Month: October 2016

THE CHRISTIAN’S QUEST…


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Philippians 3:7-11 – “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ  9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”  NKJV 

 

There is enough here to preach for months and to write and entire book on but one particular phrase leaps off the page for me.  The beginning words of v.10 scream for my attention, “…that I may know Him…”  Of course, there is more but where better to begin, for without this reality none of the other has meaning.  That I may know Him is the cry of my heart and there is a hunger ever growing in my heart and spirit to KNOW Him.  I don’t mean know about Him but to KNOW Him.  I have experienced the new birth but I am talking about something that goes beyond that entrance or adoption into the Family of God, I am speaking of the intimacy found in the biblical word KNOW.  In Genesis 4:1 we read, “…Adam knew Eve…”  The full meaning of the word KNEW is revealed in the following words, “and she conceived…”  He KNEW her in an intimacy that transcends knowing about but in becoming one in flesh and in spirit.

I want to KNOW Christ in an intimacy where we are so completely one there is no distinction between Him and me.  I want to KNOW Him so intimately that His thoughts become my thoughts and the mind that is in Him becomes my mind.  In the natural, it is impossible to KNOW someone on that kind of level without spending time with them and investing yourself in them and in the pursuit of KNOWING them.  But can we KNOW Christ on that level?  We know Him through the Holy Spirit.  We know Him through prayer.  We know Him through His word.  We know Him through obedience.  We know Him through service.  We know Him through His suffering.  We know Him through His resurrection power.  We know Him by being transformed and having done all to stand, stand and following the prescription Jesus gave in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”  We know Him by making Matthew 5:6 our life pursuit, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” 

If we want something badly enough we will make the time to pursue it, invest whatever it takes to achieve it, and devote our energy to realize it.  In relationships where love is deep and true, it is a small thing to invest energy in learning the object of our devotion and affection.  In our spiritual relationship, too often, we seem to want to KNOW Jesus as this passage describes without the investment or divestment of ourselves as is required.  He must become LORD of All if He is to be LORD at all.  Those who have trained in the martial arts tell me that it required and requires a total commitment for them to master the discipline and techniques to become proficient in their art.  Those who are successful in business tell me that it requires a singular devotion and commitment to the pursuit of that business to succeed.  Those who have successful marriages and relations declare that they have invested themselves totally in the pursuit of KNOWING their mates and although it was an easy decision it was and is a continual process and requires a total commitment.  KNOWING does not just happen and there is no shortcut to the process of coming to KNOW.

If you are hungry to KNOW Him, you can KNOW Him on that level of intimacy but it will not be easy nor will it be without pain.  No one in their right mind would desire suffering but in KNOWING Him fully we must KNOW His suffering for it reveals His heart.  His suffering pulls back the veil of the WHY of the Cross and the Power of the Resurrection.  May there be birthed in each of our hearts a craving and commitment to KNOW HIM.

            God bless you richly as you embark on today’s journey.

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WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK SPIRITUALLY???


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Joshua 1:1-9 – “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them — the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”   NKJV

 

My title question is worthy of consideration even if you do not feel you are being held back from the pursuit of your dreams and purposes in God.  I have to ask a follow-up question, “Are you reaching your full potential?”  Then, “If not, why not?”  Is there anything holding you back, spiritually or in any other way?  I hope to use this account regarding Joshua to help us see some possible hindrances personally.  God placed within us the ability to be ‘extraordinary ‘ so let’s be just that!

Moses, Joshua’s mentor, was dead.  Joshua had inherited the mantle of leadership and was responsible for leading the nation of Israel.  Even with his experience of watching Moses and learning the positives and negatives in his role, he was clearly filled with trepidation.  It is one thing to know you are going to become the person occupying the decision-making chair and another to actually put on that hat.  Now, God came to Joshua and said, “Joshua, Moses is Dead!”  Have you ever wondered why God said that?  Joshua clearly knew that Moses was dead but God reminded him of that reality.  In my mind, it was to identify something that was potentially or actually holding Joshua back.  He may have been intimidated by the leadership style of Moses.  He may have had trepidation fearing that the people would not respect his authority and follow his directives.  He may have questioned his own ability and even questioned his ability to clearly and truly hear God.  I don’t know what was truly involved but God first reminded him that “Moses is gone and now it is up to you.” 

