Day 4 - Week 45 - Romans 12:11 "Do not lack diligence, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord."

....be fervent in spirit.....

We've determined we are to be consistent in our striving to do God's will, expressing His love to others in all aspects of our lives, and showing our love to Him above all else.  Diligence. 

Now, what does the phrase, "be fervent in spirit" mean to you?  Really...what does that say to you?  I think there would be some who would interpret it to mean that we are to be emotionally charged devotees who never miss an opportunity to raise our hands in praise or to shout a "Praise the Lord!" or "Hallelujah!"   (I love doing all of these things...but overused, both actions and words can become less meaningful than intended.)

"zeo in pneuma"

"Zeo" (fervent) is defined as to boil with heat, used of boiling anger, love, zeal.
"Pneuma" (spirit) is best defined in this context as the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one

So we are to have a boiling hot disposition when it comes to the things that Paul discusses in the verses preceding Romans 12:11, remember those?  But let's also look at the verses following our exhortation to fervency....

Romans 12: 9-18
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good.  Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.   Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.      Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.   Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.    Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.   Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.   Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes.     If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. 

These are the things we are to be fervent about in our spirit.  We are to be a people who are consumed by our desires to live in accordance with the way God has asked us to live.  We are not to be complacent or satisfied with lives exhibiting anything less.  I love these words written by J. C. Ryle that Robert J. Morgan chose to include in his text covering this verse...they are not words of comfort, but words of strong exhortation!

I want to strike a blow at the lazy, easy, sleepy Christianity of these latter days, which can see no beauty in zeal, and only uses the word "zealot" as a word of reproach. I want to remind Christians that "Zealot" was a name given by our Lord to His Apostle Simon as a mark of honor, and to persuade them to be zealous men.....There is in a sense in which it may be said that zeal is contagious.  Nothing is more useful to the adherents of Christianity than to see a real live Christian---a thoroughly zealous man of God.

Now I'm not sure of the date of that quote, but I do know that J. C. Ryle died in 1900.  I have a feeling that the "lazy, easy, sleepy Christianity" of his day would appear quite zealous compared to what he may witness in many churches of today.  Where is our zeal?  Where is our burning desire to be a "real live Christian----a thoroughly zealous man of God."  That is what we are called to. 

I cannot close without including the phrase that has been ringing through my mind as I write today's thoughts....

Revelation 3:14-20
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God's creation says:    I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot.    So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.   Because you say, 'I'm rich; I have become wealthy, and need nothing,' and you don't know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,  I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, and white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see.   As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent.    Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.   

As we enter into 2012, let us renew within our selves a call to fervency, to a boiling hot love for Christ and His will for our lives.  No more lukewarm, no more lazy, sleepy, easy Christianity. 

Another year is dawning, dear Father let it be, on earth or else in Heaven another year for Thee!    Frances Havergal

Day 3 - Week 45 - Romans 12:11 "Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord."

Do not lack diligence...

Nothing like starting off with a very direct exhortation, is there?  Since it is so direct, let's make sure we get the full meaning so we don't miss anything!

You know how this section reads in the King James Version?  "Not slothful in business..."  Now that throws a different light on it, doesn't it?  Slothful in business=lacking diligence?

The Greek words used are "okneros" (sluggish, slothful, backward) and
"spoude" (earnestness in accomplishing, promoting or striving after anything; to give all diligence)

So I think we get the message - we are not to be lazy, but we are to be diligent in accomplishing the business we are given to do.  This is one of those times that I think it bears looking at the context preceding this passage to ensure we are clear as to what we are not to lack diligence about.

Romans 12:9-11
    Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good.   Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.   Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.  

The section title above these verses is "Christian Ethics"...basically a description as to how Christians are to live.  The sentence immediately preceding our verse says a lot, doesn't it.  "Outdo one another in showing honor"...THEN...."Do not lack diligence..."

Seems to me that we are to never let up on honoring each other...never let up on loving in honesty and sincerity...never let up on hating evil, loving good...never let up.

It is easy sometimes to get caught up in our own selfish motivations, but we must be diligent in combating those deterrents to the business we are called to...loving others more than ourselves...loving God above all else.

What if, in 2012, those of us who call ourselves Christians were absolutely diligent about our desire to show honor to others more than seeking to honor ourselves?

What if, in 2012, those of us who call ourselves Christians were absolutely diligent about our desire to express true, honest and sincere love to others?

