War of Wills

God’s altar was to be built of uncut stones, so that no trace of human skill or labor would be seen in it. Human wisdom enjoys trimming and arranging the doctrines of the cross into an artificial system more pleasant to the depraved tastes of our fallen nature—but instead of improving the gospel, fleshly wisdom pollutes it until it becomes “a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6), not the truth of God at all. Every alteration and amendment of the Lord’s own Word is a defilement and pollution.

Several things came to mind this peaceful morning.  Birds chirping in the distance.  Making their voices heard in God's creation.  Many voices but every once in a while a single kaw! kaw! overshadows.

This excerpt from Spurgeon was written long ago but still holds true today.  The title of this writing about the war of the wills is appropriate.  Mankind wants a Gospel that suits them.  One where nobody stands condemned.  They will take that which God provided and twist and distort to lift up themselves to be equal to God, without any consequences.

None of which will work.  Nobody will ever succeed at removing the curse of sin from mankind apart from Jesus. 

Telling people they can come to Christ but don't have to give up how they are living is absurd! But, it's what liberal Churches are doing.  Telling people that they are alright while they are heading to Hell is a grievously bad thing to do. 

Like the Scriptures have said, let people be accursed if they teach a different Gospel than what was given!

There's indeed a war of wills going on.  Outside of Christ it's for the soul of the person.  In Christ it's the old vs new nature.  Outside of Christ there is no war in someone who is in darkness.  It's not until the light of Christ comes that they see for the first time at their true condition!

As we have lived where we are, I reflect on what we have experienced. We have seen just what Spurgeon warns about.  Bringing tools to try to chisel the Gospel to fit.  Working it so that people can be with God on Sunday morning yet live like the world the rest of the time.  Notice that I didn't say the rest of the week.  Most cases the so-called service wasn't close to mediocre, and people went right back to worldliness before they got in their car.

Jesus didn't tell us to pick n choose what we like n discard the rest.  It isn't ala cart Christianity. 

Protecting our thoughts takes effort.  A lot of effort.  We tend to downplay the seriousness and severity of sin so that the problem isn't so bad to us.

Guess what.  Jesus saw that coming.

He asked the question, Will the Son of Man find the faith when He returns?

Will Jesus find you being serious about walking with Him when He comes back or find you doing your own thing?

Will there be enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?  Or will the stench of this world be so thick upon you that whatever you think is good enough won't even be noticeable?

To summarize another passage some will get into Heaven by the skin of their teeth.  Their works towards Sanctification will not amount to much of anything.  They will be people who loved this world more than obeying their God.  Saved, yes, but not living it.  They are too busy living for themselves. Spending their time, energy and effort on anything but what Jesus wants of them.  On sports, travel, hobbies, even people.  And what's worse is there are so-called Churches that cater to that mentality.  Teaching that it's ok not to take Discipleship seriously.  Jesus suffered and died on a cross but no need for you to feel like you owe Him anything in return, like obedience. 

There's a war of wills going on within you and around you if you are a Christian.  I see it within me and in my encounters with people. 

I am also struck by the words concerning the building of that altar.  No tools to chisel the stones.  No hammers.  Use what God provides without making changes to it!  No sound of tools was heard in making Solomon's Temple. No sound of tools was heard in Exodus either in the alters that were made.

Paul talked about the war within.  The sin nature vs the Spirit. He concluded that we are indeed blessed that Jesus overwhelmingly conquered.  Not just barely won. Not won. Not 'given a good pasting'.  Overwhelming conquered.  The battle was so lopsided that it wasn't fit to be called a battle.  If only my mind could remember that at all times.

So consider your motives.  Consider your choices.  Consider just what you have decided is important.  Is it what God says is important?  So what if you look ridiculous getting rid of something or someone out of your life that is contrary to what God wants for you.  Which do you want to hear?   Well done, or Why did you?
Well done because you obeyed.  Or Why did you not obey?  Why didn't you trust me? 

I have to be honest.  I have a lot of answering to do myself.  Bad choices, wrong decisions. Stubbornness. Irrational behavior.  I am my own worst enemy.  The silky soft words of compromise are sometimes hards to recognize until it's too late.  But realizing it and repenting is what's on us to do.  We are to obey.

