The Present God

Forty years Joshua had followed Moses. Through it all, Moses had been there. He was Josua's leader, his encourager, his friend. They had faced great obstacles, but Joahua always had his rock Moses, to lean on. Finally they had arrived at the edge of the Promised Lamd, where the greatest challenges lie ahead, but Moses was no longer with him. Moses, who had led Israel and mentored Joshua, was dead. What now, how could he do this alone?

Maybe you're there right now. You began a family, made plans for the future but that someone you depended on is gone. You are single again, either by death or divorce. In either case, he or she is not there to provide the love and support you so desperately miss. You were a couple, raising children together, now you're a single parent, not sure how you're going to do it. You may be a young person who has lost a parent, whose presence alone gave you strength and now there's no one to pick up the phone when you call.

Whoever this rock might have been.and regardless of how you lost him/her, your rock is gone and you miss him/her terribly - you feel so alone. You just don't know how you're going to make it. If this is not you, read on anway - it will be you. And it could be you again.

Moses was gone. His presence would be missed. But Joshua was not alone. The plan to enter and take possession of the Promised Land would be carried in Moses' absence because of His presence. God assured Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous" (Josh 1:5, 6).  No, Moses would not be there in the flesh but yes, the God who walked with Moses would be there in the Spirit.

The same Spirit that was with Moses and Joshua - the same Spirit that gave life to your loved one, promises to walk with you: "I will never leave you as orphans. I will come to you" (John14:18).  You only need to receive Him.  When you "come near to God, He will come near to you" (Jas 4:8).

You will always miss that rock you loved and depended on but you can more than make it when you trust in the Rock - the One who will never leave you.

Jus' Sayn.

Running On Empty

Have you been there?  You're driving along, heading down the road as usual and then it happens - your engine just quits.  There's no power and no amount of turning it over will start it - you're out of gas. It had plenty the last time you checked but it's been too long since the last time.

In Judges 16:20, Samson jumps up to face the Philistines as he had so many times before with the Spirit of the Lord empowering him. But he didn't know he was running on empty - "he did not know that the Lord had left him."

While revealing the secret of his strength that lay in his Nazarite vow, which forbade cutting his hair gave Delilah the opportunity to fully deplete him of his power, it was only the end result of his steady emptying of the Spirit of God that began as he started to turn away from his vow to a path of wine, women and very foolish and prideful behavior. He was already running on empty - the cutting of his locks was just the last sputter.

If we allow sin to begin to creep into our lives, if we begin choosing to disobey God, if we refuse to make things right with one we offend, if we stop carving out time of personal devotion or quiet time, we begin to lose the vitality of the Sporit.

Your lack of vitality may not be crying out for attention. But answers to your prayers don't come like they used to. Your life once brought reconciliation but now you're having troubles in your relationships. People who used to turn to you for help fid that you have a neglible impact on them or maybe even harmful.  

You are still a believer, you still attend church services, you haven't removed the Christian bumper sticker from your car. But still, things aren't the same. You were really on fire for the Lord at one time but you haven't given it much thought or attention in a while. Life has been changing but in which direction?  Have you been filling up your spiritual tank with devotion and service to the Lord or have you been siphoning it off in self-interest?  Is your tank full or are you running on empty?

Jus' Askn.

Is It You?

When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain in Matthew 17:1-2, two impressive figures from the past appeared with him: Moses and Elijah.  These two servants of God were and are held in extreme esteem. Moses was the Great Law Giver and Elijah was the Great Prophet.  Who could ever replace them?

Actually, Joshua and Elisha did.  Joshua finished Moses' work in leading the Israelites into the Promise Land and Elisha was given a double portion of Elijah's spirit.  Until it was time, neither would have assumed they could have replaced these seemingly irreplaceable giants of the faith. And yet, they did.

Neither of these replacements were heralded at birth or were assumed by everyone to step into the shoes of giants.  But when the time was right, each was called and equipped by the Lord to do precisely that.

Throughout the Bible, God, called individual after individual like Gideon, David and the apostles, who could not believe God would pick them. Even the great Moses argued with God that he was not the man for the job. But God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.