What if, in 2012, those of us who call ourselves Christians were absolutely diligent about our business...the business of seeking God's will in each and every aspect of our lives? 

I'm thinking that is what we are to be the absolutely most diligent about...seeking God's will and doing it.  As I start a new year, I am going to remind my self..."Do not lack diligence!"   Never let up! I saw a quote today that bears repeating, don't know the author so I can't credit, but I can repeat: "God's will for my life is for me to seek to do God's will."

Day 1 - Week 45 - And again we begin...

...another verse to add to our hearts.  With the end of a year, we tend to think of finalizations.  But our trip is not yet half over.  Don't even think about quitting!!

Going back to the analogy of the Appalachian Trail, we are now crossing the Potomac River into Maryland, most likely across the Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge.  Makes me realize that someone has come before and made the trip a little bit easier for us.  Someone built a bridge!  Now what does that remind you of?

Christ has gone before us - He built the bridge for us to be able to cross over the river of our sins into the presence of Holy Almighty God.  Every time you cross a bridge from now on, say a prayer of thanks for our Bridge who sacrificially gave Himself so that we can safely cross over.

We continue with our section of verses on obedience.  Last week's verse was a good one to have toward the end of a year and going into a new one to remind us that we are not about this world, nor do we want to conform to this world.  We have been born to something so much better!

Let's review and then unwrap (possibly our last Christmas present for this year!) our new verse:

The Gift of Assurance (10)

1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life and that life is in His Son.

1 John 5:12-13 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn't have the Son of God, does not have life. I say these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life.

John 14:1 Your heart must not be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansion, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3 And if I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you unto Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or afraid.

Isaiah 26:3-4 You will keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You, for it is trusting in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed . (KJV)

Isaiah 53:6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquities of us all.

Praise and Thanksgiving (4)

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

Promises of God (10)

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 3:-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Romans 12:2  Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.

We're going to stay in Romans 12 and just move down to verse 11.  I have to admit, this is not a verse that I have repeated to myself over the years, but I can see where it is one that I need to remind myself of regularly!

Romans 12:11
Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.

Short, sweet and to the point, isn't it?  But easy...hmmmm....what do you think?  Let's camp out at the end of our footbridge and let this one soak in to our hearts this week. 

Thank you for taking this journey with me...it's been encouraging to me to hear positive comments from some of you when we meet.  I never know where this is landing, but it is landing in multiple places and in multiple hearts.  I ask God's blessing on you as you share His Word with me and I ask His restriction on me as I write, that my words never are in contrast to His.

Moving forward together!

 

Day 6 - Week 44 - Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God."

I hope you all had as merry a Christmas Day as the Hodges family did...we ate, and gifted, and talked, and ate, and did one of the silliest things ever...we pulled off our socks and shoes and ran out in the 4" of snow that Amarillo surprisingly received to make it one of our rare White Christmases!  Even 5 year old Genny joined in our "Polar Bear Run"!  Fun times that make for good family memories!

On Christmas Eve we celebrated Christ's birth with wonderful services at Hillside Christian Church.  It was an evening of true praise to Christ our King.  My mind was renewed with the truth of the gift of God to us in the form of His Son, coming as a baby in Bethlehem.

When we dwell on the truths of God, we will find ourselves being non-conformists to this world, to this age of the temporary.  We will find ourselves realizing that the lies that are being told to us by this world do nothing for us other than increase our levels of discontent and frustration.  Lies such as...

• getting more "stuff" will add to our happiness
• our physical appearance determines our value
• making more money should be our ultimate goal
• bigger, better homes/cars/clothes/toys increases our enjoyment of life
• growing old gracefully is an idea that you should never embrace

The list could go on and on...but you get the idea.  What the world tells us should be our priorities is in direct contrast to the priorities that God lays out for us.  God's priorities are clearly stated by Jesus as the two greatest laws:  love God and love others.  More than ourselves.  That's where the biggest rub comes to the primary lie that the world (and the ruler of this world, Satan) tries to etch into our heads...WE are not the center of the universe...WE are not the priority...WE are not to think of ourselves as most important.

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.

Or as The Message puts it,

Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.

That is not what the world tells us...but it IS what God's Word tells us and what helps us in our quest to understand God's good, perfect and pleasing will for our lives. 

Day 5 - Week 44 - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas to all---Christ is born!! 

Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God."

