Before He sweats blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, pleading for release from His assignment, Jesus foretells His obedience as He prepares His disciples for what lies in the immediate future. He knows what they do not, what is coming, and He is struggling with it even as He prepares them. He is conflicted and at the same time resolved as He stands alone at the gateway to His greatest trial and victory. And it is in this moment that He declares His obedience to the cross, before the agony begins.

”... but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.” John 14:31 (NASB 95)

Jesus’ statement is a declaration of triumph, purpose, and love, and a model for our own lives.

The Human Condition: We Struggle to Choose

As we work through the difficult choices we encounter in life, we are often conflicted over the right path, even when the choices are all good ones. Why are we conflicted? Because we want to do the right thing, but we also want control of the situation. Obedience is a choice, often a hard one. The harder it is the more we strive to contain, control, and manage the circumstance. We want clarity before deciding and committing. In this we march with all of human history, including Jesus’ disciples. Thomas wanted a map to show the way,1 and Philip would have been satisfied if only Jesus would show them the Father. 2

So, we come to realize that our condition is not new, it is the common test of a life. Will we surrender control and follow in obedience to God’s will, no matter the assignment? Will we kneel before Him and empty ourselves, so that He may fill us with His will, His purpose, His way?

The Divine Provision: We Do Not Walk Alone

In response to the disciple’s alarm, Jesus reveals the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will be with them in His absence.3 As Jesus teaches, He moves on to focus on something all believers today can take to heart, that we enjoy Oneness with the Holy. This oneness exists through our relationship with the Son, who is One with the Father.4

This is not abstract theology, it is the hallmark of a deep, personal, and intimate connection and the obedience that flows from it, allowing God to walk out His great plan through us. Sometimes we see it coming, and sometimes it is suddenly upon us, a surprise opportunity to speak or act as God moves within our spirit. I recall once being asked a very pointed question about facing a difficult moment, responding instantly with a statement I did not see coming.

“Whenever I encounter something that is too big or too terrible for me to deal with, I turn inside my spirit and step into the Lord and let Him face the world for me.”

That is something that I knew, but there was no thought process to bring it out of me. It was instantaneous, focused, and carried a depth that I alone do not possess. And that is the point. We are never alone. When choices come, obedience is found in obeying with God who lives within us.

The Model: What Jesus Actually Does

As Jesus is speaking to His disciples, He tells them how He will respond in His moment of confliction, why, and ends with an exclamation point of urgency. His “so the world will know that I love the Father,” heralds the motivation behind His obedience to the cross. In making this declaration, He is putting the world on notice that His life has been one of trial and temptation, all of which He has overcome through His devotion to the love He holds for His Father.

Next, Jesus defines the depth of His obedience when He says, “I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.” Yes, there will be agony in the garden as Jesus wrestles with what He must do, but even now, beforehand, He knows the answer, “I do exactly”, and communicates it to His disciples. There is no partial commitment, no obfuscation, no delay, no compromise. He knows His assignment, He knows the standard, He knows the cost. And He knows the reward; a path to redemption and salvation for all of mankind.

Then He closes with “Get up, let us go from here.” In saying this, He imparts the urgency of the moment and its purpose to those who will follow Him. Obedience puts us in motion, it does not linger, frozen in a state of intention. Obedience requires action, and it is we who must move.

The Mirror: What This Means for Us

Sometimes we are like Moses, who essentially said, “Who, me?” when God called him. Other times we are like the rich man who chose his possessions over relationship with the Holy, or the one who wanted to delay obedience so he could say farewell to loved ones. We too easily fall into the false assumption that we can negotiate with God. We lean into our circumstances to validate to ourselves the necessity of changing His ways to make them more agreeable to our peculiar condition.

Try as we might, though, we cannot escape the bottom line: are we about His business or our own?

“Exactly,” He said.

Shalom

Where in your life is God calling you to move, not just intend?

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I am guessing that believers of all stripes, ages, and levels of maturity experience times when we pray diligently for something or someone, and nothing seems to happen. Silence. It can cause us to doubt our standing before God, our own belief, and even our faith itself. For some, this becomes a persistent struggle, and that certainly indicates that the communication link is blocked in some way.

You know the list of potential obstacles or blockages: unconfessed sin, wrong motives, unforgiveness, lack of faith, spiritual warfare, and so on. At some point, all of us will stare into the gray stone of silence. Even mature and foundationally solid believers encounter seasons when it feels like no one answers the call, the lines just seem dead. Does that mean we have a major issue in our lives?

It is possible, of course. But I believe it is less likely to be a continuing problem for the mature, well-discipled, and disciplined believer. Why? Because when they sense something is amiss in their relationship with the Holy, they do not merely worry about it, they bring it before the throne. Even when they do not know what the issue is, God does and is happy to help us deal with it.

And then there is the big one: God’s sovereignty.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Earlier this year, when a family member was sick, I prayed my heart out. We both believed we heard exactly the same word from God, that she would be healed. We believed it and we prayed it with all fervor, faith, and faithfulness, never doubting. We knew that we knew that God was on the case.

Then she died.

As I processed this, I asked the expected questions. What was wrong with me that God would not heal her? What was wrong with my faith or belief? Had we both heard from our souls and not from God? The first few weeks were pure anguish, grieving the loss of someone dear, and grieving what felt like a loss of intimacy with God, something I hold precious.

And then I came to understand a hard and holy truth: God is sovereign over all. Period. We will not always understand, but we can always know that He is in control. That does not mean our prayers were wrong. It simply means God is God. His answer, in His time.

Our calling is to be faithful to what He places on our hearts, and to obey if He assigns us a different role to play. Faithfulness is owed to Him, not to our own desires, pride, or assumptions. Let God be God. The rest is up to Him. 

I know, it can feel like a simple answer to one of life’s great conundrums. But I believe it is the truth. His way. His timing. His purpose. And perhaps that is one of the greatest expressions of His grace.

If your prayers feel unanswered right now, bring that honestly before God. Not in frustration or fear, but in trust. He is present, even in the silence.

Praying for your praying,

Shalom

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All too often we forget who and what we are, what separates us from those who do not have a relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I find it helpful to focus on this each day in my devotion as preparation for times of trouble, temptation, or confusion, as a way of centering myself and my response. I ask myself: Who am I? and invite you to do the same as you consider what the Word of God says on the subject.

Our identity - We are sons of God. As such, believers experience God's love and care. He corrects us for our sake when needed and loves us for his and our sake so that the bond between us should never be broken.

• But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (Jhn 1:12)

• for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (Gal 3:26)

• For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Rom 8:14)

• The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Rom 8:16)

Our position - We are seated in Jesus. We too often fail to remember that as believers we are seated in Christ. Focusing on that point alone assures and strengthens us, giving us confidence to face the world's trials with the provision imparted to us by our position.

• But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:4-6)

• There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:1)

• And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phl 4:7)

Our authority - To do his will. As sons of God, we can think of ourselves as ambassadors of the king, responsible for declaring his decrees and carrying his message to the world. The note of caution in exercising this role is that we must be certain we are proclaiming and doing the desires of his heart and will, not our own. We must walk our faith in humility before God and integrity before the world.

• For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Cor 10:3-5)

• “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mat 16:19)

• Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (Tts 2:15)

• "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (Jhn 15:8)

Walking in understanding of who we really are offers clarity and purpose when we are tempted to compromise our faith in the face of pressure, temptation, and persecution. If we are not well grounded in the security of our faith, these moments can defeat us. The key is knowing who we are with a certain and intimate sense that translates into inner depth and strength. We are sons of God. We are his personal representatives to the world we live in. We have a first responsibility to him, not to worldly demands or desires. One good way to develop this perspective and discipline is to focus on it in our prayer and meditations. Knowledge of it is the beginning. We must pursue its wisdom, understanding, and character until they become our own.

Shalom

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I've been mulling over a chance encounter with an acquaintance and the ensuing conversation about recent losses of those closest to us. I see it as a lens into how Christian’s process life events or even day-to-day circumstances differently. This matters because how we choose to process reveals where we place our faith in real and practical terms.