God made some powerful promises and commitments to Joshua IF he would do what God directed and promised to be with him in all things and at all times.  Then God said, “Be strong and of good courage…”  Okay, that could be a simple statement of encouragement but it might identify the seedbed of fear that was budding in his heart and mind.  Then, in the next sentence, God says, “…be strong and very courageous…”  This emphasized the need for courage.  But to make matters worse, in a sense, God says in verse 9, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”  Three times in a very short span, God addressed his fear and the need of courage.  Clearly, something was coming which would be frightening and the need for courageous action would be required.

I am convinced God was not simply speaking of enemies from the outside but also the unwillingness, at times, of his own people to cooperate.  Yet, I believe there was an even greater issue involved, Joshua’s own heart and mind.  Thus, God said, “Moses is dead…”  Joshua could no longer rely on Moses but he must now rely on God and hear God for himself.  Joshua must not step out in obedience and faith.

Many if not most of us need to have our Moses die so that we can move out from under the shadow and the safety of that which we have relied on and place our trust and confidence in God and God alone.  It is in that position and condition that we will shake off the shackles that now bind us and allow us to become that which God has designed and desires!

God bless you richly is my prayer!

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HOW MANY LAPS AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WILL YOU TAKE???


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Deuteronomy 2:1-7 – “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and we skirted Mount Seir for many days.   2 “And the LORD spoke to me, saying: 3’You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward. 4 And command the people, saying, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brethren, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore watch yourselves carefully. 5 Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.

 7 “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”‘ NKJV

 

When Israel was wandering in the wilderness during their 40-year trek they came to a time when the LORD spoke to Moses and said, “You’ve taken enough laps around the mountain, now is the time to move to take the next step.”  I have discovered, in life, that if we experience a test or trial in life and we fail to learn the lesson, modify our attitude and/or actions we get to take another Lap around the Mountain.  Oh, it may not be exactly the same but it will become obvious that it is the same mountain, the same test, and the same demand.  In school, if we fail a course we have the distasteful task of retaking the course.  If we are trying to fix a problem and we take inappropriate steps or we fail, we have to repeat the repair.  In relationships we may not get a second chance with the person we have failed with but we will go through the same type situation giving us an opportunity to get it right.  That is one of the reasons some people find themselves in the same kind of relationship time after time.  They never learned the lesson and the same type of situations arise time and again.  If after a few times you face the same type situation you might want to reconsider what you are doing, your attitude, and allow the Holy Spirit to change you.  Sometimes, it is not a new partner that is needed but becoming a new partner.  Reminds me of the man who had been married ten times and complained that he hadn’t found a good woman yet.  The words of Pogo might apply, “we have found the enemy and it is us.”  Sometimes the change needs to come in us!

Even in their trudging through the wilderness learning God’s life lessons they were never lacking!  As we learn the life lessons God is teaching us and then begin the northward trek toward the Place of Promise and the Abundant Life God has designed and desired we will face enemies.  Not only will we face enemies but face them on an escalated scale.  Sometimes, we tend to think that our purpose is to force others to adopt our worldview and in that we begin to meddle with them.  There is a Place of Promise God has designed for us and what He has given another is not ours so HANDS OFF!  Never allow envy or jealousy to grip your heart.  What someone else has is not your concern.  Being who God desires you to be is.  If we are willing and obedient to the LORD we will eat the good of the land and God will be with us in all that we do and face.  That is a Position of Power and a Place of Promise!

God bless you as you enjoy today’s opportunities!

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THE PRIESTLY BLESSING…


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Numbers 6:22-27 – “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: 24 “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” 27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” NKJV

 

Tragically, this blessing is issued in Churches, at times, as a ritual rather than with the confidence that as it is issued God’s Spirit is moving to make it a reality in the lives of those upon whom it is pronounced.  That happens with many things in our religious gathers and that is terrible tragic.  This blessing was one that the priests would issue every morning after the daily sacrifice.  It could be given at other times but it was a daily action by the priests and the priests and people not only believed it would be a reality in their lives but expected it to be so.