Christ came down!  Christ lived, died and rose again...and because of Him, we have an option.  We can live as if this divine event never happened and live according to what the world gives us (which is all temporary), or we can choose to renew our minds in the truth of Christmas, the truth that Christ came and made a difference for all mankind.  Because of Him, we can choose to live according to the good, pleasing and perfect will of God, knowing that there is so much more to this life and beyond this life. 

I look around at what the world is telling us today---it is trying very hard to minimize Christmas from the one that I knew as a child.  Santa, reindeer and snowmen have taken over the yard decorations rather than the serenity of the manger scenes that were once the absolute norm of every yard.  The world says, "Celebrate the holidays, give yourselves some gifts, and sing some silly songs.  Feel good for these few days of the winter holiday season."  Now there is nothing wrong with those things in themselves, but the sad thing is that many people today are not realizing that there is something so much better going on.

In minds that are being renewed into the knowledge of God's will, ideas are spinning that are not of this world.  They are dwelling on the fact that 2000 years ago, God came to earth in the form of a baby, bringing with Him the absolute truth and grace that the world had never experienced.  These minds are thinking about the love that Christ taught us, and they are thinking of the compassion that needs to be shown to those with less, to those who are physically and emotionally needy, and to those who are spiritually empty.  They are thinking about what they can do to share Christ's love in whatever way they are being led to do so. 

In minds that are being renewed into the knowledge of God's will, thoughts are on Christmases to come and how they can be better for themselves and their families, the lessons that still need to be taught.  And they certainly are thinking about the one day when they will leave this temporary world and enter into the place that God has prepared for them....all because of the fact that a Baby came to provide for them access into this divinely appointed place, where God's will is for all to live with Him for eternity.

Christ came!  Hallelujah!!  Because of Him, life is different---life is imminently better---life is eternal.  I pray that you embrace the Savior today...He has come for you.


 

Day 4 - Week 44 - Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God."

Transformation through Christ brings with it many revelations of truth.  We no longer accept what the world says about life and death. 

The world says, "He's dead - he's gone - it's over." That's not what we say.  When we, as Christians, see someone we love go home to heaven, and we know that they had accepted Christ's blood over their lives as purification enabling them to enter God's presence, then we challenge the world's statement with a resounding, "It's not over - it's only just begun!"  We got to make that statement yesterday as we celebrated Shorty's life here on earth, and more importantly,celebrated his entrance into eternal life with his Lord. 

The world tells us many other things that as we allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds we discover are very contrary to the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.  Paul wrote these words so many years ago, but his words "do not be conformed to this age", have applied to every age that the world has gone through ever since.  Whatever age of the world people have found themselves in when hearing or reading these words, one thing all have had in common....we live in the age this side of heaven.  We live in the age of this earthly world, and Paul instructs us to pull ourselves out of it. 

We are, as Jesus told Nicodemus, to remember that we are not children of this world, but we have been born again into a life that is so very different, a life that is not designed for moments that click away, but for an eternity of purposefulness.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to constantly renew our minds into thought processes that take us out of the temporal and into the eternal...that is the only way that we can start to see the Kingdom of God in clarity, and to understand with more certainty what the, and here that lovely phrase is again, "good, pleasing and perfect will of God " is for us.

This morning, let's ask the Holy Spirit to wash over us with a cleansing of our minds, a cleansing removing those thoughts of this age that argue with the truths of God's eternal ages.  Let's pull ourselves out of this age and see the pictures of God's truths spoken to us over all the ages...the truths of creation, the truths of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and especially this morning, the truth of the Christ child born in Bethlehem, bringing all of God's truth and grace to mankind forever. 

Hallelujah, how the angels sang!! Hallelujah, how it rang.
And the sky was bright with God’s holy light.
It was the birthday of the King!

Day 3 - Week 44 - Now a new verse...

Excuse my absence.  We have have had two hard days of going through the motions that are required after someone dies, and tomorrow we will have the burial and memorial services for our sweet Shorty.   I believe these actions are probably good for all, they keep you going and your mind focused on other things than your extreme sadness in these initial days.  And then when things quiet down, you move into a deeper sense of grieving, but one without the intense emotions that come upon you in the beginning.  I thank God for my wonderful sister-in-law, Mary, who is the picture of graciousness and strength.  I pray that I will be the sister-in-law she needs me to be in the days ahead.

So we go on to our third verse in our set of ten regarding obedience.  But let's go through a quick review first.

