God’s Choice

There may be things that are bigger and grander and stand out more to the eye of man, but God’s choice is more than enough.

“¹⁵Mount Bashan, majestic mountain,

Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,

¹⁶why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,

at the mountain where God chooses to reign,

where the Lord himself will dwell forever?”

— Psalm 68:15-16 (NIV)

The mountain range to the north of Mount Sinai were certainly bigger and grander than God’s chosen dwelling place. They were, to the eye of man a more fitting place for God to set up as His place of residence. But here’s the thing, God does not do things to please the eye of man. He chooses based on His wants and needs and not ours. The grandeur of those mountains to the north may have been impressive to man, but to God, they were just another mountain range. Sinai is the choice of God.

“¹⁷The chariots of God are tens of thousands

and thousands of thousands;

the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.”

— Psalm 68:17 (NIV)

God does not need man to accomplish His tasks. He will use man, but does not need Him. He does not need the biggest and grandest, He is more than enough for all that He sets out to accomplish. God has thousands upon thousands of warriors now and forever. When He sets out for something nothing or no one will stand against Him in success. God sought Mount Sinai as His resting place and that is where He will rest.

Too often am I looking for some way to be enough for me and my family. I am the provider for them and look to make their lives as comfortable as possible. But God is where I find enough as I am certainly not. I don’t have the best solution in mind, I have my solution in mind. God’s solution for me and my family is enough. I will find peace where He leads me and not where I go on my own. God has thousands upon thousands preparing the place for me, it is up to me to allow Him to prepare it and arrive there as He leads me. God’s choice is His choice and much more than enough.

How are you getting along with choice? Are you out there choosing on your own and hoping it is enough in the eyes of man? What if you were to rely on God to choose for you knowing that His choice is much more than enough?

Gain Christ with Loss Through the Law

Here goes. I know, it sounds interesting in that we can gain through loss.

Paul was a very learned man and had considerable gain in life. He was fully Jewish. He was fully Hebrew. He could be considered a Pharisee. He was a great man thanks to his work in the law. Yet, he did not fully gain until he found Christ and in doing so, he lost all that he had gained in the law. Paul ended up in prison and ultimately died for his faith in Christ and through it all, counted that time as the time of his life as opposed to all that he had gained and lost in the law.

“⁷But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:7-11 (ESV)

Read carefully the above again. See and feel the freedom that Paul experienced through his faith in Christ. He had everything from the standpoint of the world, and yet he was overjoyed to lose it all for the sake of knowing Christ and seeking after him daily. Paul found joy in prison as he led people and churches to know Christ. He did not want for things other than to know Christ more.

I was reading and studying this morning and this passage hit me a little different this morning. I have been struggling with things a bit and needing a bit more clarity. God provided for me this morning that I am to just be joyful in the gain of knowing, trusting, and relying on Him. I am to put all the struggle away and know that God has me in a place, whether physical or in time, that I am to be in for Him and He will ensure things to be right according to His plan. I just need to revel in the fact that I may lose that which was gained through the law, but what a minimal loss it is compared to the gain I receive in Christ.

Where are you placing your gain? Are you relying on the law to provide for you and give you great things? What if you instead relied on the LORD, knowing that there is far greater gain in Christ?

Meet Others Where They Are

As I read and study this morning I again can see how there is confusion with what comes from God’s Word. If we are to be true to the LORD and trust Him, how then are going to spread the gospel if as we do so we are calling out their sin. Are we not to judge others. Well, we are NOT judging for simply pointing out that which is contrary to the Law of the LORD.

“¹⁹For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. ²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. ²¹To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. ²³I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” – 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (ESV)

In 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks to the church and points out that we have to become like those we are meeting to guide us in reaching them. When reading this it seems to indicate, if you are just taking the words as they are, that we are to act like other to get in with them and then pretend to be something like them in order to reach them. Where that may be what it is on the surface, we have to look deeper into what is meant by being “as” them and what we are in those times.

I remember seeing a video of an inner city youth outreach guy. He was out in the community playing basketball and chatting up the kids of the neighborhoods. There were those who were wondering how he was going to reach those kids when he was acting like them in order to reach them. His response was something to the effect that he was being like them on the surface to get in with them to show them that we all are not so different in the eyes of God. He did not abandon his love for and devotion to the LORD, he only changed his approach to those in the neighborhood to be as them so they would listen.

