Bible Reading is a Waste of Time

Many Christians believe that; at least it's what we practically live out.

I eat food every day. For a good part of my life I ate too much. I can't think of a time in my life where I had to force myself to eat or had a day go by where I forgot to eat or couldn't find the time to do so.

But with the Word of God, the spiritual food, we see something else. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Here is the food we really need but when we forget, neglect or can't find time, we show we really believe that Bible reading is a waste of time.

If we treated our daily food like many do the Scripture, we would be very unhealthy. So too, the church is very unhealthy in a spiritual way.

I see a lot of the problems many of us face as a result of being spiritually malnourished. People are being led astray by the world because they have little input from God and what He tells us is true.

Someone can be a theologian and a heretic. They may study doctrine and various systems but neglect eating the food. Many seminary graduates have knowledge but lack wisdom because they have been taught about Scripture but don't eat it daily.

Make time every day to renew your mind and spirit with nutritious and life changing words from the giver of life.

Philip

Fear

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
Psalms 27:1

Fear can paralyze us. Sometimes that is good when the danger is real. Fear is bad when coupled with imagination; the small and unlikely becomes large and looming.

I was thinking about the theater shooting on Friday and how a sense of fear and terror of so many what-ifs will become the reality for many.

Should we ban guns or have everyone carry them? Do we need security at movie theaters now? Have all large gatherings of people become a source of anxiety?

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?
Psalms 56:3-4

A great confidence Christians can have is knowing that God is bigger and greater than anyone or anything that can touch our lives. We do live in a fallen and broken world so we can be sure that plenty of sorrow will touch our lives. We will not be completely free of the junk of the world but we can know that it can only touch us if God allows it. We don't have to live in fear.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28

Our focus needs to be on God and being sure that our lives are lived according to his commands. In doing that we will have peace that passes all understanding and bad fear will not rule our lives.

Live with joy,

Philip

Psalm 91 - What if it were true?

This psalm should force a crisis of faith. It is so blatant in its promises that we either skip over it, deny it or find ourselves wishing it were true. But who of us experiences it?

Let's read it before I go on:

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge —
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Are you with me? Does it seem too good to be true? Maybe what we need is a theologian to explain how it doesn't really mean what it says of that it was for a different time or for someone else.

Or could the problem be with us? Maybe we are not dwelling or abiding or making God our refuge. Maybe we are not trusting. Maybe we don't need Him to cover us because we have good insurance or a great security system. Maybe we don't hold fast to Him or call on Him when we are in trouble.

Could it be that what is required is complete faith and trust? Think about this from Mark 6:5-6: And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.

So the promises of Psalm 91 are true but our unbelief keeps them from us. We want to try before we buy. We want to believe halfway and see if God comes through but He usually doesn't work that way.

So if we want to read Psalm 91 and be able to recall how it has been true in our life then we need to live a different kind of life. We can't trust by percentages or have a backup plan. It's all or nothing.

We find ourselves in the same place as the father of a demon possessed son. In Mark 9:23 Jesus said this: All things are possible to him who believes. The father honestly responded: I do believe; help my unbelief.

Pray that unbelief would be gone and then trust with full abandon! Life will be drastically different.

Philip

Beat Up By Church?

I know there are bad churches and pastors out there. They may even be the majority and I'm speaking of the evangelical ones.

There are also many stories of people who were "beat up by the church". Some of them are valid. Here is one thing that bothers me though: many people who claim a bad experience with church were or are living an immoral life. They wanted a pat on the back but got something else.

I know there is a right and wrong way to deal with sin in other people. It should be done in love but it should be done. It is not loving to ignore it.

1 Peter 4:8 says this: Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. I think this really comes into play in places like marriage where we have the daily crap of another person to deal with. There is a lot of small stuff that needs to be forgotten. The same holds true in many other relationships.

But there is sin that does need to be confronted both in personal relationships and in the church. Immorality would be at the top of the list. Paul confronted the Corinthian church for their failure to deal with sin. See 1 Corinthians 5 for the story. He rebukes them for their tolerance and delivers the offender to Satan for the destruction of his flesh. He goes on to tell us that we should not associate with a so-called brother, that we should judge sin in the church and that we should remove the wicked from the church. The thing talked about is an unrepentant person; one who is practicing sin. The good part of the story is they followed his advice and the person later repented and was restored.

If sin in the church is not dealt with it is like yeast. It grows and infects the whole church. This is easy to see. If a church is soft on divorce they will see a landslide of divorce. If they ignore sex outside of marriage they will soon have many people filling the pews that are living together and feeling fine about it. If speaking against abortion is avoided, abortion will become more common in the church.

When I was a brand new Christian in 1973, I had a good experience with what some would call harshness. I had a dramatic conversion with all of the wonderful good feelings that come with it. A few weeks later I went up for prayer after a Bible study and told one of the leaders that I felt God was no longer with me. His response was swift. He told me I was a liar. He then went on to explain that it was not about feelings. Talk about an embarrassing kick in the butt yet it was what I needed. I count that experience as a turning point. I learned early that truth trumps feeling. I love Scott Hinkle for loving me enough to tell me the truth.

