“Therefore, my beloved… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13
Christian. When will you be true to yourself? When will you act in accordance with the new creation God has made you to be? If you have placed your faith in Christ for Life, when will you also trust Him for living? Oh I know there’s a battle inside. Some say it’s a battle between our two natures, as if somehow deep in our hearts we’re dual personalities. I don’t believe it.
No. I don’t believe we’re fighting ourselves. I truly believe we fight sin in us, that is not us. We can’t win our battle with sin as long as we believe we’re nothing more than saved sinners. How could a sinner, even a saved one, beat sin? Why would he even want to? No. Sinner no more, but sons and daughters of the Living God doing battle with sin in us, hell bent on destroying us.
The only question…. When will we realize who we are and take up the fight?
Let’s pray. Jesus thank You for giving us new Life. Your Life. Father thank You for forgiveness and restoration even in all those times I still give in to old ways of death.
Strengthen me now Spirit to fight… To work out what Father has worked in me. Amen.
New creations. Sons and daughters. New Life. Y’all ready for it? Good. Me too! Come on then. Let’s Go!
“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3
I thank my God. My God. Not just God, but my God. So what is your personal relationship with God like these days?
Some would have us relate to God as primarily a set of truths and attributes to be reverenced. In the name of reverence they’d keep Him at arms length, with the curtain of separation still in place. (See Matthew 27:51)
Thing is, God Himself has moved to rip apart the barrier between us. He is no longer just God, but my God. No longer just LORD, but Abba, Father. No longer just a Sovereign puppet master, but Jesus, the One who calls us His friends.
Incredible. The One and Only True God. Creator of all that was or is or ever will be has invited us- you and me- into personal intimate fellowship with Himself. And in this, He’s lost not one iota of His Majesty or Sovereign Power. Incredible.
So again. What’s your personal relationship with God like these days?
Let’s pray. Holy Spirit help me to grasp both the Power and the Love of my God. Abba Father speak into my heart so I might know You. Jesus… Thank You for bringing me the Life and Love of Almighty God. Amen.
A profound and personal relationship with the Alpha and Omega. Y’all ready for it… At least as much as a mortal can be? Good. Me too. Come on then. Let’s Go!
The Post below is contributed by my friend Julian Hutcheson as an encouragement for continued connection in challenging times! Julian is a faithful follower of Christ at Mosaic United Methodist Church.
Mathew 6 : 1-5 1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
This is from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” found in Matthew chapters 5-7. In a lengthy teaching on a hillside, Jesus covers many areas, of which the passage above is just a small part. The excerpt above highlights some of the lessons that have been made clearer to me during this long and ongoing interruption of our Faith community’s life.
One lesson has to do with relationship with God and with others. Our relationship with God has some parallels to our relationships with others.
Relationships require work.
Assuming a solid relationship has been established (which may be BIG assumption), maintaining the relationship requires some actions we are familiar with. Spending time with the person, at least in conversation, is an essential piece. If time is not spent together, relationships atrophy and bonds become weak. The same is true with God. If we don’t seek Him in prayer, alone, in private, the relationship will be a limited one.
So, we need to make the time!
When we meet for worship, it’s a great time of being in the presence of the Lord and in the presence of His people. Worship is often powerful, the message is strong and on target, and before and after the service there are usually good conversations, hugs, handshakes, eye contact, etc. We benefit in attending and being involved, and our relationships with each other and with God get a boost with every service.
Having lost our church services like this, for an extended period of time, I realize I depend too much on the worship service for my connection with my Lord. In a similar way, I have been dependent on socializing around the service for my connection with my faith family. The structure of the service, the physical building, and the community have made it a lot easier to at least do the minimum where my relationship with God and others is concerned. Just showing up and participating is enough . . . or is it?
Jesus, while He values our community time, He also points out a caution and a challenge: How much of our community time is dedicated to seeking the approval of others – our friends, our church leadership, or the pastor? For myself, I confess . . . it is a mixture. For example, while I worship on stage with the worship team, I find my heart is often a mixture of sincere worship and a desire for recognition and praise from others.
But Jesus pushes the reset button and reminds us that it is ALL about what we are doing for the Lord. The rest is of little value. Jesus emphasizes that the Father wants a one-to-one relationship with each of us. Seek the Lord in a place and time that is just you and Him, and He will honor and reward the effort. This is true for prayer time, loving acts toward others, and other righteous acts. He hears what we say to Him and He sees and fully appreciates what we do.