The Gift of Assurance (10)

1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony:  God has given us eternal life and that life is in His Son.

1 John 5:12-13  The one who has the Son has life.  The one who doesn't have the Son of God, does not have life.  I say these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life.

John 14:1  Your heart must not be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansion, if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3  And if I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you unto Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.  I do not give as the world gives.  Your heart must not be troubled or afraid.

Isaiah 26:3-4  You will keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You, for it is trusting in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed . (KJV)

Isaiah 53:6  We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquities of us all.

Praise and Thanksgiving (4)

1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  According to His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Psalm 100:4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him and praise His name. 

Psalm 100:5  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Revelation 4:11  You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

Promises of God (10)

Matthew 6:33  But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity.  God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:9   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 3:-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  (NIV)

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity.  God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

Psalm 55:22   Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you.  He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Lamentations 3:40  Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

Our third verse in this set is a such a great one to know and also to dig into.  We will be able to really sit on this one through the week and meditate on all of its meaning and implications for our lives.

Romans 12:2   Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.

There is so much in this one sentence of 31 words.  So much instruction, truth and a call to a higher level of living. It will be good for me to study these words this week.

I'm back to thinking about Shorty, about what he is doing right now, what he is seeing and experiencing...and as the song says, "I can only imagine..."

Day 1 - Week 44 - Brokenhearted

I know I should be introducing a new verse today, but for right now I just have to share my sadness.  We received a phone call just thirty minutes ago from my sweet sister-in-law letting us know that her husband had just passed away.  My dear brother-in-law, James Robert McCaffree, (but known to most everyone as "Shorty") had fought lymphoma and the side effects of chemo and radiation for over ten years, but I just did not expect to get that call this morning.  He has been in and out of the hospital so many times, so many ambulance trips due to so many different things, that I guess I should have realized that one of those trips would be his last, but your mind just won't let you grab onto that thought until you are forced to.  This morning I believe God kindly took Shorty very quickly, without giving him a chance to be fearful or going through another grueling hospital stay.  God, unlike me, knew that today was the exact right time for Shorty to come home to Him, to the place He has prepared for this wonderful, funny man that we all love so much.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.

The Bible tells us that God is near to the brokenhearted, so I know He is near to Mary, her daughters and grandchildren, and to us as we go through this time of sadness.  And I know that He will walk beside all of us as we transition into lives here on earth without the laughter and smiles that Shorty brought to it.  And I know that ultimately He will call each of us out of this world, just as He has Shorty, and bring us home to be with Him forever, where we will be reunited with all of those who have gone before. 

Thank You Lord for Your divine and inexplicable comfort and peace, even when we are so broken.  You are near.

Day 6 - Week 43 - Lamentations 3:40 "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.'

I have gotten all wrapped up (literally!) in getting ready for Christmas --- thus, the lack of blogs this week!  I have wrapped and baked and shopped...and the irony of it all is that while missing blogging time on this week's verse, I actually very much need to examine my ways and test them.  Are all the things that are demanding so much of my time in this very special season things that God is directing me to, or are they the demands of others' expectations and my perceived "have to" list that I must accomplish in order for Christmas to be "just right" for my family? 

Could it be that the "just right" Christmas that God is directing me to, and the one that I may be very close to missing, is one where I am calm and peaceful, ready to share a moment with a friend who needs to chat, and where I welcome my family, my children, my grandchildren, into a home that is filled not so much with the perfect food, gifts and Christmas decor, but rather with honest and sincere warmth, care and concern.

I am praying that I can be the "perfect" hostess not by achievement of Martha Stewart-ish cleverness, but by exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  The perfection achieved only by relinqushment of my aspirations to those of the Holy Spirit of God, allowing Him to turn my anxiety into His completeness, and then recognizing the contentment and fulfillment in a Christmas that may not look like perfection, but one in which my heart will feel His perfection at work, accomplishing so many, much more important things than I would have ever have been able to "cook up"!

So this is my challenge to myself and to you - examine your Christmas ways and test them, and wholeheartedly return to the Lord in a complete celebration of what the coming of the Christ child means in your life...don't miss the perfect Christmas that God has waiting for you!

(Oh - and just to clarify - that is not a picture of my Christmas tree in my ever-not-so-perfect home!  This would be a picture of a perfect Christmas tree, in a perfect home, one I will probably never achieve, but the goal will probably always taunt me....but then again...I think I may be slowly learning to be content with less than that aggravating picture of perfection!)