The depth of sorrow we feel when a loved one steps into heaven is real and full of pain, yet can also be peaceful and even beautiful. So many things come to mind, good and bad. Shared joys, tenderness, victories, and love, all good, are intertwined with sadness, memories of lost opportunities, emptiness, and a sense of being alone against our will. These are inescapable realities that we must face in the moment. How we choose to face them influences attitudes, responses, and our path forward.

It is tempting to blame everything bad that happens to us and those we love on the source of all evil, or a wrongness we feel gripping the world. It is tempting, but it signals a wavering faith and lack of mature understanding. As believers, we are to know Truth and depend upon it as our source and comforter. Truth tells us that we are in the Lord, who resides in God, resulting in our habitation in God through the virtue of our relationship with the Lord.1 That is a position of strength, comfort, love, power, and provision, yet we sometimes look elsewhere in times of greatest need.

God's power and heart for us are there for us to dwell on, appropriate and make our own, especially in this life moment. But we do not always do that, do we? Why not? There are, I believe, two primary reasons this moment causes some to turn from their faith. First, when we fail to focus on our identity and position in Christ. Second, in turning from these, we look to worldly provision for healing and solace, a world that is ruled by the Prince of the World,2 whose authority is temporary.3 When we choose to dwell on the world's provision and ways in this moment, we declare its power to be greater than God's. It is not, of course.

As is so often the case, the difference between desolation and hope, between heartbreak and joy, is found in where we choose to seek comfort. God's presence and peace is beyond anything this world can offer. It is there for the asking. We have an opportunity to turn and face him, to look into his loving eyes and feel his comfort, to know how truly and deeply he cares for us, to weep in his arms ... and to share in the joy of the one who is now with him completely. This brings a different perspective, appreciation, and source. This brings comfort.

Shalom

In recent weeks I have come under conviction about belief and how I conduct my life in discourse. I am on a personal journey into the truths of belief and faith, and how God sees my engagement with His world, as described in this recent journal entry.

Belief is the mother of faith

I must admit that I've always had a fuzzy understanding of the relationship between the two. Through a vision, however, I was given a clear depiction. Visualizing a tree (Tree of Life?) from a cut away view, I saw the above ground portion in full and glorious leaf. Below ground, I saw its root system running laterally just below the surface, except for a very prominent tap root that ran straight down and seemed to have some sort of bulb at its end deep in the earth. Then I saw two words: Faith was adjacent the trunk of the tree, Belief was adjacent the tap root. Ergo, there can be no faith without belief, or more to the point, belief must exist before there can be faith. The belief we hold is the object of our faith.

Belief lives in the soul

For my entire life until recently, I was taught and understood that our soul is the source of all evil in our life and should be distrusted. Over the last few years, however, I've come to believe that our soul, which exists after all because the Creator put it in us, is meant for good but has been corrupted as a result of sin to the point it does often act as sin's agent. But it was not meant to. The Lord spoke to me in the early morning hours today, telling me that:

"You must believe in the soul before you can believe in the heart and mind. Belief must exist in all three, but the soul comes first. Without belief there, belief in the heart and mind is not possible."

Okay, I must believe in the soul first. How will I know when I do? Will I feel it? Where? Will I just know it? How? Am I overthinking this? Probably, but I still need a way of knowing when I know.

A word during prayer time

Later this morning, as I was on the deck spending time with the Lord and the Father in prayer, asking for guidance on all of the above, this came spontaneously from deep inside of me:

"I believe that _____ has already been healed. It is just a matter of that time becoming this time."

With this, I believe that God has given me a tool to both grow my belief, something I desire with every fiber of my being, and contribute to _______’s healing.

For this to happen, I must change

Two issues, strengthening my belief and restoring honor to my soul, are of first order importance. I do not have a "how to" in hand yet, which puts me just where God wants me, totally reliant on his instruction and guidance. As I am faithful to pursue him in these, he will be faithful to respond.

There are two other areas that seem to also be emerging: changing my bias system and changing my tone of discourse. My bias has always been toward the analytical/pragmatic side of an equation. Certainly not to the exclusion of the spiritual realm, but more often than not I lean toward the former in everyday matters.

The other issue is one of tone, which can sometimes be harsh or argumentative. I suspect both issues, bias and tone, are related to my personality type (INTJ), which tends toward structure and being judgmental. Guilty on both counts. In responding to a friend's text this morning on the subject of our duty to do our duty and leave the rest to God, I responded with:

"As it happens, I have been convicted on this very point. Father has shown me in the last week or so that it is not my job to convince those around me or even to argue for what I believe is correct, but to live a life that shows them what is correct. It is the inherent credibility of holiness and righteousness in our life that convict and convince others. These are what give power to our words. Without them, our words disappear on the wind."

Basically, what I am saying is that my job is to live the life God desires of me and leave others to do the same. It is okay to advocate for beliefs and positions, but being obstinate or obnoxious about it, as I can sometimes be, is out of bounds. One must understand their own role and style, living and operating within them in ways that glorify God and minister to his creation through truth, grace, and compassion. Role, style, and purpose must be in harmony with God's purpose, or change is needed.

So, yes, change is on the menu.

Shalom

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We know that Peter and Paul were contemporaries for a time, and we know that they agreed and disagreed on various matters. In today's parlance, we might say that they were normally cordial and respectful toward the other but neither felt a compulsion to agree fully or be alike. Both were free thinkers, strong personalities, believers in Christ's deity and humanity, and wholly committed to their role in furthering his kingdom on earth. They were united in their love of Christ and in looking to the cross. In their example we see a precursor of our own condition, even in the various doctrines and streams of Christianity. Their lives and their relationship have much to offer and can even be considered a model for modern times.

Paul was a man of learning, an academic of the Torah, and elevated in religious society

As such, his thinking and writing were more like a scholar, because he was one. Scholars write differently. Simple direct questions often become essays that investigate every possible angle before finally delivering the punch line. The best, however, also find ways to communicate in clear language using analogies and allegories their audience can visualize and understand, and Paul could also do this. His writings were always well thought out, often investigating in detail, but eventually he appealed to the heart in ways that made sense to the head.

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 3:15-23 (ESV)

Peter, on the other hand, comes from a practical perspective

Where Paul focuses on reasoning, Peter's writing focuses on practicalities. His life, personality, and style were different. A fisherman by trade and without the education Paul enjoyed, his thinking and expression, both demonstrably and in his writing, reflected his common man roots. He tended to act abruptly (the obvious examples being his rejection of Christ before the crucifixion and his impromptu suggestion to build tents at the scene of the transfiguration) and speak plainly. Yet, his writing, though more direct than Paul's, was clear in thought, nuanced, and insightful as well as clearly understood.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  1 Peter 13-16 (ESV)

We can say that Paul's articulations of theology established the reasoning behind his exhortations to live godly lives, sometimes in a very Greek-like manner of debate. Peter, on the other hand, tended toward cutting to the chase quickly and succinctly. One has a doctrinal focus, the other a practical focus. The fact is, we must have elements of each at work in our lives to be at peace and effective for the kingdom.

Both are needed to live godly lives

That is the point. Paul had the benefit of academic rigor, his Damascus Road experience, and subsequent mentoring. These were the foundation of his ministry and reach. Peter, on the other hand, spoke what he knew to be true because he had an intimate if sometimes humbling relationship with Christ and had privately reasoned out his beliefs. In doing so, he took ownership of what he believed and was secure in the conviction of beliefs he had worked through.

We live in a consumer society which is divided on many issues at many levels, and it is too easy to join the crowd, so we do not stand out. To live for Christ as he calls each one individually to do, however, we must understand for ourselves the foundation of our faith, the theology of our faith, and his plan for the outworking of our faith. Each relationship with Christ is unique but must be based in the truth of his Lordship and the immutable principles of righteousness that he established. We need both Paul and Peter working in our lives. We must know what we believe and why, and we must act boldly in the face of a world that rejects godly truths and principles. To do otherwise is to be unprepared and unwilling.

The ultimate example is Christ, but Paul and Peter are pretty good examples as well. Each lived to serve the cross with the integrity of their belief, faith, and action. Spend time with them, get to know them, and honor them in the way you live Christ to the world.