This is the approach that Paul is speaking of in the above verses. Notice the parenthesized notes in the verses. Paul never lost sight of his identity in Christ. He was always true to God, he only appeared to be the same as those He was working with to reach them and then show them that God and His law were for all, not just a select group.

We have to be similar in our approach. We cannot be hesitant to meet others where they are. We will make more ground with our spread of the Gospel when we take the Gospel to others where they are as opposed to forcing others to come to us. We have to show, not just speak of God being for all. We have take the LORD to those and demonstrate that God does indeed love all and wants nothing but the best for all, not just a certain set of people.

Of course, we are not to take the actions of others, we are only to present ourselves as them to show them that God is for everyone. We are to reach them with and through the love of God. We are to go to them and not ask them to come to us. We are meet them where they and bring the Christ to them.

What is your approach to reaching others? Are you asking everyone to come to you in your safe space? What if you were to meet others where they are and bring the Gospel to them to show that God is for everyone where they are?

Christ is Our Righteousness

How do we know that we have done something wrong? We compare our actions to the law or the rules. The same goes for our sin. We know that we have sinned when we compare our actions to the Law of the LORD written on our hearts.

“¹Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” – Romans 10:1 (ESV)

I recently saw a debate where one of the debaters asked a group of onlookers if they wanted everyone to go to heaven and there was 100% respondents of yes. Now, this was not exactly the subject of the debate, but the question was a valid one. You see, people are inherently good and want the best for others. Paul echos this in verse one above. He wants, no desires’ that everyone is saved.

“³For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” – Romans 10:3 (ESV)

Even as Paul and others want the best for us, there is truth in that people still follow their own desires and law as oppose to the Law of the LORD. There is a continued seeking of our own rules and laws to get us through. We want heaven, but we insist on getting there our own way and do not submit to the Law of the LORD which is written on our hearts.

“⁴For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4 (ESV)

Jesus is the where we find the path to righteousness and heaven. We know the Law of the LORD, we are just not submitting to it. We are aware of the path to heaven, we simply choose to take another path. We choose to do things our way, avoiding The Way because, “we know better”.

“⁶Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” – John 14:6 (ESV)

Jesus told us that the way to righteousness is through Him, and that is the only way. We cannot get there on our own. We cannot reach heaven doing things our way. We cannot submit to Christ without finding Him. Christ is for our righteousness and the path to heaven, we only need to trust in and submit to Him.

What does your path look like? Are you intent on going your own way as you know better? What if you were to submit to and trust in Jesus as He is our path to righteousness?

To Be a Disciple, Abide in the Word

Disciple: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: such as – b: a convinced adherent of a school or individual – Merriam-Webster Online

Again with the definition of “disciple”. The title of my writing this morning alludes to what it takes to be a disciple. Let me go a little deeper. Becoming a follower of Christ is easy in the actions needed, admit that you are a sinner and need saving and then accept Christ as the savior of your life. Easy by all accounts to do those two things. And then there is what it takes to become a disciple of Christ as you see in the definition.

“³¹So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,^’” – John 8:31 (ESV)

Abide: to accept without exception: to continue in a place – Merriam-Webster Online

There are other definitions of the word “abide” yet these fit what I believe John is referring to in the verse above. As we have become a follower of Christ, we will then begin our study of His word. In that study, we are to accept His word and continue in it to learn and grow in Him.

Whereas the becoming a follower of Christ is easy with the two actions I described above, the disciple part is much more challenging a there is a long commitment that requires daily attention. We are to follow yes, but as a disciple we are to accept without exception and continue the study and understanding of His word as we move through this world.

I myself have been a follower of Christ since I was about 14 yrs old. But I believe that I have been a disciple of Christ for only about the last 20 yrs of my 54. So there were about 20 yrs I went through life as a follower of Christ having only really taken the first two easy actions.

Being a disciple is not as difficult as we think. It is about dedication, devotion, and commitment. We are to be in the Word of God on a daily/regular basis. Learning all that we can to carry out that which He has for us to carry out. Being a follower of Christ is the easy part, it takes our abiding in Him and His Word to become a disciple of Christ.

What would you count yourself in your relationship with Christ? Are you a follower who has taken the first two steps? What if you were to abide in the LORD and His Word to become a disciple of Christ?

Remorseful / Repentant Heart Will be Revived

I am a pretty cynical person and do not always believe what I am told or see. I know that it is an area of weakness for me and one that, as a Christian, have to get past. That cynicism keeps me from proceeding with love from time to time as I am cautious with giving in where there is a lack of trust. This is really a heart thing for me that I need to get past.

