Philippians 4:10-13 – “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  NKJV

Contentment is a subject that is often greatly misunderstood by a very large segment of the Body of Christ and the world.  I have found that when we fail to understand the biblical principle of ‘contentment’ it is because we have either avoided the subject or distorted it.

I heard a pastor tell of overhearing a board member say, “The trouble with him is that he is a thermometer not a thermostat.”  The pastor’s curiosity was highly aroused and he inquired what was being discussed.  He found that two board members were discussing possible new board members.  In further explanation he said, “Pastor, it’s like this.  A thermometer doesn’t change anything around it.  It simply registers the temperature and it is always going up and down. A thermostat regulates the surroundings and changes them when they need to be changed. This man is a thermometer.  He lacks the power to change things.  Things change him.”  That is a powerful analogy and sadly it reflects too many today.

Paul was a thermostat and instead of having massive ups and downs as the situation and circumstances around him changed he continued steadfastly doing what he knew to do.  His demeanor, lifestyle and faith changed things around him rather than things changing him.  He never adopted a ‘victim’ mentality but was always a ‘victor.’  His attitude was seen in verses 11, 13 and 18.  He basically said:  I can accept all things. I can do all things.  I have all things.  He did not have to be pampered to be content.  He found contentment in the spiritual resources abundantly provided by the Lord.

Contentment does not equate to complacency as some seem to think.  It is not a false peace based on ignorance.  A complacent believer is unconcerned about others whereas a contented believer seeks to share his blessings with others.  Contentment is not ‘escape’ from the battle it is abiding in the peace and confidence that the Spirit brings in the midst of the battle.  Thus Paul’s confession:  “I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.” 

Two key words:  Learned and Content.  The verb ‘learned’ indicates ‘learned by experience.’  Paul’s spiritual contentment was not something he automatically received upon becoming a Christian. He had to go through many difficult experiences in order to learn to be content.  The word ‘content’ literally means ‘contained.’  It is a description of the man whose resources are within him so that he does not depend on substitutes from without.  The Greek word means – ‘self-sufficient’ and was a favorite word of the Stoic philosophers but the Christian is not sufficient in himself.  He is sufficient in Christ!   That is the difference.  Because Jesus lives we are more than adequate for the demands of life

I want to delve into this a bit more so I will hit the pause button and hold my thoughts until the next post.  So until then may the Lord be with you, guard and guide you as you proceed on His planned way in life!   Blessings!

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

Have you ever taken a trip with six people in a small car?  A short trip can seem like an endless journey.  I have a friend who took a trip with his family (six people) in an economy car and they were packed in like sardines. It was so crowded he could not see out of the rear-view mirror and had to trust his son to tell him when it was okay to change lanes.  His son realized how difficult it was for his father and said, “Dad, you have to believe me.”  That is a real lesson in trust!  The boy had become his father’s eyes and was able to fill in the ‘blind spots’ because he could see from a better perspective.  All of us have ‘blind spots’ and need someone else to help us find and acknowledge them.

Sometimes we are made aware of our ‘blind spots’ as we observe those things in the lives of another.  An example of that in the Bible is where Nathan the prophet approached David regarding Bathsheba.  Although it would seem incomprehensible that David needed Nathan’s story to see his fault he apparently did.  Nathan used a third party illustration to communicate to David his ‘blind spot.’  It took courage for Nathan to approach the king and demonstrated how deeply he trusted God and loved David.  Sometimes we must confront those we love and expose a ‘blind spot’. 

God has used some faithful friends to reveal ‘blind spots’ in my life and although sometimes it was painful it has always been deeply appreciated in the long run.  Let me approach this by asking some questions to help us move toward discovering ‘blind spots’ in our lives.

Are you CONSISTENT?  James 1:8 tells us, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”  I heard a preacher speak about consistency and how his small son caused him to examine his lack thereof.  He was rushing from one place to another and his young son was riding in the backseat.  He was deep in thought and his foot grew heavy on the pedal as his speed reached 50 MPH on a city street where the limit was 30.  His son observing the speedometer said, “Dad, you are going 50!”  He was taken aback for he did not realize that his son could read a speedometer and then feeling guilty but not wanting to show it said, “So?”  The boy said, “But the speed limit is 30.”   He knew instantly that there was a latent ‘blind spot’ that somehow he had justified doing wrong so long as he did not get caught. He knew he was opening the door to teach a ‘double standard’ to his son and repented immediately.  Could it be that some of the rebellion in our children has been birthed via our ‘blind spot’ of a ‘double-standard?’