A war of wills.  Who will win today?

How does God view you?

It was interesting reading this morning.  About Jonah and whether or not his anger was justified.  About King David and what others thought of him.

I was also reading about the perception of one person from another.  That they had the wrong idea of what they were viewed as.

But altogether its something more...what does God see when He sees us?  I know that in Christ, the Father sees Jesus when He looks upon believers.  To those who are not, He sees sinful men and women.

When we who are believers sin what does He see?  Do we see what He sees? 

The example that I read was of Judas and his remorse over betraying Christ.  He didn't repent, but died alone in a field.  Peter betrayed Christ and his remorse turned to repentance. 

I am by no means saying that I have arrived, but, if I am honest, I don't react to sin like I should.  As the writer I was reading had said, remorse isn't enough. Judas had remorse but no repentance.

Jonah had anger but did he have a right to be angry?  We are told that we can be angry but to sin not. Do not let the sun go down on our anger.  I think it's because the seeds of bitterness get planted.  We add blindness to the situation and then are reacting rather than acting.

It's as bad as worrying, anger is.  Worry is a concern with no direction. Prayer is a concern with a direction.  Anger on our part is mostly our no longer being in control of a situation. 

We like to think we are in control.  But to be a Disciple means our teacher is in control. 

So what do you think of your view of you?  We don't see a whole picture of us. God does.  He sees both the way we are, the way we will be as well as every step in between.  For those who are not saved, He either sees how close they are to being saved or that they never will be because they choose not to and will not.

It's just some thoughts this morning.  Am I as sensitive to my sin as I should be? Absolutely not.  God's Grace covers but repentance is necessary too.

Every Morning

It was interesting to read in one devotional about the growth of believers is based upon the soil they are in. In Another devotional the words were about being patient about waiting on the Lord.  Yet a third was talking about the unity present between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit concerning those who have come to Christ.

All 3, to me, worked together this day to show a greater picture.

In Genesis it says that the Lord spoke of making man in our image.

“Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us” (Genesis 1:26 NLT), and so we are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). 

The next was to do with the soil of Sunflowers. How they grow up, how they track the sun.  Prepared for the sunrise and the arrival of bees.  But without good soil they would not last. 

We too, in Christ, must be in good soil to grow and to thrive in Christ.

The Father, Son and Spirit all work together in our lives.  It was interesting to read a different account of David.  The patience to endure waiting on the Lord's promise of the Kingdom.

For growth to happen in our lives, we must be willing to follow the path God puts before us.  Not ours.  As another Pastor pointed out yesterday, we can and will be distracted by all this world has to offer. 

A Sunflower awaits the sunrise with anticipation.  Looking forward to meeting the day as the Lord provides for it. 

Do you?  Is your day beginning with the Lord?  Do you look forward to time with Jesus?  Do you look forward to being made to be like Him?  Do you?

Our lives are not our own. The Sunflower does what God purposed for it to do.  It obeys.  King David saw a great many things have to happen to prepare the soil of his life to be ready for him to be a man after God's own heart.  We all are blessed because of what we see of that work in his life. 

If you are so caught up in other things in your life.  It's time to stop. Put the brakes on.  Sit at Jesus's feet and rediscover the meaning of your life.  You were meant for a specific purpose in the body of Christ.  Not to go do your own thing.  Find out what part is yours and then you will be thriving in the good soil God has prepared for you.

Storms that prepare us...

. . . after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10 NKJV

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Psalms 23 about Jesus being our Shepherd.

Consider your life, your day today.  The moment right now before you.  It has been said that if you are alive that is a gift from God.

But take a step back.  Look again.  Troubles in your life?  Storms even?  Is it peaceful for the moment?  Are you anxious?  Have the storms been around a while?

As Scripture also says about being a tree firmly planted, roots only go deeper in adversity.  Storms cause the roots to go farther down.  What you are experiencing now you couldn't a while ago.

Consider that while I add this thought.  God is faithful.  In the storm, Jesus didn't go sit in the boat while Peter was out on the water. He didn't just command him to come then leave him to fend for himself.

