A SPIRITUAL LESSON FROM A NATURAL INSECT

Practicing Observation Skills

The wise man, Solomon, observed the activities of ants and realized a lesson for life.  It is recorded in Proverbs 6:6-11. 

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!   Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.   But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?   A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.  Proverbs 6:6-11 (NLT)

It is so helpful to see the lessons built into the fabric of the cosmos.  Practicing observation of these little things can bring big insights.  Solomon practiced observation of ants.  But he didn’t stop at the conclusion that there were ants in the back yard, but went on to more.  We can do that too.  We can see the interconnectedness of nature and life skills.  For Solomon he saw the ants as workers.  Just working seems to be something that some people struggle with.

 But it is more than labor that he saw.  He noticed the ants had motivation within themselves to get up and get after it.  They didn’t need the pressure from someone telling them to get going they knew what needed to get done and they got themselves out there to do it.  The ants had a goal.  They worked in the summer in order to have food in winter.  They practiced discipline and as a result had food to keep them going all year long.  That is good stuff.  There may be some natural happenings around you that with some observation will reveal its lesson to you. 

Practicing Spiritual Skills

Solomon  asked, “How long will you sleep? When will you wake up?   A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.”  He was pointing out the need to wake up for practical reasons and Paul in Ephesians five takes it a spiritual direction.    

“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:14 (NLT)

Is there a possible correlation?  Perhaps it is in the goal centered energy and effort illustrated by the ant which a Christian could copy?  A Christian who is spiritually asleep and is folding hands while doing nothing to move forward spiritually winds up with spiritual poverty.  That person is open to the losing even more to an armed robber.  Jesus says in John 10:10 the thief (Satan) has come to steal, kill and destroy. 

What could possible keep one of Christ’s own from working hard, digging deep into His truth, and seeking first God’s Kingdom?  Jesus said it this way:  The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.  Mark 4:18-19 (NLT)

Have you ever noticed “other things” entering in and distracting you from the things God has for you?

I have.  And I have heard people say things about not experiencing God the way they the Bible talks about it or the way they see others experiencing God.  But they have often been distracted by other things.  They are still napping when it is time to be busy about the Master’s business. 

“Awake,” Paul says.  Christ will indeed give light to the one who wakes up.  “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10 (NLT)    It would seem finding out what pleases the Lord and doing it is key.  There will be more light for that person.  But what would that even look like?

Asking questions about interests, plans, time, and money could be a place to start.  Are my interests helping me pursue God?  Are my interests pleasing the Lord?  Are my interests crowding out God’s Word so that no fruit is produced?   What about my plans?  My time?  My money?

What kinds of things can I do to wake myself up spiritually?  What can I do keep the thorns from crowding out God’s Word in my life?  What can I do to enjoy more of Christ’s light each and every day and with increasing intensity?  The right answers to those questions followed by the right actions will please the Lord.  Maybe you could take a few minutes right now and ask the Lord to help you work on your answers.  Write them down.  Get to work on them.  Like the ants who need no supervisor to tell them what to do.  Just get busy doing what the Lord has for you knowing it will please Him and will be a blessing to you. 

-Thoughts for today, Randy

LET GOD'S LOVE BUST OUT

Got Any Problems, Pains, Impossible Situations?

It does seem they are common to everyone.  And if we don’t have one right now all we have to do is wait a few days and something will come up. 

So how do we as children of God, Christ’s own followers face those things? 

Here is something to consider.  It is from the book of Romans. 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials.  That seems, well, a bit crazy, but then he goes on to explain.  It is those tough things that helps us develop the way we should.  We can, of course, fight and fume and force things to go our way and miss what God has in mind with this.  Oh, but when we develop endurance there is more to follow.  Strength of character.  A habit of life that is good and honorable and pleasing to God.  And we can begin to flow in a new way.  Our defaults get reset God’s way.  That leads to confident hope of salvation.  An assurance of deliverance from the storms that may have torn us apart before but cannot any longer.  Salvation from the life we once lived with all our problems and pains and impossible situations.  Those storms smashed against us and tossed into the rocks and threatened to pull us down, but no more.  Jesus saves.  We can enter the storms confident in Him of making it through and of developing more character as He is at work in and through us. 

This hope will not lead to disappointment.  Not at all.  He has changed everything.  He will not fail.  He has already achieved the impossible.  The problems, pains and impossible situations are opportunities for Him to prove Himself again and again and for us to get better at trusting Him time after time.  So, rejoice when you run into problems and trials. 

And know this…really deep down know this…God loves you so much.   He places in you in each of us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.  It runs from the unlimited source of love into our hearts filling us with love.  Not love of our own making or relying on our own ability or our own idea of love, but God’s love.  From head to toe and from fingertip to fingertip He fills us with His love.  He wants us to know we belong, that we are important to Him, that He has better in mind for us than we could possibly imagine. 