I know, what does this have to do with remorse and repentance. Well, it is about that directly in that I have instill in my heart one of remorse and repentance to place my trust in the LORD.

“¹⁵For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,

who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

‘I dwell in the high and holy place,

and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly,

and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

— Isaiah 57:15 (ESV)

You see, the LORD is with us, even us who are cynical. He is waiting for our remorse and repentance to kick in to which He will revive us. The LORD is waiting on me to trust and depend on Him and all the work He is doing. All I need to do is just that, trust and depend on Him and He will reveal Himself to me and revive my heart to that place of warmth to Him and away from that cynicism.

God wants the relationship with me. Where I am in my 50s as far as age, I feel as though I have a long way to go in my maturity with Christ. I have so much to learn and every day I am working to understand and trust Him more. It is about doing the work that God has for me and seeking the why, but trusting that it is the work He has for me and it is just one tooth in the gear that leads to His glory. I have to get past the doubt and cynicism and trust Him. I have to give in to the love of the LORD and know that He has a bigger plan for me that I cannot see just yet. In short, God’s got me.

As I am able to demonstrate my contrite heart, the LORD fills it with the energy and love that only He gives. That energy and love revives me to move forward with strength and courage and love for not only Him and those around me, but for me and my relationship with Him.

How are you being revived? Are you looking for external forces revive you internally? What if you were to demonstrate your remorse and repentance and allow God to fill your heart with energy and love to revive that heart to one of trust in and love for Him?

It is all with God on our Heart

Yes, all that we have and strive to be starts with God on our heart.

“³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

bind them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor and good success

in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

⁷Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

⁸It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.”

— Proverbs 3:3-8 (ESV)

A friend of mine once advised me to read one chapter of Proverbs daily and in a month (31 days) you will have read all of Proverbs (31 verses). The thing about Proverbs is, as noted in the introduction to the book in my ESV Bible, that it is “Practical wisdom for living”. This morning I see that wisdom playing out.

All of our growth and success in this world is based on our life with God on our heart. We are to write Him and all that He gives to us on our hearts and trust Him fully in our heart and for that we are rewarded with riches as He provides them. We are able to walk a path that leads somewhere and not a path where we are wandering. We will be healed from all that ails us in this world. In short, we are given all that we could ever truly want when it comes to finding where we belong and just what we need.

I should not be, but am amazed every day at all that I have accomplished in this world. Maybe not from a secular viewpoint, but from the viewpoint of contentment. I have health, a place to live, a wife and family that I love and that loves me, a church family that I know I can count on if/when things go awry, and most importantly a LORD that will provide all that I “NEED” to keep on keeping on in this world until my time here is done. And I attribute it all to my relationship with Him and having Him on my heart at all times.

Yes, there are still struggles, but those are largely identified by the world and not by God, as there is nothing that God cannot handle or provide for. I continue daily to wonder if I am on the right path and am I going to be successful, and then something is revealed that only God could have taken care of and provided for. I am a success. I am on the right path. I am healthy in His eyes. And, I owe it all to God and having Him in/on my heart daily.

What are you leaning on? Are you trying to do it all yourself? What if you were to place the LORD in/on your heart and allow Him to lead you from the inside out?

Desires of the Heat

How many of us wish that all our desires come true, especially those that we desire deep in our hearts. I know that I do. There are a lot of things that I desire for to come true in my life. I desire for millions of dollars. I desire for the ability to travel the world with Lori, cause that is what she wants. I desire to be seen in the world as bigger than life and the envy of all I come in contact with. But are these really those things that are of my heart or are they of some other motivation.

“³Trust in the LORD, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

⁴Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

— Psalm 37:3-4 (ESV)

Well, as you can see in the above verse, the way to get that which we desire in our hearts is to delight in the LORD and trust in Him. I think that we are of the opinion that if we simply say those things, then He will make them come to pass. But in order to receive the desires of our heart, our heart has to be fully given to and filled with the LORD. We have to fully “trust” in Him. We have to fully “delight” in Him. We have to fully “befriend faithfulness” in Him. And then He will give us the desires of our heart which are rooted in the glory of the LORD.

“⁵Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act.

⁶He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.”

— Psalm 37:5-6 (ESV)

It is a commitment to the LORD, not just a statement to Him. I commit to Him and He commits to me. I give Him all of me and He gives me all of Him. Once those conditions have been met, the LORD will provide all that I desire as what I desire will be Him.

