I ‘m going to rely on the fact that I’m preaching on Jonah for the second week tomorrow and lean on my interaction with these scriptures to provide some food for thought.
Never gave it much thought until tonight but Jonah and I actually have some things in common: Point # 1: he was the son of a Samaritan prophet, I’m the son of a preacher man,. Point #2 He got called, I got called. Point # 3 He ran, I ran. I’m sure we probably had similar thoughts as we ran, “No Way Jose! I grew up around that stuff and I DO NOT want to go there!” Been there; done that.
Now I didn’t end up in the belly of a big fish but I do remember the defining moment of surrender for me. I was driving to Columbus to work one day all in a huff about these nagging people who had been telling me I should become a minister, I should go to seminary, I should do this do that . . . And then suddenly I realized, “Hey, I’m not arguing with these people. They aren’t even here in the truck with me. I’m all by myself in this truck, so why should it even be bothering me? . . . . . . . . .Oops. I’m not alone,. . . . am I? I found myself boxed in the cab of a pick up truck with an overwhelming presence of God right there with me.
Well I knew what the outcome was gonna be then and there but I still insisted on playing a couple of “Gideon” cards after that (you know, “God if its really you then I’ll do this and if it’s you then you’ll do that. . . .”). Not too surprising to anybody but me, it all played out in God’s favor . And the rest is history
So why do we even think we can run from God?
Psalm 139 says:
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
That’s pretty convincing testimony: that you can run but you can’t hide. David wrote these words a considerable amount of time before Jonah was even born. I know it wasn’t in the Berean Christian book stores yet, but don’t you think Jonah would have at least heard this through oral tradition before he bought his ticket to Tarshish? I mean with that kind of info starring you in the face how could you even think of running from God?
Wait, I should criticize Jonah? I sure had a lot more available to me than he did to get the point across before I decided to run. Aha! point #3: We were both in denial! “If we just ignore God’s call it will go away!” NOT! God is everywhere and knows everything. (And I paid $28,000 dollars to learn the upscale description of that: omnipresent and omniscient).
Lesson learned: You can not play hide and go seek from God!
I know more people who have learned this lesson from their own experience of running than not. This is definitely one of those things that in our human stubbornness each one of us is too bullheaded to take the lesson from someone else’s experience. We insist on running first, then listening to someone else’s story after we’ve surrendered.
But I guess that‘s not such a bad thing in the end. The “running” experience draws each one of us closer and more intimate to Jesus by the time we’re finished. Plus by hearing other people’s “Jonah run” it affirms that Jesus is the author of each of our own epic stories. Wow!
Lord, thanks for being kinder to me in my answer to your call than you were to Jonah
Thank you for not sending a storm at the time.
Thank you for not sending me a big fish to swallowed me up
Thank you for being patient with me while I came to my senses about running from you. Amen
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
our little "friend"
Have you ever read Romans chapter 7: 7-25?
It will start messing with you around verse 14. I’ve often heard people express their frustration at trying to follow it at first. It’s not a fast read. Matter of fact, you’ll wonder if Paul didn’t have his trolley off the track a little if it’s a first time read for you. If you aren’t paying attention it can come across as nonsensical as, “So if you know that I know that I know that you know I know then I know that you know that I know.” And I pity those who feel they can’t depart from the KJV on top of that!
Well anyway, I’ll let you go look it up and, please, try several literal and paraphrased translations to really get the feel of what Paul was talking about. (By the way, a great place to go get multiple translations on line is http://www.biblegateway.com/)
What struck me today was verse 21 The NIV says:
7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
Eugene Peterson in The Message” paraphrase’ it this way:
21 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.
Well isn’t that thrilling,? We’ve got this little “friend” that is there not to look out for us! (I'm reminded of the little critter Gollum in the of Lord of The Rings trilogy) Nothing new I might add. He’s been around for a long time. I’m pretty sure he was wearing a Halloween costume dressed up like a serpent when Adam and Eve got into some unpleasantness that cost us all big time. And verse 21 also reminds me of a conversation God had with Cain shortly after “the fall” (Yo, kid: we’re not talking about winter here).