As Jesus revealed in John 5:17, "My Father is always working. To this ver day He is at work."  God is still working all around us and is calling us to kingdom work. What might he be inviting you to participate in?  If a leader moves away or becomes unable to continue in his work, who's next in line?  Could it be you?  At some point and in some capacity, God will be calling you. Is that time now?  Are you paying attention to what God is doing around you?

Whenever you think, "Someone ought to ...," perhaps God revealed that to you. Perhaps you are the one.  Jus' Sayn.

Move Back Over

The story is tod of an elderly couple pulling up behind a young couple sitting very close to each other in their car. The old woman, sitting over against the passenger window asked her husband, "Do you remember when we used to sit that close?"  "I sure do," he replied.  "What happened to us, why do we sit so far apart?"  The old man, scratching his chin answered, "I don't rightly know, I haven't moved any."

We wonder sometimes, why we feel distant from God. We lament tearfully, "I feel so alone,". We wonder to ourselves, "Where is God when I need Him?"  "Why has He left me like this?"  The truth is that God is not the one who has moved.  He is right where we left Him.  Jesus is very clear in Is promise, "I will not leave you as orphans" (John 14:18).  If  we feel distance, we are the ones who have moved, not God.

The clear answer is found I James 4:8, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."  I. Other words, since He has not moved, just scoot back over and you will both be side-by-side.  James even reveals the "how to" for moving back over.

What James has to say in vss. 8-10 is basically this, wash your hands, purify your heart and grieve [your soul], which will humble you before God and He will lift you up. What this means is for us to consider the greviois nature of our sin (that which causes the distance), determine in our heart to turn away from it and then become hands-on in changing the behavior, thereby humbling ourselves before God who will scoop us up in His arms.

Perhaps you have been living a lie that causes the distance, it's time to come clean. Perhaps lust has you in it's grip, it's time to clean your heart. Maybe you've simply put prayer and Bible study on the back burner, and you need to carve out quiet time with God. Whatever it is, it's time to humbly lay it on the altar of devotion to the One who loves you, and let Him draw you near again   It's time to move back over.

Jus' Sayn.

Footloose

In Ephesians 4:27, the apostle Paul warns us, "do not give the devil a foothold."  This statement would be a bit ambiguous if it were not for a three-letter conjunction placed just before it: "and."  How the devil gets a foothold is clearly stated: "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry"(v. 26).

Obviously, the devil gets his foothold in our lives then when we are angry. However, it is a mistaken notion, as some have concluded, to think that it is accomplished just in the fact that we get angry. Or to say that Christians ought not get angry.  In fact, the Bible clearly says, "In your, do not sin" (v. 26).  So, it is quite possible to be angry and be righteous at the same time - there is such a thing as righteous anger.   Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple with a cord in John 2:15, would be a good example.

So, what's the difference between sinful and righteous anger?  To begin with, it seems obvious that anger, which stems from a purely selfish reason like loosing a game or not getting the recognition you feel you deserve, gives the devil plenty of footholds  to climb inside your heart, which is the Word warns, "Do nothing out selfish ambition or vain conceit" (Phil 2:3).

But that, as true as it is, is not the warning of Ephesians chapter four. Here Paul warns that, to remain foot loose from the devil, we must control our emotion and "in your anger do not sin" (v. 26a). Do not let it stew to a boil. Instead, "do not let the sun go down on your anger" (v26b). Dot let it become hate or boil to the point that it spews out in hateful actions.

Get angry and then instead of getting back or getting even, seek to get right. Get right in your own heart, get right with the offender if possible and get right with Lord.

Jus' Sayn.

What's It Therefore?

Pretty much always, when I hear preachers and teachers quote Matthew 6:25, they start out with, "do not worry about your life..."  However, that is not how it is written.  It begins with, "Therefore, I tell you..."  So?  What's the big deal?  Why mince over a preamble?

The reason it is a big deal is that God included it.  If that preamble wasn't important, it wouldn't have been written.  Also, as a matter of context, anytime you see the word "therefore," it points to an antecedent, so it becomes important to look backwards in the text to find out what "therefore" is there for.

There are four warnings in chapter six that lead up to the "therefore" of verse 25:  1) Don't give to be seen as generous, 2) Don't pray to appear righteous, 3) Don't fast to look pious and 4) Don't invest yourself in earthly gain.

