Obedience of the Proof

From Walking with Christ in the Details of Life by Patrick Morley via the Life Lessons in my Devotional Bible:

According to Gallup surveys, confirmed by other polls taken over the past fifteen years, 33 percent of all Americans over age eighteen indicate they are evangelical or "born again" Christians. That translates into 59 million Christians, or one in every three adults, who experienced a turning point in their lives as they made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.

This information should grip us with terror. It means that the greatest revival in history has so far been impotent to change society. Is revival without reformation. It's a revival which left the country floundering in spiritual ignorance. It's a change in belief without a corresponding change in behavior...

How did the building blocks of the gospel become glued together with the cement of self-centeredness? The American gospel has evolved into a gospel of addition without subtraction. It is the belief that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior. It is a spiritual experience without any cultural impact. It is revival without reformation, without repentance...

The proof of religious conversion is to demonstrate that we have both added a relationship with Christ and that we have subtracted sin (repentance). And we multiply proof to a weary world by what we do - our deeds, our obedience. What we do must confirm what we say. Our deeds are the proof of our repentance...

A changed life is one that has added Christ and subtracted sin, that attracts a world weary of worn-out words. Obedience is the proof.

Titles or Testimonies

From the Life Lessons sidebar in my Devotional Bible:

On one such Sunday, after half a dozen students had given their reports, my pastor got up and delivered some closing words. "Children," he said, "you are doing to die! You may not think you're going to die. But you're going to die. One of these days, they're going to take you out to the cemetery, drop you in a hole, throw some dirt on your face, and go back to the church and eat potato salad."

"When you were born," he said, "you alone were crying and everybody else was happy. The important question to ask is this: When you die are you alone going to be happy, leaving everybody else crying? The answer depends on whether you live to get titles or you live to get testimonies. When they lay you in the grave, are people going to stand around reciting the fancy titles you earned, or are they going to stand around giving testimonies of the good things you did for them? Will they list your degrees and awards, or will they tell about what a blessing you were to them? Will you leave behind just a newspaper column telling people how important you were, or will you leave crying people who give testimonies of how they've lost the best friend they ever had? There's nothing wrong with titles. Titles are good things to have. But if it ever comes down to a choice between a title or a testimony--go for the testimony." (From Who Switched the Price Tags? by Tony Campolo)

Pray for Restoration

As we grow to become more like Christ, our behavior grows more distinctive from the world. Believers should be known for their eagerness to do good and help others.

Get it straight: Someone who sees grace as permission to sin has missed grace entirely. Mercy understood is holiness desired. "[Jesus] gave himself for us so he might pay the price to free us from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to him--people who are always wanting to do good deeds" (Titus 2:14)

Note the last phrase: "people who are always wanting to do good deeds." Grace fosters an eagerness for good. Grace doesn't spawn a desire to sin. If one has truly embraced God's gift, he will not mock it. In fact, if a person uses God's mercy as liberty to sin, one might wonder whether the person ever knew God's mercy at all.

When my father gave me his [credit] card, he didn't attach a list of regulations. There was no contract for me to sign or rules for me to read. He didn't tell me to place my hand on the Bible and pledge to reimburse him for any expenses. In fact, he didn't ask for any payment at all. As things turned out, I went a few weeks into the semester without using it. Why? Because he gave me more than a card; he gave me his trust. And where I might break his rules, I wasn't about to abuse his trust.

God's trust makes us eager to do right. Such is the genius of grace. The law can show us where we do wrong, but it can't make us eager to do right. Grace can. Or as Paul answers, "Faith causes us to be what the law truly wants" (Romans 3:31). ~ From In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado via the Life Lessons in my Devotional Bible.

This reminded me of something that happened several years ago. Sugar Pop's daughter Rosebud was driving to visit her sister - a six hour drive. Her car was fairly reliable, but we gave her one of our cell phones just in case she had any problems. We explained that he had limited minutes on our plan and that we just wanted her to have a phone in case she had any problems. She racked up over $300 in charges on the phone during that trip. She totally abused our trust. I could go one at list similar incidents with her, but that would only serve to make me angry. Please just pray for her because she is estranged from her parents, grandparents, siblings, and her own daughter. Mostly she is estranged from God. If her relationship with God is restored, all the other relationships in her life will be restored.

