A Change in Perspective 9/30/2019

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”  Colossians 3:1-4

I once knew a person who always seemed to be rooted, grounded, positive and happy.  It was not because he had enjoyed a trouble-free life in the lap of luxury.  On the contrary, he had been through storm after storm, yet was an example of how to keep one’s head up and remain faithful.  It was not that he was a perfect man; far from it.  But he never claimed to be more than he was and always seemed to re-route any praise given him, to God.

Upon being asked how he did it, particularly in view of some significantly painful life events, he gave an answer that made all of the sense in the world but was no less amazing in that it involved the most basic of Christian principles.  He said, “I not only believe in God, but I believe Him.”  By that he meant that it was easy to acknowledge God’s existence but through the course of his life, he had come to have a significant level of faith in Him due to his experience with God.  He therefore made every effort to surrender his own will in favor of God’s.  This being the case, he went on to say, “God has told us that this life is just a vapor and that the things we go through in our day to day lives are not worthy to be compared with the things that will be revealed and experienced in an eternity with Him.  I believe that with my whole heart, and that long-term view makes the limited trials of this life bearable and temporary.”

Beloved, this is the perspective that all children of God should have.  This is not to say that in our human condition, we do not occasionally worry, fret, hurt, get anxious or angry, but that we should always be brought back to who God is, what He has promised and our faith in Him.  Further, we should conduct our lives as those who accept all He has told us as established fact. Paul told the church at Colossae, and by extension all believers, that we are to “set our minds on things above and not on earth…for our life is hidden with God in Christ.”  How powerful in the Lord would we be if we truly embraced this directive?  How effective would the church be?

Let us, as spiritual beings, diligently shift our perspective to spiritual things.  Our burdens will surely be lightened and hearts made glad.

Pursuing a transformed life,

Lee

Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth 9/22/2018

“But Naaman was furious and went away and said, ‘Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.  Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’  So he turned and went away in a rage.”  2 Kings 5:11-12

Naaman was the captain of the army for a king by the name of Aram.  By all accounts he was highly respected and a valiant warrior, but he had a problem.  Naaman was a leper.  Through a series of events, he found himself at the door of Elisha, a prophet of the living God to whom he was referred.  Elisha sent a servant to the door with a message to go and dip himself in the Jordan river 7 times and he would be clean.  As the Scripture records, he was incensed about the way he was treated as well as the prescription.  Is this not reminiscent of the popular “gift horse” colloquialism?

It is easy to be critical of Naaman until we take honest stock of our own behaviors.  How often do we put ourselves in jeopardy of not receiving our blessing because we are not satisfied with the method of delivery or the content?  We so often pray for deliverance from health, financial, relationship or other circumstantial situations but reject God’s means because they do not agree with what we expect or desire.  We are far more rigid than we think we are, even when we find ourselves in the greatest need. The rich young ruler famously asked Jesus for eternal life, but rejected the method by which he might acquire it, thus infamously losing it.

Beloved, we must be people of faith at all times.  This means trusting God with all of our hearts and not leaning on our own understanding (Prov 3:5).  When we only trust God “so far,” and resort to our own means when He does not deliver on our timetable or by our preferred method, we demonstrate faithlessness.  In so doing, we put ourselves in danger of not receiving the blessing that God so graciously offers.

Naaman’s servants rhetorically asked if Elisha had required some herculean task of him, would he not have done it to be rid of his leprosy.  Fortunately, he got the point, complied with the instructions and was cured as he was told he would be.  When we go to God, let us do so in humility and be willing to accept His will in whatever form it may come.  There may even be a blessing in a “no”; however, let us not cost ourselves a “yes”, knowing that in God, all things work together for our good.

In pursuit of transformed life,

Lee

Just Do It 8/9/2019

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
Which of the two did what his father wanted?”  Matthew 21:28-31

The colloquialism that comes to mind today is that it is "easier said than done."  It is a saying that we are all familiar with because it is true.  We can claim to be willing or able to do anything until it is actually time to perform.  That, as they say, is where the rubber meets the road.

Far too often in our spiritual lives, we are guilty of saying or otherwise representing our faith, hope, trust and belief in God while our actions prove otherwise.  It may very well be that we have the best of intentions.  I have heard it said that the road to hell is paved with those.  Nevertheless we speak forth or otherwise represent our greatest aspirations of obedience and alignment with the will of our Father, but, as it is human to do, we sometimes fall short.  We say that we will study our Bibles more, give more, attend more, pray more and be a better example at work, home and community, but do we?  We must ask ourselves why we make such claims.  Is it to maintain appearances?  Is it a type of self-motivation to do the things we ought?  Is it because we feel it is expected of us by those in our various circles?  Or is it that we do try but fail?  We must all produce our own answers.  The question we must really consider is, what good is profession without production?

Beloved, Jesus famously stated, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter," Matt 7:21.  You see, even then, people were saying one thing and doing another.  You also see the grave consequences associated with living a life long on "show" and short on "do."  You will recall the most terrifying example of this in the story of Ananias and Sapphira.  Let us never underestimate the importance of doing.  God has given us well documented commands by which we must endeavor to live daily.  He has not done so idly, for with, by and from Him, there is always purpose and that, exclusively for His glory and our well being.

Is it all easier said than done?  Certainly, however, the more we do, the easier it gets.  God has promised that the rewards for doing so our literally out of this world.