Jesus is always with us, no matter what the circumstances.  It may not seem like it, but it would honestly be oh so much worse than it is if He wasn't.

So storms are needed, Jesus is faithful.
Add this...He is the Shepherd.  While the sheep think they know what they are doing, He DOES know what the sheep need to be doing.  

Jesus and the Holy Spirit are directing, guiding and teaching the believer.

Things don't make sense?  Newsflash, most things in life probably won't.  We are not making things of us, Jesus is. He has and is the image of what we are being made into.  It's going to take storms and peaceful times to change who we are into what we are meant to be.  To create a masterpiece takes time.  To make changes that last takes time.   We were never promised a fun always peaceful time after coming to Christ.  The thief on the other cross wasn't immediately removed from his ordeal to go serve.  He was told to be patient, soon He would get through this and be with Jesus in paradise.  That was all the theology he would get and need. Jesus was with him in his storm.

Jesus is with us in our storms.  Faith is what got Peter out of the boat.  Faith is what was with that thief.  Faith was what was with a Jewish tax collector who became a Disciple named Matthew.  Jesus said to take up your cross and follow Him.  To follow where our Master goes, as His Disciple means to weather the storms that He does, to endure the world not understanding, like they didn't understand Him.  To realize that while there will be hard times, that He is faithful and will be there with you.  You will grow.  You will grow stronger. 

So while we almost always pray to be kept safe from harm and pray to be out of the things that are hurting us.  It's those things now that we weren't ready for a while ago.  It's those things now that will help us when the next storms roll our way. Confidence not in ourselves but in the one who watches over us and is at work in us.

The Unseen Reality

Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” 2 Kings 6:17

This prayer seems a bit like my own "Lord, show me more!"

Elisha's servant was afraid.  The armys that could be seen were terrifyingly great.

But Elisha was cool, calm, collected.  Totally confident of what was about to happen.  

God answered his prayer and for that moment in time his servant could see a vast, mighty army of God that filled the countryside. All on mighty warhorses. Ready to do battle.  God was there, the Lord was in complete control.

I am no stranger to things happening in my life that are bigger than me.  Often in the past year or so I have referred to them as facing the giants.

It's more ironic for me than most that it literally is a David vs Goliath for me in facing them.  I admit there's times when I have panicked.  Crying out to God asking what do I do?  Crying sometimes just because it's all that I can do.  That the situation is that devastating, at least from my perspective, that I can't find the words to pray. 

I have come to understand that an integral part of becoming Christ-like is you are on display for the world to see when it comes to how you handle life.  Paul described it of himself, Peter too I believe. 

Why should we be any different?

We live in a world of sights, smells, tastes and sounds.  But until you come to Christ, you miss out on the greater parts of the Spiritual world.  This world will not be getting better.  In fact Scripture says about 1007 years after Christ returns its going to be destroyed along with this whole universe. 

So what's there to live for? Jesus said to store up treasures in Heaven.  Where moth and rust do not destroy.  Spiritual things.  The Spiritual world is what will go on forever.  The Holy with Christ, the unholy in the Lake of Fire. 

Everyone will get a new, perfect body. Where you spend eternity at with it is up to you. 

In this world nothing truly is as it seems.  Spiritual battles rage around us, disguised as the news stories we read down to the faulty hot water tank or dishwasher malfunction.  Even your car woes. There is no separation of what happens in the Spiritual world and the physical,  in my understanding.  Satan is out to use whatever he is allowed to disrupt a believers life.  He has to ask permission.
Satan doesn't necessarily have to ask when it comes to unbelievers. 
Nothing reaches a believers life that hasn't gone through Christ's hands to get to us.  That's where believers are.  Then He is in the Father's hands so nobody's going to get anyone there for sure.

Realize the truth of your circumstances.  There's more than meets the eye.  More to what you are experiencing.  More than we sometimes are ready to see or know.  It's that big. 

But as I shared with a friend recently, God brings some things to us because we are able to handle it, even though we think we are struggling.  Life isn't about life going our way. It's about it going God's way.

