Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Genesis, Chapters 22-24 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Genesis 22: 1-3: … [Abraham: Pure Faith] ... 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” … “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love — Isaac — and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
My Journal for Today: Today I was led by my chronological reading plan to read/study/meditate through Chapters 22-24 of Genesis; and from that reading the incredible account of God testing Abraham simply has to be my chosen focus passage for my devotional journal this morning.
I charge anyone who’s reading along with me today to go back and please re-read [I’m sure you’ve read it before] Chapter 22 of Genesis, focusing on this outlandishly and seemingly viscous test through which God takes Abraham and his “son of promise,” Isaac. And every time I’m led to read or study or teach on this passage, I just can’t get my mind completely around WHY God would put this chosen “father of the faith,” … God’s man Abraham, … through such a horrible crucible to test his faith. Sure I can see that putting any believer though the fires of life purifies his faith. But this test???
The whole thing is just WAY OVER THE TOP with regard to what was asked of poor old Abe. Even the distance from where Abraham was abiding, in the Negev desert, in Beersheba, traveling way up to the mountain country in Moriah (probably to Mount Moriah itself) was a very arduous task. That’s about a 60 mile journey – a three-day journey minimum in those days. And can you just imagine what was going through the mind of God’s faithful servant, Abraham, and his son as they trekked to the mountain.
But the message is quite simple from this passage, isn’t it? God called Abraham; and Abraham went? And even though God was asking Abraham and the boy to the most extreme of tests, the father of this one son – Abe’s only son, … the son whom God had promised would become the father of many nations and all of God’s chosen peoples, was to be placed on an altar to God and burned as a sacrifice.
And in this test of faith – what I’m calling “THE test,” we see what had become Abraham’s maturity of trust in his God. Abraham and Sarai, who BTW dies and is buried in the chapters of our reading today, had seen the wondrous, incredible-to-unbelievable miracle of Isaac’s birth. They had seen God carry out His promise, mercifully, in spite of the failings of faith exhibited by both Sarah and Abraham before Isaac was born. And so, when God now said what he did to Abraham in our focus passage today, old Abe trusted God completely. And this may be the most powerful biblical example of the truth of what we’re taught by God’s word in Proverbs 3: 5-6 and in the NT from 1st Corinthians 10: 13 and by Jesus in Luke 9: 23; and I do hope you, fellow Christian, know these three passages by heart.
They tell us that when God calls, we are to follow. Oh, we may have questions; and God will even listen to our questions; but faith – especially mature faith – is following God obediently … even when it doesn’t make any human sense. It’s carrying our cross daily through trials of fire in our life. It’s following God’s direction and His narrow path even when the world is telling us to take the wide path which makes so much more worldly sense. And that’s exactly what Abraham did; and that’s exactly what we should do.
So, I’m not going to complicate this very simple lesson (I didn’t say EASY, I said, “simple”) with a lot of speculative analysis. It may be a trial of fire to test the purity of our faith; but when God is calling us to “GO,” we should be saying, “Where, Lord?” And when He shows us the way, we should, as did Abraham, … go!
My Prayer Today: … Lord, shine a light on my path, and I will follow. Amen
Blogger’s Note: As often is the case when I’m meditating on God’s word, the thought of a song comes to mind; and that’s what happened this morning. So, may I lead you to meditate on what I’ve written today by adding this link to a wonderful song, performed by Daniel O’Donnell, Here I Am, Lord. To hear it, you can go to this link.
Showing posts with label maturity of faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maturity of faith. Show all posts
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
November 22, 2011 … Watch Your Step
Passage of the Day: Ephesians 5: 15 [note terms in bold] – [NIV] … 15 Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, …
Ephesians 5: 15 [note terms in bold] – [NASB] … 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, …
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, in his Strength for Today devotional on this date, returns to Ephesians 5: 15 to emphasize the exhortation to Christians to “walk carefully” in Christ. I’ve added the NASB version of today’s key verse above because it uses the translated term “walk,” which is another translation from the Greek, rather than “live,” as in the NIV. I like the term “walk” paired with “be very careful” because, as MacArthur alludes in his devotional, they can create the word picture of a soldier being so very careful as he clears a minefield.
I’ll return to this mental image; but focusing on the Greek, term “akribos,” which has been accurately rendered in the NIV for Eph. 5: 15, “to be very careful;” and it’s a term which means to be hyper-vigilant to what is going on around us in the world. The second key term in today’s verse is “paripateo” in the Greek; and it refers to our ”daily living or walk,” especially those habits or disciplines which comprise our habitual walk in the world. Using these terms together, Paul was saying to the Ephesians, and to us [paraphrased], “As you walk everyday in this world, walk with extreme care and vigilance!”
And that’s why the mine-clearing soldier image is so apropos in this exhortation. Wouldn’t you agree that life, as we know it, truly is a minefield? And I’ve often asked this question of other Christians, “If you had to walk through a minefield, would you rather be first; or would you rather follow someone who knows exactly where every mine is placed?” The answer is a no-brainer, of course. And applied to Eph. 5: 15, Paul is saying that the wise Christian will do all he can to seek the perfect minefield walker; and that, my dear readers, is Jesus; and then we follow Him.
Christ commanded His disciples (in Matt. 16: 24, Mark 8: 34; and one which I probably quote more than any other in ministry, Luke 9: 23) to follow Him ever so closely by denying ourselves. Proverbs 3: 5 commands the believer to trust God’s way completely and not try to walk in life using our own ideas; and Prov. 3: 6 promises that if we do that, God will lead us carefully down His pathway of life. And God’s pathway, even if it’s fraught with “mines,” is always the safest path to follow. Hence, our need to be vigilant and disciplined in following our Lord rather than our own feelings and flesh-driven ideas.
To the world, a “careful walk” might mean using our head knowledge, gleaned from worldly education, science, or even from man-made religion, to avoid the dangerous circumstances of life. It might encourage the worldly warrior to take on the minefield alone by using modern technology or to follow religious positive thinking gurus to point out the mines of life; but the truth of such strategies would place us at the mercy of others who are simply trying to show us the way by man-created technologies or thought processes. When we follow the way of Prov. 3: 5 – 6 and/or Luke 9: 23, merely trusting and following Christ, we may not always avoid the dangers of life’s minefields; but we’ll always know that God will bring us through the minefields of life the right way! And I don’t know about you; but I’d much rather follow Jesus through life than risk doing it on my own.
My Prayer Today: Lead me, Lord, and I will walk where You walk. Amen
Ephesians 5: 15 [note terms in bold] – [NASB] … 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, …
My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, in his Strength for Today devotional on this date, returns to Ephesians 5: 15 to emphasize the exhortation to Christians to “walk carefully” in Christ. I’ve added the NASB version of today’s key verse above because it uses the translated term “walk,” which is another translation from the Greek, rather than “live,” as in the NIV. I like the term “walk” paired with “be very careful” because, as MacArthur alludes in his devotional, they can create the word picture of a soldier being so very careful as he clears a minefield.
I’ll return to this mental image; but focusing on the Greek, term “akribos,” which has been accurately rendered in the NIV for Eph. 5: 15, “to be very careful;” and it’s a term which means to be hyper-vigilant to what is going on around us in the world. The second key term in today’s verse is “paripateo” in the Greek; and it refers to our ”daily living or walk,” especially those habits or disciplines which comprise our habitual walk in the world. Using these terms together, Paul was saying to the Ephesians, and to us [paraphrased], “As you walk everyday in this world, walk with extreme care and vigilance!”
And that’s why the mine-clearing soldier image is so apropos in this exhortation. Wouldn’t you agree that life, as we know it, truly is a minefield? And I’ve often asked this question of other Christians, “If you had to walk through a minefield, would you rather be first; or would you rather follow someone who knows exactly where every mine is placed?” The answer is a no-brainer, of course. And applied to Eph. 5: 15, Paul is saying that the wise Christian will do all he can to seek the perfect minefield walker; and that, my dear readers, is Jesus; and then we follow Him.
Christ commanded His disciples (in Matt. 16: 24, Mark 8: 34; and one which I probably quote more than any other in ministry, Luke 9: 23) to follow Him ever so closely by denying ourselves. Proverbs 3: 5 commands the believer to trust God’s way completely and not try to walk in life using our own ideas; and Prov. 3: 6 promises that if we do that, God will lead us carefully down His pathway of life. And God’s pathway, even if it’s fraught with “mines,” is always the safest path to follow. Hence, our need to be vigilant and disciplined in following our Lord rather than our own feelings and flesh-driven ideas.
To the world, a “careful walk” might mean using our head knowledge, gleaned from worldly education, science, or even from man-made religion, to avoid the dangerous circumstances of life. It might encourage the worldly warrior to take on the minefield alone by using modern technology or to follow religious positive thinking gurus to point out the mines of life; but the truth of such strategies would place us at the mercy of others who are simply trying to show us the way by man-created technologies or thought processes. When we follow the way of Prov. 3: 5 – 6 and/or Luke 9: 23, merely trusting and following Christ, we may not always avoid the dangers of life’s minefields; but we’ll always know that God will bring us through the minefields of life the right way! And I don’t know about you; but I’d much rather follow Jesus through life than risk doing it on my own.