Some people are too harsh and some are too wimpy. In confronting our own sin we should find our bad tendency and deal with it. Then we should go out in love and kick some butt for Jesus. It's time to stop tolerating blatant immorality and those who promote it in the church.

Philip

Are We Prostitutes?

At a dinner party Winston Churchill says to his dinner companion, "Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?"

The woman responds, "My goodness, Mr. Churchill. I suppose I would."

Churchill replies, "Would you sleep with me for five pounds?"

She answers, "Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?"

Churchill answers, "Madam, we've already established that. Now we are haggling about the price."

So many times it all comes down to money. Of the many places where this plays out, politics and religion are two that come to mind.

I think about professed Christians who voted for Obama. Even though they were aware of his pro-abortion history, there was something in it for them. Obama promised to make their life nicer in exchange for their vote. They ignored all of the bad he represented, ignored the slaughtered children, pulled the lever, and violated their conscience.

In religion I think of pastors who avoid speaking on "controversial" moral issues because they don't want to offend certain pew sitters. If those people leave, their money goes with them.

In the end it's all haggling about price.

So what is our price? Are we willing to compromise for money or peace or acceptance or some other benefit?

Fear of losing something drives us. Let me offer an antidote. Matthew 23:9 says this: Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

Looking at the word father in its original language we get an understanding of what Jesus meant to convey. Pater or father is the one who is the provider, sustainer and upholder. We see that Jesus was saying we should only look to our heavenly Father in that way.

This can give us courage to do what is right. If we live to please our Father we will see his provision and care.

Philip

Gratitude Can Change Your Life

Have you felt thankful recently? Have you said ‘thank you’ lately? When was the last time you wrote the words ‘thank you’ to someone?

I think gratitude is one of our most neglected virtues. Maybe all of the advertising we see that tries to convince us there are a multitude of things we are missing makes us focus on what we don't have rather that seeing what we do have.

Here is a question: Does gratitude start in the heart or do we create it by expressing thankfulness? In either case I know it is strengthened when we focus on it.

How about in marriage? So much damage comes from focusing on a spouse's imperfections rather than seeing their good qualities. A good tip: Praise is a better motivator towards good behavior than nagging. (Note to self!)

I have found that formalizing my gratitude does something that fleeting thoughts can't. It cements the thought in my mind and makes it stronger than the grumbling voice that is always droning on.

Try to make the words ‘thank you’ a regular part of your vocabulary. When someone hands you your coffee or food or some other purchase, express thankfulness. That is a small but easy starting place. Look for other opportunities. Say it with a smile and let it settle in your heart where it will bring change.

How about writing it down? It may be for you in the form of a journal or for someone else in the form of a note. I think one of the most powerful things we can give or receive is a hand written personal note. Try that right now.  It doesn't have to be a fancy note card. Any piece of paper will do. Just express thanks to someone in a way that shows you really mean it. It will change you and bless them.

And most of all, give thanks to God.

...in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Philip

Foundation - Rock or Sand

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NASB

Here is what the Phillips version says: Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re- mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Two things I see here: the world wants us like itself and God wants us like Him.

We cannot escape the world. It is the place we live. Some people have tried things like a monastery to escape the world's influence but in the end find that the world lives within.

Now to be sure, the external does make a big difference. What we focus on, what we choose to look at and what we listen to will strengthen or weaken the world's influence on our internal - the heart.

We really battle three things in this area according to 1 John 2:16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The external is warring to influence and take over the internal.

Galatians 5:16-17 says this: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

To win the battle we need to have more influence from God's word than from the world. That will take more than a Sunday sermon or Sunday school class. We will have to refresh our minds daily with the corrective and cleansing power of Scripture.

A lack in this area is why we see Christians who are soft on sin. They are uncomfortable when confronting the world. Softness on abortion and homosexuality are two examples. Because the world has molded their thinking, they are persuaded more by its arguments than Scripture. Not having a foundation to stand on, they are swayed.

Sadly, many people are blind to their blindness; in ignorance they stand firmly committed.Also there are some who have the knowledge of what the Bible says but for philosophical reasons or fear of men or the desire of man's praise choose to compromise. They are in a worse state. So it's not just knowledge that is necessary but bowing the knee to truth.

If we don't fight, things slide downhill. If you don't fight daily for a Biblical mind you will end up with a worldly one.

The solution is a disciplined, habitual, regular, don't matter how you feel, immersion in Scripture. There are no short cuts.

It really is a life or death battle; winner takes all.

Philip

The Lesson of Tim Tebow

To begin I must say that I am not a sports fan and know very little about football. I'm not the person who could show from statistics or analysis what kind of quarterback Tim Tebow is. I also have not watched the games he has played in this year.