There's been times that God has sent me warnings.  Spoken to me in ways that some people don't believe.  There was a church or two we had tried out, in different ways I was told to get out. Get away.  It was too dangerous to stay.  On one occasion walking in was fine, until I shook hands with the Pastor.  The moment I touched his hand, I saw the world in a photo-negative kind of way. His face had an evil grin on it. I let go, we sat down as the service started, I was still trying to digest this.  My Wife was becoming increasingly uncomfortable and ill so we got up and left.  After leaving things became clearer.  There's been other experiences. 

As Elisha faced things, I often wish I always did, with complete confidence.
I tend to do more of a Peter on the water.  Crying out even though Christ is practically standing next to me.

There are wonders in this world but nothing that I find more interesting than learning more of what Christ wants to show me.   Think about it.  The Creator of the Universe wants to teach and show us wonders and truths that are only available through Him!   It's not about important people, celebrities, landmarks or anything else.  Think about the things that the Lord spoke of to Job and his friends.  The wonders of creation and the reasons behind what was created.  Movies and reality TV shows aren't even in the same ballpark. 

We react to so much that isn't important and don't react to what is. 

So consider your life.  If you aren't a believer all this isn't going to make much sense to you.  If you are a Christian, wake up and realize the Spiritual world around you. 

Will you shake your fist at God?

“Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will ask you, and you instruct Me.
“Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?
“Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?

“Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,

And clothe yourself with honor and majesty.
“Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.
“Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him, And tread down the wicked where they stand.
“Hide them in the dust together;
Bind them in the hidden place.
“Then I will also confess to you,
That your own right hand can save you.

Job 40:8-14

This is what mankind asks of God who do not know Jesus as Lord.  This.

They shake their fists at God, proclaiming "How dare you!"
They grumble and complain about life, yet blame God rather than come to Christ to be saved in the midst of it.
They tell Jesus that He can't possibly understand.  That He's never been where they are. That there's no justice where He is concerned.  That He's the reason evil exists and that's why their life is so difficult.  That He's the reason who there's so much pain and despair, suffering and heartache.

No, my dear reader, none of that is true.

Stubbornly holding onto those lies as truth is why people go through what they do. 

Jesus came to seek and save me and you.

Why can't he accept me as I am? 
Because as you are is condemned because of sin.  You are on death row and you don't see it. At the end of the hall of life is the fulfillment of the sentence.

Sin is why He came to seek and save the lost.  He didn't just show up and say Here I am.  He went through everything it meant to be human, yet didn't sin.  He knows personal heartache and heartbreak.  He knows what it means to not have enough to get by on. He knows humiliation. He knows painful suffering.  He knows.  He knows.  He knows what it means to not be recognized as having rights. He was condemned because of people who were Hell bent on killing the one who came to get them out of it.

He knows about all you have gone through and about all the sin and guilt embedded in your body.  But is willing to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. If only you would ask Him to come into your life, be Lord of your life. To save you. To forgive you as you turn away from a life of sin to a life worth living in Him.

Don't be among those who shake their fists at God.  Those who do will never see Heaven.  They will see the Judgment seat of God, then Hell.  Next stop after that is the Lake of Fire.  Read it.  If you realize the truth of the Bible.  That it's been proven to be true, then you must see that the judgment to come is equally real.

Choosing to hate all that Jesus stands for will get you on the fast track to judgment.
Choosing to intentionally live without Christ will get you judgement.

Sitting on the fence will get you judgement.  Why?  Satan owns the fence.

A fence rider is just as condemned as those intentionally living in sin. 

Jesus says you are either wheat or tares. Wheat is useful.  Tares are weeds, useful for nothing but to be burned up.

There is no middle ground.  No fence. No Purgatory. No method to get you out of Hell to Heaven.  Once you are in Hell that's it.  Salvation is on a person by person basis.  There's no ability to get Salvation for someone else.  Jesus must hear it from YOU that you want it.

Think about the words of Jesus in the book of Job.  Mankind, apart from God, thinks they are all that, when the Maker says no they aren't. 

You have no authority over Jesus.
He, however, had all authority over you, but will not force it. You have to ask.
But there's a time limit.  Soon all the second and third chances you have been given will be no more.  He is coming back.
He said so and as mentioned earlier, the Bible has never been proven wrong.

