May 8

James 2: ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. ²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
Decisions.  So you've prayed, researched options, prayed over them, searched scripture, sought wise council, analyzed your circumstances, and have finally arrived at what you believe is a Godly decision.  Now what?  GO!  A good decision becomes terrible when not acted upon immediately.  I can't tell you how many people I see wrangle with decisions, then fail to follow up.  Sometimes we procrastinate.  Other times we set our priorities too low.  Let me give you an example:  I suffer from a chronic case of obesity.  I know I should eat better foods, eat less of it, and get more exercise these are all supported by scripture, prayer, and wise council.  I have this little thing, however, called a job that competes for my time and attention.  There is so much to be done at work, I often don't get home until 6:30 or 7pm.  This is not the time to be rummaging around in the frig or freezer to whip up a healthy, balanced meal.  Consequently, I reach for simple, filling things like starches and sugars that come out of a bag or a box, are quick to prepare, and fill me quickly.  Then I fall on the couch, or more likely as of late, go back to work.  Not a healthy lifestyle.  So what has happened?  I've let me job out-prioritize my health.  If I don't reverse this, someday I will not be able to work, at least not at my peak capacity and capability. 
Many people have recognized the symptoms and encouraged me to get exercise or eat differently.  These aren't the heart of the matter, however.  The heart of the matter is a matter of my heart - my priorities.  I'm allowing work to out prioritize my health.  No amount of advice, given in love of course, can fix my priorities.  I've got to decide that my health is important enough to make a lifestyle change to support my health.  I did this several years ago and lost weight and felt better.  Before you pile on with all kinds of advice, you've got problems like this too.  You've got areas in your life you know God wants to make changes, but your comfortable or don't want to risk what you know for what God promises. 
How about you?  You've wrestled with a tough decision.  You've got what you think is a Godly answer.  Is it important enough to you to get off the couch, out from behind the game console, or away from your social activities to follow in obedience?  Have you filled out your college applications?  Scholarship applications?  Unloaded the dishwasher?  Taken out the trash?  Why do you procrastinate?  Why does God or your parents have to practically beat you to take action you know you need to take.  It's easy for me to yell at you for not doing what I think is a simple thing - just get off your lazy rear end and do it!  Then God says, yeah Russ, just get off your lazy rear end and get healthy!  Ouch.  We've all sinned and fallen short and we need accountability help. 
Lord I know what I should do, but I find it so hard to just do it.  I need your help, not with my symptoms, but with my desire.  I know what is right, I just don't desire it enough to do it.  Oh God, help me with my lack of desire, my lack of discipline, and my lack of belief!

Come

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:10

In heaven God's will is done.  Jesus taught His disciples that when they pray they should state (not ask) for God's will to be done here on earth.  "Your will be done" we are to say believing that our heavenly Father's will most definitely will be done.  "Your kingdom come."  Bring Your kingdom today Lord!  Who is to be a part of Your kingdom but isn't?  May they come today!  I pray that I would be of Your kingdom today and as a citizen I would come into this world today as such.  May I be mindful of the kingdom I am from and who the King is that rules!  "Your kingdom come" to me today.  "Your kingdom come" to others today.  May Your will that not "any should perish but that all should come to repentance" happen today. (2 Peter 3:9)  "On earth as it is in heaven."  I pray that I would walk today as a citizen of heaven on earth.  May there be no difference in me as I walk with my Lord today.  I pray that I'd have one foot in heaven and one on earth.  May my mind, heart, and spirit exist with my Lord in heaven today on earth.

When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. - 1 John 3:8

Jesus destroyed sin.  Sin is the work of the devil.  "Your will be done."  Jesus, come today and destroy the sin work of the devil.  Destroy that work in me!  May it not exist in me so that I, as a citizen of heaven, can be about our Father's will that none should perish.  Destroy that work in me!  May it not exist in me so that I can love others today and thereby show them who you are and whose I am.  "Your will be done" in those around me today.  Destroy the sin that works in them so they might become a citizen today!  Destroy that sin that works in them so they will be made full and alive today.

Lord come, have Your way, commune with me so that I, here am there, and You there, are here.

Follow Me.