As for our relationships with each other, it’s clear that we need to keep in touch. It’s so much easier to just not call and do other things, and not seek out connecting. I believe God rewards our reaching out to each other. He cares about us as a community and does not want to see us atrophy. So when in doubt, when you feel a slight inclination to connect, make the call!
Don’t give in to the pull of isolation…. Stay Connected!
Pray with me…
May the Lord purify our hearts and motives and help us build relationships with Him and others. May He give us a strong desire to seek Him in private on a very regular basis. We look forward to the day when our community meets again, so may we find more and more ways to encounter the Lord’s presence outside the walls of the church and outside the church service. Amen.
I looked at Julie in amazement as the words tumbled from my mouth, “Are you kidding me… Did you really get me a Dentist appointment for 7:00 o’clock in the morning?”
Now
I really do love my wife, but this, this is pushing the limits!
Okay- So I go… Right on time- you got it- 7:00 stinking a.m.
A nice enough lady (Elizabeth I’ll call her) led me to my doom- I mean room. Now as I settle into the chair, I can’t help but notice an instrument tray to my left. It’s filled with what looks like all sorts of torture devices. There were hook- like instruments and drills and other shiny sterile looking metal things that might… Well let’s leave all that to your imagination.
Guys… I’m not sure if it’s been done, but a Psycho/Slasher movie with a Dentist in the starring role… Well that could be a real money-maker. Come to think of it- wasn’t there a movie called the “Little Shop of Horrors” back in the 50’s?
I digress. Back to the story. Elizabeth, her face now covered with a surgical mask (like I’d imagine any good Psycho-Dentist’s assistant would be) she approaches with one of her “instruments”. It was just about then I notice the radio playing, and what do you think was coming over the speakers but the words to a Cat Stevens classic- Moon Shadow. You remember the song don’t you? It goes something like this… “I’m being followed by a moon shadow- moon shadow, moon shadow- And if I ever lose my mouth, all my teeth north and south!” I kid you not… God really does have a sense of humor doesn’t He? Funny though that when I pointed out the lyric to Elizabeth, for some reason she just wasn’t amused.
One other thing I noticed as Elizabeth went about her business- Sitting over in the window was one of those word puzzle thingys. You know, the kind that if you look at it one way it appears as gibberish, but if you focus your eyes just so, you can make out letters and a finally a word. Well… I squint my eyes this way- Nothing. I squint my eyes that way, still… gibberish. But wait, when I squint one eye this way and the other eye that way letters begin to take shape. J E S U S. Amazing ain’t it… The places He shows up if we just get our focus right?
It reminds of the C.S. Lewis children’s book “Prince Caspian”. I remember a scene in the book where the children think they see Aslan- You remember don’t you? He’s the Lion who is the Christ figure in the book. Yep, they think they see Him off in a distant fog. Oh, but they convince themselves, it couldn’t really be Him, could it? And so they go on their own way… A way getting them in all sorts of trouble until finally turning back… Back toward where they thought they’d seen Aslan. And what do you know but that again they catch a glimpse of Him, motioning for them to follow.
Now even though they’re still not able to clearly make Him out in the mist, by faith, they decide to follow. Funny thing is- With every step they take following by faith Aslan becomes more clear- More real… Until finally, He’s right there with ’em.
Truth be told He was right there all along- just like He’s right here with us… Even in a Dentist Office at 7:00 a.m. All it really takes is the right focus to see Him-Looking with eyes of Faith, and following in the certainty of Hope.
The writer of Hebrews tells us… “Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Pray with me now won’t you… Lord Jesus I will look for You today. Holy Spirit help my vision to be clear- my focus to be right. And as I see my Jesus- Spirit fill me with the Faith and Courage I so desperately need so I can follow… Even as He goes into places that I would never go on my own. Amen.
“God has given us a Spirit of Power and of Love…“ 2 Timothy 1:7
Summer Time in the South. Ninety-nine degrees in the shade. Humidity… Worn like an outer layer of clothing.
Thunder Storms every afternoon and… The Beach! Cool breezes skipping up off the ocean, faintly whispering… “Nahhhh, you’re not getting burned… You’re hardly even pink”
And sand… Sand everywhere! Hot Sand… Hot sand to run across like a ballerina on opening night. Sticky sand… Sticky sand to cake onto sweaty sunscreen. Sand in shoes and Sand in shorts. But it’s alright… Cause we talking Beach Sand!