In pursuit of a transformed life,

Lee

Worship: Not a Spectator Sport 9/27/2018

"Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice, 
Do not harden your hearts," Psalm 95:6-8

Last week, I ran into two different people, both former members of congregations that now "worship at home."  Perhaps you know of someone or several someones who fit this description.  Now, rather than going to the assembly on the Lord's day, they listen to the local Christian radio station, or watch one or more of the televangelists on cable, or do nothing at all.  Of course our brothers and sisters say they still love God, still believe in Him and pray regularly but just do not currently "go to church."

There are a variety of reasons why people pursue this avenue.  Some disagree with the way things are done at their local congregation.  Some have suffered hurt associated with someone who attends.  Some have looked into the mirror of their lives and found themselves unfit, lacking the ability to forgive themselves despite believing that they have been forgiven by God.  And some just flat out do not think it is necessary.  There are many other reasons that people give for such a tragic departure.

Beloved, I will be the first to tell you that the work of the church is not primarily done inside the church building but outside.  I would likewise say that worship is not confined to the church building in that we should all be in a constant state of worshiping our God.  But I will say that the assembly is a necessary component of our relationship with God and with each other.  Let me share with you just a few scriptures that bear this out.

• Acts 2:40-47-From its inception, the church (more accurately phrased "the assembly") has been about the people of God being and doing together
• Ephesians 4:11-16-We together form one body, made so by divine will for a divine and beneficial purpose
• John 10:14-16-Being identified as flock whose shepherd is Jesus, our togetherness is implicit
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-27-Each of us has a role in the body/assembly that we are gifted to fulfill and on which others depend
• Hebrews 10:24-26-The assembly is as much about others as it is about us and we should not forsake it

This is by no means an exhaustive list.  The word of God consistently speaks of believers as a people, a body, a flock and a church that is designed to be together in word, thought, deed and most certainly in worship.  While some televangelist have their uses, if a person is watching one, they are watching not just the preacher but those who are members of that congregation who have gathered together to worship.  Worship is not about spectating, but participating.  

May this be an encouragement to you and may you share it with those who you know that have forsaken the assembly.

Building God's family,

Lee

Follow Me 9/6/2018

"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9

In today's social media driven world, one of the things by which people are known and sometimes evaluated is by how many followers they have. Whether it is the number of friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter, it says something about your fame and popularity (or lack thereof). For this reason, we are constantly invited to "friend," "like," or "follow" individuals, companies and institutions. The question, however, is why?

When you follow your favorite athlete, singer or actor, what is the benefit? You may be among the first to know about their next event. You may be a part of the "in crowd" that learns what happens to them before the news media blasts it all over the world. Mostly what you will get are their opinions (qualified or not) about other people and their circumstances. It is virtually an every day occurrence that someone is forced to apologize for something they said about someone else our of anger, retribution, jealousy or influence of substances via social media because so many are following them.

Beloved, the apostle Paul made an audacious yet qualified "follow" request 2000 years before it was the mainstream thing to do. He was able to do this for three very important reasons. First, he was personally commissioned by the Lord to do it (Acts 9:15). Second, the example he offered was one designed to benefit the follower (Galatians 2:20). And finally, the destination of the follow-ship he requested was not himself, but Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Let us be mindful of who we follow, why we follow them and most importantly, where we are allowing ourselves to be led. Jesus once famously said, "If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit" Matthew 15:14b.

Building God's family,

Lee

Are You As Happy As You Think You Are? 8/31/201/

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

More and more it seems that society equivocates on religion or rejects it altogether. Of course there are many reasons for this but among them have to be the perception that a relationship with God is too restrictive and too burdensome. There are so many bright, shiny, comfortable and sensually pleasurable things out there which seem to be prohibited by the Christian faith that many people are more interested in fulfilling their desires than securing their eternity.

A closer look reveals that the pursuit of pleasure and the rejection of godly structure and discipline come with their own cages which are often difficult and costly to maintain. For example, considering making our interpersonal relationships our number one priority, there is no one who does not know the effort this can take and the heartbreak that it can involve. It is only Jesus who has truthfully said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," Hebrews 13:5. When we make working our priority for the sole purpose of gaining more and more and then conspicuously consuming it, we find that it is never enough and become trapped in a cycle of trying to protect what we've accumulated while attempting to gain even more. Jesus asked the question, "For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose or forfeits himself [his soul]," Luke 9:25. Lastly, what of the things that look, feel and taste good to us? Does not the pursuit and enjoyment of some of these things cost us dearly in health, relationships, finances, time and even inner peace? It is written, "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?" James 4:1.

Beloved, a relationship with the Lord and membership in his body is not the trap that some would make it out to be. It is submitted to you that living outside of him is the true trap. All of the things outside of him that are dangled in front of us are merely bait designed to trap us and keep us imprisoned. Jesus offers freedom: freedom from worry, stress, strife, consequences of our sin and everlasting destruction. Are there observances that we must maintain, obey and respect? Absolutely, just as there are with everything from traffic laws, to work policies and procedures to family rules. None, however, are more beneficial than Jesus' offer of rest from the burdens and weariness generated by the choices we make and an easier yoke with a lighter burden. Let all who have ears hear and let all that hear understand.

Building God's family,

Lee