God said ( Genesis 4:6-7)
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Ya see, our little buddy sin has always been there like a loyal faithful companion. And he’ll try his best to persuade you he is too. But oh how untrue!
If you are kind of new on your faith walk you might have the perception that he’ll go away someday. I think what Paul is trying to tell us is that he never goes away but we can keep him off “our ranch” and outside its walls if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and His words of truth for us. Please notice I said we. Pastors aren’t exempt from this perplexity. Paul wasn’t exempt, why should we be any different? There is a battle going on every day within all of us, but the good news is found in verse 7:24- 8:1.
Christ is the “bouncer” who keeps that little pest at bay. He’s our “spiritual” body guard 24/7. What we all need to do is not let that little pest, sin, get our attention. Again as a couple of days ago, our eyes need to be trained on Jesus.
A counselor friend of mine recommended I see a movie called “A Beautiful Mind.” It was about a college professor who was schizophrenic and was forever plagued by his uninvited “friends” who always appeared and spoke to him, tempting him to follow the wrong path, feeding him lies, and keeping his perception of self rather poor.
I’ve not seen the movie all the way through but by then end of the movie, he has progressed enough to have some victory in his life. The “friends” still try to visit with him but he has learned to keep them at a distance, far enough away he can’t hear them and remembers to not give them the attention they want even though he knows they are off in his peripheral view.
Isn’t sin kind of like that with us? Got to put up with the annoyance in this life, but with Jesus' help we can keep our little friends at bay. But there is even "gooder" news: this little annoying friend or friends of ours will never be able to come where we are going!! Thank You Jesus!!!!!
Lord, thank you that we don’t have to be perfect to be accepted by you.
Thank you that we can be victorious over evil as we keep our face turned towards you.
Thank you that you give us the ever increasing strength to stay reliant upon you!
Thank you for accomplishing the ultimate eternal victory over sin just for us!
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
It will start messing with you around verse 14. I’ve often heard people express their frustration at trying to follow it at first. It’s not a fast read. Matter of fact, you’ll wonder if Paul didn’t have his trolley off the track a little if it’s a first time read for you. If you aren’t paying attention it can come across as nonsensical as, “So if you know that I know that I know that you know I know then I know that you know that I know.” And I pity those who feel they can’t depart from the KJV on top of that!
Well anyway, I’ll let you go look it up and, please, try several literal and paraphrased translations to really get the feel of what Paul was talking about. (By the way, a great place to go get multiple translations on line is http://www.biblegateway.com/)
What struck me today was verse 21 The NIV says:
7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
Eugene Peterson in The Message” paraphrase’ it this way:
21 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.
Well isn’t that thrilling,? We’ve got this little “friend” that is there not to look out for us! (I'm reminded of the little critter Gollum in the of Lord of The Rings trilogy) Nothing new I might add. He’s been around for a long time. I’m pretty sure he was wearing a Halloween costume dressed up like a serpent when Adam and Eve got into some unpleasantness that cost us all big time. And verse 21 also reminds me of a conversation God had with Cain shortly after “the fall” (Yo, kid: we’re not talking about winter here).
God said ( Genesis 4:6-7)
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Ya see, our little buddy sin has always been there like a loyal faithful companion. And he’ll try his best to persuade you he is too. But oh how untrue!
If you are kind of new on your faith walk you might have the perception that he’ll go away someday. I think what Paul is trying to tell us is that he never goes away but we can keep him off “our ranch” and outside its walls if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and His words of truth for us. Please notice I said we. Pastors aren’t exempt from this perplexity. Paul wasn’t exempt, why should we be any different? There is a battle going on every day within all of us, but the good news is found in verse 7:24- 8:1.
Christ is the “bouncer” who keeps that little pest at bay. He’s our “spiritual” body guard 24/7. What we all need to do is not let that little pest, sin, get our attention. Again as a couple of days ago, our eyes need to be trained on Jesus.
A counselor friend of mine recommended I see a movie called “A Beautiful Mind.” It was about a college professor who was schizophrenic and was forever plagued by his uninvited “friends” who always appeared and spoke to him, tempting him to follow the wrong path, feeding him lies, and keeping his perception of self rather poor.