But I have followed Tim Tebow very close and am moved by what I see. He seems genuine. He loves football and sees his position as a platform. He also views football as just a game and from what I've read said that God doesn't care who wins or loses. That would probably make him a blasphemer in many sports fans minds.

So here is what I know. Some amazing things have happened in the fourth quarter and overtime when Tim Tebow is playing and not all of it has been from Tim's hands. Other players both on the Broncos and on the teams they have played have contributed to the wins.

I am 56 years old. I am close to the fourth quarter of my life and may already be in it. My life so far looks like many of the Bronco games Tim Tebow has played in. I have scored a few points and have missed many opportunities. I don't have a lot to show for the years I have lived. It would be easy to say my life has been a failure and it's not going to change in the future; I will never be a great husband or father.

But here is the lesson of Tim Tebow for me. The game is not over yet. I can't let my past failures paint the future. God can turn things around and bring glory to Himself through my life.

Tim Tebow is a very inspirational player. He seems to bring out the best in the team. He helps them believe they can succeed.

He is not a one man show either. He doesn't speak in terms of I but we. He recognizes that the whole team is essential. He doesn't demean the other players when they miss an opportunity but convinces them that they will do better in the future.

When the bad history of my life plays in my mind the volume is turned all the way up. It's hard to see anything changing for the good. I feel like the people who pack up their stuff and go home early, convinced this game is lost. Tim Tebow shows me it's not. An exciting win may be just around the corner.

With God, amazing things are possible. When I really think about it, He always seems to wait until the last minute to do things. He also loves redemption. He fixes broken things.

Another thing I know is that there will be future losses. I am going to sin. I am going mess up and miss good opportunities. I hope the people around me will yell encouragement rather than say they knew it wouldn't last and that I'm no good after all.

Tim Tebow teaches us to hang on in prayer. It doesn't matter how long we have prayed. It doesn't matter if we don't see an answer. It's not over yet; persist.

A good thing to remember is that our opponent is getting weak and may be overconfident in the fourth quarter. They may be leaving the game, already convinced of a win. We need to keep playing with all that we have.

I will close with this quote by Sir Winston Churchill:

When you feel you cannot continue in your position for another minute, and all that is in human power has been done, that is the moment when the enemy is most exhausted, and when one step forward will give you the fruits of the struggle you have borne.

It's not just Tebow time but God's time to shine.

Philip

Thanksgiving - In All

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!" I heard you think that. I have too.

Now it's front in center in our mind: The thing. Yes - the thing that collides with this verse.

The thing that is wrecking our life. The anchor that has slowed us or stopped us from moving forward in our life. The thing that causes rage or the looking for medication.

It doesn't matter what it is. Some thing entered our life; now it dominates. It may go under the surface for a while but it always dominates. Maybe there is a legion of these things.

But look again: In everything give thanks.... It's a small word but it changes everything. It liberates us to practice this Scripture truth. IN not FOR. In everything not for everything. Do you see?

I was hit by a car on my bike last week. Giving thanks in that situation is different than giving thanks for it. I am not a Calvinist. That person would say God caused or orchestrated or willed the accident so I have to give thanks FOR it.

I do believe in a big, huge, sovereign God. He isn't surprised by anything. I also live in a fallen world where horrible things happen. Evil is everywhere. The devil and demons are real and in some way are out to wreck my life. These two or three colliding things are beyond my ability to understand. I think error and false doctrine come when we try to put it in a neat little box that we can understand and explain.

So back to my bike wreck: I am thankful IN it. I'm thankful to be alive. I'm thankful I wasn't seriously hurt. I'm thankful that I learned to be more observant; in the future I will make sure the driver of a car turning right on a red light sees me before I pass in front of them. I'm thankful that I was able to meet with the driver of the car a couple days later and extend grace to him. I'm thankful that he took responsibility and paid for the damages to my bike. I'm thankful for a new bike that I like even more than my old one.

So a bad situation in a fallen world is redeemed because I can give thanks in it. I can turn it around in my mind. And something else can happen. Here is what Romans 8:28 says: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. God will work this situation for good. He will take a situation that was meant for bad and redeem it.

Thanksgiving and gratitude will save us from ourselves and an evil world. When we choose to give thanks we won't be tricked into blaming God for evil or for not caring about us or what is going on in our life. We will have a completely different perspective.

So, about your thing: In and not for. Start now.

Philip

Body and Blood

I am reminded this morning. Body and blood; not just any but that of Jesus. We have communion.

Resignation in the garden: there is no other way. Sweating blood in anticipation.

Betrayal and arrest.

Mocking, hitting, beating. Flesh ripped away. Crown of thorns.

Rejection.

Dragging a cross through the streets.

Nailed to a timber on a hill. Agony.

Separation from the Father. Unthinkable.

Spear to the side: last blood spilled. Death brings darkness.

Forgiveness and reconciliation. I am a friend of God.

Thanksgiving.