Sound good?  What if a person kept shutting down God’s love in their heart?  What would result from running into problems and getting upset and blaming and getting more and more angry instead of rejoicing?  No endurance, a failing character, and a lack of confidence in what Christ has done which leads to disappointment in God.  You have probably seen it around.  It isn’t a pretty sight. 

Let God’s love bust out.  Allow Him access to your heart.  Let Him fill you with His love.  Trust Him to do what is right for you regardless of the problems, pains and impossible situations that come.  He will not disappoint. 

More of Jesus

The week has started and the flood of activities, work, projects, doctor's visits, laundry, world news and global problems has begun.  Sunday there was a little time to focus on the Lord.  A break away from the mainstream of other things.  Have you ever wondered if you could have more of Jesus even after Sunday?  Maybe discover more about Him?  Maybe even have Him reveal Himself more to you?  What a jolt that would be, huh?  Well, take a look at this verse that tells you how it's done.  Really.  

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. John 14:21 (NLT) 

How about those words from Jesus?   This is saying Jesus will reveal Himself to me and to you and to each of us.  That will charge up the week.  How does that happen?  By being tuned in to Him.  By loving Him.  It shows up in getting to know Him and His commandments.  Yeah, got to be in the Bible.  Hearing it, reading it, studying it and really thinking on it.  This can't be a little touch and go, but a get down and get in it.  And there has to be an acceptance of what Jesus says as true and valuable and so important that you and I put what He says into action in our lives.   It has to be obeyed.  That is an indication to Him and to us that we love Him.  If we love Jesus we will be doing what we can to get into the Scriptures and to do what He has to say we should do.  And then God the Father embraces us with love.  The love relationship with the Lord opens up even more and Jesus reveals Himself to us.   This is great.  

Check out this chart of what this looks like.  

There are 3 different approaches on the chart: 1) a person who studies the Bible for information, 2) a person who knows and applies the Bible in life, and 3) someone who reads the Bible some.  Which one receives more of Jesus?

If you know someone who gets bored easily with the Bible or the things of God you might suggest there is a lot more out there than they might think.  Perhaps you have a friend who will do some Bible study for curiosity sake, but has little interest in actually doing what Jesus says, then some encouragement might help.  Let them know there is more of Jesus to know and He will reveal Himself to those who accept and obey His commandments.  

How Jesus reveals Himself to each of us may be unique, but He says He will and I am sure He will do what He says.  Let's go do what Jesus said do and let's enjoy even more of Jesus.  

PRAYER THAT EXCEEDS

BAM!

Prayer is communication with the loftiest of all beings.  Shouldn’t little ol’ me coming before the most significant and powerful being do something to me?  But so often as a measly human I point out to the Creator of All my measly problems with the world and life He has placed me in as if He didn’t know.  Then with anticipation that God Almighty will put a Band-Aid on my scrape I find I can get plum angry when He fails to do what I say when I tell Him to do it.  You know? 

You probably do.  That has to do with prayer that succeeds.  It succeeds in getting what I want, and if it doesn’t come through as I think it should.  Well, who needs that kind of God anyway?  I want an infinite concierge to handle all my requests in a timely manner.  All I am supposed to do is give Him my list and add an abracadabra, uh, no, I add the name of Jesus, and then there it is.  Prayer that succeeds.  But what if there is another approach to prayer?

Try this on for size.  Prayer that exceeds.  What is that?  Glad you asked.  This is an approach to God that sees Him as the wonderful, wise, loving, and powerful person He is.  Upon approaching Him there is no shortage of honor given Him.  It is seen as privilege not entitlement.  Then in the presence of the one true and living God which has been made possible by the works of the Lord Jesus Christ prayers can be made.  Think about how someone would approach complaining or requesting from the most influential person in a company or a country.  Would they point out the aches and pains of ordinary life?  Would there be a lengthy presentation of the details of unhappiness?  Would there be tattling on those who misbehave or possible treat you badly?  How ought a person approach the most important and most powerful person ever?  Consider the experience of Isaiah when in the Temple he saw the Lord high and lifted up and the angels calling out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.”  The Temple shook.  Isaiah was shaking too and said, “Woe, I am undone.”  He realized God at a whole new level.  That look at God caused an instantaneous evaluation of himself and he realized his powerlessness, his failings, his sin and his limited view of God.  Bam!   He was changed.  God cleansed him.  God trusted Isaiah to communicate His message to others. 

Prayer that exceeds sees God as He is.  And it includes an approach to life that is God-centered, Christ-centered, Holy Spirit empowered. 

