Category Archives: Victorious Living

Victorious Living

Desperately Seeking God

1 Comment

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is.

Psalm 63:1 (KJV)

Recent news featured individuals who were lost in the wilderness. One story told of a young boy who became separated from his family when he left them in search of mushrooms.  In another story, a hiker who left her team experienced a dangerous fall resulting in a badly broken leg.  In both stories, their separation from others resulted in fear and despair until they were rescued from their dire situation.

The same is true of man when he is separated from His beloved Creator.  Without God, man is left to live desperately seeking what only God can provide. To try to do so, can only results in fear and despair.    Therefore the logical way to end this desperate dilemma is to seek God.  In Psalm 63 David shares his despair as he finds himself separated from God. It is here that we find David desperately seeking God.

The historical context for this psalm can be found in 2 Samuel 15. David’s despair is the result of his son Absalom’s conspiracy to steal the kingdom from his father. Fearful of the potential shift in power, David vacates his throne in Jerusalem and heads to the wilderness of Judah.  While David was in fact, in a physical wilderness, the wilderness he speaks of in this psalm describes metaphorically his desperate longing for God.  It provides a powerful outline of how to find God.

First, David spiritually reconnected with God.  David’s desire for God became the first thing he sought when he rose in the morning.   His soul—his mind, will and emotions—thirsted for God.  His flesh responded to this insatiable thirst in a strong longing to be with God.  Do you thirst for God?  How do you connect with God?  Are you intentional in your making “quality time” for Him or does He only get a quick bible verse reading when you have time?

Next, David recounted His previous experiences with God.  Though David had never seen God physically, he had personally experienced God’s power and glory through nature and His attributes. He knew God’s love and mercy as he tended to his father’s sheep as a young boy (Ps. 23).  David was witness to God’s protection as he faced the giant Goliath (1 Sam. 17:49-51). David knew the source of his success in battle against Israel’s enemies (1 Sam. 18:5, 7).  David knew the power of God’s presence.

Finally, David relinquished His will to God.  Though a mighty king, David humbled himself to God knowing that the only way to reverse his situation was to totally trust and depend on God for all his needs.  Christian pastor and author, A.W. Tozer, identified the root cause of man’s dissatisfaction resulting in his continual search for that which he “cannot have”.

“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us. ”

In today’s society people are desperately seeking relief for their spiritual thirst. They are searching for life options they feel will satisfy their needs through hedonistic pursuits, spiritual experimentation, and material gain.  These efforts unfortunately never satisfy and often result in further despair and darkness.

Because David desperately sought God first, he was able to experience a confident assurance that would have been impossible through human seeking or striving.  God our Father and Creator knows and possesses what is needed for spiritual and emotional “dryness”.  Only God can truly satisfy.  It was in seeking God that David found spiritual relief for his thirst.

During the last day of the Feast of the Tabernacle, Jesus offered Himself as the source of relief for the thirsty soul:  “Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37-38).   Jesus still calls today—offering living water to the world—a “thirsty land where no water is.”

Victorious Living

Satisfying Restless Hearts

1 Comment

God has made everything beautiful for its own time.

He has planted eternity in the human heart,

but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

In what is now becoming an endangered means of communications, the newspaper offers a service known as classified ads.  The “classified’ allows individuals to list requests for particular services or products they want.   If you were to purchase a classified ad, with regard to “desperately seeking”, what would you request?  What is the motivation behind your request?

Motivation is the force that initiates, guides, and maintains behaviors. It is what causes us to take action.  The forces that lie beneath our motivation can be biological, social, emotional, or intellectual in nature. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, one of the best-known theories of motivation, states that our actions are motivated in order to achieve certain needs ranging from basic needs for survival to the highest level of motivation dealing with self-esteem and the need to be “all one can be.”

How does this theory of motivation square with the biblical explanations for our “seeking” behavior?  The Words of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes (Solomon) gives us the answer.  In Ecclesiastes, Solomon is desperately seeking what is the true source of meaning and happiness in life.  Much like those in last week’s WordBytes, he is seeking those things he “can’t seem to get”.

Solomon investigates those things which his “lusts” have directed him to pursue:  pleasure-seeking (2:1-11), wisdom (2:12-17), and labor for reward (2:18-6:9).  In the process of his search, God slowly reveals the explanation for Solomon’s restlessness.  God’s revelation begins in Ecclesiastes 3:11:  “He (God) has planted eternity in the human heart.”  God made men for His eternal purpose, and nothing in this fallen world can bring men complete satisfaction.  I visualize this fact in the picture of the heart with a missing piece exposed to the world.