Philip

Castaway

...but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be a castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:27

Why the body? 1 John 2:16 points out that the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes are the source of many problems. Think of the struggles in your own life. Don't many of them come from these two?

What really struck me about this verse is the castaway part. Many versions use the word disqualified. The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament as reprobate. It has a very strong meaning.

The great apostle Paul didn't have a casual view of what sin can do and even the capability of his own heart. He realized that diligence in spiritual discipline and battle was essential. He realized that he could spend years preaching about salvation and heaven and then end up missing out on it himself.

I wonder if we might see more holiness in the church if people didn't have a false sense of "eternal security".  As things are now in many places, grace has been cheapened. Many have a sense that they can pretty much live however they want and God is obligated to let them into heaven because they prayed a sinner's prayer at some point or asked Jesus into their heart.

There will come a day of rude awakening for many people. Hopefully it will come before they enter eternity.

Philip

Burger King Religion

"Have it your way!" Many people not only want food choices their way but also want the same pick and choose when it comes to God.

A couple of mornings ago I was reminded of this verse in my morning reading: Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Timothy 2:5

As Christians these days we bristle at the word rules; it seems so rigid. We like flexibility. When we are telling a pagan about God we want to avoid telling them about the rules. We don't want to tell them that if they are going to follow Jesus there are things they can no longer do.

But what is really on my mind is people who call themselves Christians but want to be the Burger King; they want to have it their way.

I think of some people I know of who divorced their spouses. It wasn't for the reasons that Scripture would allow. One even proclaimed they were "happily divorced" yet God says he hates divorce. These people are now preparing to marry someone new. In Scripture, God says they are going to commit adultery.

So what if we really believe the verse I mentioned above? What if people who decide to have it their way end up not getting the prize? Maybe the rules are important, inflexible and only broken with serious consequences.

Now I'm not saying that people lose their salvation when they sin; 1 John 2:1 shows that forgiveness is available. But there is much Scripture that makes it clear that once you are saved you may not always be saved. For that reason we need to be careful not only of how we live our own lives but of what we excuse in others.

Philip

Do you know Absalom?

Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him. Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a suit to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, From what city are you? And he would say, Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel. Then Absalom would say to him, See, your claims are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king. Moreover, Absalom would say, Oh that one would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice.
2 Samuel 15:1-4

Absalom was King David's son. As I read this today I was intrigued by the slickness of Absalom. He has issues with his dad and with God's authority. He was unhappy with the way things were and he was going to make things happen his way. He had improvements in mind.

I think we all know an Absalom and at times many of us have played his game. Maybe it's at work or at church or maybe it was on the playground as a child.

We have a plan; we have a vision for a better job or world or ministry or game. The only thing separating us from world dominion is that someone else is in charge.

Of course there are proper ways and channels to work for change but many times we look for the shortcut. We wouldn't say it out loud but we believe God is moving too slow.

So we take matters into our own hands. We look for the disgruntled. We start to highlight the flaws and shortcomings of those in charge. We make it look like we are on the side of those who haven't gotten all they wanted from whoever is charge be they a boss, church leader, etc. The truth is, it's all about us. We couldn't really care less for the welfare of those we are using to accomplish our objectives. And little do they know how neglected they will be once we are in charge.

Watch out for Absalom. He promises great things and he has great plans but it may not be God's plan or way or time. Watch out when someone flatters you and then asks you to join in their new venture. Watch out for the subtle way that authority is undermined. Don't be jumping on the latest bandwagon all the time. Watch out when the new thing will hurt the old thing. 

Remember that all leaders are flawed. Yes, some of them are bad and need to be replaced but most are working hard to accomplish what they are supposed to do. Look for ways to support them. It's easy to tear things down but harder to build and maintain and usually less exciting.

Watch out for Absalom and you watch out for yourself.

Philip

Got Suffering?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

So comfort and suffering should be ours in abundance? The latter sure goes against the American dream. I know I have had some of both but I'm not sure I have ever had serious suffering. I hear about what people in other countries go through for believing in Jesus and I can't compare it to what I have experienced.

One thing for sure, there is grace to help us through the hard times and going through them with a brother in arm sure helps, especially if that person has walked the path before.

Another thing is that life has enough trouble without our stupid stuff adding to it. Drugs, alcohol, bad friends and bad decisions will surely add more sorrow to life. Walk slowly and choose carefully.

Look around for a hurting person who could use a little comfort. Remember what it felt like to have an arm around your shoulder when you were hurting and then pass it on.

Philip

Got Rest?

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

I woke up thinking about this verse today. Isn't it interesting how we can take the simple and make it complex and unobtainable?

Here is how my mind works: first comes the exegesis; take it apart in the Greek.  Parse it and look for interesting grammatical constructions. Feel satisfied with that process. Not done: application.