My Prayer Today: Lead me, Lord, and I will walk where You walk. Amen
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
October 11, 2011 … Dead to Sin
Passage of the Day: Romans 6: 1 – 2 [see verse in bold/underlined] … Rom. 5: 20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. --- Rom. 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
My Journal for Today: It is important for all true Christians to have a foundational understanding of our relationship with sin. The Apostle Paul was confronted by this basic doctrinal issue when he asked the important rhetorical question in his letter to the Romans (v. 6: 1). In the context of what he had just written in Rom. 5: 20 – 21 (printed above for your context and edification), Paul asked, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” And to this question Paul answers with the strongest negation found in the Greek language, which is “me” (pronounced “may”) – a small word but a very strong statement, which in our language is the equivalent of saying, “Absolutely not!” … or … “Forget it!” … or maybe, more colloquially, … “NO WAY!”
And so, my fellow Christian, here’s the simple truth. A true, born-again believer in Christ is dead to sin. However, the dilemma found in that same Christian is the fact that this person (maybe it’s you or me) has a sin nature with which he must contend. But for a REAL Christian to continue in conscious, unrepentant, and habitual sin with no remorse is a virtual and spiritual impossibility. Besides today’s cited passage, Paul repetitively in his epistles harkens to this reality (see Eph. 2: 1 – 5 [linked] and Col. 1: 13 - 14).
We, who now are in Christ, have been bought by the atonement of our Savior, … saved from the darkness of death into the light of eternal life. And though the Christian, retaining a sin nature, may sin – even by choice – such sin will never happen for the born-again believer without redress or conviction by the Holy Spirit, Who now resides in the heart of that believer for eternity.
In the ministry to which I’ve been called to serve, which deals with Christians who fall prey to habitual, or even repetitive, sexual sin, I’m often asked, “How could I truly be a Christian and continue to sin in this way sexually?” To such a question I usually ask a diagnostic question in retort, asking, “When you do sin – even repetitively – do you enjoy the results of your sin afterwards or does the sin satisfy your inner being?” The true Christian responding to my question will answer, “No, way!” [which, BTW, is the same strong negation as the Apostle used in Greek in Rom. 6:1] And continuing, … the Christian who has denied any satisfaction from the chosen sin pattern usually also reports having severe, acute remorse from the conviction they feel from God’s Spirit after a bout or binge into selfish sensual sin. Often the remorse/guilt from the sin drives that one to periods [even long periods] of sobriety from sexual sin; and the valley of remorse can stay with that one for a period of time, even at times allowing that believer to experience to climb to a higher place of joy from their relationship with Christ. This is what I call the roller-coaster ride of repentance and remorse of the immature Christian, riding high when he is pure and then falling fast into the valley of despair involving the chosen sin. As I say, that’s the way of the immature Christian. However, it’s the mature Christian who learns to level off in his/her life of faith, knowing that living with the joy resulting from obedience to God’s way is worth what it takes to stay on an even keel in the life of a Christian, and realizing to follow and live out what that more mature Christian learns in order to avoid sin and practice spiritual temperance. And when, in the mature and long lasting decision to follow Christ, rather than self, that maturity becomes so joyful that he/she wants to help others find that dying to sin and living in Christ is so much more fulfilling than any fix one might get from partaking of the sin nature.
So, if you’re reading this as a fellow Christian, KNOW this! In Christ, you are – and choose to be - dead to sin. It is a defeated foe. Yes, sin is a persistent foe; … but in Christ you will ultimately win the battle!
My Prayer Today: In You, Lord, sin has no sway over me! Amen
My Journal for Today: It is important for all true Christians to have a foundational understanding of our relationship with sin. The Apostle Paul was confronted by this basic doctrinal issue when he asked the important rhetorical question in his letter to the Romans (v. 6: 1). In the context of what he had just written in Rom. 5: 20 – 21 (printed above for your context and edification), Paul asked, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” And to this question Paul answers with the strongest negation found in the Greek language, which is “me” (pronounced “may”) – a small word but a very strong statement, which in our language is the equivalent of saying, “Absolutely not!” … or … “Forget it!” … or maybe, more colloquially, … “NO WAY!”
And so, my fellow Christian, here’s the simple truth. A true, born-again believer in Christ is dead to sin. However, the dilemma found in that same Christian is the fact that this person (maybe it’s you or me) has a sin nature with which he must contend. But for a REAL Christian to continue in conscious, unrepentant, and habitual sin with no remorse is a virtual and spiritual impossibility. Besides today’s cited passage, Paul repetitively in his epistles harkens to this reality (see Eph. 2: 1 – 5 [linked] and Col. 1: 13 - 14).
We, who now are in Christ, have been bought by the atonement of our Savior, … saved from the darkness of death into the light of eternal life. And though the Christian, retaining a sin nature, may sin – even by choice – such sin will never happen for the born-again believer without redress or conviction by the Holy Spirit, Who now resides in the heart of that believer for eternity.
In the ministry to which I’ve been called to serve, which deals with Christians who fall prey to habitual, or even repetitive, sexual sin, I’m often asked, “How could I truly be a Christian and continue to sin in this way sexually?” To such a question I usually ask a diagnostic question in retort, asking, “When you do sin – even repetitively – do you enjoy the results of your sin afterwards or does the sin satisfy your inner being?” The true Christian responding to my question will answer, “No, way!” [which, BTW, is the same strong negation as the Apostle used in Greek in Rom. 6:1] And continuing, … the Christian who has denied any satisfaction from the chosen sin pattern usually also reports having severe, acute remorse from the conviction they feel from God’s Spirit after a bout or binge into selfish sensual sin. Often the remorse/guilt from the sin drives that one to periods [even long periods] of sobriety from sexual sin; and the valley of remorse can stay with that one for a period of time, even at times allowing that believer to experience to climb to a higher place of joy from their relationship with Christ. This is what I call the roller-coaster ride of repentance and remorse of the immature Christian, riding high when he is pure and then falling fast into the valley of despair involving the chosen sin. As I say, that’s the way of the immature Christian. However, it’s the mature Christian who learns to level off in his/her life of faith, knowing that living with the joy resulting from obedience to God’s way is worth what it takes to stay on an even keel in the life of a Christian, and realizing to follow and live out what that more mature Christian learns in order to avoid sin and practice spiritual temperance. And when, in the mature and long lasting decision to follow Christ, rather than self, that maturity becomes so joyful that he/she wants to help others find that dying to sin and living in Christ is so much more fulfilling than any fix one might get from partaking of the sin nature.
So, if you’re reading this as a fellow Christian, KNOW this! In Christ, you are – and choose to be - dead to sin. It is a defeated foe. Yes, sin is a persistent foe; … but in Christ you will ultimately win the battle!
My Prayer Today: In You, Lord, sin has no sway over me! Amen
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
January 5, 2011 … Life in Surrender Mode
Passage of the Day: Ephesians 4: 1 – As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
My Journal for Today: As John MacArthur emphasizes in his Strength for Today devotional entry for this date, it is of interest to note that being a prisoner of Rome when Paul wrote Eph. 4: 1, he refers to himself as a “prisoner of the Lord.” And I believe such an attitude helps us to see Paul’s level of Christian maturity at the time he was writing this prison epistle. Paul’s had a divine perspective on life in his later years, not a worldly or personally selfish perspective. He was deeply in, what I call, “surrender mode” in his walk as a disciple of Christ.
So often we see lesser mature Christians, when confronted with problems or issues, react with a here-and-now attitude or selfish perspective, possibly declaring (or at least thinking), as MacArthur declares, “Oh, woe is me!” I can’t tell you how many times in my discipleship, especially years ago, but occasionally still, I have reflected this pity-party mentality. However, we see in God’s word, a model of the Christlike perspective in the Apostle Paul here in Eph. 4. We read this Apostle saying, through his words and actions, “What is God showing me (us) through these challenging circumstances?” Also we could imagine him praying, “Lord, what would You have me do in these circumstances for Your glory?”
This perspective, what I referred to as “surrender mode” is what MacArthur calls a “God consciousness.” It is what King David expressed in Psalm 16: 8 – 10 …
>>> SCRIPTURE: Ps. 16: 8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because You [Lord] will not abandon me …
It is what Paul saw as the reason for another of his prison circumstances, as we read in Phil. 1:12-14.
>>> SCRIPTURE: Phil. 1: 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
And I agree with MacArthur that our maturity as believers and our functioning as Christians is measured by the degree to which we believe and can live by the truth of Romans 8: 28, which I’m sure many of you mature readers here know well. [Besides the NIV I’ll also add the NKJV, which I believe is a slightly better translation of this one passage.]