Are you SELF-CONTROLLED?  I do not believe that ‘self-control’ will get us to heaven but lack of it will severely hinder our walk with the Lord.  When a spiritual leader or any leader exhibits self-control it provides an atmosphere of STABILITY.  If in the turbulence of life we demonstrate ‘self-control’ we not only help ourselves but those around us.  As believers we need to overwhelm the world with our calm assurance even in storms.

Do you THINK INDEPENDENTLY?  By that I am referring to the truth in Psalms 1:1 – “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 scoffers.”   Our inner personal convictions dictate whether we will conform to peer-pressure or go against the tide.  A person with a strong faith and understanding of who they are in Christ will be more likely to resist the pressure of the crowd than someone who is ‘double-minded’.  Some have the ‘convoy mentality’ rather than the ‘eagle mentality.’

May the Lord help each of us to see our ‘blind spots’ overcome them and move higher and higher in Him.  May the Lord bless you as you go through your day!

Luke 15:25-31 – “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’   28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’  31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” NKJV

I would doubt that anyone who reads the Bible has not heard the story of the prodigal son and many have preached or taught from that story for it is a powerful story of love and redemption.  I want to move beyond that beautiful story to the sad story that is seen in the elder brother and the beautiful truth that God conveys through his lack of understanding.

 I can imagine the feeling of frustration, anger, resentment and possibly even jealousy that welled up in the heart of the elder brother when he came in from a day of labor in the field and found there was a party going on in celebration of his wayward brother’s return.  The fact that he went and pouted speaks volumes and when his father finds out he goes to him pleading with him to join in the celebration of the return of the lost child.  His answer is most gripping as he says:  “Dad I have been faithful, worked my fingers to the bone for you, never disobeyed you and been a loyal faithful son and what did I get for it?  You never even so much as gave me a billy goat for a barbecue with my buddies and this scoundrel comes home and you throw a party for him!”  He was livid and his father’s response conveys an arresting truth as he says, “Son, you are right you are always with me and ALL I HAVE is yours.”  Simply, you could have had the goat anytime you wanted it but you failed to even ask.  Your brother wasted his inheritance but ALL I HAVE belongs to you and you were here all the time, it was at your disposal but you did not take advantage of it or even ask for it.

How true that is of so many in the Body of Christ we see someone who has backslidden or gone astray and when they return God’s blessings flow to them and we resent it because we have ‘been faithful’.  What we failed to understand that is that being heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus IT IS OURS.  Jesus said, “Ask what you will and it will be done” but we fail to ask.  James said, “You have not because you do not ask.”  Jesus told us in Luke 12:32 – “It is My Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom…”  God wants to lavish upon us His bountiful blessings and Paul says in Ephesians 1:3 that we have been blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Rather than becoming envious or resentful at what the Father is doing for someone who has strayed and returned go to the storehouse and enjoy the Abundant Life that He has provided for us now!   Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL THESE THINGS are added to you – – NOW!

            May God be with you as you go through your day!

Ephesians 6:10-13 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”  NASU

Yes the listing of the armor is missing from my text but bear with me I am not trying to leave anything out but want to focus on something specific.  It is one thing to know what the problem or need is but having ‘information’ without corresponding ‘action’ is not a benefit but bondage.  Behind everything that is ‘visible’ there is the ‘invisible’ especially in the realm of faith.  Therefore, just ‘knowing’ that we are in a spiritual war that our Lord has won and has made provision for us to walk in that victory will not produce freedom, ‘applying’ it will.  We have to learn to ‘apply’ the principles and ‘appropriate’ the provisions to walk in the fullness of His victory!

If you believe, sooner or later you will have to confess.  The heart believes and the mouth makes confession unto salvation.  After that comes ‘endurance’ for your confession and belief will be tested and/or challenged.  That is why we were instructed in Ecclesiastes 5 to ‘guard’ our steps as we go into God’s house and never be ‘hasty’ with our words in making vows and when we make a ‘commitment’ to God be careful to honor it.  James told us to consider it ‘normal’ to experience fiery trials of our faith.  Therefore the question becomes, ‘How can I stand?”

I have learned that God always makes the man before He release the ministry. He is far more interested in character than charisma.  So we find in Scripture that before God sends us out He allows the enemy to check us out.  The examples are too numerous to list but consider Simon Peter, who constantly allowed his mouth to overload him.  He was often impulsive and hasty and probably thought he was the epitome of faithfulness.  Remember those chilling words, “Lord, though ALL MEN forsake you, NOT ME!”  That’s what makes Luke 22 most interesting when Jesus told Peter that He and the devil had had a conversation about Peter. The devil thought Peter was nothing more than a rolling stone but Jesus had confidence in Him.  He warned Peter that testing was coming and Peter still failed to hear and heed the warning.