Shalom

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So much is going on in the world today, so often characterized by chaos, conflict, and immorality that we sometimes wonder how long this can go on. The believer must believe that it cannot go on because of the truth of the personhood of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He is not a concept or artificial construct. He is real, his power is real, and he is coming again to heal and restore our broken world. Some will rejoice at his return, some will not, all will bow. But when?

And that is where discussions get interesting. Inside the Christian community there are those today who will tell you the time is upon us. I prefer to take my cue from Jesus' own words:

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Matthew 24:6 (ESV)

Jesus tells us plainly that he himself does not know the day or hour. Only God knows.

Our condition is not new

In the Old Testament we see Israel constantly falling in and out of relationship with God. They are righteous then they are not. They are blessed and then they are not. And if we think it wasn't as bad as today then we should read Malachi's description of their sins: they kept the best for themselves and dishonored God with polluted and imperfect sacrifices, with corrupt teaching, by worshipping idols of false gods in the temple, through their immoral lifestyles, by robbing him of the tithes and offerings due him, and by not devoting their lives to the service of His Kingdom. Even the priests were guilty, turning the temple into a den of their own pleasure and wealth. God's people loved the things of the world more than him. Idolatry, sexual immorality, greed and avarice were the norms of the day. God's temple was defiled and his people rebellious. Sound familiar? We should learn from their experience. God's anger was righteous and just. Instead of rescuing them and healing them, he divorced them and blessed others who honored him.

The coming of The LORD's Day

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. 

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 

And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”  Malachi 4:1-6 (ESV)

We may fool ourselves with false narratives, but these do not dent Truth. The only thing they accomplish is the perversion of our belief systems and lives such that we do not believe, honor, and follow what is true. Our believing a thing does not make it true, but that is the deception many have fallen into. For these, the LORD's Day will be one of doom. Believers will have a different perspective, one of great happiness. For those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord, the Day of the LORD will be one of victory and it is this that we wait for with hearts that ache for our fellow man. It will be a day when creation is set free, a day of glory.

But when? we ask.

Many have opinions, which thus far have all been incorrect. Does someone actually know the day and time? I don't think so. Why? Because Jesus, the Son of God says that even he does not know.

I am sure that those who remained holy in Malachi's time thought it must be imminent, and I can think of other times in recent decades when people have felt the same. The only thing we can know for sure on this subject is that - no one knows. With such uncertainty it is helpful to have a bit of historical perspective. Malachi was a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah, both of whom penned similar accusations and warnings. When was that? About five hundred years before Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth as man. Five hundred years.

Where then is our hope?

Our hope can only be in the greatest truth of all: the surety of Christ's return and his ultimate victory. We do not know when and thus it is our privilege and honor to live our lives as if this very day is the day. And the next, and the next, until He is before us as we bow in adoration.

It may be five minutes, five hundred years, or five thousand years from now. But we know with all assurance the purpose of the person in whom our hope rests until that time, as proven by his own words as he declared himself to be both God1 and man,2 and by the words of demons,3 and the witness of those who encountered him firsthand.4 Jesus is the Christ in whom power and victory rests, and He is coming again to finish His work, the abolition of all corruption. In that instant, those who are present will share in the joy that Mary expressed.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”  Luke 1:46-55 (ESV)

Can you imagine the wonder and awe of that day? What a day it will be, indeed ... whenever it comes.

Shalom

Our heart's declaration of love, adoration, and worship in prayer is fundamental to a living, breathing, intimate relationship with God. Singing and praise may prepare our hearts, but it is what is in our hearts that God is most interested in, and it is through prayer that we conduct our most important conversations, including our worship.

The Bible is clear in its call to prayer, including:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6, and

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As believers, we understand the importance of prayer. I suspect, however, that we most often think of it as a one-way conversation centered on our own needs, desires, and intercessions. It is so much more, however, including an opportunity to worship God in wonder and adoration.

Separating ourselves for the sole purpose of proclaiming our love and devotion to God creates an atmosphere of desire for intimacy with Him, which in turn creates a hunger and thirst to lift Him up, to pour out what is in our heart, and to hear what is in His heart. Madame Jeanne Guyon1 2 had a simple instruction on this:

"There is only one requirement that you must follow at all times [in prayer]. This simple requirement is you must learn to pray from your heart and not your head."

One way to pray from the heart is to express what you hold in your heart about God. This is not a formula but rather a living prayer in which you tell God how you feel about Him and what you perceive about His character. It might go something like this:

Father God, I come into your presence through the cleansing blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I come before You to worship You because my heart beats for You, to know the desires of Your heart so they may be my own desires, and to know Your path so that it may be mine as well. Everything I do, Father, I want it to be for Your glory, to honor, serve, and worship You. Your love is why I am here, your mercy is how I am whole, and your grace is my provision. Thank You, Father.

I love You because you are not of this world. You are different and show me that I can be different as well. I am humble before You. When I think of who and what You are, I am amazed and thrilled. You are holy and righteous, strong and pure, perfect and beautiful. Your love, compassion, and passion are wondrous. Your judgment and justice are perfect. Your might is untouchable, Your grace the salve to every wound.

You are Truth, Honor, and Purity. You are … Perfection. Your Knowledge and Wisdom are above all others, Your Understanding deeper, and Your Counsel is true and straight, we need no other. Your Might is unapproachable, and the Fear of Your Name is the light that shows the way. Give me the strength, Father, to stay in the Light.

I love you, Father, and I lift Your Name above every other name. I worship You as my God who loves me simply because I am yours. I exalt Your Name in praise, worship, and wonder. There is no other. Your glory shines and, in those finest of moments, I hear the trumpets sound Your presence. Glory to You, oh God, Glory!

You provide everything in my life, including this ability and entrance into Your Presence. You are the God of all creation, yet here You are, communing with me. Thank You, Father, for Your love.

I worship You, praise You, I declare Your Name. Take what is inside of me and change it to magnify Your Name, that You will be praised. I give you all glory and praise, all power and honor. I bless You.

I am humble before You. I bow in reverence seeking only Your heart, Your face, Your presence. Not just in this moment but forever and always, never ceasing. Let my heart's desire for You be incense on Your altar.

I love You; my heart wants to know what is in Your heart, and my feet long to walk in Your steps. Show me the way, Father, so that I may honor You with my life. All I desire is to please you.

I am Yours, Father, and I am listening for Your heart to speak.

Amen

Your relationship with God is different and what comes from your heart in prayer will be different. As A.W. Tozer said, "True prayer cannot be imitated nor can it be learned from someone else." Prayer, like the rest of our relationship with God, is personal. It does not just happen, it requires desire, intent, and application. The importance and effort we devote to it opens the door, ushering us into God's very throne room and it is there, before Him, that we conduct this sacred discipline without which our lives, purpose, and relationship are incomplete.

When our adoration is complete it is time to listen for God's voice. It may come in a voice we recognize as His, as a feeling in our heart, or as a knowing in our spirit. However it is that God speaks to you, make sure you have opened the doorway with your praise and worship, and that you are listening. Ask yourself ...

What is God saying to me today?

Shalom

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Our nation and world are in a vulnerable place these days, making it important that believers carry them in their hearts and prayer life. Praying for the nation is something we should all consider before God, asking for his guidance, and we should not be surprised if God's views are different than our own. Knowing that, we should be prayerful, thoughtful, and in full listening mode as we seek His response.

Praying for the nation, its leaders, and its people, and holding them in our hearts before God, is a responsibility both as believers and citizens

There is so much going on: cultural and moral foundations are shattering, people are abandoning the traditional church in droves, and godly leadership at all levels is both a concern and critical need. Ideological beliefs separate us on virtually every issue with little concern for civility, honor, truth, or trust. Yes, there is plenty to pray about, but we sometimes question our ability to pray correctly, how to approach these issues before God, or even our standing on such matters. We are citizens, we are concerned, and we have opinions but are sometimes timid in our approach because we feel we have no voice. To that I would say that we do have a voice before God, and that He knows what is in His heart for the nation.