Day 2 - Week 43 - Lamentations 3:40 "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord."

How often in our busy lives do we just stop and say, "God, am I on track?  Am I pleasing You?  Is there something I'm missing?"  Most of the time, I think we just barrel ahead, trying to get it all done, but not contemplating the fact that we may be moving so fast in a direction that is not of God's leading.

In Lamentations, a book often overlooked but packed with insight into the way God deals with His children when they have wandered away from Him, Jeremiah (most likely the author, but not in certainty) laments over the destruction of Jerusalem and the taking of the people of Israel into captivity by the Babylonians.  I find it interesting that the Roman Catholic church often reads the Book of Lamentations during the last three days of Holy Week...a practice designed to remind people of the need to confront their sinfulness and return to lives of obedience to God.

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

What a difference it would make in our lives if this would be the first thought of our days....examine our lives, laying out our plans side-by-side with the teachings of the Bible, and testing them to make sure they line up...and when they don't, not wasting a minute to make the necessary adjustments and return wholeheartedly to our Lord. 

Jeremiah's song of lament goes back and forth between bemoaning the effect of Israel's sin, stating his understanding of the need for God's judgment over Israel, praising God for His ever-abiding faithfulness, exhorting the people to return to God's ways, and praying to God for restoration. It is written at a sad time in the history of Israel, a time post the glory of David and Solomon, and yet those times are remembered in the face of the destruction now seen. 

When our lives have taken a turn for the worse, it seems then we find the time for examination.  "What went wrong?"  Let's not wait for those times...let's examine our lives on a regular, daily basis to avoid the questions of regret. 

God's ways are good ways for us....let's test our ways and make sure they are one in the same.  Ask Him, He will let you know.

Psalms 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (NIV)

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong - then guide me on the road to eternal life. (The Message)

Day 1 - Week 43 - Step #2 in our Obedience Training!

For those of you with a dog, have you ever looked at them and said, "How many times have I told you not to__________.  You'd think you'd know by now!" 

I sometimes think that's almost exactly what God says to us when we repeatedly ignore His commands.  How many times does He have to tell us that certain actions, certain behaviors, certain attitudes will bring us no good...that they really do not work in our best interest or long-term well being.  Just as with our pets, obedience shows an understanding of the person giving the commands and an overwhelming trust in that person.  The more we understand God, by studying His Word and the history of His relationships with the people of this world, and the more we come to place our complete trust in Him, the less we will hesitate in living our lives in obedience to Him.

Robert J. Morgan includes Romans 12:1 at this point, but we included that verse as our last step in our journey down the Romans Road, "Therefore, dear brothers, by the mercies of God,  I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.  This is your spiritual act of worship."  So as our second verse in our set of ten verses dedicated to reminding us of the importance of obedience, I'm selecting Lamentations 3:40.  It has much of the same intent as 2 Chronicles 7:14, but with a little different emphasis.

Again, from Georgia to Maine, where are we tonight?  Well tonight we should just about be to the border between Virginia and West Virginia...just about right here -->

And I just have to include this picture as I'm about to put my head to my pillow in my comfortable bed...can you imagine being in this spot tonight?  In some ways, I would love it...but then again, I'm sure appreciative of not having to sleep on the hard ground with a rock for my pillow! But viewing the stars in the sky as you watch the night sky grow deeply dark, that is a special night of viewing God's wonder!

So, let's do our review, then we'll add our verse from Lamentations.  We will drop off our three verses of The Gift of Prayer to start allowing for our new verses.

The Gift of Assurance (10)

1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony:  God has given us eternal life and that life is in His Son.

1 John 5:12-13  The one who has the Son has life.  The one who doesn't have the Son of God, does not have life.  I say these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life.

John 14:1  Your heart must not be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansion, if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3  And if I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you unto Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.  I do not give as the world gives.  Your heart must not be troubled or afraid.

Isaiah 26:3-4  You will keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You, for it is trusting in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed . (KJV)

Isaiah 53:6  We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquities of us all.

Praise and Thanksgiving (4)

1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  According to His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Psalm 100:4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him and praise His name. 

Psalm 100:5  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Revelation 4:11  You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

Promises of God (10)

Matthew 6:33  But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity.  God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:9   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 3:-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  (NIV)

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity.  God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

Psalm 55:22   Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you.  He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

and now

Lamentations 3:40  Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

Another call to return, but some different instructions prior to our return.  Ponder it tonight and we'll start talking about tomorrow!!