>>> SCRIPTURE: Rom. 8: 28 [NIV] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
>>> SCRIPTURE: Rom. 8: 28 [NKJV] And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
If a Christian truly believes this passage from Paul’s deeply held “God perspective” and responds to the negative or tumultuous circumstances of life as Paul has modeled for us in the passages above, then he has, what I call, the “surrender mode” credentials to exhort others to “get with THE program,” which is God’s calling for us to walk worthy of our Lord [again, see today’s verse].
So, as we move in to this new year, I challenge myself [and I’ll let God’s Spirit convict you] to develop a “God consciousness,” … i.e., a deeper “surrender mode.” And, I don’t know about you; but, I’ve got some growing to do. I do believe that God does know what’s best for my life; and I do pray that I can see life through the lenses of a Rom. 8: 28 perspective; AND, most certainly I desire to grow closer to Him through my life circumstances. So, I pray …
My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, and teach me how to see life through Your eyes. Amen
My Journal for Today: As John MacArthur emphasizes in his Strength for Today devotional entry for this date, it is of interest to note that being a prisoner of Rome when Paul wrote Eph. 4: 1, he refers to himself as a “prisoner of the Lord.” And I believe such an attitude helps us to see Paul’s level of Christian maturity at the time he was writing this prison epistle. Paul’s had a divine perspective on life in his later years, not a worldly or personally selfish perspective. He was deeply in, what I call, “surrender mode” in his walk as a disciple of Christ.
So often we see lesser mature Christians, when confronted with problems or issues, react with a here-and-now attitude or selfish perspective, possibly declaring (or at least thinking), as MacArthur declares, “Oh, woe is me!” I can’t tell you how many times in my discipleship, especially years ago, but occasionally still, I have reflected this pity-party mentality. However, we see in God’s word, a model of the Christlike perspective in the Apostle Paul here in Eph. 4. We read this Apostle saying, through his words and actions, “What is God showing me (us) through these challenging circumstances?” Also we could imagine him praying, “Lord, what would You have me do in these circumstances for Your glory?”
This perspective, what I referred to as “surrender mode” is what MacArthur calls a “God consciousness.” It is what King David expressed in Psalm 16: 8 – 10 …
>>> SCRIPTURE: Ps. 16: 8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because You [Lord] will not abandon me …
It is what Paul saw as the reason for another of his prison circumstances, as we read in Phil. 1:12-14.
>>> SCRIPTURE: Phil. 1: 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
And I agree with MacArthur that our maturity as believers and our functioning as Christians is measured by the degree to which we believe and can live by the truth of Romans 8: 28, which I’m sure many of you mature readers here know well. [Besides the NIV I’ll also add the NKJV, which I believe is a slightly better translation of this one passage.]
>>> SCRIPTURE: Rom. 8: 28 [NIV] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
>>> SCRIPTURE: Rom. 8: 28 [NKJV] And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
If a Christian truly believes this passage from Paul’s deeply held “God perspective” and responds to the negative or tumultuous circumstances of life as Paul has modeled for us in the passages above, then he has, what I call, the “surrender mode” credentials to exhort others to “get with THE program,” which is God’s calling for us to walk worthy of our Lord [again, see today’s verse].
So, as we move in to this new year, I challenge myself [and I’ll let God’s Spirit convict you] to develop a “God consciousness,” … i.e., a deeper “surrender mode.” And, I don’t know about you; but, I’ve got some growing to do. I do believe that God does know what’s best for my life; and I do pray that I can see life through the lenses of a Rom. 8: 28 perspective; AND, most certainly I desire to grow closer to Him through my life circumstances. So, I pray …
My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, and teach me how to see life through Your eyes. Amen
Thursday, December 23, 2010
2010 – December 23 – Of Milk and Meat
Study from God’s Word… Hebrews, Chapters 1 – 6: 12 … Passage for Reflection: Hebrews 5: 12 … NIV In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
My Journal for Today: Reading, studying, and meditating on the letter, by an unknown author, directed to all believers, but focused on Hebrew Christians, can be a tough, perplexing read for the immature disciple of Christ. However, for the mature, committed, and steadfast Christian, Hebrews is very straight forward and actually quite encouraging study. So, reading this book can be a measure of our maturity in the Christian faith continuum.
If you read Hebrews and you have a lot of trouble grasping its theology, its instructions, and its exhortations, you are likely, given the word picture of today’s highlight text, a babe in the faith, feeding on the milk given to little ones who cannot yet take in the meat God, the Holy Spirit, has for grown-ups in the faith. But on the other hand, if, in reading Hebrews, you are saying “Right on!” to what the author is writing; and you feel encouraged and uplifted in your faith by the teachings in this letter, you can take heart that you are more likely well along and growing in your faith, using the gifts that God has given you for His glory, and doing battle effectively against the enemies of our spirit, … Satan, the world, and the flesh.
Fellow reader, would you please allow me a bit of personal testimony? There was a time, years ago, when I read Hebrews; and it seemed very distant and almost in code. And at that time, in the infancy of my faith walk, the teachings of this Hebrew author just flew over my head. But now, when I read this epistle, directed to Christians (and not only Jews, but me too), I’m not only edified and enlightened by its contents, but I’m also encouraged and empowered by what God, the Holy Spirit, as it’s Author, is saying to and for me.
That’s not bragging, my dear one. It’s simply a realization that I’ve become a meat-eater as a Christian; and I not threatened when the Author of Hebrews warns Christians who fall away from the faith as being either lost babes who cannot grow in the faith or recalcitrant non-believers who have deluded themselves to think that they are really born-again, when in point of fact, as a southern friend of mine once said, “… they are as lost as a ball in high weeds!”
So, as you read the book of Hebrews, use it as a thermometer of the temperature of your faith. If you read this anointed letter and you just don’t get its message or you do not feel turned-on by its content, you are either not IN CHRIST and desperately need Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or you are still a babe in the faith who needs some help, by a more mature mentor or discipler, who can help you go from feeding on milk of God’s truth to being able to take in the meat of the faith.
And I will pray below that you join me, guided by God’s Spirit, to be able to take in some of the great and juicy cuts of meat found in God’s truth, … devouring it, and becoming stronger and stronger in your faith.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that any who read here are feeding on the meat of Your Word, gleaning the nourishment it offers for our growth and completion in You. Amen
====================
PS – Blogger’s Note: To any who read this: … Please take note of what I’ve just written today. And please take this the right way. What I just wrote today is way above me. I just wrote that, without any editing, very rapidly, in one sitting; and I’m not smart enough to write about Godly matters with the degree of rapidity or clarity exhibited above. What I’m saying is, … occasionally, God answers my daily prayer (before every devotional) to reveal His truths to me and to lift me up with my reading/study of His word with a resounding “YES!” And today was one of those days. So, I praise God for what He gave me to write today; because it’s clearly is way above my ability to journal in this way; and so I exhort you to read it with a bit more than just a grain of salt taking away what God may have for you. … Thanks for this little extra note of understanding. … Bill B
My Journal for Today: Reading, studying, and meditating on the letter, by an unknown author, directed to all believers, but focused on Hebrew Christians, can be a tough, perplexing read for the immature disciple of Christ. However, for the mature, committed, and steadfast Christian, Hebrews is very straight forward and actually quite encouraging study. So, reading this book can be a measure of our maturity in the Christian faith continuum.
If you read Hebrews and you have a lot of trouble grasping its theology, its instructions, and its exhortations, you are likely, given the word picture of today’s highlight text, a babe in the faith, feeding on the milk given to little ones who cannot yet take in the meat God, the Holy Spirit, has for grown-ups in the faith. But on the other hand, if, in reading Hebrews, you are saying “Right on!” to what the author is writing; and you feel encouraged and uplifted in your faith by the teachings in this letter, you can take heart that you are more likely well along and growing in your faith, using the gifts that God has given you for His glory, and doing battle effectively against the enemies of our spirit, … Satan, the world, and the flesh.
Fellow reader, would you please allow me a bit of personal testimony? There was a time, years ago, when I read Hebrews; and it seemed very distant and almost in code. And at that time, in the infancy of my faith walk, the teachings of this Hebrew author just flew over my head. But now, when I read this epistle, directed to Christians (and not only Jews, but me too), I’m not only edified and enlightened by its contents, but I’m also encouraged and empowered by what God, the Holy Spirit, as it’s Author, is saying to and for me.
That’s not bragging, my dear one. It’s simply a realization that I’ve become a meat-eater as a Christian; and I not threatened when the Author of Hebrews warns Christians who fall away from the faith as being either lost babes who cannot grow in the faith or recalcitrant non-believers who have deluded themselves to think that they are really born-again, when in point of fact, as a southern friend of mine once said, “… they are as lost as a ball in high weeds!”