I’ve not seen the movie all the way through but by then end of the movie, he has progressed enough to have some victory in his life. The “friends” still try to visit with him but he has learned to keep them at a distance, far enough away he can’t hear them and remembers to not give them the attention they want even though he knows they are off in his peripheral view.
Isn’t sin kind of like that with us? Got to put up with the annoyance in this life, but with Jesus' help we can keep our little friends at bay. But there is even "gooder" news: this little annoying friend or friends of ours will never be able to come where we are going!! Thank You Jesus!!!!!
Lord, thank you that we don’t have to be perfect to be accepted by you.
Thank you that we can be victorious over evil as we keep our face turned towards you.
Thank you that you give us the ever increasing strength to stay reliant upon you!
Thank you for accomplishing the ultimate eternal victory over sin just for us!
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Pilgrim
So I open up my emails this evening and there waiting for me is a message from my 28 YR old son who lives miles away in Chicago. the message: "You're burnin' daylight, pilgrim." In other words its late in the day and you haven't posted your daily meditation.
He knows I'm a fan of "the Duke." I used that line on him a few times, and still do use it even to this day when someone is slacking off the pace. It comes from a movie that John Wayne made in the later years of his life in 1972. The movie was called "The Cowboys." Its a story wherein Wayne plays the part of a cowhand who reluctantly has to use teen and preteen boys to get a cattle drive done. They are mere boys still wet behind the ears and there is a scene where Wayne comes barging through camp before sunrise kickin' everyone out of the sack shouting, "Alright let's get a move on, we're burning daylight!" Somewhere along the line I picked up"pilgrims" and added that to it. (I think from McClintock).
so I'm sitting her thinking, "okay its after 10:00 Pm and I need to look at scripture and get this thing done for the day so I hit my goal." And God speaks to my heart saying," Be still and know that I am God" before I can even reach for the Bible.
the verse comes from Psalm 46
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
Be still (but I've got to get this meditation done)
Be still ( but I need to read something and then write)
Be still ( but but but . . . . )
I left for a few minutes. I had a song begin to flood my mind and I went to find it.
I ended my day with it, maybe you'll start yours with it. Doesn't really matter. the more important thing is to take the time to be touched by His "hessed"
Be still for a few minutes and be brought to tears knowing the One who loved you before you even knew Him.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GBkUS9Pp1wE
Yea Pilgrims, we're burnin' daylight, but its good to be still and know the One who provides it!
REG
Philippians 2:5-11
He knows I'm a fan of "the Duke." I used that line on him a few times, and still do use it even to this day when someone is slacking off the pace. It comes from a movie that John Wayne made in the later years of his life in 1972. The movie was called "The Cowboys." Its a story wherein Wayne plays the part of a cowhand who reluctantly has to use teen and preteen boys to get a cattle drive done. They are mere boys still wet behind the ears and there is a scene where Wayne comes barging through camp before sunrise kickin' everyone out of the sack shouting, "Alright let's get a move on, we're burning daylight!" Somewhere along the line I picked up"pilgrims" and added that to it. (I think from McClintock).
so I'm sitting her thinking, "okay its after 10:00 Pm and I need to look at scripture and get this thing done for the day so I hit my goal." And God speaks to my heart saying," Be still and know that I am God" before I can even reach for the Bible.
the verse comes from Psalm 46
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
Be still (but I've got to get this meditation done)
Be still ( but I need to read something and then write)
Be still ( but but but . . . . )
I left for a few minutes. I had a song begin to flood my mind and I went to find it.
I ended my day with it, maybe you'll start yours with it. Doesn't really matter. the more important thing is to take the time to be touched by His "hessed"
Be still for a few minutes and be brought to tears knowing the One who loved you before you even knew Him.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GBkUS9Pp1wE
Yea Pilgrims, we're burnin' daylight, but its good to be still and know the One who provides it!
REG
Philippians 2:5-11
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Pay day!
I asked God to speak to me throughout the day today. It's only mid-afternoon and He's spoken to me twice in unique circumstances. (I did make it to the computer this morning. a stretch farther than yesterday, was pouring through some scripture on line, more meditation on Matthew 19 expanded from yesterday.)