Have you ever heard a sermon about this verse? Many center on the salvation experience: “Oh sinner, come to Jesus and he will free you from your sin and give you rest.” Or maybe it explains how this verse speaks of a future rest. Someday, not on this earth we will experience the rest of God. Both are partially true.

What I heard this morning is the right now of this verse. Jesus wants to do this right now. He wants to do it everyday.

How many times am I weighed down with something or someone and I walk alone? Like a stubborn toddler I say, "I do it myself." I press on moaning and groaning. I may complain about the rough life and heavy load. Everything but the present application of this verse: Come to me. Come to me right now. Come for rest.

Are you worn out? Is fatigue a word that describes your life? Do you feel like giving up? Do you wish your weariness was physical? Is there not enough sleep to fix what shadows your life?

Are you carrying a backbreaking load: guilt, regret, hopelessness, failure, fear? This thing on your back: maybe you can't even see it or name it.

Bills to pay, work to do, people to deal with, mountains to climb. The noise rises, it starts to spin; fade to black. Crushing, numbing load.

Or: Come to me. Now. Simple. No exegesis needed. Just do.

Come to me - rest.

It goes on: learn of me and take my yoke. Learn so we know. Learn the new way. Replace my way with his. And his yoke: it's easy and light.

Simple. Note to self: do it today; do it now. Do it tomorrow.

Philip

Persistence in Prayer

I tell you, even though he doesn't want to get up and give him anything because he is his friend, he will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
Luke 11:8

I heard this verse in Church this morning. I wondered about the word persistence so I looked it up. It speaks of something much more that persistence. It’s very powerful; speaking of someone without modesty, someone who knows no shame, without a sense of what is proper, is reckless and with complete audacity.

And that is how God wants us to be with him; to come boldly and with abandon to his throne of grace. It’s beyond persistence. It’s a behavior that would annoy most of us. Someone acting crazy as they beat on the door, demanding to be heard, demanding an answer to their request.

Everything Jesus ever said about prayer can be summed up in one word: ask. Be bold enough to ask in this way.

Philip

Celebrating Redemption

Thoughts from my reading in Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp. The devotional is abbreviated and my thoughts are in red.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15

We should be the most celebratory community on earth. There should be a deep and abiding joy that's the backbeat of everything we do. Each of us should carry around with us a deep sense of privilege for who we've become and what we've been given in Christ. We'll spend eternity celebrating redemption, but there's something wrong if the rehearsal for destiny's celebration isn't beginning now.

Good reminder to me. Too often I let the junk of life determine my outlook and mood. It shouldn’t be that way. My life is in God’s hands and He causes all things to work for my good.

It should be in our minds, it should flood our hearts, it should be constantly on our lips: we have been redeemed! Chosen out of the mass of humanity, forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus, accepted into God's family, the Holy Spirit now living inside of us, God working to empower us against and to deliver us from sin, the great paradigmatic truths of the biblical narrative now open to us, the mutual-ministry fellowship of the body of Christ our regular experience, and a guaranteed future in God's presence and free from sin and struggle. We've been redeemed! The scope and breadth of it boggles the mind. It's almost too much for our hearts to take in. Given what we couldn't deserve—love in the middle of our rebellion—and given acceptance we could never earn. We've been redeemed! We've been redeemed! We've been redeemed!

Doesn’t the religious cloud block these amazing things from our mind? Yeah, we’ve heard it before, I know all that… But really, if this is true, everyday and every thought should be colored by it.

Unlike the rest of creation, human beings are good at celebration. Last night I sat looking out an eighth-floor window over the Philadelphia Art Museum and watched the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. It was a fittingly celebratory end to a two-week celebration of our nation's birth that Philadelphia calls, "Welcome America." Welcome indeed! Welcome to remember the beginnings of the freedoms you now enjoy. Welcome to remember the patriots who gave their hearts, minds, and lives to secure this freedom. Welcome to walk the streets and enter the buildings where American freedom took its shape. And welcome to days of celebration with others who are reflecting, remembering, and recognizing the freedom that now shapes their daily lives. National freedom is a thing worth celebrating, as is another year of life, or the end of the harvest season, or twenty-five years of successful work. But all of these appropriate celebrations pale in comparison to the meaning and majesty of the reality of redemption that should flood the mind of every believer every day.

It’s the same at Christmas. I have to admit that I really look forward to the gifts and goodies I will receive. I can be “spiritual” with the best of them and can say the right words but am I really amazed by what the Christ child means? To be honest, my thoughts are more toward the commercial Christmas than the baby born in the manger.

What will you celebrate today? That raise you have been working toward? That new car you dreamed of for two years? The local team that finally won a championship? An anniversary? A birthday? The first steps of that toddler? The lack of traffic on the way to work? The deli sandwich that was better than ever? The new shoes that you thought you would never find? Your new iPhone? If you're a human being, you're a celebrator. The question is, in all of your celebrations, do you turn again and again to celebrate the most amazing, the most magnificent, the most mind-bending thing that a human being could be chosen to experience—redemption?