Praying God's Will

We've been taught to pray but sometimes struggle with how to pray. Lacking clear guidance from God and with no lack of outside advice from those around us, be they agenda driven voices or simply a gaggle of competing opinions, it can be hard to know what is right. Possibly, what is right may even sometimes be unknowable. How do we pray then?

Let God know what is in our heart. Begin by pouring out what is inside of you with full transparency, expressing what concern is bringing you to him in prayer and why you are concerned.

Surrender our opinions and feelings. In doing this, we acknowledge that we do not know the whole story or have all of the facts, and that God's ways are not necessarily our own. It is an act of humility before God, honoring His position and desire above all else.

Remind God of his love for the nation and its peoples. If we believe that God's heart is broken over our current condition, then we must know that he is beyond disappointed. Today, we are reminded of God's wrath in Old Testament times1 and wonder how we are not judged and punished as they were. Those stories, however, also remind us that God loves his people, has compassion, and is willing to change direction when the people who love him and the nation call out to him in confession and repentance, seeking his mercy as they remind God of his love for them.2

Ask God to remember his original intent for the nation. This is not only a reminder to God but to us as well, recalling his purposes in founding the nation, the godly role it has sometimes played, and how the nation responded to His call. America's motto is E Pluribus Unum, or "Out of many, one." We are far from that today, but it is fully within God's power to restore us to that harmony. We are a better nation, a better people, and a better family when united in His spirit and serving His cause.

Ask God to restore his desires and intents for the nation to the hearts of its leaders and people. When we plead with broken and contrite hearts, God listens. When we set aside our own opinions and desires as we seek to know and understand his own, He listens. When we demonstrate that our desire is for His righteousness to guide our leaders and citizens because it lives in their hearts, He listens. We demonstrate this desire is real by loving and serving our fellow man, by seeking God's truth and will above man's, and by walking in truth and righteousness as we go about our daily lives no matter our station.

Ask God what His plan is for your own life in restoring the nation. This is where the rubber meets the road for each of us. It is one thing to complain and condemn, another entirely to stand and act in truth and humility every day and in every moment as we go about our lives. For some this may mean raising a godly family and for others confronting ungodliness in their family. For some it may mean taking principled stands in the workplace and bearing the consequences in God's grace. For some it may mean getting involved in educational, governmental, or societal systems to advocate for and lead a return to God's values. Whatever the call, enter into it prayerfully and with humility, seeking God's direction and provision. A very wise man once told me that we know something is God's will when desire, opportunity, and God's providence come together.

Thank God for his love, care, and provision for the nation and yourself. In acknowledging and submitting to these we cement our partnership with the holy. We admit to ourselves that we do not have the answers, God does, and that we do not have the power, God does. In surrendering our own opinions and power before Him, we open our hearts to what is in His heart, allowing us to walk in His Light as disciples to the nation.

It is not about winning a contest that will soon be repeated, it is about a heart's desire and God-ordained steps in a new direction toward God's original purpose and intent for the nation. It isn't about us. It is, always, about Him. Our call is to live lives that honor His desires, and that is something we can all pray about.

Shalom

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Prayer journaling is a source of peace, purpose, and encouragement. It focuses our mind on what the spirit and heart want to say to God without embellishment or rationalization. It is meant to be real.

Father, I am overwhelmed by Your mercy, Your grace, Your love, and Your purpose.

You are everything that I have and everything that I need. You are my protector, provider, creator, and maker. Because of Your love and only because of Your love, I am.

Your mercies upon my life are great, Your love overwhelms me. You are my light, You show me the way. You are my provider, the provider of everything I need in life, even the air that I breathe, the food that I eat, the love that surrounds even me, and the love that inhabits me. My rest and sleep, my strength, my hunger and desire for You, to know You, to honor You, to glorify You.

All of these, Father, and everything more come direct from You into my heart. I exist because of Your love. I exist because of Your faithfulness to what is in Your heart. Father, I exist in the purpose You have purposed for my life, to honor that which is in Your heart. Show me the way, Father. I thank You for your faithfulness in all things. I love You. I worship You. I adore You.

Holy Spirit, I seek You, that You would put in my mouth the words that Father would have me speak, that You would put into my heart the emotions Father would have me to feel, that You would carry to me the wisdom and understanding Father wishes me to hold that I might be the me He desires. I ask that you carry to me strength to persevere, endure, and overcome that I may be a faithful servant.

I love You, Father. I give myself to You.

Amen

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In last week's post, I discussed the importance of having a vibrant prayer life and the role of the Holy Spirit in facilitating our communion with God. This week we take a look at a number of strategies and actions that set us on course to a consistent, strong, and intimate relationship with God through close connection and faithfulness. When He sees that our desire is matched by our action, things begin to happen.

One comment before we get to it. We come from many faith positions. You may be a relatively new believer, returning to God after being away for some time, a person who has a good relationship but you want more, or even one who is still searching. We also come to this subject from different faith perspectives, including different theologies and doctrines. Regardless of where your belief home base is, I challenge you to accept and engage with the notion that there is more. In other words, do not allow old beliefs to extinguish new hunger for the full expression of God's truth and power in your life. One of my favorite scriptures focuses on this point.

Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.  Psalm 86:11 (ESV, emphasis mine)

If you are searching for a way to peace in this time of chaos, truth that is unmoved by man's rationalizations, and intimacy in your relationship with God, then these strategies are meant for you. Some may be new to you and some may need to be dusted off, but they all have a purpose in deepening our relationship with the Holy. Honor them with your best approach and consistency.

Vary routines to keep them fresh

Many believers have established times and locations for reading God's Word, prayer, and meditation. This is generally a good thing unless it becomes routine, a pattern without true engagement. When this happens, as it can, we should recognize it for what it is and take our opportunities where they come, even if at a different time and place. Some vary their engagement with prayer on purpose, taking advantage of weather seasons to change locations, for example. If you catch yourself praying the same words as if reading from the same script day after day or begin to feel unmotivated or unfulfilled in your time with God then you can be sure you need to kick it up a notch. If this happens, seek God's face as David did, asking Him to guide you.

Personalize it

Praying from the depths of your heart puts your stamp on your conversation with God. Not many people pray in formal, stilted language when praying from the heart. When we let it all hang out it can be messy and that is okay. In fact, that is perfect. Sometimes it will be like a conversation with a close friend. Sometimes it is like opening the hidden vault of our innermost fears, joys, desires, and secrets. Sometimes it is an expression of our anxieties, dreams, love, or honor. When your heart speaks to you in these ways then speak to God likewise. He already knows so there is no point in concealing it. Let it out. Be real.

Another strategy is to personalize prayers found in scripture by putting yourself in the picture, talking to God as if you were praying the prayer. The Psalms are full of David's prayers of confession, praise, worship, thankfulness, honor, integrity, and requests for favor or for protection in dire circumstances, and they are powerful when adapted to our own lives. (FN link to David's prayers)

Activate the gateway to the throne

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:2 (ESV)

Beginning prayer with praise and thanksgiving separates us from the things that clamor for our attention, focusing our heart, spirit, soul, and mind on God. Heartfelt worship and adoration carry us to the foot of His throne, connecting us to Him in real time as Heaven and earth meld together. This is our time to tell God how we love Him, how deeply we long for Him, and to lift up His Name and attributes, to declare Him to our world. Doing this with all earnestness pulls us in until praising Him is all we want to do. The rest will come later but we begin by honoring, loving, praising, worshipping, and bowing before Him. It is not a formality or ritual, it is love and adoration in action.

Pray Continually

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

So you're feeling pretty good about your normal morning or evening prayer time. Great. When else do you pray? Paul tells us that God's will for us is that we know the joy of communing with Him on a continual basis, about ... anything. Anything? Yes, including for those we see in distress as we go about the day, a bad moment we are having, thankfulness for an unexpected joy, asking in the moment what we are to do in life situations, interceding for others, and on and on. Nothing is too small, nothing is too big, and there is no time like the moment. Short "popcorn prayers" or longer and more thoughtful prayers - they are all about a state of mind, the state of our spirit, constantly seeking and living in His presence. When God puts something on your heart or mind, talk to Him about it.