Many times we pursue counterfeits instead of God—the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16)—thinking they will satisfy our deepest needs.  This pursuit, unfortunately, can prove to be a dangerous path to follow.  We witness the lives of celebrities and social icons whose needs have been met through fame, fortune, and influence yet still voice dissatisfaction with their life.  Many have fallen victim to addictive activities, broken relationships, and suicidal behavior.

Can you image driving your car without an engine?  You put new wheels on it but it won’t go.  You park it in the best garage money can buy yet it still won’t move.  It can’t go!  It cannot accomplish its purpose without an engine.  God created us for His specific purpose that includes a personal relationship (not religion) with Him (Is. 43:21; Eph. 2:10).   It is in daily discovering God’s unique purpose for our life that we find meaning, satisfaction, and contentment.

God is the missing piece in the life of those who are desperately seeking. God is the critical, life-giving piece.  In Him, we live and move and have our meaning (Acts 17:28).  The restless heart can only find satisfaction in God.

Augustine of Hippo (354-430), like Solomon, offered a “faith nugget” for the desperately seeking heart.

Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.

Now that we have THE ANSWER for those who are desperately seeking, we will focus the remainder of our series on the specifics of how God satisfies the desperately seeking heart.  Please share this devotional with friends and family.  Also let us know what you think of the series by writing your comments below—we’d love to hear from you.

Victorious Living

Life Lived Desperately Seeking

3 Comments

What’s there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?

Ecclesiastes 1:3 (The Message)

I recently read an article entitled The Top 10 Things People Want in Life but Can’t Seem to Get.  I was amazed in reading the responses to this informal survey that probed a number of “critical life and career questions.”  This further piqued my curiosity leading me to find other “lists” of how individuals might feel about their current lives.

As I read the various articles, the words “desperately seeking” came to mind.  Therein was the birthing of this new series entitled, Desperately Seeking.  During this series, I’ll be using three (3) lenses to examine the real issues behind our desperate search for the things we feel will make our lives better.  They include:  (1) the current situation, (2) the worldview, and (3) God’s view.  As you follow with me, it is my hope that you will better understand God’s plan for your life and be able to quickly extinguish any desperation you might currently be experiencing.  Let me begin by sharing the current situation.

Desperation is defined as a state of despair or distress, typically one that results in rash or extreme behavior—even reckless or dangerous. Desperation is sometimes described as hopelessness.  How would you describe the world today?  You need only look at your phone, notebook, or other source of information to experience the alarming state of our world.

As we view the larger global issues of this nation and world, it is evident that the current political, social, and financial climate cannot be resolved through traditional methods or approaches.  Our hope that technology would offer the panacea to all our problems is daily being dashed as it presents its own set of “new problems” in the form of ethical dilemmas, moral failures, and social shortfalls.  Tricia McCary Rhodes in her book, The Wired Soul, captures this feeling of distress.

I am not personally prone to panic attacks, but these days there are moments when I find myself out of sorts, almost as if I can’t quite catch my breath. I don’t think I’m alone in this. People of all ages seem terminally distracted, perpetually hurried, and often harried.  It is rare for an answer to the question “how are you?” not to include the word busy and elicit some degree of angst. Collectively it feels as if we are losing something important in the name of progress, as if life itself is slipping through our fingers.

But the real challenge of desperation comes, not only globally, but “up close and personal”.   It comes as individuals look in the mirror and ask, “What about those things that I want in life but can’t seem to get?”  From my reading, I compiled (in their order of importance) the top five (5) areas people are feeling desperate about:  happiness, money, freedom, peace, and joy.   I’ve included a sixth, since it seems the focus of many Millennials and Gen xers—balance.

Examination of this list resulted in the following observations.  What’s surprising are the things missing from the list.

1)  The list contains more intangibles that tangibles (money).  Why?

2)  The list is more subjective (what I can feel) than objective.  Why?

3)  The list focuses on “internal” versus “external”.  Why?

What can be said about a “life lived desperately seeking”?  Why are we desperate?  What’s missing in our lives and why can’t we get it?  Join us as we “desperately seek” answers to these and other questions.  Please share this devotional with your friends who might be feeling desperate.  Feel free to share your thoughts on this new series  in the “Comments Box” at the bottom of this page.