Rest

The following is from Disciplines of the Heart by Anne Ortlund via the Life Lessons in my devotional bible:

For you to rest -- that is, to live in total acceptance of God's way -- demands quiet...

To rest in God permanently means to hand over each activity, each situation of your life, to Him and to learn the habit of trusting Him to work for you.

We don't naturally rest. Naturally we are stewers, tinkerers, and fussers...

Have you too much o do? Are you pushed, rushed, harried?

Said George Fox long ago, "Come out of the bustlings you that are bustling."

To guard your inner life, you must guard your outer life. How's your pace? Are you too busy?...

Does your pace allow you to keep in touch with yourself -- with your inner needs and feelings and longings? Does it allow you time to think, plan, make changes? Does it allow you time to observe carefully the dear ones around you and care for their needs -- physical and emotional? Do you have time to really live?...

Asian theologian Kosuke Koyama says that in human affairs God moves at something like three miles an hour, the pace at which a person walks, not runs! Are you synchronized to your world, maybe even your Christian world, but out of sync with God?...

You will change when your inner life changes. But I just said your inner life is affected by your outer life! Then is the whole thing a vicious cycle that can't be stopped?

No, the change begins with a decision. Your heart is your headquarters. Even as you read this chapter, make the decision, by a conscious act of your will, that you will learn to rest in God both in your inner life and your outer life. Once the decision is made -- and you implement it as God opens your eyes to ways to implement it -- gradually, gradually over the weeks or years, the changes will come. Your heart will start listening to a different pulse deep within you, and with joy you'll begin to match your steps to that lovely, restful beat.

No Effort to be Like the World

We live in an age in which everything is working against the things we hold dear. Think about it. What force in our society is working to help you remain faithful to your partner? None that I can think of. The message of our world is just the opposite. What force in our society is working to help your kids remain true to principles the Bible sets forth in regard to sexual purity, honesty, loyalty, and the priority of character development? None! The message our kids are bombarded with is, "Acquire all you can do do whatever feels good." We don't live in a neutral world that beckons us to choose between right and wrong. The world we face everyday is one in which right as become wrong...

In addressing the believers in this city, Paul advised them to make the most of their time. That is, they should use their time carefully. Paul realized that it required absolutely no effort on their part to become like the world. They did not have to study or set goals or even make any plans to become worldly. All they had to do was get out in the world and live. If they took no precautions, it would be just a matter of time before they looked, acted, and thought just like the world. And that applies to us, too.

...In this evil day we need constant reminders of the truth. If we are not careful with our time, we will allow others to fill it up for us. There will be no time for God....Wise men and women are careful with their time. They use their extra time to draw close to God...

If doing business with certain individuals or groups puts you in a position that causes you to violate your convictions time and time again, quit doing business with them. If watching certain television shows causes you to lust, don't excuse them because of their entertainment value. Just quit watching them. If being with a particular group of people causes you to stumble, don't rationalize by saying, "But they are my friends." Get some new friends!

In every area of life, face up to what God would have you do. As long as you play games, as long as you ignore what you know in your heart God would have you do, you set yourself up to fail...

God wants control over every area of your life. Not partial control, total control. He wants you to be victorious over temptation. But He wants you to be victorious for His purposes, not yours. You may not have achieved victory over temptation because you are holding to the reins of your life and trying to get God to intervene in the rough spots. That isn't the way God works. He wants all of you. And when He knows you are His, He will do whatever He needs to make you into an effective servant for His kingdom. ~ From Winning the War Within by Charles Stanley via the Life Lessons Devotional in my Bible

Keeping Company

Monkey see, monkey do. When we spend enough time around those in a particular scene, our actions usually become similar. It is just the way we're made. And it is especially true if the one in the minority is insecure and unsure...All things being equal, if you run with bad company, you will be corrupted. The good won't rub off on them. Their bad will rub off on you. ~ Living above the Level of Mediocrity by Charles Swindoll via the Life Lessons Devotional

I struggle a lot with my eating habits when I am around people who don't eat healthy. At home and in my routine, I do great. But get me out of my routine and put me around people who don't eat the way I do and I pick up their habits quickly. I don't like to draw attention to myself and refusing dessert at a party is one way to quickly draw attention to yourself. (It's not that I don't ever eat dessert, it's just that I like to save desserts for special occasions and then they need to be GREAT desserts; not just a sheet cake at an office birthday party.)