Pray in the Spirit

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)

Some believe that praying in the Spirit is a good thing, some don't. I was in the latter camp most of my life and now wish I had known better. But it is a matter of personal theology so ... it's personal. Having said that, my own experience is that my spirit and the Spirit that is of God communicate much better with each other and thus with God than my poor words can. There are things that I do not comprehend that they are aware of and there are things I know about but do not know how to pray about. The Spirit knows and the Spirit prays what is on my heart in ways that I cannot. When this happens, there is greater depth, more intimacy, and closer communion.

Engage the power of silence

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and wondered when you will ever get a chance to speak? I think God sometimes feels that way when we pray. We barely get into it before we start pouring out our anxieties, wants, and complaints and don't think to ask Him what He desires, what is on His heart. Instead of watching the clock and rushing through your conversation with God, give Him the floor. Still your mind, open your heart, and ask Him what He thinks about your life and your world. Then, listen. When your mind starts to wander, catch it and return to the silence that seeks God's voice. Lean into Him with an open heart. Surrender everything. Empty yourself in His presence and be amazed. Learning this discipline alone will change your life.

Pray about praying

No matter how hard we try and how good our prayer life may be at times, there will also be times when it just isn't the same. What to do? Call God's 911 line - pray to Him about your prayer life. Ask Him to teach you how He wants you to pray, about what, and why. Let Him know that you desire intimate conversation with Him, that you want to know what He desires of your prayer life. Then listen with your heart and spirit for His reply.

Journal your prayer life

I prefer to journal by hand on actual paper because doing it this way requires more thoughtfulness. It is slower and there is no delete button. Once it is out and on paper it's there and can't be taken back. Often, I find myself praying about what I am writing down as I write. What do I journal about regarding prayer? The things God has shared with me, instructions for life, my love for Him, things that meditations impress upon me, things I hear, see, or experience as part of prayer, encouragements, corrections, and inspirations. This discipline is impactful in the moment, but I sometimes find them even more impactful later. If, for example, I begin to feel that my connection to God is not as strong as I desire, reading through these journals is a sure path back to His feet. They remind me of times He has spoken to me, given me direction, or blessed me. Journaling this way sets them in my memory and they are always there to prompt me when I go looking. They are one of my treasures.

These reminders are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There is so much to prayer and yet it is so simple. Just surrender and let God guide you. Focus on Him. Praise and worship Him. Honor Him, bless Him. Confess the things that need confessing. Express your thankfulness for His interest and action in your life and ask for His help where it is needed. Put God first in prayer with faithfulness and transparency, then watch what happens.

Shalom

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Prayer is possibly the most important part of spiritual life for the believer, yet many (most?) treat it as an afterthought or a disconnected ritual. Prayer, our personal, intimate, and private conversations with our Creator are meant to honor and grow our personal relationship with Him. They should not be something we turn to only when we have a gripe, need, or a want, and certainly not something to be considered routine. Sad to say, I know this from personal experience. There have been times when I was just mailing it in as the saying goes, times when praying was a chore, something I did because I knew I was supposed to but without real purpose or connection. Imagine how effective that was.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." Matthew 6:5 (ESV)

Those who experience a rich prayer life filled with intimate connection share a relationship with God that is alive in ways that honors both, builds trust, strengthens faith, and prepares one for service. But it doesn't happen by accident. This kind of deep relationship results from a desire deep in one's heart. It is there that the journey begins.

Prayer is An Issue of the Heart

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” Psalm 27:8

David's prayer is simple and clear, a prayer of surrender and obedience. A prayer of abandonment. He did not delay. His response was immediate and emphatic, a response, as he says in his own words, direct from his heart. That tells us something about David's relationship with God. It was deep and rich. David is king, but he serves the King of kings. What we see here is his surrender to God's will, his transparency, and recognition of the Spirit's prompting. It is hard to call a thing surrender when it is, in fact, the overriding desire of one's heart.

These are the same things that God looks for in us today. Do we hunger to know him? Are we willing to surrender our agenda to his? Are we honest and transparent with him? Do we reach for him in good times as well as bad times? Are we searching for him, asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen our connection? Here's the interesting thing: as well as being a matter of the heart this desire is also a matter of the mind. When the head and the heart come into agreement God has something to work with. We must not only desire, we must also decide to pursue that desire.

Prayer Brings Peace

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9 (ESV)

Paul begins by telling us that we are to always be rejoicing in God, regardless of what is going on in our life or the moment. This seems contrarian advice in an age when we can almost hear the tearing of moral and cultural fabric everywhere we turn, and in an age when man is set against man on every stage. In the midst of all that is going on around us, we are to be at rest in God's peace? Yes!

How is that possible? By understanding that we are unable to control constantly changing events on our own, and by understanding that God never changes. He is rock solid and constantly at peace. When we choose to acknowledge this and turn into Him with desire and surrender we enter into His peace, which He graciously gives to us as our peace.

We Have A Willing Partner in Prayer

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:267-27 (ESV)

The Holy Spirit prays for us in our weakness, when we do not know how to pray or when we are so broken we are incapable of praying. Times of great loss, searching for understanding, or our own brokenness can bring us to this point. There was a time when I was unable to pray to God as I desired, a time of great pain, sorrow, and travail. Yet, I desired communion with him more than anything else. He saw my condition, and, in his grace, he assigned the Holy Spirit to pray for me in my place. The Holy Spirit is our constant companion and friend. It knows all and is the conduit through which our relationship with God is conducted. We might think of it as the interlocutor who processes language and thought between ourselves and God. As such, it is fully qualified to stand in for us when we are unable, and it is happy to do so.

Prayer is an essential part of our faith experience, important to both Heaven and earth. We do both a disservice when we do not give it the attention and priority it deserves. Sometimes we need to break the chain of routine to rediscover intimacy in this vital discipline of the faith. How we do that will be our next subject.

Shalom

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Like some who will read this, I sometimes struggle to stay focused on the direction God has in mind for the moment I am in. It is too easy to get off of God's highway and onto side roads that lead us away, even when intending to focus on our relationship with Him. So many distractions, so many side roads to explore. For some, it is a real challenge, one that our "always on, all the time" culture feeds. It is not a matter of having abandoned God or losing our love for him, but we sometimes allow other things to dilute our attention on Him. Not bad things, just the wrong things or when trying to do too many things at one time. We pull off of God's main highway and the next thing we know we are wondering what happened. We aren't the only ones who have noticed. God notices as well.

But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway, making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head. Jeremiah 18:15,16 (ESV)

In this passage, God is describing to Jeremiah how his people have abandoned him, not in one large leap of revolt but through the ways they allowed their focus on him to be fractured until they adopted other beliefs and worshipped breathless gods made with their own hands. Then, God put his finger squarely on the issue: "to walk into side roads, not the highway." What God is saying here is that we must always keep the main thing as our main thing. Anything that we put before God is a false god. As the old saying goes, "never let the good become the enemy of the best." We must resist diversions that lead us away from God's purpose for us, because they will steal our heart from His embrace.

I can think of many examples in which this truth is proven today, including what happens when other things become the main highway for a believer, drawing them away from their special relationship with the Lord, or when work becomes more important than home, or even when doing church becomes more important than spiritual intimacy. There are a lot of side roads in our lives, but we live our best life when we stay on the main highway, whatever that means in our individual relationship with God. He has a master plan for each of us. Our side trips off of the main highway lead us away from that, just as it did the Israelites of Jeremiah's day. It does not happen in one instant, rather it is a series of diversions over time that lead us away from the purpose God has for our life, even from our own values and principles. It can happen to a career, a relationship, a nation, and it happens too often.

One sure sign that we have wondered off of the main highway is when we think we do not have enough time to spend time with God.

Even good things can be a trap. As much as we may not like to admit it, our time is a zero-sum game. There is only so much. Turning our focus away from the main thing diminishes momentum, progress, and depth. To optimize our time's value, we must demonstrate diligence in managing what we allow to capture us. When God reveals his main thing for our lives, we should not allow other priorities to intervene. Staying on the highway is the right way.