So God gave me the illustration first and the lesson second. Most everyone who knows me, knows I've been working P/T as a chaplain. I love the work. It's a great match for my gifts. Two months ago, I was drawn in to minister to a particular individual who has been under the care of the agency for an extended period of time; much longer than most people stay under this type of care. (Want to respect the HIPPA laws here and the confidentiality of the position so I have to speak in very general terms.) In a nut shell, the person showed strong evidence of a turn around today in front of several people. That is, they showed signs of some spiritual emotional healing. It was a simple statement, "I am blessed." This from a person who has spent so much energy lamenting their diagnosis and doubting they were worthy of being forgiven. when I heard the news it was spiritual payday! Not because of me but because of what Christ has done for this person!
The shift has been taking place I think for a couple weeks, maybe three. The individual is changing from focusing on the problem and turning to some life changing Truth that is the solution for the problem. That person is slowly letting go of the lies that tempt and convict them to believe untruths about themselves and beginning to embrace the truth of a God who personally loves them. In addition to today's statement, yesterday they self corrected themselves without my prompting acknowledging that what they were feeling was not the truth (Hallelujah!).
Now that's the illustration. The lesson came through listening to Dr. David Jeremiah on the way home from the office. he was teaching on 1 Corinthians 10:13
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
One thought he said was a real no-brainer, (but oh how slow we humans are to learn this lesson) but never-the-less it profoundly struck me. I will try to paraphrase it here: if we stay focused on our struggle with the problem, our weakness in dealing with the problem, we tend to stay surrendered to or enslaved by the problem. He said the victory starts to come when we turn our focus on Christ to distract us from the feelings of helplessness and replace them with the truth of a loving Savior.
Now I'm not, nor do I think Dr Jeremiah was, trying to say we can drown our troubles if we don't think about them. I think the point is that the power to heal comes from focusing on the truths that set our spirits free. As we internalize truth about God's love for us, it counters the lies that keep us captive in negative self images. The "way out" is to turn away from the problem and turn towards Christ.
The evidence, the illustration is being shown in the changing attitude of our special PT.
I am reminder of a chorus to a wonderful prayer song:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His Glory and Grace
A few more words from Scripture to affirm the healing power of intimately knowing a loving Savior
Colossians 3:1-3 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Romans 12:2 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.
and finally,
John 3:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
So God gave me the illustration first and the lesson second. Most everyone who knows me, knows I've been working P/T as a chaplain. I love the work. It's a great match for my gifts. Two months ago, I was drawn in to minister to a particular individual who has been under the care of the agency for an extended period of time; much longer than most people stay under this type of care. (Want to respect the HIPPA laws here and the confidentiality of the position so I have to speak in very general terms.) In a nut shell, the person showed strong evidence of a turn around today in front of several people. That is, they showed signs of some spiritual emotional healing. It was a simple statement, "I am blessed." This from a person who has spent so much energy lamenting their diagnosis and doubting they were worthy of being forgiven. when I heard the news it was spiritual payday! Not because of me but because of what Christ has done for this person!
The shift has been taking place I think for a couple weeks, maybe three. The individual is changing from focusing on the problem and turning to some life changing Truth that is the solution for the problem. That person is slowly letting go of the lies that tempt and convict them to believe untruths about themselves and beginning to embrace the truth of a God who personally loves them. In addition to today's statement, yesterday they self corrected themselves without my prompting acknowledging that what they were feeling was not the truth (Hallelujah!).
Now that's the illustration. The lesson came through listening to Dr. David Jeremiah on the way home from the office. he was teaching on 1 Corinthians 10:13
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
One thought he said was a real no-brainer, (but oh how slow we humans are to learn this lesson) but never-the-less it profoundly struck me. I will try to paraphrase it here: if we stay focused on our struggle with the problem, our weakness in dealing with the problem, we tend to stay surrendered to or enslaved by the problem. He said the victory starts to come when we turn our focus on Christ to distract us from the feelings of helplessness and replace them with the truth of a loving Savior.
Now I'm not, nor do I think Dr Jeremiah was, trying to say we can drown our troubles if we don't think about them. I think the point is that the power to heal comes from focusing on the truths that set our spirits free. As we internalize truth about God's love for us, it counters the lies that keep us captive in negative self images. The "way out" is to turn away from the problem and turn towards Christ.