So, as you read the book of Hebrews, use it as a thermometer of the temperature of your faith. If you read this anointed letter and you just don’t get its message or you do not feel turned-on by its content, you are either not IN CHRIST and desperately need Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or you are still a babe in the faith who needs some help, by a more mature mentor or discipler, who can help you go from feeding on milk of God’s truth to being able to take in the meat of the faith.
And I will pray below that you join me, guided by God’s Spirit, to be able to take in some of the great and juicy cuts of meat found in God’s truth, … devouring it, and becoming stronger and stronger in your faith.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that any who read here are feeding on the meat of Your Word, gleaning the nourishment it offers for our growth and completion in You. Amen
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PS – Blogger’s Note: To any who read this: … Please take note of what I’ve just written today. And please take this the right way. What I just wrote today is way above me. I just wrote that, without any editing, very rapidly, in one sitting; and I’m not smart enough to write about Godly matters with the degree of rapidity or clarity exhibited above. What I’m saying is, … occasionally, God answers my daily prayer (before every devotional) to reveal His truths to me and to lift me up with my reading/study of His word with a resounding “YES!” And today was one of those days. So, I praise God for what He gave me to write today; because it’s clearly is way above my ability to journal in this way; and so I exhort you to read it with a bit more than just a grain of salt taking away what God may have for you. … Thanks for this little extra note of understanding. … Bill B
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
2010 – August 25 – With A Vengeance
Study from God’s Word… Ezekiel 25: 1 – 17; 29: 1 – 16; 30: 1 – 26; and chapter 31: 1 - 18 … Passage for Reflection: Ezekiel 25: 15 – 17 … NIV 15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them.' "
My Journal for Today: Today’s Bible reading and Dr. Smith’s devotional entry focuses on the nature of vengeance; and we note man’s tendency to want “justice” when he feels hurt or wronged in some way. Of course, the reality is that most of the time we humans are really out for revenge rather than God’s justice.
Dr. Smith rightly attributes the desire for vengeance in our hearts to the degree of maturity of our faith. If we, born-again Christians, are deeply steeped in God’s truth (i.e., the Bible) then we know that vengeance is God’s business, not ours. And so, to the degree we have a deep and abiding relationship with God, in Christ, we’ll leave the business of vengeance to our God; because only HE can see all of the truth and all of the circumstances; and only HE knows exactly what should be done in any circumstance to “make it right.”
But somehow, deep in our humanity, vengeance is our reaction to being wronged, isn’t it? Admit it, you’re probably like me when you go to a movie and you see Wyatt Earp, the protagonist hero, make it right with Doc Holliday and his brothers, gunning down the antagonists, the Clanton gang at the O.K. Corral. It just feels good; doesn’t it? And that’s our measurement of immaturity in our relationship with Christ, … that our faith is not developed enough to let go and let God.
Dr. Smith challenges his readers today, writing, ”If I have somehow managed not to throttle people who deserve throttling, can I move to the next step of not even WANTING to throttle them?” And I must admit that I’m not quite mature enough to follow the call Jesus had for those of us who follow Him (see Matt. 5: 39, and Luke 6: 29). Wow! Jesus’ charge of discipleship in Luke 9: 23 can be a real stitch at times, can’t it?
My friends, I’m afraid I’m not there yet; but God’s conviction has me praying that I will be one day.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to leave the vengeance business of life in Your hands. You know what’s best. I don’t !! Amen
My Journal for Today: Today’s Bible reading and Dr. Smith’s devotional entry focuses on the nature of vengeance; and we note man’s tendency to want “justice” when he feels hurt or wronged in some way. Of course, the reality is that most of the time we humans are really out for revenge rather than God’s justice.
Dr. Smith rightly attributes the desire for vengeance in our hearts to the degree of maturity of our faith. If we, born-again Christians, are deeply steeped in God’s truth (i.e., the Bible) then we know that vengeance is God’s business, not ours. And so, to the degree we have a deep and abiding relationship with God, in Christ, we’ll leave the business of vengeance to our God; because only HE can see all of the truth and all of the circumstances; and only HE knows exactly what should be done in any circumstance to “make it right.”
But somehow, deep in our humanity, vengeance is our reaction to being wronged, isn’t it? Admit it, you’re probably like me when you go to a movie and you see Wyatt Earp, the protagonist hero, make it right with Doc Holliday and his brothers, gunning down the antagonists, the Clanton gang at the O.K. Corral. It just feels good; doesn’t it? And that’s our measurement of immaturity in our relationship with Christ, … that our faith is not developed enough to let go and let God.
Dr. Smith challenges his readers today, writing, ”If I have somehow managed not to throttle people who deserve throttling, can I move to the next step of not even WANTING to throttle them?” And I must admit that I’m not quite mature enough to follow the call Jesus had for those of us who follow Him (see Matt. 5: 39, and Luke 6: 29). Wow! Jesus’ charge of discipleship in Luke 9: 23 can be a real stitch at times, can’t it?
My friends, I’m afraid I’m not there yet; but God’s conviction has me praying that I will be one day.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to leave the vengeance business of life in Your hands. You know what’s best. I don’t !! Amen
Sunday, July 04, 2010
2010 – July 4 – A Heart for Seekers
Study from God’s Word… 2nd Chronicles, Chapters 29 - 31 … Passage for Reflection: 2nd Chronicles 30: 18 – 20 … NIV 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
My Journal for Today: Wow! Don’t you just love Hezekiah and wish that we had such a person to take charge of our country as we celebrate Independence Day today. Oh to have a leader like Hezekiah who would swoop into our land with a heart for God’s righteous ways and His lost children, a heart as big as was Hezekiah’s, reflected and brought out in today’s highlight passage.
As Hezekiah became the most righteous King of God’s peoples since Jehoshaphat, he even invited the rebellious Jewish tribes from the North, in Israel, to come down to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover Feast and to worship in the Temple, which he had restored for consecrated worship of the one true living God. And oh how I pray for developing a heart like Hezekiah’s in my own character; because at one time in my life, I had people with vulnerable and forgiving hearts, just like Hezekiah, … mature and strong Christians, praying that God would have mercy on His child, Bill Berry, and forgive the sins of a seeker who had come forth for repentance and to establish his covenant with God.
Yes, at one time in my life, I was one of those broken children of God, … a seeker after God’s Spirit and one who had wandered from the Lord’s ways for many years. But God used people with a heart like Hezekiah’s to offer up prayers for my salvation and to be forgiving reflections of God Himself; and God came after me, desiring, just as He did with those people from the North in Israel, to allow me to repent and be cleansed by the atoning blood of His covenant sacrifice. In my case He had sent Jesus to be my Redeemer; and the Lord was so patient and gave me the same kind of love that God did when Hezekiah prayed for God’s children to be healed and saved.
I hope those of us who call ourselves “Christian” can – and will – mature in our faith to have a heart like that of Hezekiah, giving quarter to those who are obviously seekers, but those who have lived under the oppression of their own sin. And we need to be, like Hezekiah was, praying for those in our lives whom we know have been walking in unrighteousness but are beginning to show signs of seeking after a transformation of their lives by the only change-agent Who can make a difference; and in these times that is the Spirit of the living Lord, Jesus Christ.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, here on July 4, 2010 I pray for those in my life who seek after Your love and forgiveness, … the ones whom I know are lost or are oppressed and imprisoned by their own sinful habits. Help them to find You as I have and to repent and break free; and have mercy on them to provide them with the grace You have so promised to all who claim Your Son, Jesus, as their Lord and Savior. Amen
My Journal for Today: Wow! Don’t you just love Hezekiah and wish that we had such a person to take charge of our country as we celebrate Independence Day today. Oh to have a leader like Hezekiah who would swoop into our land with a heart for God’s righteous ways and His lost children, a heart as big as was Hezekiah’s, reflected and brought out in today’s highlight passage.
As Hezekiah became the most righteous King of God’s peoples since Jehoshaphat, he even invited the rebellious Jewish tribes from the North, in Israel, to come down to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover Feast and to worship in the Temple, which he had restored for consecrated worship of the one true living God. And oh how I pray for developing a heart like Hezekiah’s in my own character; because at one time in my life, I had people with vulnerable and forgiving hearts, just like Hezekiah, … mature and strong Christians, praying that God would have mercy on His child, Bill Berry, and forgive the sins of a seeker who had come forth for repentance and to establish his covenant with God.
Yes, at one time in my life, I was one of those broken children of God, … a seeker after God’s Spirit and one who had wandered from the Lord’s ways for many years. But God used people with a heart like Hezekiah’s to offer up prayers for my salvation and to be forgiving reflections of God Himself; and God came after me, desiring, just as He did with those people from the North in Israel, to allow me to repent and be cleansed by the atoning blood of His covenant sacrifice. In my case He had sent Jesus to be my Redeemer; and the Lord was so patient and gave me the same kind of love that God did when Hezekiah prayed for God’s children to be healed and saved.
I hope those of us who call ourselves “Christian” can – and will – mature in our faith to have a heart like that of Hezekiah, giving quarter to those who are obviously seekers, but those who have lived under the oppression of their own sin. And we need to be, like Hezekiah was, praying for those in our lives whom we know have been walking in unrighteousness but are beginning to show signs of seeking after a transformation of their lives by the only change-agent Who can make a difference; and in these times that is the Spirit of the living Lord, Jesus Christ.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, here on July 4, 2010 I pray for those in my life who seek after Your love and forgiveness, … the ones whom I know are lost or are oppressed and imprisoned by their own sinful habits. Help them to find You as I have and to repent and break free; and have mercy on them to provide them with the grace You have so promised to all who claim Your Son, Jesus, as their Lord and Savior. Amen
Thursday, May 20, 2010
2010 – May 20 – The Virtue of Patience
Blogger’s Note: For those who expect my devotional journal entry to be posted relatively early in the morning, I am tardy today, having awakened with some sort of malaise and physical malady – undetermined at this time – general achiness, feeling almost febrile with no fever, a lot of sinus drainage and coughing up mucous from lungs. UGH!!! So, please forgive my late entry; and understand that my mind is not quite as focused on being with God today as it might be generally. But nonetheless I feel grateful to be here with my God; and I know He has something for me today as He does everyday. So, I will do my best to seek His mind and convey it here as best I can.
Study from God’s Word…Many Proverbs listed in The Daily Bible in Chronological Order from Proverbs 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, and 29, ordered by topics by the Editor, including Self control, Rashness, Temper/Patience, Drunkenness/Gluttony, Adultery, and Prostitution …Passage for Reflection: Proverbs 14: 29 … NIV A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
My Journal for Today: Have you ever, as an adult, had a temper tantrum or some explosion of temperament where you said or did something really embarrassing or stupid? If you answered “No” to that, you are a rare individual; and I’d like to tap into your sense of self control.
Personally, I explode with my temper every now and then; but it’s interesting to reflect on this because I’m not one who lets it be known to the public. No, I have my temper tantrums only in the presence of my wife, the one whom I declare to love the most on this earth. I’ve even put my fist through a wall once. I’ve broken things in her presence; and always my anger is directed towards my own stupidity or some circumstance which is out of my control; and I’ve never hit or directed my anger at anyone else. For example, I’ll bang on the steering wheel of the car when traffic patterns anger me in my wife’s presence. Interestingly, I never do that when I’m alone or with others in the car – only when Elly is in the car. And another interesting pattern about my degree of emotional self control. I never – and I mean NEVER – get angry when circumstances involve other people. I seem to have great patience with other people but can – and often do - fly off the handle very easily – but once again, in my wife’s presence only. And looking back on these situations, the circumstances are always so trivial.
So, what’s that all about? Maybe you have a pattern of emotional explosiveness that is like mine … or maybe one that is very different. My wife finds it very easy to get mad at other people; but almost never gets angry and loses control in the face of tough external circumstances. Maybe you’re more like Elly than like me. Perhaps you have your own pattern of emotional volcanic eruptions. But then again, maybe you’re the rare one who is very self-controlled and extremely patient in all circumstances.
I do know, though, that I’m more self controlled now as a Christian than I was as a non-Christian years ago; and that degree of emotional self control is also likely tempered by the fact that I’m older, and hopefully wise,r than I was years ago. Certainly we know that our kids and grandkids cannot be expected to have the same degree of patience in handling the world as do their parents or grandparents. So, we would hope that we all grow into more patience. But we can know, as Christians, that God has given all believers His Spirit-imparted fruit of patience (see Gal. 5: 22-23). And that fruit will only mature and become sweeter in the life of a Christian who is in surrender mode to God’s Spirit, letting God impart his enabling grace to help us meet the circumstances of life. That is what we read and get from passages like 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9.
And so, taking all of this into account, I can expect for God to give me the empowering grace of patience I need to handle tough circumstances in life, IF – and that depends on my attitude – I humble myself, seek and receive God’s grace to cover my weakness of impatience. I believe the fruit of patience is growing and maturing in my life. I just need to have the patience to let God shape that fruit into me to the point that He is glorified by that fruit becoming more evident in my demeanor. Yes, that’s a paradox. I become patient by choosing to be patient; and I become more impatient to the degree that I’m impatient. It’s like answering the question: How does one become spontaneous voluntarily? And the answer is … one becomes spontaneous by being more and more intentional.
So, how do we become more patient? ANSWER: We become more patient by choosing to be patient. And so, I now pray for patience … knowing that God loves for me to be patient; and also knowing that He may put me through trials of circumstantial fire to purge the impatience from my soul. BUT … wanting to be more patient, that will be my prayer today.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be more patient; but be merciful and ever patient with Your impatient child in the process of maturing me in this fruitfulness. Amen
Study from God’s Word…Many Proverbs listed in The Daily Bible in Chronological Order from Proverbs 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, and 29, ordered by topics by the Editor, including Self control, Rashness, Temper/Patience, Drunkenness/Gluttony, Adultery, and Prostitution …Passage for Reflection: Proverbs 14: 29 … NIV A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
My Journal for Today: Have you ever, as an adult, had a temper tantrum or some explosion of temperament where you said or did something really embarrassing or stupid? If you answered “No” to that, you are a rare individual; and I’d like to tap into your sense of self control.
Personally, I explode with my temper every now and then; but it’s interesting to reflect on this because I’m not one who lets it be known to the public. No, I have my temper tantrums only in the presence of my wife, the one whom I declare to love the most on this earth. I’ve even put my fist through a wall once. I’ve broken things in her presence; and always my anger is directed towards my own stupidity or some circumstance which is out of my control; and I’ve never hit or directed my anger at anyone else. For example, I’ll bang on the steering wheel of the car when traffic patterns anger me in my wife’s presence. Interestingly, I never do that when I’m alone or with others in the car – only when Elly is in the car. And another interesting pattern about my degree of emotional self control. I never – and I mean NEVER – get angry when circumstances involve other people. I seem to have great patience with other people but can – and often do - fly off the handle very easily – but once again, in my wife’s presence only. And looking back on these situations, the circumstances are always so trivial.
So, what’s that all about? Maybe you have a pattern of emotional explosiveness that is like mine … or maybe one that is very different. My wife finds it very easy to get mad at other people; but almost never gets angry and loses control in the face of tough external circumstances. Maybe you’re more like Elly than like me. Perhaps you have your own pattern of emotional volcanic eruptions. But then again, maybe you’re the rare one who is very self-controlled and extremely patient in all circumstances.
I do know, though, that I’m more self controlled now as a Christian than I was as a non-Christian years ago; and that degree of emotional self control is also likely tempered by the fact that I’m older, and hopefully wise,r than I was years ago. Certainly we know that our kids and grandkids cannot be expected to have the same degree of patience in handling the world as do their parents or grandparents. So, we would hope that we all grow into more patience. But we can know, as Christians, that God has given all believers His Spirit-imparted fruit of patience (see Gal. 5: 22-23). And that fruit will only mature and become sweeter in the life of a Christian who is in surrender mode to God’s Spirit, letting God impart his enabling grace to help us meet the circumstances of life. That is what we read and get from passages like 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9.
And so, taking all of this into account, I can expect for God to give me the empowering grace of patience I need to handle tough circumstances in life, IF – and that depends on my attitude – I humble myself, seek and receive God’s grace to cover my weakness of impatience. I believe the fruit of patience is growing and maturing in my life. I just need to have the patience to let God shape that fruit into me to the point that He is glorified by that fruit becoming more evident in my demeanor. Yes, that’s a paradox. I become patient by choosing to be patient; and I become more impatient to the degree that I’m impatient. It’s like answering the question: How does one become spontaneous voluntarily? And the answer is … one becomes spontaneous by being more and more intentional.
So, how do we become more patient? ANSWER: We become more patient by choosing to be patient. And so, I now pray for patience … knowing that God loves for me to be patient; and also knowing that He may put me through trials of circumstantial fire to purge the impatience from my soul. BUT … wanting to be more patient, that will be my prayer today.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be more patient; but be merciful and ever patient with Your impatient child in the process of maturing me in this fruitfulness. Amen
Saturday, March 13, 2010
2010 – Mar. 13 – Old, But Not Out!
Study from God’s Word… Josh 13: 1 – 33; Josh 14: 15a; Josh 15: 1 – 12; Josh 15: 20 – 62; Josh 16: 1 – 9; Josh 17: 1 – 18; … Passage for Reflection: Joshua 13: 1 … NIV
1 When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.
My Journal for Today: Today’s study does open up an indictment of our cultural marginalization of Kingdom servants who are older. In the highlight passage for today we see God recognizing Moses’ maturity; but the Lord then immediately indicates that there is much ahead to be done – by Moses – for God’s glory in the taking and partitioning of the Promised Land. And in the passages I read for today there is also the story of how God favored Caleb [see Josh 14: 10 – 12], the other of the two faithful Hebrew spies past, with Caleb’s request for taking the hill country for his tribe. Both Joshua and Caleb were 85 years old at this time in their lives; and in those times, 85 was old, but certainly that age was merely seen as mature. Such people in that culture would be designated as an “elder,” … a person of worthiness, respect, and honor.
I guess that’s why I actually love it when people tease me with the nickname, “ElderBerry,” which I take as a sign of respect, rather than a name denigrating my age. But back to our study, in which we see that God Himself recognized that there was much ahead in the lives of these two servants of God, Joshua and Caleb, which could be done for God in spite of – and likely because of – their maturity.
As I mentioned above, today, there is a strong cultural tread to marginalize our elderly; and unfortunately the older ones in our world play right into that expectation, becoming “victims” of this hyper-aging philosophy. How many people these days look forward to “retiring” and dream of doing selfish pursuits like playing golf, fishing, or traveling the country in RVs, avoiding what they could be contributing to our world and God’s glory by using their maturity, experience, and gifting in/for God’s kingdom?
Elderberry Witness: There was a time, before I became a Christian, when I dreamed of a life filled with 2 or three rounds of golf a week and building a place in Florida on a plot of ground my dad/mom had left to me. But Christ came into my life at age 39; and my desires and pursuits – for God’s glory – thankfully changed. And after I was broken to receive God’s Spirit into my heart, the Lord reshaped my visions and dreams to move toward a very different type of “retirement.” And as I was discipled and grew deeper into my salvation relationship with God, He showed me that I could – and should – view my retirement from my former healthcare career as a “commencement” TO ministry rather than a retirement FROM my former pre-Christian selfish pursuits. And that’s where the Lord has led me in these days of my more mature life for Christ. I may be old; but I’m not out!
Now, … here I am, well over 60 years old; and I find myself trying to emulate Joshua and Caleb. Actually, I see myself as just getting started in my “career” pursuits for God, taking up the mantle of leadership in a ministry to help Christians to walk free from habitual sexual sin, and to work with my wife in this ministry as long as we’re physically and mentally able, … doing all we can to stand for Christ together in this ministry calling. Like Joshua, I may be aging, but I have much to offer to God’s Kingdom from my testimony, my witness, and the gifting with which my Lord has given me to use for His kingdom work.
No matter what your age might be, I hope, and will pray today, that you sharpen your Spirit sword (see Eph. 5: 17; and as we’re commanded in Acts 1: 8, I pray we all will be shining witnesses for our faith and for our Lord; and finally, I pray that we – no matter what our age may be – rigorously follow the commands of our Lord in Luke 9: 23 to deny self, take up our crosses daily, and to follow Christ for His glory.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I beseech You to charge all who read this with Your challenge of commitment with courage to march forward as soldiers in our Lord’s army, doing all we can – at whatever stage in life we might be – to conquer worldly and fleshly kingdoms in His Name. Amen
1 When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.
My Journal for Today: Today’s study does open up an indictment of our cultural marginalization of Kingdom servants who are older. In the highlight passage for today we see God recognizing Moses’ maturity; but the Lord then immediately indicates that there is much ahead to be done – by Moses – for God’s glory in the taking and partitioning of the Promised Land. And in the passages I read for today there is also the story of how God favored Caleb [see Josh 14: 10 – 12], the other of the two faithful Hebrew spies past, with Caleb’s request for taking the hill country for his tribe. Both Joshua and Caleb were 85 years old at this time in their lives; and in those times, 85 was old, but certainly that age was merely seen as mature. Such people in that culture would be designated as an “elder,” … a person of worthiness, respect, and honor.
I guess that’s why I actually love it when people tease me with the nickname, “ElderBerry,” which I take as a sign of respect, rather than a name denigrating my age. But back to our study, in which we see that God Himself recognized that there was much ahead in the lives of these two servants of God, Joshua and Caleb, which could be done for God in spite of – and likely because of – their maturity.
As I mentioned above, today, there is a strong cultural tread to marginalize our elderly; and unfortunately the older ones in our world play right into that expectation, becoming “victims” of this hyper-aging philosophy. How many people these days look forward to “retiring” and dream of doing selfish pursuits like playing golf, fishing, or traveling the country in RVs, avoiding what they could be contributing to our world and God’s glory by using their maturity, experience, and gifting in/for God’s kingdom?
Elderberry Witness: There was a time, before I became a Christian, when I dreamed of a life filled with 2 or three rounds of golf a week and building a place in Florida on a plot of ground my dad/mom had left to me. But Christ came into my life at age 39; and my desires and pursuits – for God’s glory – thankfully changed. And after I was broken to receive God’s Spirit into my heart, the Lord reshaped my visions and dreams to move toward a very different type of “retirement.” And as I was discipled and grew deeper into my salvation relationship with God, He showed me that I could – and should – view my retirement from my former healthcare career as a “commencement” TO ministry rather than a retirement FROM my former pre-Christian selfish pursuits. And that’s where the Lord has led me in these days of my more mature life for Christ. I may be old; but I’m not out!
Now, … here I am, well over 60 years old; and I find myself trying to emulate Joshua and Caleb. Actually, I see myself as just getting started in my “career” pursuits for God, taking up the mantle of leadership in a ministry to help Christians to walk free from habitual sexual sin, and to work with my wife in this ministry as long as we’re physically and mentally able, … doing all we can to stand for Christ together in this ministry calling. Like Joshua, I may be aging, but I have much to offer to God’s Kingdom from my testimony, my witness, and the gifting with which my Lord has given me to use for His kingdom work.
No matter what your age might be, I hope, and will pray today, that you sharpen your Spirit sword (see Eph. 5: 17; and as we’re commanded in Acts 1: 8, I pray we all will be shining witnesses for our faith and for our Lord; and finally, I pray that we – no matter what our age may be – rigorously follow the commands of our Lord in Luke 9: 23 to deny self, take up our crosses daily, and to follow Christ for His glory.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I beseech You to charge all who read this with Your challenge of commitment with courage to march forward as soldiers in our Lord’s army, doing all we can – at whatever stage in life we might be – to conquer worldly and fleshly kingdoms in His Name. Amen
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
2009 – Day 355.Dec 22 – The Voice of God
Passage for Study: 1st Samuel 2 - 3 … 1st Samuel 2-3 linked for study …
My Journal for Today: Today’s passage, written by some scribe or storyteller for God, is a fascinating true tale of the young, growing Prophet-to-be, Samuel. And a lot of it deals with him being mentored by a man, a Priest of God’s people, Eli, who may have been an upstanding, diligent Priest, but who had apparently been a lousy father. His two sons, having a dad who probably was not around very much because of his priestly duties, became scoundrels; and God would ultimately come down on them for defying the Lord. But our scene today focuses on God speaking audibly to Samuel; but the boy prophet didn’t recognize the voice because Samuel had not developed a deep and abiding relationship with God at this point in his life.
Swindoll points out several times when God spoke to people in the Bible, such as when He knocked Saul (who would become Paul) off his horse on the way to Damascus; or when Elijah heard the Lord in a still small voice; or when He spoke instructions to Noah about the ark in Genesis 6. And here we have the Lord, God Himself, speaking directly to His young prophet boy, Samuel; but note in 1st Sam. 3: 7 the Bible author’s note (in parentheses in most versions), where the storyteller writes, “(Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)”
And I think this is quite revealing about God’s relationship with His chosen and/or anointed agents or leaders under the Old Covenant. In those days, before the coming of God’s Spirit to all who believe in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, God was very selective in whom or as to how His Spirit was imparted to God’s selected agents for action. And Samuel, being very new to God’s selection of him as a Prophet, did not recognize God’s voice.
And I think there is a lesson here – at least there is for me – and I hope there is for you as well. Any Christian under the New Covenant (i.e., in the New Testament dispensation of grace) can hear from God; because God imparts His Spirit into the heart of any born-again believer. No, I don’t mean God speaks audibly to all believers, though God being God certainly could speak audibly to anyone whom He chooses. However, I must admit that I’m a bit of a skeptic when I hear someone say to me, “God told me to …” Or if I hear someone claim, “God said to me …,” I balk a bit in disbelief. Why? Because I’ve never heard God speak to me audibly. Have you? Maybe, like Samuel (or Noah or Elijah or Saul of Tarsus), you are favored or anointed in some special way to hear God speaking to you. I must admit that I was a doubter years ago when Oral Roberts, just recently deceased, clamed that God told him that the Lord would kill Pastor Roberts if he didn’t raise so many millions for the hospital God had “told him” to build in Tulsa, OK.
You see, I do believe that God communicates His truth to any or all believers. And like with even a Samuel, I think that God reasons [note: I don’t say “speaks”] more clearly to those who have a deeper, more mature, relationship with the Lord. But now, in this age of grace, when we have God’s completed and canonized Scripture, I don’t think God has to use the “office of Prophet” to speak for Him. Nor does The Lord need to anoint and speak through specially selected agents to accomplish His will on earth as the Lord did in the Old Testament times.
My friends, any day that you delve deeply into God’s word, trying to get to know your God, through His Book of Truth, you are “hearing” the word of God. When you hear an anointed preacher, who has interpreted and is speaking God’s truth from His word, you are “hearing” the spoken word of God. But the latter is not because that preacher/teacher is singled out to hear from God in some special way as were the Prophets of old, men like Noah, Elijah, Isaiah, or Samuel. No, when a Preacher is speaking from a pulpit and you hear God speaking through him to your heart, it’s because this preacher is correctly and faithfully interpreting God’s truth – from God’s word, - the Bible.
Hence, the point today is for all believers to recognize our calling to go deep, developing an abiding relationship with God, by going deep into His word. And it behooves us to know God intimately through His word, so well that we recognize false teachers/preachers who are numerous on the landscape these days. Secret Service agents are trained to know a counterfeit dollar because they’ve studied the real thing so long and so hard that they can recognize a fake one when they see it.
My friend, we need to be so mature in our study of God’s word, when we hear pretenders to God’s truth, like those you might see or hear on Trinity Broadcasting Network; or when a popular televangelist, like (you fill in the name of one you know is a faker here), you’ll be able to recognize his counterfeit teaching. Dear one, I hope you’re going deep DAILY into God’s word and studying the ABSOLUTE TRUTH of God’s word, so that you’ll know the truth or fiction when you hear if or read it. Your ability to sense God’s truth is going to be dependent on the depth of your understanding of God’s word. So, it behooves all believers to go deep and get to know God intimately through His word.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I come here daily to get to know You closely through Your word. Show Yourself, Lord, to me through Your truth. Amen
My Journal for Today: Today’s passage, written by some scribe or storyteller for God, is a fascinating true tale of the young, growing Prophet-to-be, Samuel. And a lot of it deals with him being mentored by a man, a Priest of God’s people, Eli, who may have been an upstanding, diligent Priest, but who had apparently been a lousy father. His two sons, having a dad who probably was not around very much because of his priestly duties, became scoundrels; and God would ultimately come down on them for defying the Lord. But our scene today focuses on God speaking audibly to Samuel; but the boy prophet didn’t recognize the voice because Samuel had not developed a deep and abiding relationship with God at this point in his life.
Swindoll points out several times when God spoke to people in the Bible, such as when He knocked Saul (who would become Paul) off his horse on the way to Damascus; or when Elijah heard the Lord in a still small voice; or when He spoke instructions to Noah about the ark in Genesis 6. And here we have the Lord, God Himself, speaking directly to His young prophet boy, Samuel; but note in 1st Sam. 3: 7 the Bible author’s note (in parentheses in most versions), where the storyteller writes, “(Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)”
And I think this is quite revealing about God’s relationship with His chosen and/or anointed agents or leaders under the Old Covenant. In those days, before the coming of God’s Spirit to all who believe in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, God was very selective in whom or as to how His Spirit was imparted to God’s selected agents for action. And Samuel, being very new to God’s selection of him as a Prophet, did not recognize God’s voice.
And I think there is a lesson here – at least there is for me – and I hope there is for you as well. Any Christian under the New Covenant (i.e., in the New Testament dispensation of grace) can hear from God; because God imparts His Spirit into the heart of any born-again believer. No, I don’t mean God speaks audibly to all believers, though God being God certainly could speak audibly to anyone whom He chooses. However, I must admit that I’m a bit of a skeptic when I hear someone say to me, “God told me to …” Or if I hear someone claim, “God said to me …,” I balk a bit in disbelief. Why? Because I’ve never heard God speak to me audibly. Have you? Maybe, like Samuel (or Noah or Elijah or Saul of Tarsus), you are favored or anointed in some special way to hear God speaking to you. I must admit that I was a doubter years ago when Oral Roberts, just recently deceased, clamed that God told him that the Lord would kill Pastor Roberts if he didn’t raise so many millions for the hospital God had “told him” to build in Tulsa, OK.
You see, I do believe that God communicates His truth to any or all believers. And like with even a Samuel, I think that God reasons [note: I don’t say “speaks”] more clearly to those who have a deeper, more mature, relationship with the Lord. But now, in this age of grace, when we have God’s completed and canonized Scripture, I don’t think God has to use the “office of Prophet” to speak for Him. Nor does The Lord need to anoint and speak through specially selected agents to accomplish His will on earth as the Lord did in the Old Testament times.
My friends, any day that you delve deeply into God’s word, trying to get to know your God, through His Book of Truth, you are “hearing” the word of God. When you hear an anointed preacher, who has interpreted and is speaking God’s truth from His word, you are “hearing” the spoken word of God. But the latter is not because that preacher/teacher is singled out to hear from God in some special way as were the Prophets of old, men like Noah, Elijah, Isaiah, or Samuel. No, when a Preacher is speaking from a pulpit and you hear God speaking through him to your heart, it’s because this preacher is correctly and faithfully interpreting God’s truth – from God’s word, - the Bible.
Hence, the point today is for all believers to recognize our calling to go deep, developing an abiding relationship with God, by going deep into His word. And it behooves us to know God intimately through His word, so well that we recognize false teachers/preachers who are numerous on the landscape these days. Secret Service agents are trained to know a counterfeit dollar because they’ve studied the real thing so long and so hard that they can recognize a fake one when they see it.
My friend, we need to be so mature in our study of God’s word, when we hear pretenders to God’s truth, like those you might see or hear on Trinity Broadcasting Network; or when a popular televangelist, like (you fill in the name of one you know is a faker here), you’ll be able to recognize his counterfeit teaching. Dear one, I hope you’re going deep DAILY into God’s word and studying the ABSOLUTE TRUTH of God’s word, so that you’ll know the truth or fiction when you hear if or read it. Your ability to sense God’s truth is going to be dependent on the depth of your understanding of God’s word. So, it behooves all believers to go deep and get to know God intimately through His word.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I come here daily to get to know You closely through Your word. Show Yourself, Lord, to me through Your truth. Amen
Friday, November 20, 2009
2009 – Day 323.Nov 20 – Despite Your Circumstances
Passage for Study: Acts 16: 16 - 40 … Acts 16 linked for study …
2nd Scripture Reference: Philippians 1: 12 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: After reading the passages for today, without even reading Chuck Swindoll’s devotional message for today, I think I could have predicted what his slant would be. And his title, “Despite Your Circumstances,” confirmed my prediction. When one reads what Paul and his companions went through in Philippi; and then to read from his letter to the Philippians (in Phil. 1: 12) written in reflection later in his life from another prison, one has to be impressed with how Paul, the former Christian hater, had been transformed into one of history’s model evangelists. But beyond that transformation, it is Paul’s ability to live with hopefulness and contentment, despite his circumstances, which is a very convicting lesson for me.
I don’t know about you; but when things go wrong for me, especially when it involves physical or emotional pain, I can be the master of the personal pity party. And it can lead me to begin waning in faith, questioning God, … even at times to the point of anger. Thankfully, thus far in life, I haven’t gotten to the point of bitterness or movement away from my faith; but then again, my life has not had multiple imprisonments, the pain, the floggings, the shipwrecks, and one could go on and on about Paul’s incursions into the horrors of life we all wish to avoid. Paul had them all, many, many times; and yet, we see no evidence in Scripture that he ever drooped into self pity or got angry at God. Oh, we know, from 2nd Cor. 12, that he was not a masochist, praying over and over again to be spared from some physical “thorn.” However, even then Paul sought and learned (and then taught) a lesson from God about humility and God’s grace.
But Paul’s life is a shining example of how to do exactly what he himself preached later to the Philippians in Phil. 4: 11 – 13 … that contentment can only come when we choose to rely on the strength Christ gives believers when they choose to depend upon, receive, and use God’s empowering, enabling grace. Paul had learned and lived the truth of his own declaration, “I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the strength.”
I’m learning that lesson; but I still have a long way to go to avoid self pity, anger, and bitterness as I come under various circumstances. But Paul is a one of my character models from my Bible, the best One, of course, being Christ Himself, that we can – and should – live ABOVE the circumstance. Only Christians have that choice and that ability; but it only comes when we, like Paul, can rely upon, believe in, and draw upon God’s grace to be overcomers in life, just as Jesus and Paul were overcomers.
My Prayer for Today: My Lord … my Savior, You know I desire to live like You, … to shine Your light … to rise above my circumstance, especially when they are painful. Empower me. Enable me with Your grace to be that light in this darkened world. Amen
2nd Scripture Reference: Philippians 1: 12 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: After reading the passages for today, without even reading Chuck Swindoll’s devotional message for today, I think I could have predicted what his slant would be. And his title, “Despite Your Circumstances,” confirmed my prediction. When one reads what Paul and his companions went through in Philippi; and then to read from his letter to the Philippians (in Phil. 1: 12) written in reflection later in his life from another prison, one has to be impressed with how Paul, the former Christian hater, had been transformed into one of history’s model evangelists. But beyond that transformation, it is Paul’s ability to live with hopefulness and contentment, despite his circumstances, which is a very convicting lesson for me.
I don’t know about you; but when things go wrong for me, especially when it involves physical or emotional pain, I can be the master of the personal pity party. And it can lead me to begin waning in faith, questioning God, … even at times to the point of anger. Thankfully, thus far in life, I haven’t gotten to the point of bitterness or movement away from my faith; but then again, my life has not had multiple imprisonments, the pain, the floggings, the shipwrecks, and one could go on and on about Paul’s incursions into the horrors of life we all wish to avoid. Paul had them all, many, many times; and yet, we see no evidence in Scripture that he ever drooped into self pity or got angry at God. Oh, we know, from 2nd Cor. 12, that he was not a masochist, praying over and over again to be spared from some physical “thorn.” However, even then Paul sought and learned (and then taught) a lesson from God about humility and God’s grace.
But Paul’s life is a shining example of how to do exactly what he himself preached later to the Philippians in Phil. 4: 11 – 13 … that contentment can only come when we choose to rely on the strength Christ gives believers when they choose to depend upon, receive, and use God’s empowering, enabling grace. Paul had learned and lived the truth of his own declaration, “I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the strength.”
I’m learning that lesson; but I still have a long way to go to avoid self pity, anger, and bitterness as I come under various circumstances. But Paul is a one of my character models from my Bible, the best One, of course, being Christ Himself, that we can – and should – live ABOVE the circumstance. Only Christians have that choice and that ability; but it only comes when we, like Paul, can rely upon, believe in, and draw upon God’s grace to be overcomers in life, just as Jesus and Paul were overcomers.
My Prayer for Today: My Lord … my Savior, You know I desire to live like You, … to shine Your light … to rise above my circumstance, especially when they are painful. Empower me. Enable me with Your grace to be that light in this darkened world. Amen
Saturday, October 03, 2009
2009 – Day 275.Oct 3 – Choose God’s Will
Passage of the Day: Job 42 … Linked for study …
My Journal for Today: Hey, folks, today is my wife’s ??th birthday [I’m smart enough not to put the number there]! We’ve been married almost 45 years; and I can remember back to the time, sometime back in the early 80s, when we both surrendered our lives to Christ. We were both right at 40 years old at the time; and our individual decisions to become babes in Christ was followed by a commitment, sometime thereafter, to grow old in His way, pursuing His will.
And it is the latter, that maturing process of Christianity, labeled “sanctification,” which is the topic of Chuck Swindoll’s message today in his devotional book which I’ve been using. And he points out, from Verse 16-17 of Chapter 42 of Job, that the story of this hero of the faith closed out with Job living a very full and faith-filled life.
But there was all that time, documented in the rest of the book of Job, that our hero had to learn the lesson of what James in the New Testament calls ”patience” or “endurance” and/or “perseverance” [depending on your version of James 1: 2-4]; and that, as we’ve been studying was a confusing and disturbing time in Job’s life. But we all know this; don’t we? Anytime we’re confronted by physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges in life, we are faced with a faith challenge. Do we relent to the challenge; or do we choose to trust that God is in control and that He knows best for us and our lives? Job learned this lesson; and he lived a long life pursuing His relationship with God, going deeper and deeper into that relationship.
Now we ask, “Where are we on this trek to maturity and holiness?” Swindoll, challenges me today to do one of those 2nd Cor. 13: 5 tests and see where I stand in my walk of faith. And I must say, as honestly as I can, that I’m committed to going deep with Lord. And [ugh!], this is the tough part, … I’d also like to be one who’s made a commitment to responding to the tough times of life by learning where God is leading me [i.e., pursuing His will] and not letting those tough times take me into selfishness or self-pity.
Is it easy? … Absolutely not! But reading through and studying the life of Job has helped me to deepen my resolve to grow in my relationship with Christ, … being more mature in my resolve for Christ today than yesterday and even more tomorrow than today. How about you, dear one? Are you there? And yes, when we make that commitment, we all have to recognize, as did Job, that we’re going to encounter more times which deeply challenge our faith. We ARE going to encounter suffering; and though it may not be as bad as Job’s deal, our faith is going to be tested.
Swindoll quotes Oswald Chambers at this point in his study, who apparently wrote [Swindoll gave no citation reference], “To choose suffering makes no sense at all; [but] to choose God’s will in the midst of suffering makes all the sense in the world.” But I must add, … the latter quote will only really make sense to a committed and maturing Christian who believes and lives for the truth of such passages we have studied and to which we’ve referred this month, … passages like Isaiah 55: 8-9, Romans 8: 23, or 1st Cor. 10: 13. (I hope you know what they say!).
And so I close by asking, “Do we live for these truths?” … Do we seek God’s will rather than relenting to the confusion of challenging times in our lives? Swindoll asks the question, “Are you viewing your trial as an outrage or an opportunity?” And with that, I fully believe my wife, on this her biological birthday, and I have come to pursue the opportunity of challenge rather than seeing any of these tough times as an outrage. However, I could tell you more on that with a number of more years in this walk of faith that we call life. Get back to me in a decade or so; and I’ll let you know. ;>)
My Prayer for Today: Lord, and dear Friend, Jesus, today I pursue Your will in the midst of challenge; and I pray I will even more do so tomorrow. Amen
My Journal for Today: Hey, folks, today is my wife’s ??th birthday [I’m smart enough not to put the number there]! We’ve been married almost 45 years; and I can remember back to the time, sometime back in the early 80s, when we both surrendered our lives to Christ. We were both right at 40 years old at the time; and our individual decisions to become babes in Christ was followed by a commitment, sometime thereafter, to grow old in His way, pursuing His will.
And it is the latter, that maturing process of Christianity, labeled “sanctification,” which is the topic of Chuck Swindoll’s message today in his devotional book which I’ve been using. And he points out, from Verse 16-17 of Chapter 42 of Job, that the story of this hero of the faith closed out with Job living a very full and faith-filled life.
But there was all that time, documented in the rest of the book of Job, that our hero had to learn the lesson of what James in the New Testament calls ”patience” or “endurance” and/or “perseverance” [depending on your version of James 1: 2-4]; and that, as we’ve been studying was a confusing and disturbing time in Job’s life. But we all know this; don’t we? Anytime we’re confronted by physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges in life, we are faced with a faith challenge. Do we relent to the challenge; or do we choose to trust that God is in control and that He knows best for us and our lives? Job learned this lesson; and he lived a long life pursuing His relationship with God, going deeper and deeper into that relationship.
Now we ask, “Where are we on this trek to maturity and holiness?” Swindoll, challenges me today to do one of those 2nd Cor. 13: 5 tests and see where I stand in my walk of faith. And I must say, as honestly as I can, that I’m committed to going deep with Lord. And [ugh!], this is the tough part, … I’d also like to be one who’s made a commitment to responding to the tough times of life by learning where God is leading me [i.e., pursuing His will] and not letting those tough times take me into selfishness or self-pity.
Is it easy? … Absolutely not! But reading through and studying the life of Job has helped me to deepen my resolve to grow in my relationship with Christ, … being more mature in my resolve for Christ today than yesterday and even more tomorrow than today. How about you, dear one? Are you there? And yes, when we make that commitment, we all have to recognize, as did Job, that we’re going to encounter more times which deeply challenge our faith. We ARE going to encounter suffering; and though it may not be as bad as Job’s deal, our faith is going to be tested.
Swindoll quotes Oswald Chambers at this point in his study, who apparently wrote [Swindoll gave no citation reference], “To choose suffering makes no sense at all; [but] to choose God’s will in the midst of suffering makes all the sense in the world.” But I must add, … the latter quote will only really make sense to a committed and maturing Christian who believes and lives for the truth of such passages we have studied and to which we’ve referred this month, … passages like Isaiah 55: 8-9, Romans 8: 23, or 1st Cor. 10: 13. (I hope you know what they say!).
And so I close by asking, “Do we live for these truths?” … Do we seek God’s will rather than relenting to the confusion of challenging times in our lives? Swindoll asks the question, “Are you viewing your trial as an outrage or an opportunity?” And with that, I fully believe my wife, on this her biological birthday, and I have come to pursue the opportunity of challenge rather than seeing any of these tough times as an outrage. However, I could tell you more on that with a number of more years in this walk of faith that we call life. Get back to me in a decade or so; and I’ll let you know. ;>)
My Prayer for Today: Lord, and dear Friend, Jesus, today I pursue Your will in the midst of challenge; and I pray I will even more do so tomorrow. Amen
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