I eagerly await my Savior. 

Consider right here and now.  Are you with Christ or against Him.  You are only one or the other. 

Salvation is but a request away.  Don't cling to your stubbornness and pride.  Don't cling to your fears and pains.

The benefits will very much outweigh all that you see in life now...because until you DO come to Christ, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Needs...and Our Wants

To this day, I am in awe of the morning. 
I have no preconceptions on what to write. There is no plan. There may be elements of past conversations with people I talk to, but nothing is written with the intent to specifically address anyone's problems.

Today's really comes out of a single line from Our Daily Bread.  It mentions that Gof gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want. 

Many years ago there was a evening series on prayer that I participated in.  In it and through it, Jesus performed some major surgeries in my heart and life.  I still don't remember what all poured out of me at the altar but it was a mini-flood.  Several times we met found me up there on my knees.

I have learned, and continue to do so, that a prayer request can be one thing on our part but have many levels of answers from God.

We can pray for so-and-so, but Jesus takes that opportunity to not only change or deal with them, but some area in me.

I have seen a post or two of people referring to letting go of negative people in your life because they are dragging you down.  In some respects I get it.  In others, it's not necessarily Biblical.  You can't toss a life preserver to someone until you are close enough to do so.  It doesn't mean you jump headlong into their world, thus harming yourself.  But does mean to let the light within you of Christ shine to show them the way. 

We can pray and should be praying not just at meals or that and maybe the beginning and end of the day, but all throughout the day.  I believe that the Psalmist refers to it as just like breathing.

The more time you spend with Jesus the more your priorities will change.  Your job may change.  Where you live may change. 
What you do as a hobby may change. 
This world isn't something for us to grab onto.  It's dying.  Our memories of places won't help us grow in Christ as much as our time with Christ. 

I look back on the last several years and see changes in me. My priorities, my ability to interact with people.  I am amazed at what Jesus is doing.  How some things used to scare me to do, I now just do.  My prayers for growth in Jesus had one thing in mind, and Jesus's reply tells me that oh I wasn't thinking big enough.

We may see areas of our lives that need change, Jesus sees the whole picture.

We look at our Google Maps.  It shows us the one spot we are at right away.  We have to take and manipulate the map to see the bigger picture.  In our lives, it's the same, we have to ask Jesus to show us more.

I did that a few years ago and it really can be a scary prayer.  Wanting to see more yet not knowing fully what that means.
I knew what I was asking, but Jesus began giving me what was necessary.

For over 18 months it's been sort of nerve wracking to deal with monthly vehicle problems.  After so many you become numb to them happening.  After over 19 years of searching for other things, you can either miss it when the answer comes or keep alert for it to come.

Israel was in the wilderness for at least 80 years due to various issues among the people.  It doesn't tell us how long the Prodigal Son was away.  Just says every morning and throughout the day, his father was watching the horizon for any sign of his son's return. 

Sometimes what we want isn't necessarily what God gives us because we don't know what He is doing.  We don't like what we see so we keep on asking for the same thing over and over. 
Of course we ought to pray continually. But with the right perspective.  Yes praying for the affliction of others is right, but don't neglect to remember their soul.
A healthy body is one thing, Salvation is much more important.  A relief to our sorrows is one thing, rejoicing in Heaven is better.  We do tend to pray selfishly.  Heal this person, save this person from this disease or that. Truth is, God does consider death a healing.  It's not what we want but it is what He deemed necessary.

We learn a lot about ourselves from our prayers.  So look at what you are praying.
It's ok to pray out of anguish and tears.  You very well may never know how to ley out what's going on inside you.  I didn't during that series on prayer.  But Jesus got it out.  You may never understand this side of Heaven why this happened or that happened.  Job didn't until 140 years after the events in his life that we read about.  Which puts him up there among the oldest who ever lived.  If you consider he was in either his 40's or 50's when they happened and that his children were grown and at least of age to be doing what they were.

Trusting in God's replies to prayer is often a mark of faith.  We may not know why, but, dear reader, He does.