Yet, we have a life to live. Errands to run, work to accomplish, families to raise, and all of it wants all of our attention all the time. How do we honor our relationship with God and his purpose for our lives and still do everything that clamors for us? How do we stay on the main highway? To oversimplify the answer, I think these five strategies are a good start.

1. Focus on developing real intimacy in your relationship with God. Spend personal time alone with him every day, conversing with him as you would with your closest friend, the one you trust with your deepest secrets and fears. Worship Him from your heart. Be honest about what you desire in your relationship with Him and in searching out what He desires for you.

2. Be clear about His purpose for your life. Already understand it? Great. Use it as a litmus test for everything that pulls on your time. Don't understand it yet? Keep asking and testing, keep working on your relationship with Him.

3. Be alert for opportunities to engage with your purpose. Having our spiritual antennae up with an attitude of expectation increases our ability to perceive the moment. Moving into the moment through faith forms a bond between Heaven and earth, allowing God to operate through us.

4. Beware of the things that try to pull you away. Avoid the side roads by making disciplined decisions about the use of your time. Learn to say no gracefully when needed. Discover the happiness of life lived in harmony with His plan.

5. Do everything, even the small things, for the glory of God. Let that be a constant focus as you go about your day. Big things, small things, important things, and trivial things - they all still have to be done, but we can do them with an attitude and purpose of joy to His glory.

Stay on God's highway and allow him to say yes to what he has for you. Find your joy and peace in him as you travel life with God in the driver's seat.

Shalom

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In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, he cautioned them against falling prey to wrong beliefs and idleness, both of which he knew were poisons to their faith and death to their witness. This wisdom for the ages seems especially applicable today as we are confronted by false teaching and calls to false beliefs on all sides, including in the church. What are we to do?

Judge everything you see and hear to discern truth from deceit.

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. Before that day comes the rebellion must occur and the “outlaw”—the destructive son—will be revealed in his true light. He is the opposing counterpart who exalts himself over everything that is called “God” or is worshiped and who sits enthroned in God’s temple and makes himself out to be a god.  2 Thessalonians 2:3,4 (The Passion Translation)

The presence of the “outlaw” is apparent by the activity of Satan, who uses all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, spurious wonders, and every form of evil deception in order to deceive those who are perishing because they rejected the love of the truth that would lead them to being saved.  2 Thessalonians 2:9,10  (The Passion Translation)

So then all who found their pleasure in unrighteousness and did not believe the truth will be judged. 2 Thessalonians 2:12  (The Passion Translation)

The very first exhortation to us is “don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.” We may be surrounded by incorrect and false teaching and political/social agendas, but the first responsibility is our own. We are to judge everything that seeks to influence us, using the perfect truth and purity of God’s heart and the desires and intents it holds as our standard. Everything, including the theology and doctrine we believe, the news feeds we allow to influence us, the podcasts we listen to, the books we read, and the philosophies and beliefs we hold as our own. We are to judge it all against God’s standards, not man’s.

The "outlaw" will be revealed at Christ's coming and the darkness of his own character and purpose will be his undoing. Those who reject the love of truth, who choose for their own reasons not to pursue it as they pursue the desires and intents of their own hearts, allow themselves to be deceived and will be held accountable. The counterfeit who sits on God's throne in 2:4 is both the deceiver and our own sin. When we sin, we place our own desires and thus ourselves above God, supposing that our desires are greater than His.

Do not be idle. Do the work you are called to as a sacrifice to God and a witness.

Beloved brothers and sisters, we instruct you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to stay away from believers who are unruly and who stray from all that we have taught you. For you know very well that you should order your lives after our example, because we were not undisciplined when we were with you. We didn’t sponge off of you, but we worked hard night and day to provide our own food and lodging and not be a burden to any of you. It wasn’t because we don’t have the right to be supported, but we wanted to provide you an example to follow.  2 Thessalonians 3:6-9 (The Passion Translation)

Verse six cautions against aligning ourselves with "unruly" believers, those who stray from truth in doctrine, principle, and action even though they have believed. Later, Paul goes further, instructing us to separate ourselves from them, not to punish them but to open their eyes to their true condition (v14). When they repent then relationship can be fully restored. In this, we see that relationship is a tool of the Spirit. It is a call for us to be intentional about which relationships to engage with and in modeling truth and righteousness within our relationships. If we value an ungodly relationship, we do not value our relationship with Yahweh.

Verse seven instructs us to "order your lives." The opposite is translated as being "undisciplined," "lazy," "not in battle order," and "not in your duty station." Living right ordered lives requires an intimate connection with truth and puts us in proper position to walk out our daily life. When we honor this command, we become tools God can use and we operate from His strength, peace, and confidence, not our own. One way we order our lives correctly is by pursuing truth and using wisdom, understanding, and discernment to judge for ourselves what we are being taught, judging it against God’s truth and not the unrighteous wishes and desires of our own hearts. Deceivers will be held accountable for what they propagate, we will be held accountable for what we accept into our belief system.

How are we qualified to judge, and how do we judge?

The Word tells us that only God is the judge of man,1 but we must realize that this also means that we alone are responsible for judging what we allow to take root in us.2 This requires knowledge, understanding, discernment, wisdom, and sometimes courage. We have full access to these through our direct personal relationship with God. It is in our quiet times with Him, conversing as a son and friend, filling ourselves with His Word, and honoring Him with our heart’s love that we grow an intimate, deep, and personal relationship of the sort that allows God to speak directly into our lives. Turn off the TV and meet God in the silence of your heart. Step away from the distractions of the world and into His peace and rest where He is able to speak, and you are able to hear.

Paul gives us two instructions regarding truth: do not be deceived and do not be idle. Recognizing, internalizing, and living truth requires intent and diligence. Don’t be lazy. Do the work you have been called to, searching out truth to make it your own.3 Judge what is true and untrue not through the desires of your heart or what the world claims is true, but through the desires of God’s heart. Listen to Him, not to man, and judge for yourself.

Father, remind me to seek Your call upon my day each day. Fill me with recognition of Your Spirit and His prompting, and with courage to believe and walk in faith no matter the task. Give me the wisdom, understanding, and discernment I need to know what is true according to Your heart. Give me the strength, Lord, to honor you with every breath, every thought, every desire, every word, and every act. Give me the strength, Lord, to be your good and faithful servant with joy and peace in my heart. Amen.

Shalom

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Too many believers accept anything they hear from the pulpit, see on YouTube, or read in the latest popular book. Abandoning our responsibility to test and prove what we are taught is risky business, leaving us open to being influenced incorrectly and adopting false teaching as doctrine. Just because someone has a position, a big ministry or other platform does not mean they necessarily have it all right. God’s Word tells us we are responsible for what we choose to believe. In the second chapter of Revelation, He praises the church at Ephesus for testing and disciplining false teachers in their midst (v2), then admonishes the church for falling away from its first love for Him (v4). We should read His judgment and counsel as if directed at us today, because it is. Too many have lost their first love of God.

“I know your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors; and [I know that] you [who believe] are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and that you have not grown weary [of being faithful to the truth]. But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]. So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self--your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior--seek God's will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place--unless you repent. Yet you have this [to your credit], that you hate the works and corrupt teachings of the Nicolaitans [that mislead and delude the people], which I also hate.” Revelation 2:2-6 (AMP)

Believers today should be as wise in testing and disciplining false teachers, incorrect teaching, and agenda-based narratives as the Ephesians were. Why? Because accepting falsehoods separates us from truth and will inevitably lead us away from our first love of God and His truth.

I know this from personal experience, having been influenced by false doctrine for much of my life even though active in church and various study groups. How to keep from falling into this trap? A few years ago, I adopted two strategies: First, instead of listening to a wide number of folks I looked for a small circle of teachers who are well grounded and in relationship with each other. They may not agree on every detail, but their teachings are consistent, truthful, and they edify each other. My second strategy was to develop a method of testing what I take into my own belief system. Here are the four questions I use.

Does the teaching contradict or support what is written in the Word?

This is a litmus test for me. The Bible is a small book and only a portion of what God intends for us, but it is a plumb line for everything else. There cannot be any disagreement between a word that is given, a revelation, or a doctrinal teaching and the Word of God. The Almighty speaks to us in many ways, but none of them should contradict His inspired Truth.