Good night - and unless you're camping out by choice, I'm praying that you too are enjoying a warm, comfortable bed on a cold winter night!  Thanking God for His blessings of comfort and protection tonight!

Day 7 - Week 42 - 2 Chronices 7:14 "If my people who are called by name will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land."

The first thing that God calls His people to do when they seek to return to Him is to humble themselves.  Indicates to me that one of the major problems that has infiltrated His people is the seed of all sinfulness....pride.  Has pride become a problem to us individually?  Has pride become a problem to Christians in America as a whole?

How do you define pride?  There really are good and negative connotations to this word, aren't there?

Webster's tells us that the two major definitions are:
1. the quality or state of being proud: as
a : inordinate self-esteem: conceit
b : a reasonable or justifiable self-respect
c : delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship <parental pride>

2. proud or disdainful behavior or treatment 

You can see that the negative form results in conceit, while the positive is self-respect.  Also, there is the relational pride, as that which we have for our children or for our countries.  The second listed definition is also a negative form - the condescending attitude that results from pridefulness.

OK - now that we've got pride defined - where does the sinfulness stem from that God is calling us out of?  It has to be that state of  "inordinate self-esteem", where we have felt so self-sufficient and capable that we have shut God out of our lives and have not turned to Him for His divine guidance.  When God's people of old, Israel, would be on one of their worldly highs ---everything going well, kingdoms conquered, plenty of food, the people were happy --- they often forgot about God's laws and His call to them for obedience and to stand out among the nations of the world as a different people so that the world could see God's power in their lives.  They become prideful, thinking ,"we did this...we built this nation into what it is today...we are strong in our own right...we are wise in our own minds."   God would have to remind them by stripping away from their place of power, that He was the only One who brought blessing to them.  And they would humbly repent and come back into a state of obedience.

Can you see parallels in that cycle with your life?  Can we see parallels in that cycle with our society?  We do become prideful when we feel that we've got things pretty well under control...when all the pieces are fitting together and the answers are coming to us easily. We think we've finally got this life figured out, when out of the blue, the pieces fall apart...there are no answers to the questions of the day...and we then humbly admit, in retrospect, that we never even knew what the questions really were, let alone the answers.  We are brought to our knees in humility before God in prayer, seeking His face, asking for His forgiveness for...our pride, our foolish pride that had put ourselves in a position of authority in our life where we should have never been.

Our society today tells us that we are in control.  That this planet can be mastered if we will do the right things.  That we can solve all the world's problems if we will come together and formulate programs to answer each troublesome scenario.  That wars can go away if we can just bring the right words together in documents of peace.  I am not saying that we should abandon these efforts, but I am saying that if we, pridefully, think that we can accomplish these things without asking for God's divine guidance and blessing, we are mistaken, and we will fail.  Until we come and lay before God any and all of our plans, and ask Him to walk with us, we may see success on a short-term basis, but the ultimate outcome will never be successful.  God is asking us to admit to Him that we do not have the wisdom that He has, that we do not have the knowledge of the future that He has.  That we are so very limited in comparison to His completely unlimited nature. 

That is what, I believe, He is asking us to turn from...both individually and as Christians as a whole.  Our independence from Him, our pridefulness of thinking that we are capable on our own.  We are not.  And we will be humbled.

Day 6 - Week 42 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

We looked at this verse from a personal standpoint, but I can't help but also hear the call to a large group of people to return to God's call on them and be restored.  And I can't help but feel that the Christians in America are being called to do just that. 

What I don't think is that we can force all the people of the United States to heed a call that they are not hearing...for they are not included in the call.  Just as we can't hold non-Christians to our same moral standards (they don't have any reason to live as we who are trying to please God do), we can't force our whole country to return to a faith that they have never embraced. 

What we, as Christians, as those called by God's name, can do is to return wholeheartedly ourselves.  To make God and following His ways our highest priority...and His way has at the very top of the list showing love to each other.  John 15:17  This is my command, love each other.

I am growing weary of Christians being angry and expressing agitation about things that are not right in our land.  I know everything is not right, but I also think we need to be careful about the attitudes we portray in our opposition.  What other Americans (non-Christian Americans) need to see from us is that at the very core of our being, we truly care about other people...that we are not selfish...and that our materialistic well-being is not as important to us as our concern for others.  I think that was the message that Jesus preached while He was here on earth.  We forget that He told us to treat even those whom with we most highly disagree, with not only courtesy, but graciousness and overt kindness.