Victorious Living

Kingdom Living, Part 1

Leave a comment

“And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.”  Luke 4:43 (KJV)

What does it mean to be a citizen?  A citizen is defined as “a native or naturalized individual who owes allegiance to a government (as of a state or nation) and is entitled to the enjoyment of governmental protection and to the exercise of civil rights.”  Our news lately has been full of cover stories on how America is changing the definition of citizenship and who is eligible to become a citizen of this country.  BUT GOD, never changes the definition or the privilege of citizenship in His Kingdom—a kingdom that is eternal and everlasting yet fully realized today.

When God the Son stepped out of eternity into time, He ushered in the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15).  The “kingdom of God” is manifested in two ways. By the sovereign control and:  (1) future reign of Jesus Christ as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15) AND (2) present reign of Jesus Christ in the heart of believers as we become “transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18).  It is this latter understanding of the kingdom of God that Jesus spoke of when He taught His disciples to pray, “thy kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10).  What does kingdom living look like in our daily “profession of faith”?  As believers in the twenty-first century, what is our role in bringing the kingdom of God into existence? 

We are citizens of His kingdom.    “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).  When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, Father God  “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13, 14).  When that occurred, our allegiance and loyalties changed.  Death no longer has dominion over us (Rom. 6:9); sin no longer reigns in our bodies (Rom. 6:12).   Our Sovereign is Christ and we live under the “Banner of the Cross.” 

We are stewards of His kingdom.   “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2)   God has entrusted us with both spiritual (gifts and talents) and physical resources (blessings) to accomplish His purpose through our lives.  We are to continually examine how well we are managing those resources.  Unlike the foolish servant who failed to “invest” his resources on behalf of his master’s kingdom, we are to be both fruitful and faithful (Matt. 25:21).

We are ambassadors for His kingdom.   “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).    An ambassador functions as a representative of a ruling authority.  We, then, are representatives of Christ and serve Him by doing the work specifically delegated to us by Christ (Ep. 2:10).  We do this through our personal testimonies and by inviting others to join us as citizens of the kingdom of God.     

As believers in Christ, it is critical that we understand that we are part of God’s kingdom—individually as believers and collectively as the Church of Christ.   He is our King.  As heirs and citizens of the kingdom of God, our purpose is to do our part in the furtherance of His kingdom.  This goes beyond “walking the talk”; it is a matter of “walking by faith” (Rom. 1:16, 17).  The kingdom of God is brought to fruition by our love for and our loyalty to our King.  “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Tim. 1:17).

Also Read:  Kingdom Living, Part 2

SELAH:    In Acts 17:16-34, Paul eloquently explains to the philosophers and truth-seekers of that day the source of truth and life.  In verse 28, He describes God as the source “in who we live and move and have our meaning.”  For me this is a great reminder of my citizenship in the kingdom of God.

Journal what it means to you to be a citizen of God’s Kingdom.  Use one of the scriptures included in today’s teaching or one from your Bible concordance.

Victorious Living

Blue Tassels

Leave a comment

Speak to the Israelites, and tell them to make fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the fringe at each corner that when you see it you shall remember and do all my commandments, and you shall be holy to your God.”

Numbers 15: 38-40 (NRSV)

Today is my birthday.  Yes, I was born on Memorial or Decoration Day.  Originally held on May 30th, 1868, Memorial Day is to remember people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.  The holiday (unlike my birthday) is currently observed every year on the last Monday of May and marks the unofficial start of the summer vacation season.  It is so important that we remember notable dates and celebratory events.  Activities such as family and high school reunions and special memorial services act as “points of stability” during times of uncertainty and confusion.  They help us solidify our belief systems by revisiting roots and remembering our past.  It is with this in mind, that I’d like to share my favorite WordBytes, which always helps me remember not only who I am but also, “Whose I am”.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It is not unusual to see people “wearing” their beliefs. They do this by putting on designated colors to show their affiliation and support. In October, both men and women, showed their connection with breast cancer awareness by wearing the color pink. During the Vietnam War, friends and family wore yellow ribbons to show their support for the young men engaged in battle on behalf of this nation.