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.“Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. - Matthew 9:9

At this point in Jesus' ministry He had healed many, restored people from demon possession, calmed the storm, and taught many new things.  I don't know what kind of buzz was surrounding Him when He walked into Matthew's town, but I assume there were people beyond the disciples following Him. 

I have always been amazed that when He simply said these two words to the disciples they dropped everything they were doing and latched on.  Wow.  Today, this very moment, right now, if Jesus walked into the building then looked and me and said "Follow Me", would I drop everything and go?  Would I say to Him I need to go tell my wife goodbye first and hug the kids?  Would I say I need to pack some things?  If I did I know He would reply as He did in Matthew chapter 8:22 with "Let the dead bury their own dead."  "Follow Me" He said to that disciple but that disciple walked away.

Jesus is making a very clear statement regarding the scale of our perception of what following Him means.  There is no equivalence.  His imperative statement is a command and anything that impairs it is against Him.  Against Him!  How can I be against my savior?  Simply by not following first.  Don't think back, don't say your what-ifs, don't wonder about where you're going, don't consider who will care for whom, simply follow first.

"Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.  It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods.  It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Similarly, Kyle Idleman asks in his book Not a Fan, "When is the last time following Jesus cost you something?"  

"Follow Me" Jesus instructs.  When I seriously envision that command to me and analyze my heart, do I only think of following immediately or do I think of any other single thing?  I must know my heart's response or examine why it isn't an immediate "Yes" to follow with no consideration for anything else.  I must reexamine my response every morning when I wake up.  

Cinco de Mayo!

In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:6 NIV)

Following Russ's lead on this verse and then tying it shamefully into the Cinco de Mayo celebration I have these thoughts.

"Cinco de May is the July 4th for Mexico" I said to Jack this morning.  Independence Day.  It was a pretty cool movie really, but then I like Will Smith as an actor.  ...  Sorry, random thoughts.  We all value our independence and of extreme importance to a nation, to a people, is the day they won their independence from their slavery to the commands of a king, as in America, or a master, as in the black slaves in America, or in the case of Mexico, their victory over French forces in the Battle of Puebla (according to Wikipedia).  So, what I told Jack this morning shows my ignorance.  Mexico's independence day is September 16.  This will not, however, disturb my thought process regarding independence day.  I will continue in my ignorance for the remainder of this blog entry.  ...  Sorry, those dang random thoughts keep jumping around ... kind of like Mexican jumping beans ... aaagghh, just can't get these things to settle down!

The important aspect or reminder to me as a Christian is to acknowledge my independence day.  As a Christian, our independence day was when Jesus resurrected.  Then death was defeated and a life everlasting with God could be had!  There can be no greater Independence Day!  As a person in Christ, my independence day was when I first believed in Jesus as the Son of God.  That is my independence day.  And that is the day that gave me life.  That is the day I was freed from the evil king of this world who works tirelessly to destroy me, cheat me, steal from me, and to confuse me.  My independence day is the day I met my Savior who conquers all and who will never stop loving me.

When I submitted to God in belief, I was to submit in all my ways acknowledging that He knows better.  Who better than God can know which way is better for me to go?  Do I consider that I do?  Do I consider that the world does?  Do I consider the evil king of the world would?  Of course not!  I am independent of the world, a citizen of heaven.  God alone knows what is best for me and where my path should be.  I am to "walk" with Him on His path for me.

Praise God for my independence!!  May I never take it for granted.

May 5

Proverbs 3: in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:6 NIV)

One essential part of making a Godly decision is getting the order of events correct. Note that we are told to first submit, then He will make our paths straight. We don't pick a path, then ask God to make it the way we want it, yet this is the more frequent pattern I see.  One author said the first step is a prayer of indifference - indifference to anything but God's will. Once our hearts are set only on what God wants, then and only then can I hear His still small voice.  Matt 6:33 says to seek first His kingdom.  We've got to get the order correct. 

Am I really interested in what God wants?  If so, I will pray a prayer of indifference, putting aside my own agenda so that I can hear what God says and will follow His lead.  

A Wife’s Countenance

“He is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.” - Deuteronomy 24:5

"If you really want to know about a man and what kind of character he has, you need only look at the countenance of his wife. Everything he has invested, or withheld, will be there.”