You have been redeemed! You have been redeemed! You have been redeemed! Now, go out and celebrate.

A question from the meditation:

Reflect on what you celebrated this year, this month, this week, today. Who is at the center of your life of celebration?

I celebrated the gifts I was given this Christmas. I celebrated with a lot of good food and cookies. This month I celebrated that my work was so much busier than last year. I also celebrate that I am a child of God. As messed up as my life can be, I know it is radically different than it would be if Jesus wasn’t at the center. Thank you Lord for being my redeemer and for the family and friends you have given to me.

Philip

PS So this post brings this devotional to a close. I have done one chapter a week this year and I think I am better for it. I have learned many things and have had my thoughts challenged and changed. Check it out yourself.


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Reductionism

Thoughts from my reading in Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp. The devotional is abbreviated and my thoughts are in red.

You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Psalm 51:6

There's loads of knowledge to be found, but wisdom is a rare commodity. Why? Because wisdom is one of sin's first casualties. Sin reduces all of us to fools. You see the empirical evidence of the foolishness of sin on almost every page of Scripture. You see foolishness in full operation in the tragic story of David and Bathsheba. This is why David says, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place" (v. 6 NIV).

You read the story of David's sin, and you say to yourself, "What was he thinking? Did he really believe that he'd get away with this? Did he completely forget who he was? Did he think that God was going to stand idly by and let this happen?" But David is not some extreme case of foolishness gone wild; you see evidence of the same foolishness in each of our lives daily. The components of the foolishness of sin still corrupt and interrupt our lives again and again. People could say of us again and again, "What was he thinking? What was she thinking?"

I’ve heard it called the soporific nature of sin. It makes us spiritually sleepy, dull and stupid. That explains the crazy things people do.

What does foolishness look like? Here are four of its most significant aspects.

1) The Foolishness of Self-centeredness
We were created to live for something, someone bigger than ourselves. We were designed to live with, for, and through the Lord. God is meant to be the motivation and hope of everything we do. His pleasure, his honor, and his will are the things for which we are meant to live. But the foolishness of sin really does cause us to reduce our lives to the size and shape of our lives. Our living has no greater purpose than self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment. Our problem isn't just the difficulties of life in this fallen world but the foolishness that we bring to them that causes us to trouble our own trouble.

Wisdom from Scripture tells us that we find fulfillment when we experience the joy of giving to and serving others. If we water we will be watered. But sin tells us something different. I look out for myself, only giving if something is left over or if it’s convenient. I keep a tight reign on things and time; I don’t want to run out of either.

2) The Foolishness of Self-deception
We're all very good at making ourselves feel good about what God says is bad. We're all very skilled at recasting what we've done so what was wrong doesn't look so wrong to us. I'll tell myself that I didn't really lash out in anger; no, I was speaking as one of God's prophets. I'll tell myself that that second look wasn't lust; I am simply a man who enjoys beauty. I'll tell myself that I'm not craving power; I'm just exercising God-given leadership gifts. Foolishness is able to do something dangerous. It's able to look at wrong and see right. Had David been able to see himself with accuracy and if he'd been able to see his sin for what it really was, it's hard to imagine that he would have continued to travel down that pathway.

The only way out of this deception is to renew our mind with Scripture and to have good people around us who get involved in our lives when they see us getting off track.

3) The Foolishness of Self-sufficiency
We all like to think of ourselves as more independently capable than we actually are. We weren't created to be independent, autonomous, or self-sufficient. We were made to live in a humble, worshipful, and loving dependency upon God and in a loving and humble interdependency with others. Our lives were designed to be community projects. Yet, the foolishness of sin tells us that we have all that we need within ourselves. So we settle for relationships that never go beneath the casual. We defend ourselves when the people around us point out a weakness or a wrong. We hold our struggles within, not taking advantage of the resources that God has given us. The lie of the garden was that Adam and Eve could be like God, independent and self-sufficient. We still tend to buy into that lie.

Sometimes I think we emphasize a “personal relationship with Jesus” too much. We think all we need is Him when He showed by His own life that we need relationships with other people. Through these relationships we gain wisdom and perspective. We also gain victory over sin. Nate Larkin, founder of the Samson Society said this: “During the darkest years of my life, I begged God time and again for a private solution to my private problem, but He never gave me one.” What Nate found is that God wanted to use his sin to force him out of isolation. “In the end, I found victory over my sin by surrendering not just to Christ, but also to the body of Christ.” I need other people.

4) The Foolishness of Self-righteousness
Why don't we celebrate grace more? Why aren't we more amazed by the wonderful gifts that are ours as the children of God? Why don't we live with a deep sense of need, coupled with a deep sense of gratitude for how each need has been met by God's grace? Well, the answer is clear. You'll never celebrate grace as much as you should when you think you're more righteous than you actually are. Grace is the plea of sinners. Mercy is the hope of the wicked. Acceptance is the prayer of those who know that they could never do anything to earn it. But the foolishness of sin makes me righteous in my own eyes. When I tell my stories, I become more the hero than I ever was. I look wiser in my narratives than I could have been. In my view of my history, my choices were better than what they actually were. Often it isn't my sin that keeps me from coming to God. No, it's my righteousness that keeps me from him. Sadly, I don't come to him because I don't think I need the grace that can be found only in him. I don't seek the rescue of that grace because I'm right in my own eyes.