On a good note, our office is going to start Weight Watchers at Work next week. Almost everyone is participating. Which means that the company I keep at work is going to be changing their habits to mine.

Discernment

The enemy emphasizes the past, with its mistakes and heartaches, the Comforter exalts the present help of our Lord (Psalm 46:1). The devil delights in taunting us with our weaknesses, and the Lord reminds us of the wealth of his riches in grace. Condemnation concerns itself with our failures; conviction shows us the faithfulness of God. The tempter teases us with immediate gain at any cost; the Trustworthy One tells us of eternal gain, and reminds us of Passion and Patience in Bunyan's House of the Interpreter. The father of lies magnifies our problems, by showing their hopelessness, impossibility, and pain; the God of all grace reminds us of the promises, whereby we can hope against hope; for "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope; and hope does not disappoint us" (Romans 5:3-5). Thus we know that pain can mean gain.

The false angel of light would have us walk by sight and earthly wisdom ("the counsel of the ungodly," Psalm 1:1); the Lord of life, who sees the end from the beginning, would have us walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), and thereby please our heavenly Father (Hebrews 11:6). The enemy would have us see the hosts of evil against us rather than the hillsides covered with ministering spirits (2 Kings6:15-17). He would keep us dwelling upon the injuries from others, until we become ineffective in service, rather than forgetting the things that are behind and pressing forward (Philippians 3:13-14) in the spirit of Him who said, "Father, forgive them." The Vanquished would have us feel the nails and the thorns, the Victor would have us see the triumph of Calvary's tree.

The discipline of discernment requires that we follow the tenets of divine revelation, lest we fall before the wrath of the tempter. We are to meet his subtlety, selfishness and sophistry in the same way as did the Captain of our salvation, with the unequivocal statement, "It is written" (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). We also are to live by the Word of God, are not to tempt the Lord our God, and are to worship Him only. We are to believe that as we commit our way unto the Lord and trust also in Him, He brings to pass His will (Psalm 37:5) We are to trust that He is able to fill us with the knowledge of His will (Colossians 1:9), and to protect us from ways of the destroyer. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard again him" (Isaiah 59:19) As we submit ourselves without reservation unto God, and resist the devil, the latter will flee from us (James 4:7).

By the Word, by the Spirit, by faith, by submission to the divine will, and by resistance to any appeal to self and sin we discern between the way of God and the path of the destroyer. (From The Disciples of Life by V. Raymond Edman via the Life Lessons Devotional)

Grace

What is the grace of God? The grace of God says you serve God because you are saved, not in order to be saved. You love people because you're saved, and not in order to be saved. You're not trying to keep a legalistic system, you're responding to a system of love and peace. What is grace? It's what someone gives us out of the goodness of their heart, not out of the perfection of ours. The story of grace is the good news that says that when we come, he gives. That's what grace is. Grace is a pleasant surprise. Grace is a kind gesture. Grace is something you did not expect. It is something you certainly could never earn. But grace is something you'd never turn down. You know what happens when someone sees the grace of God? When someone really tastes the forgiving and liberating grace of God? Someone who tastes God's grace is the hardest worker, the most morally pure individual, and the person most willing to forgive. ~ From The Inspirational Bible, "Grace", via my Devotional Bible

I think this is what is so life-changing about the Walk to Emmaus. During that 3 day weekend you really experience the Grace of God through the Body of Christ. Knowing His grace and experiencing His love changes the way the world looks. It is like seeing things in color instead of black and white. Hence the saying, "De Colores" (in colors).

He usually gets what He wants

From Traveling Light by Max Lucado via the Life Lesson Devotional in my Bible

In God's plan every life is long enough and every death is timely. And though you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better.

And--this is important--though you and I may wish a longer life for our loved ones, they don't. Ironically, the first to accept God's decision of death is the one who dies.