The entire chapter is written to warn us to not get caught up in the trappings of this world, to not worry about "getting our props" or advancing our image or elevating our position or securing our future.  Instead, there is one primary pursuit we should concern ourselves with and allow to take the lead in all we do: Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  And, when we do, "all these things [necessities of life] will be added to [us] as well" (v. 33).

The therefore is there for the reason of pointing out the contrast in the self-seeking life and the God-seeking life. Self-promotion leads us down a path that leaves us wanting in the end.  Whereas, advancing the kingdom of God in and around your life fills every need.

 Perhaps you recall the two paths of Matthew 7:13-14, which this chapter leads into that talks about two paths - one leads to life and the other leads to death. Do you suppose there is any connection?  No doubt.

This world is not our home. We are on a mission from God as we journey to our homeland in Glory. We do need supplies for the journey: food, clothing and shelter, but we don't need to stockpile them. Too many worldly goods will just weigh us down. We need to be a bit lighter for the road.

Jus' Sayn.

Live or Die; Win-win

The apostle Paul sat in a prison facing the very real possibility of execution because of his work advancing the kingdom of Christ. As he considered what lie ahead, he wrote, in Philippians 1:20-21, "… now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. …"

Paul, unlike many Christians today, understood that life wasn't about him. His personal comfort, his livelihood, his position in society, his possessions, his safety - all the things folks tend to spend the majority of their time and energy to secure - were not his concern.  He had, in fact, "learned the secret of being content in any and all circumstance" ( Phil 2:12).  His secret?  "I can do all things [endure all things] through Christ who gives me strength" (Phil 2:13).

Paul's strength - his resolve about life and death - came from his awareness that he was not here to experience life but rather to live for King Jesus. Do you recall the famous line from the movie, The Blues Brothers, "We're on a mission from God"?  That was Paul's reality, not just a scripted assertion.

Paul knew that if he died because he had been advancing the kingdom of Christ, it would be to God's glory and to his personal enrichment as he was taken to glory. On the other hand, if God rescued him from death, it would be to God's glory that he continued to advance the kingdom and encourage the Christian Brotherhood.

For Paul, life or death equaled a win-win situation because he was not living for himself in some temporal existence. Paul was living for the King of Glory and that life only begins here but is fulfilled in eternity. Paul was prepared to live for his King on either side of Glory. 

What about you?  Are ou prepared to live or die for the glory of King Jesus?  Are you on a mission from God?  Is your investment in this life or His kingdom?

Jus' Askn. 

Confession of Sin Club

In his book, "The Christ of The Mount," E. Stanley Jones recounts his experience with the "Confession of Sin Club" in India back in the 1940s.  He thought it remarkable that people would gather just for the purpose of confessing their sins. What he discovered in attending was that they were confessing other people's sins.  It turned out to be something of a gossip circle.

True to form, they, like we, were not too keen on revealing their personal sins - those sins they preferred to keep close to their chest, choosing to hide or deny rather than reveal. Too bad, for revealing someone else's sins only leads to criticism and judgment, followed by defensive attitudes and hard feelings. On the other hand, confessing your own sins can bring about humble change and healing.

Jesus' brother, James, was very clear in saying, "Confess your sins, one to another, and you will be healed" (Js 5:16).  It's worth noting that he didn't say forgiven but rather healed. Confessing sins to God brings forgiveness while confessing to each other brings healing. How so?

If you struggle with addiction or pornography or greed or whatever, denying it allows it to continue its hold over you, preventing you from getting help and encouragement in overcoming it. Confessing it to someone you trust, who will listen to you, be in your corner and pray for you, gives you opportunity to begin the process of being released from its grasp.

Whether you accept my reasoning or not, here's something to hang your hat on: Confess yours sins rather than hide them because the Bible tells you so.

Jus' Sayn.

You Can Work It Out

I remember hearing the Beatles crone, "You Can Work It Out," back in the 60s but never dreamed those words would be the inspiration for a religious blog.  But here I am working it out.

Paul clearly wrote, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:8, 9).  And, just as clearly, he wrote, "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12).  So, in the modern vernacular, "Sup?"  Or in my native tongue, What's up with that?"