That was the message Bill McCartney, then head coach of the University of Colorado football team, heard in a 1994 sermon. The words cut straight to his heart. McCartney had built the Colorado football program into a powerhouse that won a national championship in 1990. He had also cofounded a national men’s movement, Promise Keepers. But those achievements came at a price. For years McCartney had with‐held his time and energy from his wife, Lyndi, and their four children. In 1994 Bill McCartney didn’t like what he saw in Lyndi’s countenance— so he resigned his position at Colorado to devote more time to his wife and family.

As a husband, you bear the primary responsibility for your wife’s welfare and emotional well‐being. What do you see in her face tonight?

Reprinted from "Devotions for Married Couples". 

May 2

1 Corinthians 10: ³¹ So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. (AMP)

 

Decisions.  How do you know if you're making the right decision?  First, ask yourself: "Does my decision honor and glorify God?"  How do you know?  Try asking yourself these questions:

1.  Is this decision consistent with scripture - all of scripture - not just a piece of a verse pulled out of context.  If you don't know, seek Godly council.

2.  Have I prayed about this and have I heard God answer?  Is the answer I'm hearing consistent with scripture?

3.  If Christ were standing with me right here, right now, would he agree with my decision?

4.  Is this decision consistent with the council of respected Christians (be careful seeking advice before you pray and search scripture!).

5.  Does this decision align with my circumstances?  Has God been creating a pattern in my life leading me to this decision?  When I was trying to finalize my decision about where to go to college, I felt pretty strongly drawn to Mississippi State (who can resist a fat slobbery Bulldog?).  Still I wasn't convinced I had heard from God and one day after I had been praying pretty consistently, I received notification of a scholarship offer.  For me, this was God saying - Go! 

My experience is that when I've made a bad decision, I know it.  Deep down inside, I feel it.  I believe this is the Holy Spirit trying to get my attention.  Don't ignore Him when He tries to get your attention.  After all, God loves us and knows what is best for us and desires that we choose accordingly.

May 1

Matthew 22: ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. (NIV)

 

Decisions.  How does one decide to "Love your neighbor?"  Lots of ways to go here, but let me pick one that has resulted in a lot of debate in my house lately: sin.  How do you love someone you know has committed sin?  Scripture says, just as you love yourself.  After all, scripture says we've all sinned and fallen short of God's requirements (Rom 3:23).  What if its a real "bad" sin as my young friend Reed Garick would call it?  Rom 6:23 says they are all bad - sorry Reed!  So should we let an obvious sinner join the church?  Of course!  How could we prevent a sinner from joining?  We would have no members.  That's NOT the end of the answer, however, and you must read further!

Failure to correct sin is a failure to love others as you love yourself.  In a simplistic example, when my kids were young, if they failed to stop at the end of the driveway and continued to run into the street, I tore their butts up (YES it them a lot more than it hurt me and yes it left temporary marks! - why? because they had to understand that disobedience has consequences they never want to experience again! ).  Why?  Because I couldn't ever give them the freedom to play outside if I couldn't trust them to obey the rules of staying in the yard.  Obviously my job as a parent was to protect them from a danger they didn't fully comprehend as toddlers. 

Scripture provides this mandate as we mature into adulthood as well.  Matt 18:¹⁵ “If your brother or sister^[b] sins,^[c] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’^{[d] 17} If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Dealing with sin is to be direct, confrontational, and decisive, yet done in love.  In another example, Paul took on the Corinthians.  He took at least 3 chapters, as we divided it later, to dress them down about sexual immorality that had crept into the church.  Yet he said "²¹ What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?" (1 Cor 4).  Notice he didn't ignore the issue or gossip about it behind their backs.  No, he confronted them in love.  He went on to state that an unrepentant sinner had to be driven out of the church - a very steep consequence, but necessary to keep one bad person from dragging others into sin. 

Jesus set the example of confronting sin in love.  Recall the woman "caught" in the act of adultery (imagine THAT scene...).  He ended that confrontation with all in the temple that day with "“Go now and leave your life of sin"  (John 8:21 NIV).  Wow.  He didn't give her the option to keep on, or to just dress differently, or just not do it around others that might me insulted, he demanded an immediate complete change in lifestyle! 