The evidence, the illustration is being shown in the changing attitude of our special PT.
I am reminder of a chorus to a wonderful prayer song:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His Glory and Grace
A few more words from Scripture to affirm the healing power of intimately knowing a loving Savior
Colossians 3:1-3 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Romans 12:2 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.
and finally,
John 3:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Buckeyes
I know, you all thought that since I didn't post this morning I must have run out of steam and commitment already. Not true, I just couldn't get access to the 'puter early this AM. but I did meditate and pray.
I looked outside and notice the buckeye tree just outside my window was showing the beginning signs of the branches giving way to the weight of the buckeyes. I really enjoy the long days of summer and wish I could enjoy them with the freedom and pleasure they seemed to offer when summers seemed endless, the days seemed soooo much longer and mom didn't have to worry about us even when we were two miles from home.
I still enjoy summer but it just seems to whip by anymore and seeing those buckeyes start to take shape reminds me that it won't be long and they will be on the ground. And a few weeks after that the leaves start falling off. I've seen summers, dry ones, when the leaves are well on their way before labor day. Yea, those buckeyes that I used to collect by the buckets when I was a kid in New York and PA (We had horse chestnuts over there) now are a cruel clunk on the head that time is fleeting, the days of summer are numbered, and so are the days of our lives.
Now if I was fatalistic I'd lament that "I've seen more yesterdays than I have tomorrows" (the only line I ever thought Bill Clinton said that was worth quoting by the way). But the truth is the very fact that God keeps this cycle of the seasons right on track every year is evidence of his faithful promise that life on earth is just one brief season of our life because we were created to be eternal.
Matthew 19:28Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother[a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
So what's the beef here? Why do we let the brevity of life on earth steal our joy when we KNOW it's only temporary and something better is waiting for us in eternity? Why do terminal diseases, the relativity of time, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, floods, storms and famines all give us a case of the worries and depression? Like its all coming to an end some day! Yea. . . . So? This is not all there is! We are not home yet!
So let the buckeyes fall and the days get shorter. Let the wind blow and the storms come. I mean, just what do think King David meant when he said ". . . and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"?
But I want to know: when we do get home . . . will the buckeyes stay on the trees . . . or not?
Lord help me to be patient and learn the things you still want me to learn because I know we are not there yet.
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
I looked outside and notice the buckeye tree just outside my window was showing the beginning signs of the branches giving way to the weight of the buckeyes. I really enjoy the long days of summer and wish I could enjoy them with the freedom and pleasure they seemed to offer when summers seemed endless, the days seemed soooo much longer and mom didn't have to worry about us even when we were two miles from home.
I still enjoy summer but it just seems to whip by anymore and seeing those buckeyes start to take shape reminds me that it won't be long and they will be on the ground. And a few weeks after that the leaves start falling off. I've seen summers, dry ones, when the leaves are well on their way before labor day. Yea, those buckeyes that I used to collect by the buckets when I was a kid in New York and PA (We had horse chestnuts over there) now are a cruel clunk on the head that time is fleeting, the days of summer are numbered, and so are the days of our lives.
Now if I was fatalistic I'd lament that "I've seen more yesterdays than I have tomorrows" (the only line I ever thought Bill Clinton said that was worth quoting by the way). But the truth is the very fact that God keeps this cycle of the seasons right on track every year is evidence of his faithful promise that life on earth is just one brief season of our life because we were created to be eternal.
Matthew 19:28Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother[a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
So what's the beef here? Why do we let the brevity of life on earth steal our joy when we KNOW it's only temporary and something better is waiting for us in eternity? Why do terminal diseases, the relativity of time, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, floods, storms and famines all give us a case of the worries and depression? Like its all coming to an end some day! Yea. . . . So? This is not all there is! We are not home yet!
So let the buckeyes fall and the days get shorter. Let the wind blow and the storms come. I mean, just what do think King David meant when he said ". . . and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"?
But I want to know: when we do get home . . . will the buckeyes stay on the trees . . . or not?
Lord help me to be patient and learn the things you still want me to learn because I know we are not there yet.
Stay close to Jesus!