Centered

There is great benefit for each of us as we center our lives in and on the Lord.  In a great story Jesus tells of banquet over in Luke 14.  This story is often used to illustrate the need to gather people into the church or evangelistic events, and though that is helpful that isn’t what Jesus says it is about.  It is about being centered.  Centered on Him.  Being His follower or His disciple.  Those who do stay centered on Him enjoy the banquet which is also living the abundant life or walking in the Kingdom of God.  Those who do not stay centered miss out on the banquet. Jesus says it this way: ^“For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:24 (NLT)

Not even the smallest taste…whoa, serious.  In the story Jesus tells of people being invited.  Supposedly friends or potential friends of his.  This is how they responded to the invitation to the banquet.  Excuses: (1) I just bought a field and I have to go inspect it, (2) I have just bought five pairs of oxen and I want to try them out, (3) I have a wife so there you go.  The Lord tells the story so that we can know these are not acceptable.  Those who were invited will not get even the smallest taste of what the Lord is offering.  And that’s not all. 

Next up in Luke:

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-26 (NLT)

You can see how centered He is expecting His people to be.  People may say they are following Jesus, but if they are seeking to please other people then they aren’t.  This simple test a disciple of Jesus is more enamored with Him than anyone else.  The disciple listens to Him.  Satisfying one’s own desires are taken away.  Those who give into self-desires or to pleasing others will not get even the smallest taste of what the Lord is offering.  But the banquet is available for those who respond to the invitation.  The disciple who is centered on the Lord.  What has this got to do with prayer that exceeds? 

Prayer can get bogged down in the stuff that makes up our lives.  For example a person who has just bought a field and can’t stop thinking about it or asking God to provide for it somehow.  It could be a new house or job, but it takes over.  It might be getting oxen or a car or a project that fills the mind and time.  It could be getting married which is a good and noble relationship, but when it takes center stage it means not even tasting the smallest bite of the Lord’s banquet.  What about family relationships?  Jesus says you must hate everyone else by comparison to Him.  Here is the bog.  Jesus is not central.  God’s concerns are not central.  What becomes the center is my life, my family, my activities, my things.  What does my prayer look like?  It is all about my family, my activities, and my things.  Oh yeah, and there is my life too.  Let’s take a look at that one.  My life is made up of my thoughts, feelings, needs, urges, body, finances, circumstances, relationships…you get the idea.  If I keep those as central what will my prayers be about?  If you have a prayer journal take a look at it and see what you pray about.  Are you keenly aware of every ache and pain?  Do you have days when people are giving you the emotional support you desire?  Compare with this. 

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (NLT)

Quite a list.  Does Paul complain about it?  No.  Does Paul focus on these things? No.  Why do it?  He is centered on God and His concerns.  Paul explains. 

Perhaps you think we’re saying these things just to defend ourselves. No, we tell you this as Christ’s servants, and with God as our witness. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you. 2 Corinthians 12:19 (NLT)

Paul isn’t finding excuses not to show up at the banquet.  He is fully involved.  Paul isn’t using relationships or even his own life as an excuse, but is centered on the Lord and His work.  Paul’s goal is to strengthen the Corinthians in their faith.  The result for Paul is tasting of the Lord’s banquet in this life and the one to come. 

What does Paul pray for? 

We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority. For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature. 2 Corinthians 13:7-9 (NLT)

Do you see the focus Paul has in his prayer?  He isn’t concerned their feelings will be hurt, but he does want them to accept the correction and do the right thing.  He is interested in them becoming mature in Christ. 

Prayer that exceeds is centered on God and His purposes. 

Beyond

There is more in the prayer that exceeds.  Let me present a portion of Ephesians 3 for your examination.  See if the focus lifts the believer higher.  Watch for words like purpose and plan to gather an idea of what God is up to.  Is suffering mentioned, and, if so, does it become the center of prayers prayed?  Does this prayer indicate that there is more than the average church goer experiences?  Read through it and see if you would like your regular prayers to succeed or if you would like prayers that exceed. 

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:10-21 (NLT)

LIARS AND OTHER FORMS OF EVIL

The Problem of Untruth

Maybe you have run across this quote by Winston Churchill regarding Russia:

Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Being roughly translated that means it’s hard to figure out.  Why would that be?  The Communist government operating under Stalin was not all that helpful in providing the truth.  The term disinformation came from 1950s Russia in which false information was spread to promote one thing or one group and destroy another.  Lies.  It is a problem. 

Consider the plight of Christians following the burning of Rome in 65 AD.  Emperor Nero decided the Christians were a weird bunch and it would be good to blame them for the fire.  He had the lies spread like wild fire and Christians were killed as a result. 

Another instance is the focus on the Jewish people of Europe as the cause of the depression and hardships in Germany following World War 1.  Hitler spread the cancerous lie and it caught on.  It cost the lives of six million Jews. 