There is also the recurring problem of trying to clean ourselves up before we come to God or thinking we have to grovel before we can be forgiven. Both of those have self-righteousness as their root.

Sin really does reduce us all to fools, but happily the story doesn't end there. The One who is the ultimate source of everything that's good, true, trustworthy, right, and wise is also a God of amazing grace. You don't get freed from your foolishness by education or experience. You don't get wisdom by research and analysis. You get wisdom by means of a relationship with the One who is Wisdom. The radical claim of the Bible is that wisdom isn't first a book, or a system, or a set of commands or principles. No, wisdom is a person, and his name is Jesus Christ. Wisdom begins a lifelong process of freeing us from the stronghold that the foolishness of sin has on us.

It makes such sense that a repentant man (David) would reflect on his need of wisdom. Sin, in reducing us to fools, causes us to do foolish things, even though we think we're wise. And for this we need more than information, education, and experience. We need exactly what we find in Christ—grace. Wisdom is the product of grace; there is simply nowhere else it can be found.

For our relationship with Jesus to grow we need to spend time with Him and get to know Him through the Bible. Without that, we will end up with some messed up view of who He is and what He wants. We will create Him in our image instead of being conformed into His image.

A question from the meditation:

Where do you see the four kinds of foolishness still operating in your life?

I’ve identified a lot of it in the above comments. Those words come from my life and are in the present tense. Probably my biggest problem is self-centeredness. That’s one that isn’t going away soon.

Philip


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Ready, Willing, and Waiting

Thoughts from my reading in Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp. My thoughts are in red.

. . . and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:12

Lord,
I think I can honestly say
I am ready, willing, and waiting.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to see my sin as You see it.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to acknowledge that I am my biggest problem.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to run from wrong.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to seek Your help.
Ready, willing and waiting
for my mind to be clear.
Ready, willing, and waiting
for my heart to be clean.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to acknowledge what You see.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to rest in Your compassion.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to hide in Your unfailing love.

I am ready “to acknowledge that I am my biggest problem”. That in itself would be a major realization. I want to blame someone else for my problems and for my anger. “What you did made me angry” is a regular excuse but the truth is that someone else may have done something but my anger comes from within.

I am ready, willing, and waiting
to be washed by You.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to admit that I acted against You.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to prove that You are right and just.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to confess that my problem is from birth.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to examine within.

God is always ready but we are not. It’s nice to be in the place where we agree with Him with what is going on in our lives. That admission and confession prepares us for cleansing.

I am ready, willing, and waiting
to be whiter than snow.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to hear joy and gladness.
Ready, willing, and waiting
for brokenness to give way to joy.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to have a steadfast heart.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to celebrate Your grace once more.

It’s amazing that God takes us with our grit and grime and makes us clean like a new snow. And not just clean but joyfully clean.

I am ready, willing, and waiting
to teach others Your ways.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to help them turn back to You.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to have You save me from me.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to sing songs of Your righteousness.
I am ready, willing, and waiting
to declare Your praise.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to bring the sacrifice of a broken heart.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to see Your people prosper.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to see You worshiped as is Your due.

In our cleanness we are able to rejoice, to sing to praise and to show through our life the wonder of forgiveness and restoration.

But, I am also
Ready, willing, and waiting
to be protected by Your love.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to be held by Your grace.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to be hidden in Your mercy.
Ready, willing, and waiting
to be defended by Your power.
Because I know
that I won't always be
ready, willing, and waiting.

We do live a circular life. There are days when our thoughts are focused on God and days when we coast on our own power. There are days when we walk with God and days when He carries us.

A question from the meditation:

If someone watched a DVD of your last six weeks, would they conclude that you are a person who is ready, willing, and waiting to have God do exactly what he has promised to do in, with, and through you?

It depends on the day. I know that no good thing dwells in me. It’s only as I abide in Jesus that good comes out of my life. I wish I let Him live through me all the time but I don’t. What I am without Him rises to the surface and causes all kinds of problems.

Philip

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Broken Bones

Thoughts from my reading in Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp. My thoughts are in red.

Let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Psalm 51:8

I must admit it it; I have a low tolerance for difficulty. I am a project-oriented person, so I tend to have an agenda for every day. I know exactly what I want to accomplish and what a successful day will look like. I don't want to have to deal with interruptions or obstructions. I want the situations, locations, and people around me to willingly participate in my plan. All of this means that it's counterintuitive for me to view difficulty as something beneficial. I've little time and tolerance for "broken bones."