The newest trend is wearing rubber wristbands in a myriad of colors to support everything from prevention of animal cruelty to sexual preference.   But the wearing of color as a reminder is not a new phenomenon. In Numbers 16:37-41, God instructs Moses to tell the children of Israel to place tassels on the corners of their garments with a blue tread. These blue tassels, in the form of a flower or petal, were attached to the edge of one’s garment. They were placed there as a perpetual reminder of two things.

First, the blue tassels reminded the Israelites to follow God’s commandments. God’s commands are more than a list of “do’s and don’ts”. They are His instructions on how we are to live in relationship with Him and with our fellowman. God’s commands, found in the Bible, are divine orders to help us live victoriously in a fallen world. By them we are warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Ps. 19:11).

Second, the blue tassels reminded the Israelites to live holy for God. Why was God concerned with holiness? God knew the children of Israel would be tempted to assume the habits and beliefs of the pagan, sinful society they occupied. Holiness demands separation and consecration of oneself for God’s special purposes. Each step of the believer was to be encircled by blue tassels that symbolized the restraints and freedoms of knowing Yahweh (Deut. 6:8-9).

How do you remind yourself to obey God’s commandments?  Many of us don’t even think about God’s expectations for our lives until Sunday morning. What’s your cue to help you live holy? God knew that the children of Israel needed a reminder. In His omniscience, He saw that we needed a reminder, too. Where are your blue tassels?

It’s not easy to live in the world and not be of the world (John 17:14-16). The world consists of the people, place, and beliefs that make up the environment we live in. We interact with the world through our social networks, our jobs and other relationships. Jesus warned His disciples, “If the world hates me they will also hate you” (John 15:18-19).   The world will try to change your beliefs concerning God. They may call you bigoted, intolerant, or small-minded. When this happens, look at your “blue tassels” and continue to walk confidently with the Lord.

SELAH:    What are your blue tassels?  What memory or belief do your blue tassels represent?  Are they seen by the world all the time?

Victorious Living

Stay on the Path

Leave a comment

“Enter through the narrow gate.

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”  Matthew 7: 13-14 (NIV)

 

A few years ago there is a commercial for financial planning that features a wide green path and arrow to guide the investor along life’s path.  As the investor strolls through the city, they are tempted to step off the path to pursue things that could hinder their ability to accomplish their long-term investment plans. The voice of the financial advisor coaches the investor to “just stay on the path.”  The implication is that as long as the investor “stays on the path” they will realize their financial goals and live happily ever after.

This commercial reminded me of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. He told His listeners to, “Enter through the narrow gate.”  The King James Version renders “narrow” as “strait.”  Strait (stenos) refers to a narrowness created by obstacles standing close about.   These obstacles could be the world’s view on how we are to enter God’s kingdom.  Jesus’ point in this teaching is that the way to life is through a portal providing controlled access along a narrow way defined by God.  In contrast, the wide highway represents the world’s “substitute” for the way of life.  The end, of course, is death.

As I talk with believers about activities in their local churches, I am disturbed and heartbroken.  The Church, which was created to be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13), is choosing to “get off the path.”  Churches across this country have abandoned teaching and preaching the “full counsel” of God for “trendy methods” of ministry.  The “fervent prayers of the righteous” (James 5:16) have been replaced with small group discussions on why the church should practice religious tolerance.  Churches are more concerned with not offending others than with grieving the Holy Spirit.  Peter reminded the early church, that Christ Himself was “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence” (1 Peter 2:8).

It is extremely difficult to stay on the path of God when the world, especially the Church, is encouraging us to do otherwise. It is critical and life affecting that we stand fast in our faith (1 Peter 5:12).  We must resist being lured to “enter through the wide gate.” Do not be enticed by false teachings with their “faith-by-works, all-roads-lead-to-God” beliefs. Stay on the path until you reach your eternal goal of heaven. Remember, it is a narrow path that leads to life, and only a few find it.

SELAH: One of the inherent gift that is available with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is spiritual discernment. Spiritual discernment is “the ability to see life from God’s perspective”. It helps us to evaluate potential choices, options, and actions we may need to make in our life. Spiritual discernment helps believers to avoid potential “spiritual landmines” that might take us off path.

Read “The Power of a Discerning Spirit” then invite ask the Holy Spirit to heighten your discernment and reveal spiritual landmines currently in your life that might detour you from God’s desired purpose.