These words found in the Book of Jeremiah speak of the problem of lies that has existed for centuries:

They all fool and defraud each other; no one tells the truth. With practiced tongues they tell lies; they wear themselves out with all their sinning. They pile lie upon lie and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,” says the LORD. Jeremiah 9:5-6 (NLT)

These who refuse to acknowledge the Lord are identified as lying.  And not just a little nicety toward another human to spare their feelings, but out and out deception at the cost of defrauding another.  They pile lie upon lie.  With practiced tongues they tell lies.  This flows from the inner person.  This is the character of the people. 

How can a trusting person have a real relationship with someone who doesn’t tell the truth? 

We tell children not to take candy offered by a stranger who may be trying to lure them into their car for some horrible reason.  Children want to trust and like candy so they may not recognize the danger and believe the lie.  Families are often taught to keep family secrets.  Not just the location of the checkbook or the password to the bank account, but the twisted kind of secrets.  The lying parents want to project an image of a loving family with honor and integrity when in reality children are abused and the parent’s extreme fighting creates tremors every night. Lies.  Pretending.  Untrue. Nobody can help the family who lies. 

God’s Perspective on Liars

God is the standard of truth.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  It was Satan’s twist on the truth that provides us with a recorded lie.  All the way back to the beginning of the book of Genesis.  Remember this clever conversation.  Satan shows up and enters into friendly chat with Eve.  They get around to what God’s been saying.  She says they can’t eat of one tree because if they do God says they will die.  So Satan offers an answer which calls God a liar and then he offers a lie in place of the truth.  “You won’t die.”  Our first parents went with the lie.  God hasn’t been real affirming of lying ever since.  Look at this in the book of the Law:

You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. Leviticus 19:11 (NASB)

Don’t do it people!  He wanted better for His people.  Don’t rip off each other in stuff or emotions or in conversation.  Be real.  Be trustworthy.  Sounds good, right?

Another perspective from the book of wisdom:

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. Proverbs 12:22 (NLT)

From that verse it is hard to imagine who will be closer to the Lord or one of His favorites, isn’t it?    It seems better to be one He delights in.  And as people go God’s way they grow in agreement with His way of thinking.  As this verse shows. 

The godly hate lies; the wicked cause shame and disgrace. Proverbs 13:5 (NLT)

The godly (those going with God and living His way) hate lies.  Why?  You know, destruction, delusions, death.  The wicked cause shame and disgrace?  Really, how?  They lie.  They reject God.  If you haven’t experienced it yourself you have seen it in the news about someone’s lies being exposed and then the shame and disgrace that follows.  Bernie Madoff looked like an amazing finance guy until his $68.5 Billion scheme was uncovered and then shame and disgrace followed.  It can happen to us or those around us if we don’t deal in truth. 

What is behind the lies?  You are aware of the desire to protect ourselves and sometimes to promote ourselves which is part of the motivation.  But the evil lies intended to deceive and harm others is the dark work of the enemy.  Jesus nails it with this. 

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NLT)

Jesus identifies the devil as an influence.  His words are heart wrenching when He calls them “children of your father the devil.”  How awful to be identified that way.  How much better to be called the children of God or the children of light, but children of the devil is awful. 

What is the future for liars? 

Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.  Revelation 22:15 (NLT)

Revelation 22 offers us a picture of God’s goodness and desire for people to come enjoy life with Him.  The gates are open to those who want God and what He offers, but outside the city are those who choose their own way.  Included outside are those who love to live a lie.  Not much of a future.  God is offering more. 

God’s True Offer

Dealing in lies can become an addiction.  The practice of lying gets to be routine.  Lies upon lies.  And for the liar what once was known to be a lie to deceive others after a while becomes believed as the truth and that liar is not only a deceiver but is now deluded.  The deluded people among us pass on lies as truth.  They could pass a polygraph declaring it true because now they believe the lie as well.  Ugly.  God offers a way out.  It is a true offer. 

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:8-9 (NLT)

Simple.  Turn to Him.  Own the sin.  Admit it to God.  Turn it over to Jesus.  Let it be nailed to the cross of Christ.  Take Him at His truthful word that He will forgive and cleanse. 

Breaking the habit of lying may take some practice.  Seeking God and living God’s way in truth and giving up some old ways of doing things. 

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Colossians 3:9 (NLT)

Recognizing the old habits have to go helps, but also adding some new habits helps. 

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:29-32 (NLT)

Observing the language we use, the emotions, motives, and purposes can help break old habits and make way for new ones.  Being kind and saying things that are good and helpful is a great start for those who once were liars and children of the devil. There is hope in Christ in breaking free of all kinds of evil.  There is a life full and abundant available in Him.  If you know someone stuck in the web of lying point them to Jesus.  Point them to truth.