REG
Monday, July 14, 2008
Whose are you?
At a Bible study and fellowship group last Saturday we were talking about the benefits of daily devotionals. The study material was challenging us to commit to 30 days practicing the spiritual discipline of starting the day in scripture, prayer and meditation.
Lord knows there are many pastors and lay people that do this better than I do. I get into scripture everyday by some means but I often (who am I kidding- ALWAYS) fall short of the daily practice of starting the day in prayer and the WORD.
Now I talk to Jesus all throughout the day at various times and I will listen to teaching programs on Christian radio with hunger and thirst for a gem of wisdom to carry me through the day. But the discipline of early, daily, dedicated, and yielded prayer and meditation - well I might best be described as a slob in that area. I could rationalize and say that it requires way too much organization: I might even really try to justify it and say that organization falls under administration and I got overlooked when that spiritual gift was being passed out.
The sobering reality that I came to realize myself (better yet through the conviction of the Holy Spirit) was that we can be labeled Christian and be busy "doing" things for Christ which helps define "who" we are but the deeper identity is "whose" we are. I can proudly wear the label "I'm a Christian" and know that the world is going to expect me to be a church goer and someone who ideally has a moral standard that rises above the average expectation of social behavior. But anyone can do that and still not belong to Christ.
I realized in our conversation about daily devotion, meditation, and prayer that to voluntarily submit to the process, (regardless of whether we are organized enough to do it) and WANT to do it is a clarifying moment about "whose" we are. To have a hunger to know Christ so much that we define "who" we are by "whose" we are. I think Paul describes it beautifully in Philippians chapter 3.
(In between this paragraph and the last I got my lesson for the day. I left here for a moment to go copy the above Scripture that I knew would express "whose" we are. I guess God had a plan because he knocked me up side of the head with an admonishment that comes after "my favorite" verses)
I'll close by quoting them here:
Philippians 3:
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, 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 is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing on Toward the Goal 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I usually stop my quote at verse 14 but today Jesus hit me with a great big H-E-L-L-O!!!!! And here was my wake up call:
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Okay then I believe He did make that clear to me!
Lord may I start this day with You in mind and I ask Your help to willingly surrender everything I do to You
Have a great day and stay close to Jesus!
Lord knows there are many pastors and lay people that do this better than I do. I get into scripture everyday by some means but I often (who am I kidding- ALWAYS) fall short of the daily practice of starting the day in prayer and the WORD.
Now I talk to Jesus all throughout the day at various times and I will listen to teaching programs on Christian radio with hunger and thirst for a gem of wisdom to carry me through the day. But the discipline of early, daily, dedicated, and yielded prayer and meditation - well I might best be described as a slob in that area. I could rationalize and say that it requires way too much organization: I might even really try to justify it and say that organization falls under administration and I got overlooked when that spiritual gift was being passed out.
The sobering reality that I came to realize myself (better yet through the conviction of the Holy Spirit) was that we can be labeled Christian and be busy "doing" things for Christ which helps define "who" we are but the deeper identity is "whose" we are. I can proudly wear the label "I'm a Christian" and know that the world is going to expect me to be a church goer and someone who ideally has a moral standard that rises above the average expectation of social behavior. But anyone can do that and still not belong to Christ.
I realized in our conversation about daily devotion, meditation, and prayer that to voluntarily submit to the process, (regardless of whether we are organized enough to do it) and WANT to do it is a clarifying moment about "whose" we are. To have a hunger to know Christ so much that we define "who" we are by "whose" we are. I think Paul describes it beautifully in Philippians chapter 3.
(In between this paragraph and the last I got my lesson for the day. I left here for a moment to go copy the above Scripture that I knew would express "whose" we are. I guess God had a plan because he knocked me up side of the head with an admonishment that comes after "my favorite" verses)
I'll close by quoting them here:
Philippians 3:
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, 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 is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing on Toward the Goal 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I usually stop my quote at verse 14 but today Jesus hit me with a great big H-E-L-L-O!!!!! And here was my wake up call:
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Okay then I believe He did make that clear to me!
Lord may I start this day with You in mind and I ask Your help to willingly surrender everything I do to You
Have a great day and stay close to Jesus!
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