Victorious Living

Once Upon A Time

Leave a comment

 

Once Upon a Time

“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Galatians 4:4 (NKJ)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 1:14-15 (ESV)

Time, like the rest of the environment in which we operate, has been ordered and designed by God (Acts 17:28).  Christ’s arrival on the human scene marked a significant moment in time.  Not only was all history reinterpreted by that moment, but time itself became redefined.   We continue our series “Redeeming the Time” examining how God’s time translates into our current life plan.

“Once upon a time.”   This is the opening line of many fables and children’s fairy tales.  “Once upon a time” is used to move its reader to a specific time and place where heroes (or heroines) are introduced.  In our two scriptural texts, time is used to introduce Jesus Christ into the story of humanity.  However, Jesus’ arrival was not fantasy but a historical fact resulting in the offer of salvation until the end of time to “whomsoever would believe” (John 3:16).

Galatians speaks of Jesus’ arrival as in the “fullness of time.” This time (chronos) describes a space of time.  Here, the Apostle Paul uses time to describe the space of time in history that was vital in the preparation for Jesus Christ’s entrance into the world.  From a human viewpoint, these times hallmarked the continual saga of empires battling for power and control, but “it is amazing how God utilizes history to work out His purpose.”  Each change in world domination further prepared the way for the spread of the Good News to the world.  These political and social changes, filled with injustice, carnage and destruction, also prepared the hearts of both Jews and Gentiles, to receive the messianic message of hope and love that Jesus would offer (Luke 4:18-20).

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ entrance signified that “time was fulfilled.”  Time (kairos) in this context, represents the significance of a specific moment; in this instance, the appointed time in the purpose of God.  John the Baptist had been arrested and it was the appointed time in the purpose of God for Jesus to begin His public ministry.  There was a distinctive note in Jesus’ proclamation that God’s appointed time of preparation and expectation, the Old Testament era, now stood fulfilled in Him.  God’s kingdom, with its authority, activities and benefits (Eph. 3:16-20) had arrived in Jesus.  It was now “karios time” to deliver the “good news” that Emmanuel (“God with us”) had arrived to bring “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

Let’s now move the time clock to the 21st century.   Jesus’ entrance from eternity into time provides us an opportunity to confront the reality of God in our daily life and to decide how we will respond to Him. Are we living in God’s “karios time”?  How has God used the “space on time” in which we now live to prepare us for proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God?  We have the option to respond to God in love and obedience or with disregard and defiance.

Our experiences in and with time may be troubling or peaceful.  The important point is that our personal life has great significance and eternal value to God.  Let us daily examine how we invest our time to insure we are living in the kingdom of God’s sovereign rule.  We now live in an “acceptable time”—a time of God’s love and grace (Is. 49:8).

SELAH:  Examine how you spend time with God.  For one week log the time you “intentionally” spend in worship, prayer, and reading/meditating on God’s Word.  This represents your “chronos  time”—time in preparation for Jesus to enter your personal  space or world.  During that time, ask Jesus to share with you what His purpose is for your life in this specific moment—your “karios time”.

Victorious Living

Everything’s Looking Up, Part 1

Leave a comment

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  Acts 1:8 (KJV)

I have now added the Book of Acts to my list of favorite Bible books.  Why?  Because it bears witness to the fact of what can happen when ordinary people (and the Church) cooperate with supernatural power (the Holy Spirit).  And what is the result?  Extraordinary ministry!  I’m sure the Disciples felt that things were “looking up” since once again Jesus was present with them. But they had much to learn from Jesus before He ascended to heaven.

It had been forty days since Resurrection Sunday and Jesus wasted no time in completing His earthly ministry. After His ascension, Jesus would give His commandments to His “sent ones”, the newly commissioned apostles through the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:2). Knowing His departure was rapidly approaching, Jesus directed His energies to two activities: presenting evidence of His resurrection and teaching concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

How did Jesus prove His resurrection? Not only by the witness of others (1 Cor. 15:4-7) but Jesus Himself would offer “infallible proofs.”  Perhaps He showed unbelievers His nail scarred hands and His pierced side. For those who challenged the stories of His resurrection, Jesus might have walked through closed doors as He did Easter afternoon with his disciples (John 20:19) or suddenly joined scoffers at their evening meal and ate in their presence to prove He was no ghost or apparition (Luke 24:41-43).