We are told in 1 Corinthians 3 that our work will be tried by fire and 1 Peter 1:7 tells us that the trial of our faith is more precious than gold so count on it ‘testing’ is coming to one and all.  You will not be exempt.  Once in college our professor informed us that we, as a class, could decide if we wanted ‘regular small tests’ or ‘one final exam’ and some of the nuts in the class wanted to wait for ONE BIG ONE, what could they have been thinking? 

Hebrews 12:1-2 – “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

             Jesus is our example and pattern so we run ‘fixing’ our eyes on Him.  We have a cloud of witnesses who have gone before us as examples and that is an encouragement for us that ‘we can too.’  So how long do we ENDURE?  As long as is necessary!  Consider Joseph, Abraham, Simeon, the three Hebrew children and all those who died in faith not having seen the promise of Hebrews 11.  How long do you hold on to your confession?  As long as it is true and God’s promise is that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us!

            May God be with you as you go through your day!

Romans 8:1-2 – “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.“ NASU

As we read Romans Chapter 7 we see a conflict between the flesh and the spirit and if we would allow the devil to do so he would entrap us into a mindset that says, “Oh well, we are only human so sin we must.”  But when we begin at the first verse of Chapter 8 we have the apostle bringing us face to face with the wonderful truth of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, grace, and power to enable us to LIVE FREE in Jesus!

Will you stumble and commit acts of sin?  Most likely, most do but that does not mean you have to adopt a lifestyle of sin or even make a place for sin to exist through justifying your falling short from time to time.  No, the apostle says, “Therefore there is NOW no condemnation… When?  NOW!  In the present we have been set free by the Blood of Jesus and the law of the Spirit of life in Him frees us from the law of sin and death!  Can I hear someone shout Hallelujah?  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  It is Christ IN US that is the hope of glory.  The life that we NOW LIVE in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son or faith in the Son of God.  Our liberty is present tense not just future tense!  NOW NO CONDEMNATION!

Paul said in Philippians 3 that he did not consider himself as one who had arrived at spiritual perfection but that did not prevent him from pressing toward that goal.  He refused to allow the past or even the present, prevent him from moving forward in his pursuit of Christ, the prize of the high calling of God.  He sought spiritual maturity and a life that demonstrated power over sin and the devil.  He considered his body the temple of the Lord and labored to bring his body and thoughts into subjection to the Lordship of Jesus.  He lived NOW with NO CONDEMNATION! 

Stop saying, “I’m only human” as a justification and make it your pursuit to ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness’ and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Jesus through you.  If you fall short, if you sin then turn to our advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous and He will pardon.  You can live victorious NOW!  You can walk in the fullness of God in Christ NOW!  You can live the abundant life NOW!

So as you approach this day go in the confidence that God is going to see you through and go before you making the crooked places straight!  BLESSINGS!

2 Timothy 2:3-4 – “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”  NKJV

 My experience in life and ministry has taught me that ENDURANCE is a grossly misunderstood topic but one that needs to be fully comprehended by the Body of Christ if we are to become all God has designed and desired of us.  When you face a crisis, are on the front lines in a war zone and stressed out not knowing if you can survive another minute much less another day you have just become a candidate for ENDURANCE.  Once in this race (Christianity) you must finish the course and once in this fight (Christianity) you must continue.  You cannot quit for to quit is to lose all.

There is a crisis in the Body of Christ with regard to our ‘wounded warriors’ of faith and sadly often they are wounded by other members of the Body.  Some are filled with the infection of bitterness, walking under the dominion of rejection and abandonment and filled with fear to the point they cannot trust God or man.  They feel betrayed, let down, failed, disappointed, and are DEEPLY WOUNDED and as a result have become hard, skeptical, sarcastic and cynical.

If you were to accidentally run your arm through a plate glass window it would, in all likelihood, hurt.  If you saw that it was cut badly you’d rush to the emergency room for help, right?  They would treat you cleaning out the wound, giving you medication to help keep down infection and pain and put in stitches to close the wound.  Just because they have done that and released you does not mean you are ready to use that arm again immediately.  However, when someone is wounded in a relationship or some situation in life they need an emergency room to treat them they do not need THIRTY YEARS recovery time.  What am I saying?  Stop pandering to the problem, holding grudges, hurts, and resentments.  Release it to the Lord so healing can begin.  It is quite likely you will be hurt again but this is not a sprint it is a marathon and you must ENDURE.

ENDURE HARDNESS as a good soldier.  We have little comprehension of this in most of our western world.  Hardness for many would be, driving an older car not a new one, having the same carpet 5-6 years, not getting new wardrobes annually and having to mow our own lawns.  Some would expand that to being not enough money to pay the bills, not enough food, personal attacks, family divisions and delays in God’s promises.  Those may be difficult but are not hardness as in the life of a soldier.