And then there’s the ocean… You remember, don’t you? Warm white foam feeling so good swirling up around your ankles… Oh but then turning a little chilly, as you wade on in knee deep. And finally… Finally downright icy as it climbs up to your belly button. Now’s ’bout the time to gather the nerve to take the plunge, right? The plunge that feels ooooohhh……. sooooo……. good.
Now I gotta tell you guys all that’s fine but for me… The best of it all… The coup de gras… It’s gotta be the waves.
The bigger the better. I’m talking save the women and children hold on to your hat kinda waves. Waves made for one thing and one thing only… Body Surfing.
I love body surfing. The rush of catching a wave just right.
All thatpower!
Rushing white tipped breakers of pure energy. Energy to get lost in. Or if you ain’t ready, get crushed by.
This must be what Superman feels like when he leaps into the air to fly. Yep. Here come a wave. Look y’all, I’m Superman!
And such is the power of the Spirit of God at work! You Know there’s times in my life when I catch hold of the Power of the Spirit just so… Times when I’m right in step with the energy of the Spirit of God. Times when that rushing white tipped breaker of pure energy sweeps me along. Along towards… Well… Heaven.
Father in Heaven, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit… Thank You for those moments of pure Heaven. Thank You for even a glimpse of the Life to come. Move us more and more into step with YourSpirit… So that this Life we long for… This life that is Life… This abiding in You… It becomesour daily reality. Amen.
“Since we live by the Spirit, Let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25
“Walk by the Spirit and You will not gratify the desires of the flesh” Galatians 5:16
Have you ever been so into something… You know, like being lost in the melody of a favorite song. Or mesmerized by the flames of a dancing fire. Maybe for you it was the beauty of a glorious starlit night. Or the sense of awe and wonder that comes from being “in the zone” doing what most brings your heart to life! You do know what I mean, don’t you? Labors of Love. Yes. I know you’ve been there.
Remember what it was like. Immersion. Losing all track of time. All struggle and strife seeming to just fade away.
And the work… The work of your “Labor of Love”… Well, it wasn’t work at all. I wonder if this might not be what it’s truly like to “Walk by the Spirit”.
Yes. To be so in tune… So in the flow of what God is doing… So caught up in the joy of Life… The Joy of His Life. His Life being expressed through us, even as us. So that all the rest, well… All the rest, is simply lost in the joy.
Father. Lord Jesus. Holy Spirit… Take us there. Take us to that place of fullness, in You. Help us experience what its like to live Your Life… Even as we live the lives You’ve given us. Amen.
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13
Today… I love that word. I love today. I love the hope of a fresh start. I love knowing that whatever I regret from yesterday… Well… its over. It’s over and done with.
Oh I know… I still have to live with some of the garbage of yesterday. The scales condemned me just this morning for the chocolate cake from yesterday.
But still… Today is a new day. I can do better. More than that…
I can be better!
In this moment… Right now… Today… I can… I can choose Life!
Heavenly Father… Thank You for today. Thank You for the hope for being better. Thank You for Love and Your Life In this moment Today. Amen.
“Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed”. John 20:8
I wonder how many of us are like “the other disciple”… Not called by name, but not forgotten either. The ones who get right up to the entrance of the empty tomb, but have to fight to find the courage to go on in.
When have you been at that place where you’ve had to put your hope to the test. How long have you sat on the outside, afraid of what might be.
Some try to live the Christian Life without ever going into the tomb. Afraid of only finding a dead man there. Afraid to go all in.
And so we hedge our bets. We think the entrance close enough. From there we can manage the risks. We think it enough to watch others go in. Sad ain’t it… When fear gets the best of us. You know it doesn’t have to be that way, don’t you?
Christian… Its time. Today. Today is the time to step right on up into what you’ve been hoping for. Yes. Step up and in and see… And believe! The tomb is empty. He’s alive! Yes, Jesus is alive and our time has come. Our time to go all in.
Let’s pray… Holy Spirit so fan into flame our Love for Jesus that all our fears fade. Jesus show us what it means to be all in with You… Even today. Father God we surrender our lives to You. Take over these bodies of ours that Your Love and Life and Goodness and Grace and Glory be known in every breath we take Today and tomorrow and evermore. Amen.
Alright now… What y’all waiting for… Come on… Let’s Go!