What's up with it is not a contradiction (Oh, really?).  What is up is what is left out so often when we read statements like these: The next verse. Or, as Paul Harvery used to say, "The rest of the story."

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do." Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose."

While we cannot work for our gift of salvation, we can work it out, or "...shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the Word of life" (Phil 2:15, 16).  To work it out is not to earn it by our deeds but to reflect the gift by our actions.

Jus' Sayn.

Blinded By The Light Bender

There it is, right before your eyes, can't you see it?  See what?  It's as plain as the nose on your face, can't you see that?  See what?  Sound familiar?  Something so easily seen or clearly understood and you are totally blind to it. Happens to all of us. 

Sometimes it's of little consequence like when someone points out something on the roadside as you pass by. Sometimes it is very important like the time a woman topped the hill behind me while I was running left on my motorcycle and ran over me. "I didn't see you!"  I was on N 1800cc candy apple red Goldwing with duel blinkers and she couldn't see me. 

The trouble is that we are blinded to things that would otherwise be plain to us. Tragically, many are blinded to a truth that should be plain to all: The truth of God's existence.  As Paul says, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse" (Rom 1:20). 

 There is no reason that anyone could not see, but there is a reason why many cannot see.  John revealed this fact when he wrote, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor 4:4).  As Jesus is the Light (Jn 14:6), Satan, who's native tongue is lying (Jn 8:44), is the light bender, blinding people to the truth otherwise so easily seen. 

Do you think God really wants women to kill the babies growing in their womb unless it is in rare and extreme cases of the mother's life at stake or perhaps rape one incest?  Do you really think God really sanctions men rejecting natural relations with women to marry another man?  Do you really think God approves of sexual intimacy being reduced to adult play time, where players are traded as often as some change socks?  Do you think God delights in how self-serving we have become?  

The god of this world (Satan) has done a good job of convincing people that their passion or their sense of fairness or their best thinking is the standard of right and wrong instead of the Word of God. Really?  Do you really believe that what you think or want trumps what the God of the universe has revealed?  Apparently many believe precisely that way. Obviously, many are blinded by the light bender. 

Jus ' Sayn. 

Born Again?

When Nicodemus was told by Jesus that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3), he was perplexed. He countered, "How can a man be born again when he is old?" (V. 4).

Scholars and church leaders have been debating that thought for centuries since. Some suggest it happens at baptism, some say at the point of faith and others add sacraments and such. But I think all these arguments miss the point, which is not regarding a method but a reality.

What I mean is, the fact of being born again has to do with the individual not an activity. Being born again suggests that we must become new, like Paul affirmed in 2 Cor 5:17).  Being born again says that I become different - that I see things differently, that I want things differently.

One can be baptized like Simon the Sorcerer and face condemnation (cf Acts 8:9-24) or believe as do the demons but not see the kingdom (cf James 2:19). But when one gives up his own self to follow Jesus, everything is seen from a new perspective - that of a follower of Jesus. When He is our Master, we go where he sends us, do what He bids us and want what glorifies His name.

Jesus said, "those of you who do not give up everything you have, you cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33).  You cannot stay the way you are and become the way He is.  Being a disciple means becoming like one's master. Are you ready to do that. Are you ready to start again, to be reborn?

Jus' Askn.

Travel Plans

In Genesis 12:1, God told Abram to leave his home and "go to the land I will show you."  Imagine the conversation with his wife, Sarai.  "Hey Honey, we're moving". "To where?"  Don't know."  "To do what?"  "Haven't a clue."  "How will we live?"  "Beats me."  "We'll, what do you know?"  "I know God told me to go and that is enough."

Would that be enough for you?  Think about quoting your job, moving to a place you've never been to do something you've never prepared for - yeah, that was Abram's call. That is also the call of many  in missions today. I answered a similar call when I left the Air Force, sold my house and headed off to preaching school. I did't know what would happen or how, but I knew God called me.

God calls each of us, not always in such a dramatic way but He always calls us from where we are to where He is. Perhaps it's to reach someone across the street, possibly to a mission kitchen downtown on weekends, maybe to a deeper faith - wherever, whatever, are you ready and willing to go?

Jus' Askn.

first blog tomorrow AM - dr d

Just opening blog site today. In the morning I plan to write first blog. Dr D