What did Jesus teach His disciples concerning the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God was the future Millennial Kingdom—the thousand year bodily reign of Jesus upon the earth (Rev.20:1-6).  Jesus had spoken to the disciples before about an earthly, literal kingdom (Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:28-30).  Through the Millennial Kingdom “God would burst into human history in a spectacular way to establish His rule on earth.” [1]   Perhaps He reminded the disciples of the faithfulness of God in His promise to establish the throne of David’s kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:13; Jer. 33:17-21).

“Knowledge of God’s faithfulness and eternal promises would far outweigh any deterrent the Disciples might face in the future.”

Jesus left his disciples two instructions.  First they were to wait for the “Promise of the Father”, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4).  Jesus also waited for the Holy Spirit before beginning His ministry (Matt. 3:16).  The new apostles would need the Spirit’s power to accomplish their work.   Second, they were commanded to be witnesses of Jesus “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  The spreading of the Gospel would require the disciples to move from the familiar to the unknown, expanding their territory and their audience.  However, if they followed Jesus’ instruction and the Holy Spirit, the result would be “extraordinary ministry.”

In this time and place, there is both the need and the possibility to create extraordinary ministry.  Jesus has given us the commission to go and to make disciples, to teach and to witness, just as He did (Matt. 28:19-20). We need not wait for the Holy Spirit.  He is living within every believer and is ready to empower us to complete the work that Jesus began.

Jesus has provided us witnesses and infallible proofs within the Gospel narratives and the Bible in general.  We have the guarantee of eternal promises that begin now and extend into eternity (2 Pet. 1:2-4).    It’s time to move out of our comfort zones and embrace the work that Jesus has gifted us to do.  Let us live each day with intentionality creating extraordinary ministry.  Are you ready?

SELAH:  Re-read today text from Acts and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what work God has gifted you to do that will witness to His power and glory.

Need some additional encouragement before moving forward?

Read:  “Fret Not”

Victorious Living

For Christ’s Sake, Part 2

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:12 (NRS)

Disciples of Jesus Christ are to “rejoice and be glad” when they are persecuted.  This doesn’t appear to be a “realistic response”, whether living in the first or the twenty-first century, especially for those who live under the influence of Satan and the world (Ep. 6:12).  It is, however, both realistic and reasonable, for those who are in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:12).  Kingdom living does not look like the world—it is radically different!  Believers are to adhere to the truth of God’s Word, living holy and righteous lives, with no expectation of acceptance or support by this fallen world.  It is God who is the rewarder and sustainer of those who are called to His purpose and who find their meaning in Him (Ep. 2:10; Acts 17:28).

The Disciples were to “rejoice and be glad” during persecution because their focus was to be on the future—the kingdom of heaven yet to come.  The Apostle Paul described the trials and persecutions that the Disciples would experience as “light afflictions lasting only for a moment in comparison with eternity.”  And what would be the reward for such suffering?  An exceeding and eternal weight of glory!    J.B. Phillips’ paraphrase expresses Paul’s thought more succinctly:

These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain, For we are looking all the time not at the visible things but at the invisible. The visible things are transitory: it is the invisible things that are really permanent.   2 Cor. 4:17-18

Rather than looking at their external circumstances, the Disciples were re-directed by Jesus to focus on what couldn’t be seen with the “physical eye”—the spiritual reward awaiting them in heaven.

This final beatitude offered comfort to the Disciples by comparing them with another group of highly esteemed, holy men who experienced persecution for righteous living—the Old Testament prophets.  The prophets were commissioned to present “thus says the Lord”; calling for repentance and return to God (Is. 30:15).  The Disciples were called to continue the ministry that Jesus began.  They were to present the gospel of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19) and through the Holy Spirit, men would be drawn to repentance and to the knowledge of Jesus the Christ (2 Pet.3:9).  Both groups faced persecution on earth for “righteousness’ sake” yet they looked forward to their promised reward from God (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27; Matt. 5:12).

Like the Disciples, believers today are to “rejoice and be glad” when faced with persecution.  We are to keep our “eye on the prize”—eternal reward in heaven versus the momentary enticement of this world.   This is a difficult concept for 21st century man to embrace; it is contradictory to a world that demands “instant gratification” and trusts only in what it can see.  To persevere during persecution, believers must continually remind themselves who they are (Rom. 8:17; Col. 3:12), why they are here (Ep. 2:10; Matt. 28:19-20) and where they are ultimately going (1 Pet. 2:11; 2 Cor. 5:1).