While we are shaking heads in disbelief, they are lifting hands in worship. While we are mourning at a grave, they are marveling at heaven. While we are questioning God, they are praising God.

But, Max, what of those who die with no faith? My husband never prayed. My grandpa never worshiped. My mother never opened a Bible, much less her heart. What about the one who never believed?

How do we know he didn't?

Who among us is privy to a person's final thoughts? Who among us knows what transpires in those final moments? Are you sure no prayer was offered? Eternity can bend the proudest knees. Could a person stare into the waning canyon of death without whispering a plea for mercy? And could our God, who is partial to the humble, resist it?

He couldn't on Calvary. The confession of the thief on the cross was both a first and final one. But Christ heard it. Christ received it. Maybe you never heard your loved one confess Christ, but who's to say Christ didn't?

We don't know the final thoughts of a dying soul, but we know this. We know our God is a good God. "He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives" (2 Peter 3:9). He wants your loved one in heaven more than you do. And he usually gets what he wants.

Trying to be an adult in a world full of children

At some point in life, each one of us must decide what is his highest joy; for the thing that delights us directs us. Generally speaking, a child finds his delight in what he has; a youth in what he does; and an adult in what he is. The first lives for possessions, the second for the experiences, and the third for character. We do not condemn the child or the youth for so living, because neither has reached maturity, but we would certainly wonder at an adult who lived on those lower levels. ~ From Live Like a King by Warren Wiersbe via my Life Lesson Devotional

When I read this, I went to Amazon to find out when it was written because it doesn't seem that our society is condemning adults for living at the lower levels of seeking possessions and experiences. In fact, from what "they" (the media) would have us believe, the only thing worth seeking is possessions and experiences. (In case your curious too, it was written in 1975.) No wonder I can't stand to watch regular television...it is geared for children and I am trying to become an adult.

He continues...

So, every person has an outlook on life, he is seeking his highest joy. Outlook determines outcome. Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the stars and become the friend of God by faith. Lot lifted up his eyes and saw Sodom and became the friend of the world. Abraham inherited the city prepared for him by God, the city he had been seeking; but Lot lost everything when Sodom went up in smoke. If life is to be rich and meaningful, then our joys must be the highest possible and Jesus tells us that the highest joy possible is to see God.

I want to seek after the highest possible joy. I can't go on living and seeking after the things the world wants me to, I must seek after God. God is the only place I can find joy, happiness, and fulfillment. Everything else is just a substitute and will never fill the God-shaped whole in my heart. Augstine said, "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You." Amen!

Fitting In or Standing Apart?

Questions from the Life Lesson Devotional:

How deeply do you care about fitting in and being like the world? What are the areas of your life where you blend in with those around you when you should not? Ask God to give you the courage and conviction to stand apart when you should.

The first thing that comes to my mind is with my eating habits (not very spiritual, huh?). I tend to try to fit in with the crowd and eat what others are eating. This is the biggest problem at office parties (actually any party) and when we go out with friends.

The other thing that comes to my mind is with my speech - talking about other people, making fun of people, being overly critical and judgemental. OR just being silent when other people are doing it.

There are probably more. I have emailed these questions to work so I can think about them today and pray for God to give me the courage and conviction to stand apart.

Ten Questions

From Walking in the Light by Neil Anderson via the Life Lesson in my Devotional Bible

These are ten questions you'll want to ask yourself and pray about when you're faced with a decision. The first five are generic. They represent moral issues and godly wisdom that are normative for all times. The next five are questions that you need to ask when facing a change in direction. Let's take a look at what each question entails.