We are told that priests would raise their hands, with their palms facing down and their thumbs stretched out and touching.  The four fingers of each hand were sometimes split into two sets of two fingers forming the letter Shin, an emblem for Shaddai.  Sometimes the fingers would overlap forming windows and the belief was that the Divine Presence of God would shine through the fingers and upon the people.  It must be noted that the priests were not to bless the people using their own words but this specific blessing, God’s Words!  The people were not allowed to look at the priest or anything except to look at the ground and concentrate on the blessings of the Lord.  There was Power in the Blessing and although it was a ritual it was not a ritual but a reality.

I often repeat this blessing and when I do I do it believing that there is a unique and specific power of God going out to those upon whom I am speaking the blessing to bring this to reality in their lives.  It is my desire that God not only blesses but to keep that which we have committed to Him for eternity.  It is my desire that God’s face shine on us in all that we do and in all that we are.  It is my desire that the grace of God flow freely to us and we have his grace revealed and demonstrated in our lives.  It is a cry of my heart that God will smile on us and the radiance of His countenance will light up the darkness and make our path clear and that the Peace of God will encourage and embolden us to stand no matter what the situation.

Truly this kind of blessing can only come from God but God has chosen to use people as vehicles and vessels through which those blessings are conveyed.  I can only bless what God has and does bless but since He has so blessed I desire to be a vehicle through which His blessings continue to flow.

May the LORD richly bless you on this wonderful day!

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GOD’S LEVITICAL PROMISES ARE APPLICABLE FOR US TODAY…


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Leviticus 26:3-8 – “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, 4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit 5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.  6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land. 7 You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.”  NKJV

 

As we begin in verse 6 we find a tripartite directive which results in some incredible blessings from God.  The directive is Walk in God’s statutes, Keep His commandments, and Perform them.  Sounds like a triple repeat of the same thing right?  Interestingly there are three Hebrew words used in those three descriptions or directives.  Walk is easily understood LIVE or carry the statutes of God.  Keep is HEDGING ABOUT, GUARDING, and PROTECTING, therefore, it clearly is referring to attending to and guarding the truths of God in our hearts.  Perform is DOING which is walking them out in daily life.  It is accomplishing the commandments and statutes of God.  Thus, it is repetitive but it each is an expansion of the other.  I believe God purposefully stated it in this tripartite manner for emphasis and to demonstrate His valuation of His statutes and commandments.

The Promise is powerful and what it touched on here is not the exhaustive list but sufficient for us to see the bountifulness of a life founded upon God’s word, principles, and walking in obedience.  I must state, this is not saying that we can earn God’s grace or even His blessings but He Promises that IF we will then HE will.  Imagine being a farmer and having the assurance that you will have rain at the time needed and land with the guarantee of fertility that harvest, is a given.  Imagine the trees of the forest and field (fruit trees) producing in abundance and the overflow of harvest would last from season to season with no lack.  Then, go beyond the farming to national security and peace where there is no fear of invasion and fear is dispelled from the land.  There would be no overrunning by evil beasts and no terrorism.  Then to emphasize the Power of the Promise to an even greater measure, God declares that if there is attack you will be victorious and 5 would defeat 100 and 100 would defeat 10,000.  That is incredible!

If you continue reading you find that there is the continued promise of God’s Presence.  Then comes the negative beginning in verse 14 where the warning is IF YOU DO NOT OBEY this is what will happen.  I encourage you to read the negatives found in the warning and while I never suggest we serve God for the blessings in the natural, they cannot be ignored.  We serve God because we love Him but a side benefit is found in His blessing.  I don’t know about you but if “Life and Death are set before me and I have the choice I will opt for LIFE every time!”  If I have the choice between blessings and curses, then give me blessings.  If the choice is to live in peace and enjoy productivity or live in turmoil and struggle to survive, is there really a choice?