As believers, we must accept the reality that if we truly live for Christ, we will suffer persecution. However, we are confident and find comfort in knowing that God is sovereign and has already obtained victory over Satan and the world (Matt. 28:18; Col. 2:15).  God will sustain and deliver us, just as He did for the Prophets and for the Disciples who preceded us (Ps. 27:1).  We rejoice and are glad, for our reward is in heaven.

“Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life,

and may enter in through the gates into the city.”  Revelation 22:14

Good to the Last Byte…

Although the Prophets never witnessed the fulfillment of the Messiah in their life time, they anticipated “future glory” as reward for their faithfulness to God (Is. 35:2).

Victorious Living

For Christ’s Sake, Part 1

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my (Jesus) account.”  Matthew 5:11 (NRS)

Righteous living detailed in the Beatitudes to this point represented “internal changes” followers of Christ should exhibit as a result of their “new nature” (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus would end His teaching by sharing the “external response” righteous living would evoke for allegiance to Him. It would be for Christ’s sake, that persecution would follow.

This final Beatitude continues the theme of persecution that began in Matt. 5:10. In this eleventh verse, however, there is a dramatic shift in Jesus’ teaching pattern. Up to this point, Jesus has spoken of the Beatitudes in the third person “they”; the object of persecution now shifts to “you” (second person). For the Disciples, who were the immediate recipients of Jesus’ teachings, this shift would require them to deal with the reality that they too would now be the objects of abuse and suffering. Why? For Christ’s sake. If they exhibited the righteous behaviors Jesus outlined to this point, they, like Jesus Christ, would be viewed as a threat to the status quo–with its injustice, inequities, and sin.

It was not Jesus’ “goodness” that the world hated (and still hates)–unbelievers are good, but it was the impact His righteous and holy living had (and still has) on a sinful world. Darkness was exposed and those who practiced it felt uncomfortable and threatened by the light of Christ (John 3:19-21). It was not Jesus’ “kindness” that they feared–unbelievers can be kind, but what they feared was the reality that all who choose this fallen world and sinful living over Christ and eternal life relinquished the possibility of participating in the kingdom of heaven–today or in the future (1 John 3:2).

Kingdom living, living for Christ’s sake, ushered in a new way of thinking and behaving (life style) that would transform the heart. Change would not begin outside but from within (Ezek. 36:26-27). One can simply look to the Bible and see those whom Jesus transformed from “dishonorable vessels” to “vessels of honor” (2 Tim. 2:20-21).  The Apostles Paul and Peter are examples of changed lives who would later be persecuted for Christ’s sake.  This kind of transformation was unheard of  in the 1st century life. It is no surprise that the Jesus’ teachings would later be blamed for “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

Jesus shared “the cost” for living for His sake. He characterized persecution in three distinct ways: first, in word (reviled), secondly, in act (persecuted) and thirdly in accusations of evil (all kinds of evil spoken falsely). Jesus’ description of persecution also indicated the response the Church would face as it sat in the midst of a fallen world. The first church, like the Disciples, could expect to be in perpetual collision with the world. They were antagonists to the evil they challenged. Persecution, for Christ’s sake still exists in the 21st century. It is not unique to distant countries on a map but is alive and active in our glorious nation. Satan hates the things that Christ stands for and daily orchestrates personal persecution of believers who choose to live for Christ.

Living for Christ’s sake is radical living anchored in the reality of Jesus Christ and the new life His followers now enjoy–a life of freedom, peace, and blessedness. This life style is reflected in how we think and act. We are poor in spirit–dependent on the saving grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We are meek and we mourn–under girded by the tender mercies and comfort of the Holy Spirit within us. We hunger and thirst for righteousness–“as the deer pants after the brook”, so we passionately pursue intimacy with God. We are both agents and recipients of God’s mercy and peace. Through confession and repentance, we strive for purity of heart so that we may see God–His will and His way.

As we experience persecution for righteousness’ sake, let us emulate the spirit of Peter and the other Apostles as they demonstrated their boldness in living for Christ’s sake.

Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority.’

As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name (Acts 5:29, 41).

 

To Thee, my God, I flee,

to hide from the rebuke and hate of man,

who daily pursues, oppresses, and wrests my words;

hide me in the secret of Thy pavilion,

I entreat Thee, from the strife of tongues.

F. B. Meyer

Blessed Are Ye