1. Have you prayed about it? We aren't supposed to ask God to bless our plans; we are supposed to ask God for His plans.
2. Is it consistent with the Word of God?
3. Can I do it and be a positive Christian witness?
4. Will the Lord be glorified? Am I seeking the glory of man or flory of God? Am I doing this to be noticed by man or am I seeking to please the Lord?
5. Am I acting responsibly? God doesn't bail us out of our irresponsibility. He will let us suffer the consequences of our sings and irresponsibly choices. But when we are faithful in little things, He will put is in charge of greater things.
6. Is it reasonable? God expects us to think. His guidance may transcend human reasoning, but it never excludes it.
7. Does a realistic opportunity exist? Closed doors are not meant to be knocked down. If you have a hopeless scheme let it go. If it isn't God's timing, wait. If a realistic opportunity exists, and all the other factors are in agreement, then take the plunge.
8. Are unbiased spiritually sensitive associates in agreement? Be careful not to consult only those who will agree with you. Give your advisors permission to ask hard questions. Don't be afraid of no answers. If it isn't God's will, don't you want to know before you make the mistake of acting impulsively?
9. Do I have a sanctified desire? Don't think that being in the will of God must always be an unpleasant task. The joy of the Lord should be our strength...Is this a desire to satisfy a lust of the flesh, or a Spirit-filled desire to see God's kingdom established and people helped?
10. Do I have peace about it? This is an inner peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but in Christ we have assurance of overcoming the world. Is the peace of God guarding your heart and your mind?

If you have been able to answer yes to all ten deciding factors, what are you waiting for?

Don't give up

Don't give up...God is watching. For all you know right at this moment he may be telling the angel to move the stone...The job contract may be on the desk. Don't quit. For if you do, you may miss the answer to your prayers. ~ From the Life Lesson in my Devotional Bible.

Are you? Are you telling the angel to move the stone? Is today the day I will get the new job? I need to hear from you.

Devotional for Kairos

This is from the Life Lesson in my devotional bible. (I get a LOT from them. Have you noticed?) I have to present a little devotional tomorrow morning for the ladies working the Kairos this weekend and this is what I am going to use.

Two great problems in servings others are both problems of human nature, of focusing on our relationship with people instead of our relationship with Christ. The first problem is that people will expect too much of you; and the second, you will expect too much of them. Both of these problems are problems of unrealistic expectations. Expectations must be focused on Christ, not each other. He is the only One who will consistently not let us down.

The milk of human sympathy will undernourish your soul. No amount of human gratitude will properly compensate your effort to improve your human condition. When we focus on serving the person, we are inevitably disappointed. And what's more, we will disappoint them. Serving people for the sake of their gratitude is a guaranteed formula for disappointment. Just when you begin to feel good about your labors, someone lets you down. Or, more likely, someone will expect too much from you and accuse you of letting them down. Either way, your desitny is to be terribly discouraged...

The key is the personal relationship with Christ. The focus must not be on serving others or on being served. The focus must be on Jesus, on becoming so absorbed in the relationship with Him that every other thing is a response to our relationship. We do not serve men; we serve God. Have no expectations of men. Focus on the personal relationship with Him, and there wil be an overflow available for others.

Look to Christ alone for gratitude. If you serve Christ, then you will remember to look to Him for your approval, not to the milk of human sympathy. He will reward you for serving others; in fact, He is the reward.

When someone feels you let them down, you can surrender that relationship to Christ. You are serving Him only; He will give you the strength to serve that person more. You may want to flee from the ingratitude--the insatiable demands of other people--but Christ will empower you to be a servant if you take on His attitude. It can only come by devotion to the personal relationship.

The personal relationship with Christ is the oasis in the desrt of human relations. When people begin to wear you down, let it remind you that you are not in the overflow. It is time to drink of Christ. (From Walking with Christ in the Details of Life by Patrick Morley)

God's Guidance

From the Life Lesson in the devotional bible I am reading:

Learn to avoid sinful practices. Don't rub shoulders with those hostile to God. They will have a negative impact on you.

The first thing you must do is to ask the Lord to help you quietly examine the motives of your heart. Be sure that you really have set your will to obey the Lord in every respect. If this is your purpose then, and your soul is merely waitng to know the will of God in order to consent to it, then you have done your part.

From this point, you can be certain that He will make His mind known to you and will guide you on the right path.

Let no hint of doubt turn you from a steadfast faith in God's willingness and ability to guide you.

Remember this though: Our God has all knowledge and all wisdom. Therefore it is very possible He may guide you into paths wherein He knows great blessing are awaiting you just around the next fearsome turn -- paths on which, to our short-sighted human eyes, there seems to be only confusion and loss.