So, all sin is bad and failure to confront it is a failure to love properly.  My personal problem is that I'm good at confrontation "with a rod" - just ask my kids.  I'm not very good at confrontation in love, yet I'm commanded to be so.  Unfortunately, the homosexual community has brought that particular sin into the political spotlight and then condems Christians for singling out that particular sin.  We're discussing it because they brought it up!  Yet let us not be guilty of treating that particular sin any differently than adultery, pornography, foul language, gossip, cheating, stealing, slandering, obesity,...  Well, you get the picture. 

We're all sinners and in need of repentance.  We need to love others by ensure they're not "playing in traffic."  Failing to "go to your brother or sister" is to doom them to suffering the earthly consequences of sin and perhaps eternal consequences as well.  Yet for me to do this in love, I need to be led by the Holy Spirit.  Otherwise I'll show up with the rod of discipline and drive them away without truly communicating.  As Jesus said, "“This kind can come out only by prayer" (Mark 9:29).

Feel Loved?

As I sit here eating breakfast with nothing more than my phone as an input and Editting device, I will try to reflect my thoughts into this entry.

Do you feel loved today?  Maybe you had a disagreement with your coworkers, or your wife, or your parents and you feel isolated.  Maybe something tramatic and sorrowful has happened to you.  No matter the reason, there is never a time that exists when you should not feel and more importantly, know that you are deeply loved.

If we allow ourselves to ever believe or allow our feelings to tell us we are not loved we are contradicting the Creator of the universe and the source of all life.  Who are we to do such a thing?  And why would we do that to ourselves?  Life is so much more filling and complete when we are living with a heart full of love.  We are who we were designed to be when we live with a heart over flowing with love.

Accept God today and His eternal promise of loving you forever and ever and that nothing exist or will ever exist that is capable of removing His love from you.

Apr 29

Matthew 22: ³⁵ And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him. ³⁶ Teacher, which ^[a]kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light—which are heavy?] ³⁷ And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). ³⁸ This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. (AMP)

 

Decisions.   By far the most important decision you will ever make and will continue to make with every breath you take is: do you choose to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?  This is not a "have you" as in something you might have done once in your distant past or a "will you" as in something you might do later.  No, this is a DO YOU as of right now, this moment, this circumstance, this event, DO YOU choose to love God with all you?  Some might say, "this is too hard."  Jesus said "For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne." (Matt 11:30).  Others might say I've already checked that square, but Jesus said "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven." (Matt 7:21). 

So, DO YOU?  Do you choose to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?  How do you know?  Again, Jesus said "If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. (John 14:15 & repeated in 21, 23, & 24 so it must be important!).  Later, Paul was inspired to state "

²² But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, ²³ Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [^[f]that can bring a charge]. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires."  (Gal 5). 

So this is how you know:  If you love God, you will obey his commands.  Not out of fear (although it is a useful motivational tool and we are in fact commanded to fear God - out of over 300 references to fearing God, start with Ryan's favorite: Pro 9:10), but out of an uncontrollable urge to please God.  Once, I thought I could "straddle the fence" and live as I knew I should and deeply desired to except when around my school "friends" and then I could behave differently to impress them.  Those relationships didn't last long and certainly didn't encourage my growth in Christ.  I learned that Jesus meant what he said “Whoever is not with me is against me" (Matt 12:30) and the guilt I bore outstripped whatever benefits I got out of trying to live to impress others.  

Where are you in your decision regarding Christ?  Have you accepted Him as your Savior?  If so, AWESOME?  Now, is He LORD?  Does He control your life or is He at the other end of the 9-1-1 prayer line where you turn when everything else you try fails?  Here's how I know:  Priorities are those things that you spend your resources on - your time, money, and thoughts.  Does your love for God guide every expenditure of your resources?  Do you live a life in context with your relationship with God or is He someone you take out of the "box" on Sundays and Wednesdays for a little "pick-me-up?"  

This is an important decision to get right.  I maintain that failure to get this one correct makes all your other decisions irrelevant.  What do you think? 

Your Bro is Back!

"‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’   The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him."  - Luke 15:27-28

The Prodigal Son parable.  Most of us know it well and those who have been to Emmaus know it real well.  This is one of those rare stories that we can relate to at least one of the characters all the time.  And even relate to different ones at different times, although I truly hope I never have to directly relate to the father watching his son go off in a wrong direction carrying a feeling of unconcern for me as though I am already dead.  Heartbreaking.