There is something I want you to see.  If the Bible is true, and I believe it is, then God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Our New Covenant is established on Better Promises and is a Better Covenant than the Old and this is in the Old.  Therefore, is it not reasonable to believe that what they received via obedience can be expected by us under the New Covenant?  I say it is without fear of being proved wrong!

God bless you as you embark on your pursuit of God and His Plan, Purpose, and Principles in this life! 

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GOD’S PLAN IS INTRICATE…


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Exodus 2:1-10 – “And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 

5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” 

8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”  NKJV

 

The nation of Israel was in Egyptian bondage and the fear of the Pharaoh was that they would become so numerous and strong they would or could eventually overthrow his kingdom.  He decreed that all newborn males were to be killed.  God enabled the Hebrew woman to give birth before the government healthcare workers could arrive and Moses’ mother had him and hid him until it was impossible to continue without exposure.  So, the account in our text reveals the intricate detail with which God plans our lives and His purposes.  Moses, had he been found by any other, would have been slaughtered.  God knew the heart of the princess and knew the need to train Moses and give him prominence so he could become the deliverer of God’s people.  It was no accident that he was placed in the Nile when and where he was placed.  It was no accident that Pharaoh’s daughter would be there and her heart would be touched by this infant.  It was no an accident that he was raised as her son in the palace with the tutelage and opportunities afforded this child.  It was by design!  So when you think that things are just happening in your life, you might want to consider Moses and allow the Holy Spirit to take your circumstances, experiences, and situation to mold you into that which He has planned and purposed.  Remember the words of the apostle Paul, “All things WORK TOGETHER for the good…”  Not that every individual thing is good in itself but it is working to produce the finished product that is good.

Moses’ experience in the desert in the land of Midian was not by accident.  His connection to his father in law was not a happenstance occurrence.  It was part of God’s intricate plan to not only bring Moses to the place of trust but to teach him how to survive in a hostile natural environment as well as open the door for the future counsel Jethro would provide in establishing a chain of leadership and ministry.  God allowed Moses to spend 40 years learning what he learned in Egypt and 40 years eliminating the ways of Egypt from him in the desert so he could serve 40 years as the deliverer of Israel and lead them to the edge of the Place of Promise.  The plan of God is inspiring and the reality that Moses could have gotten off the track at any juncture and did, at times, should cause us to seek the face of God for guidance daily.  The further off track you get the harder it is to get back on track so if you only get off track one day it will not be as difficult to get back on track than if you are off track for years.

God has promised to never leave us and to guide us therefore, it is imperative that we believe His promise and receive His help in our daily walk.  May the Lord richly bless you as you embark on today’s portion of your journey.  Blessings!

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THE END IS DETERMINED BY THE BEGINNING…


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Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  NKJV

 

             Many people have questions and even doubts about how all that we see began and yet cling to a hope of an eternal heaven.  I find that a bit problematic on one hand and understandable on another.  I don’t know HOW God did what He did I simply believe and accept that HE DID.  I can understand the questions and debates as to the age of the earth based on interpretations of Genesis and scientific explanation and biblical possibilities.  I understand the concern and questions sometimes resulting from reading the ensuing verses in Genesis’ first few chapters but the bottom line, for me is I BELIEVE GOD DID IT.  He Created the heavens and the earth.  Without that, as my foundation, I have no basis for believing in an Eternal Heaven and Eternal Life.  That is my personal view, yours may differ.

I know in solving problems in life that beginning with a wrong or false premise will not produce a right result.  Oh, admittedly, we may change course in the middle of the stream and modify our initial presupposition and ultimate come to a right conclusion in many things.  However, in matters of God and the spiritual if we do not or cannot believe God’s first declaration as recorded in the first verse of the first chapter of the first book of the Bible how can we trust Him elsewhere?  How can I have faith and confidence in a person or being that presents a flawed or false premise or foundational basis?  How can I have confidence that God’s Word is Infallible, Inspired, and One who does not Fail if I question the beginning?  How can I trust the many declarations of the LORD regarding our Hope and Future, if I cannot believe His first declaration about the origin of it all?

It is impossible for me not to believe that what we see in the universe was the result of CREATION.  The almost incalculable number of required happenings for it to have just happened or evolved from nothingness to what we see would require more faith than I can muster in resting my faith in CHANCE.  I could rather believe that the book “Pilgrims Progress” was the result of John Bunyan securing a railroad car full of printer’s type and taking a shovel tossing those tiles into the air and them falling perfectly into alignment and arrangement producing the novel.  That would be beyond ludicrous and, for me, so is believing the human body simply evolved or the universe that is held perfectly in place somehow just happened with not thought or design.  That may cause someone to view me as Karl Marx viewed Christians and believe that my faith is simply the result of my religious opiate.  I BELIEVE GOD!

There are many things about God, creation, and life that I find impossible to explain but when I view the universe and the intricate and detailed systematic arrangement and function I BELIEVE.  When I view and examine the scientific and medical detailing of the incredibleness of the human body, the operation of the organs, the flow of blood, and so much more I find it impossible to believe that we are the result of some single-celled organism that crawled out of the sea, grew legs, and became a humans  No, when I review what is known about the human body and its function I BELIEVE.  When I reflect back on my personal experience on that eventful night at my sister’s kitchen table in Palestine, Texas and how my life was totally transformed I BELIEVE.  I refuse to allow the questions I cannot answer shipwreck my faith for I have enough evidence in nature, the universe, the Bible, Science, and experience to solidify my faith that IN THE BEGINNING GOD.

I pray that the LORD will help you move beyond the often unanswerable questions and anchor your hope and confidence in the truth of Genesis 1:1 that “IN THE BEGINNING GOD…”  May you walk in His grace, enjoy His peace, experience His fullness and faithfulness and receive his forgiveness.   God bless you richly as you embark on today’s leg of life’s journey!

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BUT I CAN’T SEE THAT, LORD It is in My Blind Spot… [Round Three]


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Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” NKJV

 

We have asked the questions, “Are you Consistent?” and “Are You Self-Controlled?”  Now let’s ask the third question and see where the Lord will take us in the examination of that issue regarding BLIND SPOTS in our lives.

  • DO YOU THINK INDEPENTLY?

Psalm 1:1 declares, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful…”  People who study such matters regarding thinking and independent thinking tell us that the real key as to whether a person ‘conforms’ to the pressures of the group or ‘resists’ such pressure is whether it comes from “inner personal convictions” or from “external mores of his/her peer group.”

Any individual who has a strong and healthy ‘self-image’ is capable of resisting incredible peer pressure when the group is engaging in behavior that is contrary to his/her personal convictions and desires.  That does not mean they become immediate outcasts from the group but have the ability to resist.  The person with the ‘inner strength’ to say NO when he/she senses the need is often the one seen by the group as a potential or actual leader.

There are basically two groups who do not think for themselves.  The Classic Conformist and the Classic Non-Conformist.  Some people live in what can only be called a “convoy mentality” where they go with the flow and follow the crowd. That can be and often is incredibly dangerous.  Psalm 1 gives a perfect portrayal of those who are externally controlled.  There are three words in the Psalm that we need to consider:  Walk, Stand, and Sit.  I believe they reveal the progression away from godly principles that we need to be aware of.

WALKING, as viewed by the Psalmist is a deliberate choice.  We choose to allow the ungodly to influence us or we reject that influence.  It is a choice!  We do not have to Walk in or be overly influenced by their counsel.  We do not have to stand or be identified with their ideology, actions, or purposes.  We do not have to sit or become one of them.  It is a choice and the Holy Spirit will enable us to resist if we ask Him.

Let me offer this and hope that it resonates with you.  Once we have broken the barrier of walking with them, it is easier to feel comfortable standing with them.  Standing denotes an attitude of accepting or at least condoning their values.  This standing is a deliberate choice of our will.  The behavior that finally results in worldly involvement surfaces when we sit down to relax and engage as full members of the group.  What God wants for His children is INDEPENDENCE from the influence of all that does not glorify Him.  He wants and demands an absolute dependence upon Himself and has promised to go with us and never leave us.  We will not be forsaken.

There are a number of other questions that might help identify ‘blind spots’ or potential ‘blind spots’ in our lives that I will offer but not go into detail.  Consider these:

Can you handle negative criticism?  Do you use disappointments creatively?  Can you discipline without overly demonstrating a show of authority?  Are you a peacemaker?  Can you handle difficult situations?  Are you a motivator?  Can you accept disagreement objectively?  Do you maintain long-term friendships?  Do you depend on approval from others?  Those are just a few and certainly not an exhaustive list of questions we might ask.

God wants us to be more than conquerors and overcomers through Him and desires to enable us to develop mentally, emotionally, and spiritually so that we become Mature Believers manifesting Him to the World powerfully.

God bless you as you go through this day in Him!

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BUT I CAN’T SEE THAT, LORD It is in My Blindspot… [Round Two]


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Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” NKJV

  

We asked the pointed question last time, “Are You Consistent?”  Now let’s move to another question that hopefully will help us to identify potential BLIND SPOTS and deal with them.

  • ARE YOU SELF-CONTROLLED?

The Phillips Translation of Romans 8:28 reads, “Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to His Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.”  That passage, in no translation, says that ALL THINGS ARE GOOD in and of themselves but that the Ultimate End, the Finished Product, the Work of God in the process is GOOD!  A genuine evidence of our walk in the Spirit is the Fruit of the Spirit, which includes the quality of SELF-CONTROL or TEMPERANCE.  Have you ever asked yourself why it is a mark of distinction to manifest a controlled life?  What is meant by self-control?  When is or can self-control be taken to the extreme?

When we turn to God’s Word regarding this matter we find that the ‘self-control’ referred to in the Bible is the quality of abiding or resting in God.  When the world is being torn apart, when tensions and trials persist with a vengeance and men’s hearts are failing them, the Spirit of God enables the believer to demonstrate a peace and tranquility that is beyond the comprehension of the world.  The Child of God understands that what men might mean for evil, God will turn for good!  God can and will use every circumstance in our lives in order to perfect us and transform us into the image of His Dear Son. That is wonderful and glorious!

One of the chief reasons that any spiritual leader or anyone for that matter must exhibit the Fruit of Self-Control is to preserve stability.  People are looking for reality and they experience realities in everyday life:  The Reality of Job Insecurity, Family Issues, Financial Difficulty, Feelings of Inadequacy, the Uncertainty of the Future and the reality of the Past.  Those pressures and realities are common to every one of us.  But, if we are going to become overcomers and more than conquerors we must learn how to react in time of crisis.  The true measure of maturity is not what we do when all is going as planned and the seas are calm but what we do when the storm rolls in and the winds howl frightfully.

When you are faced with a sudden catastrophe such as; you didn’t get the anticipated job or promotion, your finances are totally depleted, a sudden health issue arises, your business collapses and your friends forsake you what do you do?  It is what you do and how you react in that time of crisis that reveals who and where you are spiritually  FAITH truly trusts at all times and in all things.  God does not change and if He does not change can we say as Job, “Though He slay me, I will trust Him.”

What are the biblical instructions for times of crisis?  1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your care on Me for I care for you.”  Matthew 11:28, “Come unto Me, all you who are weary and overburdened and I will give you rest.”  In the turbulence, it is our responsibility to exhibit “self-control”, not only to help ourselves but to give stability to those around us.  As believers we are to OVERWHELM an unbelieving world with the calm, tranquil peace that only the Holy Spirit can give.  We need to live above our circumstances when things are going terribly wrong.  We need to be lights shining in darkness for those who are drifting on the raging seas of life.  They need to see God in us and through our actions and reactions.

Can you see any area(s) where you might not be exhibiting “self-control” and “temperance”?  If so, what do you think God would have you do about it?  I cannot stop there but must say a little more on this matter so we will pause here and pick up next time with another question in our quest to discover and deal with ‘blind spots’ in our lives.

God bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

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BUT I CAN’T SEE THAT, LORD It is in My Blindspot…


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Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” NKJV 

 

Have you ever taken a road trip with 5 or 6 people in a small car?  Even a short trip can seem like an endless journey.  I heard about a man that took a trip with his family (6 people) in an economy car.  They were packed in like sardines and he could not see out the back of the car through the rearview mirror and found getting the kids to move in unison was an impossibility.  He had to completely trust his oldest son to tell him when it was safe to move in and out of traffic or change lanes.  The son realized that it was incredibly difficult for his father to rely on the instructions of a teenager so he said, “Dad, you have to believe me!”  That was a real lesson in trust!  The boy was his father’s eyes.  He was able to see the blind spots because he could see things from a different perspective.  We all have BLIND SPOTS and need someone to help us identify them.  Our family and friends can often see things in our lives much clearer than we and we can see things in others they cannot see.  The motivation of identifying and ministering to ‘blind spots’ is a key factor but the fact they are there is inescapable.

An illustration Scripture that I have often used is that of Nathan the prophet and David the King.  It would seem absolutely unnecessary that David should need to hear the story of Nathan to recognize his own depravity and failure but he did.  How could anyone and especially someone who fears God deliberately send another man to his death?  But, that is precisely what David had done with Uriah, when he (David) had a sexual liaison with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife.  Nathan did not approach David in a direct frontal confrontation.  That might have been fatal considering what David had done.  He used a third party illustration to get David’s attention and also avoid the king’s emotional blind spot.  Nathan related a parable of a rich man with many sheep and a poor man with only one.  In Nathan’s story the rich man stole the poor man’s lone sheep and David became irate at the injustice.  David immediately declared that the man who had done such a thing should surely be put to death.  [2 Samuel 12].  His sense of justice overwhelmed him.  At that point, Nathan pointed his finger in the king’s face and said, “You are the man!”  As he chastened David, the king immediately recognized and repented of his sin.  It took courage for Nathan to approach David, but he knew that God could not and would not condone David’s sin, therefore in obedience to God, with a heart of love, and a desire to see restoration and reconciliation he risked his life to expose David’s ‘blind spot.’

I have multiple objectives in this devotional or series of devotionals that will arise out of this thought but the prime is enabling us to identify our BLIND SPOTS either through hearing the Holy Spirit directly or opening our hearts to hear the wounds of a friend.  Let me ask a question and give an illustration(s) and scripture references which, hopefully, will enable each of us to confront or develop those areas in our lives which the Holy Spirit opens to us.  My motive is not judgmental but for the purpose of helping each of us identify our BLIND SPOTS and fill those voids and cavities in our lives with truth and righteousness.  Are you game?  Let’s begin with the question(s):

  • ARE YOU CONSISTENT?

That is incredibly important in life especially spiritually.  James 1:8 declares that a ‘double-minded man’ is unstable in ALL not some of his ways!  Let me relate what I heard some years ago about a preacher regarding the bad habit of being inconsistent.  He said that he was rushing home one day, after having dropped off the older children at school and the pre-school child was riding in the backseat.  The child could see the dashboard of the car.  The preacher’s mind was somewhere else and he was speeding down the highway anxious to get home and move on to other things.  His little boy taught him a less he never forgot.  The little lad spoke up and said, “Dad, you are going 80 miles per hour!”  The preacher was shocked.  He didn’t realize that the child could understand a speedometer but tried to remain calm and casual said, “So?”  The lad said, “but the speed limit is 50.”  After getting over the shock that the child understood miles per hour and speed limits the Spirit of God gripped his heart.  The child had exposed a ‘blind spot’ in his nature about consistency or the lack thereof.  He realized that he apparently thought or believed that it was okay to do something wrong (speeding) so long as he did not get caught.  The truth that came to light was he was teaching his child a “double standard” by his actions.  It was not deliberate or premeditated but the message was being conveyed all the same.  He was, by his actions, teaching his child to say one thing and do another.  His actions were conveying the message that talk does not have to be congruent with actions.  Simply, he was teaching, “Do as I say, not as I do!” 

Can you see the problem?  Let me ask, can you see any areas where you are inconsistent in your life?  What do you think God would have you do about that?  We cannot stop here so we will pause and let each of us meditate on that thought and pick up where we left off next time.  

May the Lord richly bless you, guarding and guiding you as you embark on this day’s leg of your life journey!

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