I know, in this world it is hard to get along without the physical things that society indicates we should have. But is it all about the physical things. I know many people that have joy abounding in their lives without all the “finer” things. They have their relationship with the LORD and He provides all that they need. When they have a desire for something, the LORD fills that desire with what He know will be used for His glory and the people know that all they have received is for the LORD and His glory.

The desires of the heart are provided by the LORD when we give ourselves to Him fully. When we are in need, the LORD will fill that need knowing that all glory will be given to Him.

What are your desires? Are you expecting that all desires are filled so that you can have it all? What if you were to give yourself to the LORD fully in your heart and allow Him to fill your heart and all the desires there that will be used to bring Him glory?

Abundance and Prosperity From the Heart

“¹⁰when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” and “⁹The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,” — Deuteronomy 30:10 & 9 (ESV)

I know that I have captured the two verses above in reverse order. I do that as it is now in the cause and effect order. The LORD will make us prosperous and will provide abundance when we are obeying Him fully, not just in action, but with our hearts.

I wrote recently of the over abundance that God will provide when everything comes from the heart. The people gave for the building of the temple from their hearts and there was so much given that Moses had to tell them to stop giving. When we are going about our lives with Christ from our heart He will not only make sure there is more than enough for His work, but He will also provide abundance for you and me.

You see, it is not just about loving the LORD with all your heart. It is also about obeying His every command. Our pastor, Jared Patrick just did a message on bad days and what to do about it. One of the points in the sermon was that we may be obeying perfectly to God’s plans and commandments, yet the outcome was not what we expected to come. God does not always reveal to us the outcome, He may only reveal the work and our role is to obey. Our obedience is from the heart and not just on the surface of things. We have to fully believe and trust that God will use us as He needs and that we will be rewarded for the work, in the way that He sees fitting. So, as Jared pointed out in his sermon, what do we do on a bad day:

1. Remember who God is

2. Recall What God Has Promised

3. Trust What God Will Do

4. Stay Faithful Even When You Feel Empty

5. (this one is from me) Obey God From The Heart

I want to be clear, we do not do the work for some sort of reward. We do the work for the LORD and to spread His message to all around. But, we will be rewarded and that reward will be abundance and prosperity that we can only imagine today.

Where does your obeying come from? Are you doing things specifically to receive some sort of reward a, quid quo pro kind of thing? What if you were to just obey the LORD with all your heart and know that you will be rewarded in some way at some time in abundance and prosperity?

Becoming a Spiritual Leader is a Process

Generally, a newborn does not just get up and start running around as a champion sprinter. First the child must learn to crawl, then walk, and then run. And even in each step, there is time devoted to each to get good at it. Becoming a spiritual leader is similar in that it is a process and one must gain in one and work to get good at it before moving on to the next.

The process starts with our relationship with God. We first accept Him as our Father and work to engage with Him to understand and follow where He would have us go. It is devotion to the LORD that opens our heart and soul to accept Him as our Father and know that whatever He has for us is for our continued development to the achieve the purpose He has for us.

Next, we are put on the path to develop the character needed to take on the role of spiritual leader. It is not an easy path, and it is long. As noted in another of my writings from my study of spiritual leadership, “Spiritual Leadership Takes Time”. There are no shortcuts, and just when you “figure it out” the only thing you figure out is that there is more to learn and the path is even more challenging that originally thought.

Once we have developed the character needed to take on the role of spiritual leader, we will then be entrusted with the role. But, even when we have been entrusted with the role, we are still learning and developing through the experiences we encounter daily. Those experiences will be “both good and bad” as Henry and Richard Blackaby indicate. It takes them both to round us into the spiritual leaders that God has for us to become. Even when mistakes happen, “Wise leaders allow God to make the most of their mistakes.” – Henry and Richard Blakaby.

The thing is, becoming the spiritual leader God has for me to become takes time and experience in the development of my character. Each of those are determined, according to the Blackabys, by my dedication to “trust in God and obedience to God”. Only God can give and grow in me the character He is looking for to take on the role of spiritual leader. I can take comfort in that once He selects me for the role, He will provide all that I will need to accomplish the work that He has set for me to accomplish for His glory.

What is your thoughts on becoming a spiritual leader? Are you of the camp that believes you can just start running with it? What if you knew and understood that becoming a spiritual leader is a process and you were to lean on the LORD to work you through that process?