We do not like ‘hardness’ and frankly do not care much for those who preach about it.  I do not like hardness or difficulty.  I like blessing!  The early church were, a people more committed to the cause of Christ than the opposition was to their cause.  They KNEW their mission and KING and defied ten Roman emperors who had them slaughtered and outlasted them all.  This thing we are in is WAR, spiritual war!

 Hardness – (sun-kako-pa-theo):  Three different words are compounded to form this word.  (Sun Kakos Pathos).  There are three ideas I want you to see.  SUN is connection or partnership it is a connection to someone or something as in 1 Corinthians 6:1 where we learn we are ‘workers together with Him.’  KAKOS conveys the idea of something wicked or evil and if we only had the first two words it would seem that we were in partnership with evil but we have PATHOS and this normally describes suffering but has more to do with mental suffering than physical so Paul is telling Timothy that he must become disciplined and tough mentally.

Just because you suffer does not mean you are spiritual so do not look for ways to suffer.  Hebrews 12:11 tells us that chastening is not joyous in the present but the fruit of it is powerful.  The soldier was disciplined, committed, trained and skillful in the use of his weapons.

Matthew 24:13 – “…he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved…”

We have a commission and a promise and need to become committed to run the race that is set before us unwilling to quit.  His promise is that He is with us, will not forsake us and will be with us to the end.

            God bless you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’  NASU

In this life all of us are faced with ‘limitations’ and sometimes they are incredibly trying.  The strides of science, medicine and technology in the past few decades, is nothing short of phenomenal but limited.  Children of today observe things with such a passive nonchalance that would have sent our forefathers into hiding.

Think about it!  We have pierced the invisible wall of outer space, landed on the moon, sent machines to faraway places and  shrunk the world so that any destination is hours away.  We have created gadgets that almost rule our lives and the computer has revolutionized how many operate, communicate, and live.  The future is even more promising as technology is outdated by the time it is marketed and knowledge is expanding exponentially at an almost alarming rate but LIMITED!

Someone said, “We have become whales in machinery and technology and minnows in morality” and that often appears to be the truth.  We are ‘better off’ but not always ‘better’.  We seem to have an unlimited ability to communicate and often nothing to say.  In a reals sense we are observing the ‘failure’ of ‘success.”

LIMITED is a term that aptly describes mankind.  Scientist tell us that man uses only a minuscule portion of his brain and when we consider what he has accomplished using such a small portion, what are the possibilities?  He is still LIMITED.  There is one activity that man has been invited to that moves beyond the limitations of our humanness and into the Infiniteness of God’s Eternalness.   God has given man something that is LIMITLESS.

PRAYER is without limitation.  Time and space have no effect on it.  Prayer touches three worlds (heaven, earth, hell) simultaneously and instantaneously.  It influences and touches as no other activity and concerns hell more than most anything we can do as humans.  It can be launched in an instant and hit its target at the speed of thought and is never confined to the laws of time or space.  IT IS LIMITLESS!

The only question is why we do not practice it more!  God extended to us the ‘invitation’ to pray.  It is a simple invitation where He says, “Call to Me…”  Everyone can do it.  There is no special education or training required to participate.  Even those who cannot speak can pray for the directive is YOU call.  It is personal as well as corporate.  It is audacious in that the King of Kings has instructed us to CALL upon Him.  Imagine that!  It is immense as there are no conditions or limitations placed on it.  We can pray about anything!  It is dynamic for He says, “And I will answer you…”  Can you fathom that God is listening?  He said YOU call and I WILL answer you.  That is a promise of the highest order He not only said He would ANSWER but that He would SHOW us things we did not know.  So it is not only a time of petition but instruction!  The magnitude of that is mind-boggling!

Prayer is an invitation to experience the BOUNDLESSNESS and LIMITLESSNESS of God.  If that does not cock your pistol your hammer is broken.  Prayer breaks across the borders of time and stands firmly in eternity.  Prayers have outlasted nations and dynasties and no king, president or potentate can nullify prayer.  They may make it illegal to pray but they cannot cancel the efficacy of prayer!

Someone said:  If Grace is the river, Prayer is the riverbed through which it flows.  If Grace is the water of life, Prayer is the pipeline through which the water comes.  If Grace is the content, Prayer is the container from which it is poured.   The LIVING GOD of all Creation has invited you and me to PRAY!       He has invited us to engage in the LIMITELESSNESS of Him!

Shall we pray?   God be with you as you go through this day!