Luke 6:27-36
 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

So what I guess I'm feeling tonight is that we, as Christians, need to live lives of true obedience and honor to our God and Father.   To those who are not living as we do, we cannot show hatred.  That is not what we've been called to do and it is not what will cause non-believers to see Christ in us. 

True revival for our country starts with only those with the ability to be revived, and then, hopefully, we will, with the power of the Holy Spirit, cause others to see the enormous power of God's love living within us...a love that will compel them to desire to know the One who enables its action within us.

Day 3 - Week 42 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Returning to our comparison of the parable of the prodigal son that Jesus shared with those listening to His message, I wonder if He had this very verse in mind as He developed His story of forgiveness, for the parable follows the steps of returning to God exactly how this week's verse lays them out.

Our verse describes those being addressed as, "My people, who are called by My name."  In the parable, the son had left his father's home to travel to a distant country, but no matter how far away he traveled or how much distance was created between him and his father, he would have always carried with him his father's name.  In that foreign land, his identity was grounded in his family's name and he never forgot who he truly was, his father's son.

We are in a distant country as well....we are not at home.  Peter describes believers in this way,

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. 1 Peter 2:10-11

We are God's people, we are aliens and temporary residents on this earth, we carry His name as believers in His Son, we are called "Christians."  We should always remember who we are and who's we are.  And just as Peter exhorts us, even though we are not at home, we are not to adopt the ways of the land in which we are living.  We are to abstain from the ways of disobedience in which we are immersed while living in our land of separation from God, just as the prodigal could have chosen to exhibit the life patterns of his father's teaching rather than those exhibited by the people living in the distant country he found himself in.

Rather than having to return to obedience to our Father, let's make it our goal to never leave lives of obedience.  Let's remember that we are our Father's children, that we have a Father who cares about us, and that our Father's commands and teachings that He has given to us will lead us to lives of godly abundance and peacefulness...and leading us finally to our real home where we will enjoy eternal life in our Father's home forever. 

Day 2 - Week 42 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Robert J. Morgan states, "In the Bible the definitive book about revival is 2 Chronicles, and this is the key verse."

Revival is usually thought of as a wide-spread turning back to God by large groups of people.  But today, let's think about personal revival and apply this verse to our individual lives.  For I don't know about you, but there are times when I am very much in need of strong spiritual revival, when my spirit has become dry and I have lost my passion.  When my prayer time is lacking zeal and my Bible study is sporadic.  These times set us up for disobedience to creep into our lives, and then we find ourselves farther away from God then we ever intended, and it all starts with the slightest sloughing off of what God is always calling us to do...stay close to Him.

So when we wake up and realize that we are not where we want to be in our relationship with God, what does this verse tell us to do about it? 

First - admit it!  Humble ourselves by saying, "I have really messed up," and I can usually add to that, "again!"   Until we take personal responsibility for falling away, not putting the blame on anyone else, we have not humbled ourselves into the position that God wants us in so that He can restore us.  Remember the prodigal son's statement, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."  That's a statement of true humility.

Second - Pray and seek God.  When we come before God with an opening statement like the prodigal, His heart is softened toward His child.  Pour your heart out before Him and tell Him how you long for His presence and power in your life again.  God's reaction is the same as the father in Jesus' parable, "His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

Third - Follow through with obedience. We cannot continue patterns of sinfulness and expect restoration and revival.  That does not show true repentance.  We can't say, "God, thanks for taking me back, but while I'm here at your house, I'm going to continue the wild living and every now and then jump back into that pig sty."  God brings us back for a better life, a life that He is ready to show us, but He cannot and will not as long as we are stubborn in our disobedience.  We must turn from our evil ways, whatever they are in our life, and ask for God's will over our lives.

When we do the above, then God's promise is there for us...He will hear from heaven, He will forgive us and He will heal our spirits and our souls and restore us to true relationship with Him.  It's where we always want to be....it's where Satan never wants us to be and will do everything he can to keep us in the "distant country" of rebellion.

If you want to read the full parable of the prodigal, I'm including it here...it is such a beautiful story that so perfectly illustrates the actions listed in our verse of this week.

Luke 15:11-32

11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "