A Holy Discontent

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“As long as we are content to live without revival, we will.” – Leonard Ravenhill.

What would happen if we got serious about our pursuit of Jesus? How different would our lives look if pursuing Jesus became the primary focus of our lives? What if we could not rest until we found ourselves totally immersed in a Christ-centered life? What if we took to heart the passion of the writer of Psalm 132?

I will not enter my house,
or go to my bed-
I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob. – Psalm 132:3-5

What would happen if we could not rest until we made certain Jesus occupied not just a place, but His rightful place in our lives (Colossians 1:18)? In fact, let’s do an application exercise. What if you were to delay some of the common activities of your life so that you could pursue Jesus?

I will not ____________________________ till I find a place for the Lord . . .

I will not boot up my computer,
check my email,
eat my breakfast,
listen to a song,
watch a TV show,
go to church,
preach a sermon,
sing a song,
give an offering,
read a book,
play a game,

You fill in the blank. What are you doing other than making sure Jesus is first place in your life? Are those things really more important than Jesus? If the Psalmist was willing to forgo sleep to pursue Jesus, maybe we should be willing to make some lifestyle changes to pursue Him passionately.
But the good news –

You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you . . . ” – Jeremiah 29:12-14a

The Lord makes Himself readily available to all who will pursue Him wholeheartedly. I am praying that God gives me a holy discontent with everything until Jesus is at the center of my life. Will you join me in that prayer?

 

What Are You Waiting For?

waiting room

My curiosity compelled me to do the math.  There were 50 days between Passover and Pentecost.  Three days between Passover and Jesus’ resurrection, and 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension to heaven.  That leaves a gap of 7 days.

Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus instructed them to return to Jerusalem and wait for “the promise of the Father.”  This was a reference to His teaching concerning the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16) We know what was going on in the upper room during those 7 days – they were “devoting themselves to prayer,” (Acts 1:14) but what was going on from heaven’s viewpoint?  Why did God make them wait seven days before He poured out His Spirit on them?

Travelers from all over the known world would assemble on Jerusalem during the Feast of Pentecost.  When God poured His Spirit into His believers they would speak boldly in testimony to Jesus.  What seemed like a 7-day delay was instead God’s perfect providence positioning His disciples to make a maximum impact.  In fact, we know that on the Day of Pentecost, 3000 people responded to Peter’s extemporaneous street-side sermon about Jesus. (Acts 2:41)  The 7-day wait proved to be perfect timing.

As my thoughts turned to my own prayer life, I thought of how many times I had given up praying for things.  I wrongly assumed that since God did not affirmatively answer my request in a reasonably short amount of time, His answer must be “no.”  In truth, God ALWAYS answers our prayers in one of three ways: yes, no, or not yet.  We often mistake a “not yet” for a “no,” and we give up praying all too soon.

Yet all the while, God’s “not yet” could simply be His omnisciently provident way of setting the stage for doing something even beyond the wildest imagining of my comparatively timid prayer life.  Maybe God is using the interim between my request and His delivery to set up something so great that He gets the glory in it.  (Ephesians 3:20-21)

So, fellow disciple, will you join me in renewing our commitment to persistent prayer?  We give up too soon and too easily.  Jesus told a story that made a hero out of woman who hounded a judge until he gave her what she wanted.  He compared that to the benefit of persistent prayer. (Luke 18:1-8)

Lord, help me “always to pray and not lose heart.”  I may have to wait 7 days, 7 months, 7 years, or any amount of time, but if I pray through, I too will receive what God wants to give me.

FBF: We Can’t Be Fixed If We’re Not Willing to Be Broken

Before I began this blog, I had another blog on a different site for several years.  That blog is now closed, but each Friday, at least for a while, I want to resurrect some of my favorite posts from the previous blog.  These will be my Flashback Friday (FBF) posts.

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

At least that’s what I was always taught. And it’s a lesson I didn’t always learn. As a kid I was A+ at taking things apart and F- at putting them back together.

As I have grown older, however, I have come to the conclusion that for some things in life the old axiom isn’t true – especially in regards to our spiritual development. As a matter of fact, brokenness is essential to spiritual growth. If we aren’t broken we can never be fixed.

Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,” says the LORD.
” But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word. – Isaiah 66:1-2 

Pride, self-sufficiency, and self-satisfaction get in the way of drawing us closer to God. In the verses above, God points out that anything we build for God – whether literal, physical buildings or constructions of programs, plaudits, and possessions – none of them impress God. He already made those things. He is not impressed with our resumes, reputations, or resolutions.What really gets God’s attention is the broken spirit of one who realizes his or her own sinfulness and well as the sinful of our society. God notices when our heart grieves over what grieves Him. God is attentive to the spirit who recognizes and declares total and complete dependence on Him.We have a lot to be proud of in our own eyes – our intelligence, our abundance, our technology, our contributions, and the list could go on. Sometimes we at least tacitly believe that God must be lucky to have us on His team. Without saying it, we behave as if we believe God is fortunate that we are here to help him.

In the New Testament, brokenness is referred to as meekness. All too often we mistake meekness for weakness. But meekness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. How can that be a weakness? Jesus is referred to as meek. Do you really believe Him to be weak? The New Testament word translated “meekness” was used in a secular sense to describe a horse who had been broken. The horse is a powerful animal, but after breaking, that power is channeled to positive goals.

God does not ask us to forfeit our abilities, strengths, and resources. He only asks us to recognize that really, they are gifts from Him, to divest ourselves of the right to use them and offer them back to Him for His use.

Now THAT impresses God.

For Those Who “Take One” for Jesus

    • Joseph had his brothers.  (Genesis 37:5)
    • Moses had the sons of Korah.  (Numbers 16:1-3)
    • David had Shimei.  (2 Samuel 16:5-8)
    • Nehemiah had Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshen.  (Nehemiah 2:19)
    • The religious leaders of His day despised Jesus.  (Matthew 26:3-4)
    • Jesus said that we would be hated, talked about and persecuted on account of Him.  (Matthew 5:11)
    • Paul reminded us that all who desire to live godly lives would be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)
    • Winston Churchill famously said, “You have enemies?  Good.  That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

So…

Hang in there faithful brother and weary sister.  You are not alone, in fact you are in some pretty famous company.

God has not placed more on you than HE is able to bear.

Stay faithful.

Don’t lose hope.  Look to Him.

You have not escaped his sight and your plight has not gone unnoticed in heaven.

Great is your reward.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. – Matthew 5:12

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 1:6-7

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. – Hebrews 12:1-3

 

3 Lessons I Learned from a Day of Eavesdropping

I took my wife’s vehicle in for an oil change Friday morning, never expecting that a visit to the Wal-Mart Auto Center would initiate a daylong spiritual reflection.  As I sat in the waiting area, I was forced to listen to two different conversations of people I did not know. I decided to pay more attention to what people around me had to say, and by listening, I came to three conclusions.

Conclusion #1: We need to be careful with our words.  One of my greatest challenges in life is discerning the times and seasons of Ecclesiastes 3:7 – a time to keep silence and a time to speak. Be mindful that ears are everywhere listening to what we say.

Conclusion #2: People are generally negative.  Most of Friday’s conversations involved complaint, criticism, and condemnation. I want to make a more conscious effort for my words to be positive and uplifting.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing.  Philippians 2:14

Conclusion #3:  People are hurting. We live in a hurting world, but we have the greatest message of hope – Jesus loves so much that He gave His life, and all who trust in Him can have meaning and purpose.  I must consciously choose words that build up others and point them to the hope that is found in Jesus.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. – Ephesians 4:29

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6

Let’s be more intentional with our words.  Let’s choose to speak grace and not grumbling.  Let’s build up and not tear down.  Let’s point people to Jesus and the hope that is found in Him.

What Makes Pastors Tick

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pastor acrobatI love pastors.  Really, I do. I am humbled and blessed to be counted in their number. Several pastors have made an impact on my life and I am thankful for their godly influence. Each has had a part in me becoming who God has made me.

I want to give you a glimpse inside the heart and head of a pastor. Two verses in Hebrews 17 summarize quite well the awesome sense of calling we pastors feel.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith… Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. – Hebrews 13:7, 17

Pastors and Their Role

First, pastors bear a tremendous responsibility. When a pastor looks out over his congregation, he is looking into the faces of men and women that God loves dearly. God places a pastor in their lives to teach them His Word, show them His way of life, and watch over them on their journey of faith.

Second, pastors realize a great accountability. In verse 17, we learn that a pastor must give account to God for fulfilling the ministry God gives him. The Bible teaches that we all will give an account for how we build in the foundation of our relationship with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:9-10 and 1 Corinthians 3:12-15), but a pastor has a second accounting to give. He accounts for his personal life, as does every believer, but he also has to account for how he watched over those people God entrusted to him. Most pastors I know – especially the one I know best (me) – feel a trepidatious sense of accountability to God. That is why our heart breaks so when we see people miss out on what we know He wants for them.

Finally, pastors live with a unique sensitivity. Hebrews encourages their readers to follow the leader so that his ministry will bring him joy rather than burden. Most people could never understand the life of a pastor, and I could never begin to explain it. A pastor lives his life on an emotional and spiritual rollercoaster. The highs are great, the lows, quite painful. During some of those lows, I have had well-meaning people attempt to encourage me by telling me, “don’t take it personally.” For a pastor, that is just not possible. You see, pastor is not my job, it is not something I do . . . pastor is who I AM.

Pastors Always On Duty

A store clerk, bus driver, factory worker, or cubicle denizen can clock out and leave their job behind them.Very seldom does someone they do not know recognize them in public and say, “Hey, there’s the secretary at my insurance agent’s office . . . let’s watch and see what she does.” A pastor never clocks out, never has the option of “turning it off.” There is never a time when a pastor is not the pastor.

Pastors are often the butt of jokes, and so often we deserve it. But the calling on a pastor’s life is no joking matter. Pray for your pastor, he needs it. Pray that God will give him wisdom well beyond his own. Then trust your prayers. And trust your pastor too. Let him do what God has called him to do – lead you, teach you, challenge you, even correct you if necessary.

Connect the Dots in Your Mind

dotsLet’s play a little game of spiritual connect the dots, shall we?

Dot 1: The Bible clearly teaches us what God wants to accomplish in our lives:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. – Romans 8:29

Dot 2: The Bible also clearly teaches is that our thoughts determine who we are:

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. – Proverbs 23:7a

Dot 3: If we are what we think, and if God wants us to become like Jesus, then it stands to reason that our thoughts should gravitate toward Jesus:

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. – Colossians 3:2

…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2

So, my simple challenge to you today is this: think much and often of Jesus. The more you fill your mind with Jesus, the more like Him you will become. First, avoid things that draw your mind away from Christ. Be careful what you let into your minds. Then, fill your mind full of God thoughts. You can play Christian music on your radios, CD players, and mp3 player, or surround yourself with Scripture verses – on index cards, desktop backgrounds, or wherever our eyes roam.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

We bring our thoughts captive to Christ when we intentionally think of Him on a regular basis. The more we think of Him and consider Him in our lives the more we become like Him. So I challenge you to begin connecting the dots between where you are and where God wants you to be. It all starts in your mind.