What does the Spirit tell me regarding the virtue of a teaching?

For much of my life I listened and accepted as gospel what church leaders taught. Pastors are called to the ministry, so it is easy to assume everything they say is from God, but pastors are human and have their own biases. I have learned to turn to the Holy Spirit for confirmation, to test what I am being taught.

Do I discern any sort of agenda in a teaching or its motivation?

Unfortunately, not all teaching is purely motivated. I am not a fan of “health and wealth” theology that promises all our needs will be met if only we will support the ministry. Even worse are those who promise “spiritual covering” in exchange for financial support. “Hyper Grace” is another falsehood, claiming that God forgives everything just because He loves us so much, effectively removing our responsibility. On the same plane in my view are those who seek to change beliefs as a social engineering mechanism. Motivations and agendas that seek to elevate a person, organization, or cause over God the Father are sure tell signs.

What happens when I put the teaching into practice in my own walk?

All good teaching should bear good fruit in our lives. If the teaching is correct but does not bear fruit, then it is a matter of faith and/or application. No matter how strongly we believe and how diligently we apply incorrect teaching, however, it cannot bear good fruit because the seed itself is spoiled. Good fruit proves that good seed has been correctly nourished and applied to our daily walk.

It is too easy to fall into the trap of believing what we want to hear. We are called to accountability for what we believe as a matter of faith, how we judge the world, and how we walk out our beliefs. The best way to honor our call to truth is to trust what the Holy Spirit tells us is correct. Let God alone be the judge of what you believe.

Father God, I love You. I love You more than anyone or anything else. My heart desires to rest in Your peace, Your truth, and Your presence. Show me how to guard my heart so that it never turns away to gaze at or believe falsehood. Father, Your Word tells me that I am accountable for what I choose to believe. Show me how to judge the chaos of this world, its false priorities, beliefs, and agendas. Father, separate me from love of the world so that I may love only You and Your truth. Let my desire be not to please man but to please You. I ask that You grant me audience with Wisdom, Understanding, and Counsel1 that they may be my teachers and tutors, and that my heart would listen only to Your heart. Amen

Shalom

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In an age when Christianity is facing increasing hostility and persecution, believers must face the world with increasing mercy and grace. It is the only way to model everything we know to be true. We are in good company. We might say that Paul is the poster boy for the suffering believer. He was of strong character and personality, but his ministry was humble in nature. He worked to pay his own way, struggled with everyday issues and depression, endured riots, imprisonment, beatings, false accusations, assaults, character assassination, and shipwrecks to name a few, all in service to our Lord. So, when Paul writes on the topic of the suffering servant, we listen.

Our struggles in this life are tests of faith. Not simply in how we respond externally but, more importantly I think, in how we respond internally. Without or unsure of salvation, life's struggles are multiplied. The believer is not given a free pass. Even when we have full confidence in our position, illness, relationships, temptations, addictions, job and income struggles, and a plethora of other issues sometimes weigh on us and may cause us to question God or how real our relationship with Him really is. Accepting Christ as our Savior in no way promises us a trouble-free life. We may be saved, but we live in a fallen world.

How is it that Paul could endure all that he did without losing faith?

As he writes to the Corinthian church in yet another time of turmoil and personal attack, Paul reveals how his faith and recognition of his position bulwark his perspective and thus his ability to serve joyously through it all. He writes in response to questions about his standing brought by opponents who condemned him, in part, for suffering as he did (how could one on mission from God be so vulnerable?). In his letter to the church, he extends mercy and grace through his teaching. Instead of accusing he instructs, comparing what the world sees against Heaven's view.

First, however, he presents a list of his trials, and they are impressive to say the least. Paul's life debunks the notion that believers should expect an easy journey.

We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 2 Corinthians 6:3-5 (ESV)

Then he lists the things that encourage, empower, and sustain him.

by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6:5-10 (ESV)

His list provides wisdom for today's believers as we navigate a truly lost and increasingly hostile world. Purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, love, truthful speech, and the power of God were the foundation of Paul's faith, his strength against the onslaught. These traits which served Paul so well await our beckon today, that they may be our strength. They are mercy and grace in action.

Paul understood his position as God's ambassador.

He knew he was not alone in the struggles or the victories, indeed, he was merely a messenger in one sense. He saw Heaven's view of his reality. We do well today to do the same.

• Righteousness is a power, a spiritual weapon. It is a result of our holy choices and cements our position before God's throne.1

• Being true to who God calls us to be in the face of persecution accuses the world's perversity.2

• Humble and unknown to our fellow man, we are known and loved by our Creator.3

• We die a death each time we are assaulted yet live richly in His presence.4

• Punished by the world, we stand before it as beacons of truth.5

• Suffering life's sorrows, we rejoice always in His goodness, mercy, and grace.6

• Whether wealthy or poor, we possess everything that is important in the spiritual realm, including a relationship with God7 that puts to shame all this world has to offer.

Paul's writings carry a set of continuing themes: experiential knowledge, sacrificial love, suffering, mercy, endurance, and perseverance. If you are a believer, you likely know these themes well. They are the hallmarks of a victorious life.

Paul could live the life he lived with all of its troubles yet live it in victory because he understood who he was and the purpose of his life. It is fair then to ask who we are and what our purpose is, and they are the same. We are sons of the Most High God, His ambassadors8 to the world.

Father God, thank You for Your faithfulness. Despite all of life's troubles and trials, all of its disruptions and disappointments, and in all of its joys and victories, You are always present, never changing, and immovable. You are my strength, my armor, my shield, my warrior. You are my joy, Your mercy and grace overflow in my life. In You I find everything I need to live in victory. You are my rock and my salvation, and to You I give glory, power, praise, honor, and blessing. Remind me in times of trial, so that I will keep my eyes on You. Sustain me in need. Show me, Father, where and how to serve and please You for Your glory's sake. Amen.

Shalom.

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Now therefore, give me this hill country about which Adonai spoke on that day. For you heard on that day how the Anakim were there as well as great, fortified cities. Perhaps Adonai will be with me, and I will drive them out, just as Adonai has spoken.” 

So Joshua blessed him, and he assigned Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his portion. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed Adonai the God of Israel fully. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba, for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.  Joshua 14:12-15 (TLV)

God promised Caleb the land which he spied out and gave a truthful report on when he was forty years of age. He is now eighty-five years old and still as strong and vigorous as he was at forty. What has he been doing all those years? Wandering in the desert with the rest of the Israelite nation and fighting as the nation prosecuted the series of battles that God set before them to claim the promised land.

Promises Require Action, and Sometimes Battle

The notion that God would simply give the nation what had been promised them without any effort or sacrifice on their part is false. In promising them the land, what God actually promised is that He would be with them in battle, and that if they were faithful, the battle would be theirs. Caleb's action following the end of the conquests is a mirror image of the principle, now confirmed on a personal level.

When Caleb reminded Joshua of what he had been promised and staked his claim, Joshua was quick to honor the request. That did not mean the land Caleb claimed was simply given to him free and clear. Its occupants, the Anakim, were giants and descendants of Nephilim, so there would be a battle. This was no news to Caleb, however, as he had spied them out forty-five years before. We can surmise that throughout the time of wandering and conquest, Caleb had been planning how he would conquer the giants. He had prepared himself and God honored his preparation with His presence in the battle and with victory.

A Promise is the Beginning of Our Responsibility

God does not normally just hand us things on a silver platter. He can and sometimes does, of course, when He knows we are prepared and positioned to steward the blessing. Normally, however, He waits to see our preparation and willingness to steward the promise, as He did with Caleb. God's promise is to be with us in the matter, not to simply do it for us. We must honor God's promise with our heart, with preparation, and with action.

Be Willing to Contend in This World for What is Rightfully Yours in the Spiritual World

We must be invested in the endeavor by preparing ourselves to shepherd the promise even before it is delivered. Have you ever known someone who has received a promise from God for something and never done anything to prepare for it coming true or for stewarding it? What would happen if God did place it in their hands? Most likely it would be lost in one form or another, probably quickly. Why? Because they are not prepared and positioned to be successful in it. Conversely, we see repeatedly that when we honor God's promise in our heart and through preparation, He is faithful to deliver. Our earthly preparation builds Heavenly confidence and partnership.