I identify with this mindset. I like to be able to schedule things in my day so all goes smoothly – at least in my view. I don’t like surprises. I don’t like things to be unpredictable or up in the air.
   
My problem is that my Redeemer is the redeemer of broken bones. Maybe you're thinking, "Paul, what in the world are you talking about?" "Broken bones" is a physical metaphor for the pain of redemption. In case you've noticed, God's work of delivering you from your addiction to self and sin and molding you into his image isn't always a comfortable process. Sometimes, in order to make our crooked hearts straight God has to break some bones. I gotta confess, I don't like broken bones.

It is so much easier when we yield willingly and without a fight. Recognize what’s wrong, agree with God and accept the grace which brings change. But it’s usually not that way because we enjoy our sin even when it’s messing us up.

I love the way the prophet Amos talks about this (Amos 4). It's a bit of a disconcerting passage until you wrap your brain around what the prophet is saying about why God is doing what he's doing. Listen to the "broken bones" phraseology of this passage:

"I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and lack of bread in all your places."

. . . . . . . . . .

"I also withheld rain the from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;

I would send rain on one city ..
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;

so two or three cities would wander to another city

to drink water, and would not be satisfied."

. . . . . . . . . .

"I struck you with blight and mildew;
your many gardens and your vineyards,
your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured."

. . . . . . . . . .

"I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;

I killed your young men with the sword,
and carried away your horses,
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils."

. . . . . . . . . .

"I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning."

Amos 4:6-11

Too bad many people stop here and blame God for their problems and accuse Him of not caring about what is going on in their life. “How could a God of love let this happen?”

Now, you have to ask, "Why would a God of love do this to the people he says he loves?" Well, there's a phrase that's repeated after every stanza of this scary poem that's the answer to this question. Pay attention to these words: "yet you did not return to me." These acts that seem like the product of vengeful anger are actually acts of redemptive love. You see, in doing these things God is actually fulfilling his covenantal commitment to satisfy the deepest needs of his people. And what is it that they need most? The answer is simple and clear throughout all of Scripture; more than anything else they need him!

This is what we need to keep in mind every day: everything that God does and allows is designed to pull us to Him. If we remember that, the difficulties we encounter will be easier to accept.

But this is exactly where the rub comes in. Although our greatest personal need is to live in a life-shaping relationship with the Lord, as sinners we have hearts that are prone to wander. We very quickly forget him and begin to put some aspect of the creation in his place. We very soon forget that he's to be the center of everything we do, and we put ourselves in the center of our universe. We easily lose sight of the fact that our hearts were made for him, and that deep sense of well-being that all of us seek can only be found in him. We rapidly forget the powerfully addicting dangers of sin and think we can step over God's boundaries without moral cost. So, God in the beauty of his redeeming love will "break our bones." He'll bring us through difficulty, want, suffering, sadness, loss, and grief in order to ensure that we are living in pursuit of the one thing that we desperately need—him.

I have to admit that many times or most of the time it takes something BIG to get my attention. I may feel God’s hand on me but it isn’t until the sound of the crack and the pain of the break that I am aroused from my slumber. Pain has a way of getting our attention. Sad to say, many times people refuse to respond to God’s loving call. For them Proverbs 29:1 speaks: He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

It's time for us to embrace, teach, and encourage others with the theology of uncomfortable grace. As long as sin still lives inside of us, producing in each of us a propensity to forget and wander, God's grace will come to us in uncomfortable forms. You may be wondering where the grace of God is in your life, when actually you're getting it. But it's not the grace of release or relief; no, you're getting the uncomfortable grace of rescue, relationship, and refinement.

How many times do we try to alleviate the pain in someone’s life that is there to help them? It may be through welfare, drugs, misplaced sympathy or words that help cover-up what is going on in their life.

So, if you are God's child, resist the temptation to doubt his goodness in the middle of your stress. It's time for us to stop thinking that our difficulty is a sign of his unfaithfulness and inattention. If you are God's child and you still recognize the battle of sin within, then those difficulties are sure signs of rescuing redemptive love. God isn't withholding his grace from you. No, you're experiencing uncomfortable grace, grace that's willing to break bones in order for your heart to be true. This grace is unwilling to give up. This grace will not turn its back. This grace will not accept the status quo. This grace will not compromise or grow cynical. God hasn't forgotten you. He loves you with real love, and he's giving you real grace. And he'll continue to do so until you're finally free of your propensity to wander away. Now that's real love.

We can understand this because we see how God acts in Scripture. It’s dangerous when we let the messages of the world crowd out God’s message. The solution is daily washing in the Word.

A question from the meditation:

What is God doing in your life right now in order to draw you more closely into a more committed relationship with him?

People I love are in bad situations that I can do nothing to change. I pray for the will of God to prevail in their lives. I pray for them to respond to God’s loving grace that can bring rescue, relationship and refinement. I know only God can fix what’s wrong.

Philip

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