limited to an intellectual "half faith." Let us, "Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not to our own understanding." Prov 3:5. As he did with Peter, he will lift us above our circumstances and then take care of the circumstances.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
The apostles, who found themselves on a ship (at Jesus' direction) in the middle of a storm on the Sea of Galilee, were terrified. Jesus came walking across the water in the midst of this storm and Peter caught sight of him. Seeing this and having enough faith to believe he could also walk on the water if Jesus would just call him to the task, did in fact step out of the boat and on to the waves. Famously, however, he took his eyes off of the Savior and began to sink.
Beloved, it is easy to have an intellectual faith in God. This is the type of faith that says, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept him as my Lord and Savior...but..." There are many things we can do with this kind of faith, but it is insufficient to carry us all the way. When the waves rise and the winds increase, we tend to take our eyes off of Jesus and begin contemplating either how we are going to handle the situation ourselves or how it is going to consume us. We forget all about the fact that Jesus is present with us in the midst of our storm and that he has given us power over it.
Let us not be limited to an intellectual "half faith." Let us, "Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not to our own understanding." Prov 3:5. As he did with Peter, he will lift us above our circumstances and then take care of the circumstances.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Quiet Fight-DD 1/4/2011
"The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent." Ex 14:14
From a very early age, we are taught by our parents to fight back. I remember my own mom telling me that "If someone hits you, you hit them back!" This was designed to build in us an ability to defend ourselves and not let others take advantage or abuse us.
This foundational learning runs like a thread through our lives and can be seen throughout. We can see this mentality manifested in politics, relationships, sports and even traffic. We develop a tendency to attempt control of our environment, impressions of ourselves in the minds of others and even the things that may happen to us in the future.
The interesting thing about this is that we really do not control anything, with the possible exception of our responses to the things that happen to us. The way we respond, however, is more often a demonstration of our lack of control than the other way around. You see beloved, fighting back is a response. It is a reaction to being attacked. We do not control the attack at all.
Despite our best efforts to plan, set goals and even build defenses, it is not the least bit unusual for us to face circumstances and situations that we hoped would never come. Our response is to not only defend, but to sometimes go on the offensive. I invite you to consider God's advice to the Hebrews. They were under attack from the rear and facing an insurmountable obstacle in front of them. How often we do find ourselves in this situation. God says to trust Him, be still and to leave it in His hands. As it was with Moses, He will tell you what to do and when to do it. In His good time, you will see the power of his might...and your salvation, in life as well as in your seemingly insurmountable situations.
Be encouraged.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
From a very early age, we are taught by our parents to fight back. I remember my own mom telling me that "If someone hits you, you hit them back!" This was designed to build in us an ability to defend ourselves and not let others take advantage or abuse us.
This foundational learning runs like a thread through our lives and can be seen throughout. We can see this mentality manifested in politics, relationships, sports and even traffic. We develop a tendency to attempt control of our environment, impressions of ourselves in the minds of others and even the things that may happen to us in the future.
The interesting thing about this is that we really do not control anything, with the possible exception of our responses to the things that happen to us. The way we respond, however, is more often a demonstration of our lack of control than the other way around. You see beloved, fighting back is a response. It is a reaction to being attacked. We do not control the attack at all.
Despite our best efforts to plan, set goals and even build defenses, it is not the least bit unusual for us to face circumstances and situations that we hoped would never come. Our response is to not only defend, but to sometimes go on the offensive. I invite you to consider God's advice to the Hebrews. They were under attack from the rear and facing an insurmountable obstacle in front of them. How often we do find ourselves in this situation. God says to trust Him, be still and to leave it in His hands. As it was with Moses, He will tell you what to do and when to do it. In His good time, you will see the power of his might...and your salvation, in life as well as in your seemingly insurmountable situations.
Be encouraged.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Great Anticipation-DD 1/3/2011
"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2-3
The hope of every Christian is to see his or her Savior face to face and to live with him for eternity. How gratifying it is to know that despite our sinful nature, we have a Lord that sees past our sins and takes care of our needs. Surely we need to be sin-less people, but for those that walk in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses of all sin.
This cleansing is necessary to our salvation. It is only through this process that we can look forward with great anticipation to the promises that he has made. Imagine Christ preparing places for us in God's heavenly house. This means that we will be in close proximity to the Father. It means that we will have access to Him. It means that He has made arrangements for us to interact with Him.
Beloved, we look forward with baited breath to many things. It may be a birthday, anniversary, holiday or vacation, but whatever we cast our hearts favorably toward, pales in comparison to our anticipated access to the Lord. What a great day that will be. Let us live lives commensurate with the privilege we have in Him.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
The hope of every Christian is to see his or her Savior face to face and to live with him for eternity. How gratifying it is to know that despite our sinful nature, we have a Lord that sees past our sins and takes care of our needs. Surely we need to be sin-less people, but for those that walk in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses of all sin.
This cleansing is necessary to our salvation. It is only through this process that we can look forward with great anticipation to the promises that he has made. Imagine Christ preparing places for us in God's heavenly house. This means that we will be in close proximity to the Father. It means that we will have access to Him. It means that He has made arrangements for us to interact with Him.
Beloved, we look forward with baited breath to many things. It may be a birthday, anniversary, holiday or vacation, but whatever we cast our hearts favorably toward, pales in comparison to our anticipated access to the Lord. What a great day that will be. Let us live lives commensurate with the privilege we have in Him.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)