If you have promises from God that you are still waiting upon, ask yourself what you have been doing to prepare for their reality. Have you acquired the knowledge it will require to be successful, identified obstacles and strategized solutions? Have you developed important relationships? Have you been gathering resources? Are your plans for the endeavor maturing?

God honors those who are invested through their faith and action. Be one who is prepared and expecting God to be as faithful to the promise as you have been.

Shalom

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The shallows of life, those still, quiet, and simple moments we do not think highly of these days, are gateways to the deep. They are everywhere, yet we overlook them without a notice. Worse, we sometimes go out of our way to avoid them. They do not clamor for our attention, there are no alerts, notifications, chimes - they just are, content to wait for the one with the sense to become their friend.

Brother Lawrence was a friend of the shallows. He reveled in them, enjoying their constant company and mystery as he went about his simple yet busy life, and they led him into the deep.

Life these days is like going to the beach. Most rush through the shallows that caress the shore, hurrying to get out there or down there. It is always about the next big wave, the power, or what is hidden beneath, not the gentle touch of water at the edge, at its shallowest part, with its soothing rhythm that nestles against the toes and cools the bottom of the foot. Is there anything better than that feeling? Maybe as good as, but you will have to prove it to me if you say better than.

As the sun rises or sets, this is when the shallows do most of their healing, in their stillness, quietude, peace, promise, communion. Alone with God and our thoughts in this place where the invitation to the deep reaches its hand gently toward our own to lead us on a journey into the mysteries of life. The shallows.

We are too busy, too much in motion, too full of life, too full of ourselves. We should be more at peace, even when doing the hard things. We should enjoy silence because it is in the silence that we hear.

There is a rock at Deer Creek Beach on the north end of Malibu, a place in the shallows that I know well. It is a seat in nature's great hall of peace, a place of encounter and communion. I love that place, but I am here now, and I've found a new place, the shallows of the quiet morning hours, and it is the same.

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I recently read N.T. Wright's Paul: A Biography and enjoyed it immensely. There is much in it that expands my understanding of Paul and his times. A biography is different than a history. It teaches one about the person on the inside as well as the person on the outside. Including, in this instance, Paul's battles with self-doubt and depression, and his total dependence upon his faith. It is faith that fueled Paul's pursuit of holiness, and it is our faith that makes the seemingly impossible goal of holiness realistic in our lives, in this world, and in this time.

Holiness Results from Active Pursuit

Two of the great problems of man are the emphasis on knowledge and the exercise of will. We prioritize intellect, then strive with the force of our will to overcome every obstacle within ourselves and the world to achieve what it mandates. Compare that to a pursuit that begins in the heart with a deep longing, unshakable desire, and firm intent, and which captures the forces of intellect to face each obstacle with confidence and an unquenchable thirst. That kind of pursuit results in love found, dreams made real, a changed world ... and a changed us. Holiness begins with a yearning in the heart that will not be denied.

We must guard holiness in the Body of Christ

"Guard" is an active verb. Holiness doesn't just happen because we are believers. It is to be walked out with discipline and diligence applied to our relationship with Christ, the Messiah1 and our relationship with the world that surrounds us.

"Unity and holiness will come, and will only come, as the mind of the community and of the individuals within it are transformed to reflect the mind of the Messiah himself." (Wright, 272)

The truly transformed mind

A transformed mind is as important to us individually as it is to the Body, for if one part is unholy then the whole cannot be truly holy.

It is a humbling thought to consider how far my thoughts are from His. I can hardly fathom the degree of change required, yet Paul informs us explicitly that this is exactly what is expected.2 Scripture's repeated instruction on the subject is proof that a life of holiness is possible even today. But how?

“Learning how to think as the Messiah had thought, Paul insisted, was the only way to radical unity in the church, and it was also the secret of how to live as pure and spotless children of God in the middle of a twisted and depraved generation." (Wright, 274)

Learn to think like Christ

Think about that for a moment and realize just how far you are from it. "Take every thought captive"3 takes on new weight when we consider that it is the secret to thinking like the Messiah, the Risen One, the Redeemer, the Perfect One; and in that secret lives the way to holiness and righteousness.

But look around at the world outside and the person inside. It is a mess. We are a mess. Where does one start this journey? Once again, we find ancient wisdom that is still the standard for today, as it was when it came from Paul’s heart.

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV)

Are you searching for a way forward in the chaos of today’s world? Take heart, you are in good company. Do as Paul taught. Search your heart and feed its desire for holiness until it becomes a fire within that cannot be smothered. Let that fire become your beacon and the master of everything else.

Shalom

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The intricate interplay between desire, opportunity, and providence forms a complex tapestry that weaves through the fabric of human existence. These three elements, each with its unique significance, shape the course of our lives, influencing decisions, outcomes, and the quality of our lives and of those around us.

If you've ever wanted to do something and had the opportunity presented to you but were unable to follow through because not everything lined up correctly, then you know just how true this principle is.

Desire, a fundamental aspect of human nature, serves as the driving force behind individual aspirations. It is this yearning, the hunger for something beyond our experience, that propels people to dream and strive for more. Desire can manifest in many ways, encompassing a spectrum from the mundane to the profound — ranging from the desire for success, love, knowledge, to the pursuit of a deeper spiritual connection. It is the spark that ignites the human spirit, giving purpose and direction to our lives.

Opportunity, the nexus between desire and reality, is found in invitations of various forms that present ways for us to experience our desires. These are the doorways through which desires can transform into tangible outcomes. Opportunities come in various forms—educational, professional, personal, or even serendipitous encounters that present a chance for us to experience what our heart longs for. The dynamic and fleeting nature of opportunities requires us to be perceptive and ready to seize the moment when it comes.

The relationship between desire and opportunity is symbiotic, each supporting and enhancing the other. The intensity of our desires enhances our perception of opportunities, making us more attuned to possibilities that align with our yearnings. Conversely, recognizing and seizing opportunities can further fuel and refine our desires, resulting in a revolving and evolving cycle.

This interplay of forces is a concrete truth in life, and it operates in both the positive and the negative. If our desire is for good, then we recognize opportunities for doing good and pursue them. The reverse is just as true. If our desire is for evil, say viewing pornography, using drugs, stealing, cheating on a business deal, or some other evil, we can rest assured that we will recognize those opportunities as well. What we cannot predict is where following them will lead. "Just this once" is a fool's refrain.

What we desire in our hearts puts our senses on alert. When we recognize opportunities to fulfill our desires, be they good or evil, then our decision is to act or not act. If we are morally weak enough to lust after evil, the odds of our acting morally when all the conditions line up are long indeed. This is why safeguarding what our heart desires is so crucial. We are responsible for judging our desires and actions.

The narrative takes on a deeper dimension when considering providence as a spiritual force which can have either a negative (evil) source, or a positive (Godly) source. Godly providence, sometimes understood as divine guidance or intervention in human affairs, introduces a layer of spiritual significance to the relationship between desire and opportunity. It encompasses the belief that there is a higher, wiser, stronger, and benevolent force at play in the unfolding of events — an omnipotent presence guiding the course of our lives.

Desire for God's providence leads us to a point of trust and surrender. It invites us to navigate the dance of desire and opportunity with pure aspirations and motives, and faith that there is a purpose to the unfolding of events beyond our comprehension. Challenges and setbacks we encounter along the way are perceived as opportunities for spiritual growth and learning guided by divine wisdom. Advantages and unexpected provision are perceived as God's hand moving in our favor. The acknowledgment of God's love for us and His beneficial providence leads us to a place of humility and reverence, recognizing the limits of our understanding in the face of a higher, transcendent power.

He is our Creator, our Maker, and He longs for our return. When we turn our hearts into Him, He responds with His mercy and love. We have all failed in life, sometimes miserably. He already knows about our failures and is waiting to forgive us when we confess and repent.

Mind what is in your heart, the things you desire and chase. These set the course of your life. Desire and chase Him and His gift of freedom.

Shalom

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