Why did the father have a celebration?  Because his son "has come ... he has him back safe and sound".  What joy Jesus tells us the Father has when a lost child comes to believe in Him!  As someone with only a limited view of love by comparison to our Father in heaven I find it hard to grasp the amount and extent of that love.  God forgives fully and pours His love upon us when we come to Him.  He does not withhold Himself from us.  When we love properly, we find that all we want is to be closer to the ones we love.  We make ways to celebrate time and opportunity together.  We want to "pour" ourselves into the other person at every opportunity.  The father rejoiced greatly for he had new opportunities to love his son whom he believed was gone forever.  He was not dead to his son!

Yet the older brother was angry because he had obeyed.  There is much that can be said here regarding this older brother.  Looking at it from a ministry point-of-view, do we ever see hard-working Christians in the church who give so much of themselves to the ministry operations of the church but get agitated when someone new comes in and is celebrated?  Of course we do.  They feel like their service, their obedience, is not appreciated.  In this case their heart of purpose has to be questioned.  Are they working for their Father, or for themselves?

Similarly, when a person who commits a "bad" sin (as Reed would say) confesses and repents and starts back to the work of their Father, do we see people look upon them as unworthy and get angry because they haven't sinned but have been obedient?  Of course we do.  They feel as though they have sacrificed while another has not and they want their reward or the punishment of the sinner.  Again the purpose of the heart has to be questioned.  This is where the older brother is living in this parable.  To him, the brother was dead, but now that he was back he was a nuisance.  And his being back questioned the older brother's purpose.  Why was he obedient to his father?  What was his reward? 

We must know that being obedient to the Father is the reward because it pleases the Father (I know that is a big statement coming from a sinner like me).  That is how God knows we love Him.

Apr 28

Proverbs 3: ⁵ Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. ⁶ In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. (AMP)

 

Decisions:  A choice among options.  Over the next 10 years or so, high school students will make or will already have made the top 10 decisions in life.  First and foremost, they will have decided what to do with Christ.  Statistics show that if people haven't accepted Christ by the time they graduate from college, they have an incredibly low probability of doing so later in life.  Worse, many who think they have accepted Christ merely believe He existed or may have accepted Him as savior, but refuse to let Him be Lord of their lives.  These verses from the Old Testament remind us of the importance of ensuring He is guiding us through all of life's many decisions.

Whether to marry, whom to marry, major purchases such as our first car, first house, what college to attend, what to major in, our first job, where to live, and our closest friends round out our list of our top ten decisions.  I find it incredibly interesting that so many of us spend so many hours at church, but when it comes to these decisions we rarely consult God.  We seem to turn to God for things we know we can't control such as health and bereavement over death, but we live defeated lives because we refuse to make God Lord over the biggest decisions in life. 

How about you?  Have you prayed over your future spouse even though you don't know them yet?  Are you honoring him/her now with your actions?  Are you praying about whether to attend college and if so, what to major in and where to get that degree?  Why not?  God is the only one who knows the future.  You and your parents may make good decisions, but only God knows best. 

 

I'm deeply troubled today by Kathryn Lorenz' FB status update.  She has openly posted that she is in a relationship with a HS junior in Valdosta, GA.  Sadly, the HS student is a young lady.  As we've discussed, there is a difference between trying to live a Godly life wherein we are guilty of "messing up" or slipping into sin and those who willfully choose to live a sinful lifestyle and refuse to acknowledge the fact.  Whether intentional or unintentional, there seems to me to be a fundamental difference between trying and failing and thumbing our nose at a high and holy God.  I certainly had my prodigal moments in HS and early college (and probably still do today!!) and I praise God that he saw enough value in me to save me from my poor decisions.  I carry a huge burden for a whole world that seems to simply be ignorant about the need and benefits of not just accepting Christ as savior, but truly letting Him guide our steps.  I thank you and admire you for fighting for your wife, family, and faith.  I hate that it took such a large failure to get your attention, but perhaps the prodigal experience is universal.  I know you'll join me in prayer for the Lorenz family and especially for Kathryn as she undergoes her own prodigal experience.  She has bought into a lie by Satan and is feasting on rotten fruit.   I pray that our Lord for whom nothing is impossible will reach out to her in a way that gets her attention before she suffers permanently.   I pray that she doesn't fall away.