Don’t Be Afraid

Luke 1:13-15a

"Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord…"

These are the angel Gabriel's words to Zechariah and Elisabeth about their son John (the Baptist). Gabriel didn't tell Zechariah that John would live the life of a desert hermit, would anger some powerful people, and would eventually be imprisoned and beheaded. That's because these factors are only secondary to John's mission: prepare the way for the Lord (v. 17). It seems that we forget this a lot today. We think about comfort and success as if they were of utmost importance, but we neglect to evaluate if we are accomplishing the mission God put us here for. I think of my own children. As hard as it would be to watch them suffer &/or die, I would rather they died in the service of God than to succeed without him. Of course, what I really desire is that they live long in the service of God and succeed as well, but of course that's not the point. The point is that we are not to be afraid. God has called us to serve him. That place of service is the safest place we can possibly be. Psalm 37:3 says: "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." Don't be afraid. God's pasture is always safe.

Read Psalm 37 today. It is a wonderful psalm of trust and perspective on what really matters.

Knowing God’s Will

Romans 12:1,2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual
act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This passage, it seems to me, is the starting point for knowing God's will. Paul lists three criteria: 1) offer your body as a living sacrifice, 2) don't conform to the pattern of this world, and 3) be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Let's look at each of these:

Living Sacrifice: We offer ourselves to God because of his mercy. In other words, Christ's sacrifice brought our salvation so we should be willing to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to him. This offering is an act of worship. If we are willing to worship God with every deed, event and motive then we are on our way to knowing what he desires of us.

Not conformed: Even normal people hear voices. The question for us concerns which voices we are going to let influence us. How does the pattern of this world get communicated to us? That is probably not too hard to figure out. Television, movies, reading, the media, and friends, are prime examples. These aren't necessarily bad, but they can have the effect of pushing God's will off to the side, so to speak. So it's good for us to ask what it is that most influences us. One quick way to determine that is to evaluate what you spend the most time doing. Outside of sleeping, eating, work, etc. what do you choose to do?

Transformed: Paul makes it easy for us; we become transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is the other side of 'not conformed.' In other words, we could say our minds are transformed when we are thinking like God thinks. We want the same things he wants. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." This isn't rocket science; we learn to think like God in the same way we learn to think like anyone: we listen to his words. That means the Bible. One of the words for the Bible is God's revelation. He reveals himself to us through the Word. By diligently studying the Word and obeying its truth we become transformed.

I think these three truths work together. Probably the reason we have such a hard time discovering God's will seems can be traced to some one of these not functioning in our lives.

If you'd like to download a Bible study designed to help you discover God's will click on the link below.

God's Will

Fellowship

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

There is a connection here between walking in the light and fellowship that is profound. If we walk in the light we will have fellowship. That means that fellowship is not optional, not something we can take or leave. Fellowship is the result of walking in the light. If we do the one thing the other will follow. Now, I think I just said the same thing three times in different ways. That's because it's important.

So what is fellowship? The Greek word John used in this passage means an association or close relationship. We have fellowship with God. That is part of what it means to walk in the light. On the human level fellowship means something like "common life." We share common goals, purpose, and interests as Christians, but primarily we share Christ. He is our common bond. There is also the idea of participation, or sharing. In Philippians 3:10 Paul says he longs to share in the sufferings of Christ. In a broader sense we share many things with God. We share in his character in things like love, patience, compassion, holiness and the fruit of the Spirit. The more we share in these the more like him we become, in other words, the more godly we become. Again, on a human level we participate, or should participate in each other's lives. We care about what our fellow Christians care about. We hurt when they hurt and rejoice when they rejoice. Implicit in this thought is the idea of need, and this really sums up the profound nature of 1 John 1:7: we need each other. If we are to become godly we need fellowship with each other. John is very clear that we can't separate these two things.

Think of someone today with whom you can have fellowship. Make it more than superficialities. Ask them about their walk with the Lord and encourage them to ask you.

Beauty is Gratuitous

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The lunar eclipse was impressive last night. I got home in time to get this picture. I am reminded again of God's goodness and love in creating this place we live. I wrote in yesterday's post that this world is not our home, but that does not mean that it's a bad place to live, or ugly. In fact, our world and our universe are awe-inspiring. The eclipse is just one example of that. The solar eclipse the Cassini satellite photographed of Saturn is another. Or, at another level, the beautiful intricacies of microscopic radiolaria are amazing. The eclipse reminded me of this passage in Psalms. The Lord is majestic in all he made. Creation is a reflection of God's nature and character. Creation is beautiful. On that matter, I remember reading a few years ago that beauty is gratuitous; in other words, "not called for by the circumstances". If there were no God, and Materialism were correct, then why beauty? For what purpose does beauty function in Natural Selection? In fact beauty is a testament to the love of God. It serves no utilitarian function, but it does enhance our lives, make us feel loved, and remind us of our Creator. It also makes me wonder more about Jesus' words in John 14 "I go to prepare a place for you." If this place is beautiful, how much more the new heavens and the new earth? Eternity is going to be great, but in the meantime we can enjoy what God has provided for us here. What would life be without beauty? Pause for a moment today to take in some of God's beauty. Thank him for the gift, it's the least you can do.

This World Is Not My Home

Psalm 119:19

"I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me."

This passage reminds me of an old hymn "This World is Not My Home." The idea of being a stranger in the world was a favorite theme of Peter's. In 1Peter 1:1 he writes "to God's elect, strangers in the world." Later in verse 17 he says: "Live your lives here in reverent fear." Then finally "I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul." (2:11) In fact there are two worlds, or two realities. The one world is the physical place we live in now. The other is the spiritual home Jesus is preparing for us as I write these words. It is good to be reminded that this (physical) is not our home. Yet how much energy do we spend making this world more comfortable for us in which to live? I remember an illustration I read when I was still a Pastor. The story goes of a man who had been a missionary in Africa most of his life. He was retiring and on his way home he just happened to be on the same ship as Teddy Roosevelt who was returning from a hunting trip. As they pulled up to the pier the missionary saw all kinds of people who came to welcome the President back home. The band was playing and people were cheering. The missionary thought to himself, "The President goes away on a little vacation and gets this when he comes home. I have been serving the Lord faithfully all my life and no one is here to greet me as I come home." But then he heard the Lord say: "But you're not home yet." There is a sense in which we should never feel settled here. This is not our home. All our rewards, comforts and happiness lie ahead.

Jesus told us "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matthew 6:19-21) Here in Psalm 119 the author understands the tension between the two worlds. He asks God "do not hide your commands from me." It is God's desire that we live for a time in this world so that we might give him glory and point others to him, but how do we do that? We need his commands. We need direction. We need to humble ourselves before him daily and ask that he guide our steps.

Grace and Patience

Genesis 15:13-16 says:

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

This passage explains the wars in Joshua's time. It was not a Jihad, and not genocide. In fact Joshua's actions were simply the end of a long period of grace. The Lord is telling Abraham here that his people would be slaves for 400+ years so that the Amorites (and others) would have a chance to repent. People like Melchizedek and Reuel were righteous followers of the True God. These men were not part of the covenant people, and yet they stood in the land as testimonies to the One True God.

So think of what all that meant. It meant grace for the land of Canaan, but it meant patience for the Israelites. Now think of what that means today for you and I. Perhaps you think the world is getting unbearable and you wonder why Christ has not returned. It's because of grace. God is giving the world a chance to repent. This is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 when he was speaking about the end times: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Of course, the difference between the Israelites and the body of Christ is that we are to be the agents who bring the message of the truth. We are the modern day Reuels and Melchizedeks. But it also means patience. You might have to wait awhile. God's timetable is not ours. Again, Jesus addressed this issue in the same passage in Matthew. In the next chapter he tells the parable of the Ten Virgins. The five foolish virgins did not bring enough oil for the long time the bridegroom would be away. Oil here represents faith, and/or patience. Jesus concludes by saying: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." That's our job, our purpose. That sums up the meaning of life. We are here to be a testimony in this time of grace and we need to keep watch, be patient and remember that God will come when he comes.

Test Everything

Okay, I'm new to blogging, so please be patient. In case you just happened to stumble upon this page I want to post a devotional every day from the Bible and perhaps an excerpt from something I am writing. The former is mostly for your benefit and the latter mostly for mine. I hope to offer a little hope, a little encouragement, and maybe a challenge in the devotions. I hope in the excerpts to get a little feedback. Who knows? Maybe you'll like my writing. Either way, let me know.

Devotional for the day:
1Thessalonians 5:21,22 says: "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." What does that mean in our daily lives? The Greek word for 'test' is dokimazo which means "to watch" or "to examine." The idea here is of observation which leads to a conclusion. To test everything, according to these verses, means to observe and determine what is good and what is evil. We are to hold on to the one and avoid the other. So, how's that working for you? Are you going through life just reacting to your circumstances, or are you taking time to observe and form a conclusion before you act? Look back for a moment. Think of something you now regret, that if you had "tested" it first you wouldn't have that memory stored on your hard drive. Bad memories can really hurt you. If left unchecked you soon find yourself frozen by fear or so guilt-ridden you think God will never forgive you. Well, here's the good news. Jesus died to provide forgiveness. Don't trivialize the cross by believing the lie that God won't forgive. There is nothing God wants more than for you to be clean. So, test everything. You will avoid a lot of pain. And when you do fall, ask the God who loves you to forgive you. I promise you he will.