Disposable

Have you noticed just how disposable our current world has become? How many items in our society have been purposefully manufactured to be thrown away after only a few uses, or have been designed to become obsolete in a fraction of their previous shelf lives? The phrase "planned obsolescence" didn't even exist until the mid 1960's.


The rotary telephone in our garage is 50 years old, and it works better than our new cell phones. Our cell phones barely made it home before they were obsolete.

Corporations still use commercial wallpaper, which easily lasts 20 years. However, home interiors have painted walls that stay fresh and nice looking for only 2 to 3 years.

Television sets were passed from one generation until the next. They were huge, elaborate pieces of furniture, and they had to be run over by a tank before they would break. Now few television warranties are beyond 2 years.

Our original Westinghouse washing machine lasted 20 years before it began to show any wear or tear. Our talented repair man replaced two or three belts at year 20, and it lasted 5 more years before we had to buy a new one. Most now are only expected to last 5 years.

Our world is full of items that are designed to become obsolete in extremely short periods of time. When we make these expensive purchases, we do so without expectations that they will last.

Fortunately, God does not have a short expiration date, nor will He ever become obsolete. He has been in existence since eternity past; He is living and active in our present day, and He will be forever more!

Our earthly lives today last an average of 70+ years, but even Old Testament folks, who lived hundreds of years, were still just a blink on God's time line.

We are disposable on this earth, but according to God's Word, we will be living eternally - in heaven or in hell. Is not Christmas 2011 a perfect time to consider the free gift that our merciful LORD has bought for us?

Perseverance

Since 1996, I have had painful chronic health issues, so you would think I would know all about endurance and stamina. However, during the last several months as I have anxiously and hopefully awaited the sale of our family home of 30 plus years, I discovered that I know very little about perseverance.


Collins English Dictionary defines perseverance as "steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement."1 The process includes a doggedness and steadfastness, in spite of discouragement. It includes a tenacity and endurance until the end.

Perseverance is not just plodding forward; it is plodding forward even when (perhaps especially when) we are disappointed or discouraged. When life gets murky and mucky, I must purposefully toil and trudge through the mire.

In my mind, I think I have been throwing adult temper tantrums. My checklist of what should be happening and when it should be happening has not come to fruition, and I have not been tenacious in keeping focused on that which is most important.

1 Timothy 4:16 tells us:

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Hebrews 10:36 says:

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."

Strong's Lexicon reminded me that perseverance includes abiding still, continuing, or remaining in the "blessing for which one keeps himself fit".2 Continuing on a daily basis in the love and grace God has gifted me, rather than existing in a state of disappointment is really the key.

Strong's emphasizes in the Hebrews verse - "in the NT (New Testament) the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings."3

Recently, through the Holy Spirit, I have come face-to-face with the fact that I have swerved from my true purpose of loyal faith and piety, and I have allowed this trial of an unsold house to hinder my journey. I have briefly taken my eyes off heaven, the ultimate prize, and in that process I momentarily lost my daily joy.

John Gill explains that I am to take heed unto thyself - I am to take heed that my life is exemplary - and that means that my mental life should be steadfast, so my special gifts from God are not neglected. He encouraged me (and us) to feed our lives with God's knowledge and understanding, according to the doctrine of Christ and His godliness.4  By taking heed, we can save ourselves from the polluted thoughts of this world, which definitely include a propensity for giving up or giving in to discouragement.

God is a glorious God of grace and mercy. Even though I have no idea why our sale has not happened in my earthly timetable, God wants me to suffer through this trial in joyful perseverance, keeping my eyes on Jesus. I needed this lesson in continuance and endurance, regardless of my deferred prayers. I needed to learn to bear up under the temptation to throw mental temper tantrums.

Dear most gracious heavenly Father,
I know that my prayers are heard. Even when they are not answered as I would like or expect, I know that You have what is best for me in mind. I ask that you continually teach me how to persevere. I ask that you will enable me to endure without discouragement because I cannot do this on my own. May you envelope me and fill me daily with your joy. May you help me keep my eyes focused on my Savior and Sustainer, Jesus Christ. May you teach me to heed unto myself, so I may live an exemplary life, pleasing to you. Amen.


1. perseverance. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perseverance (accessed: August 06, 2011).
2. Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for epimenō (Strong's 1961)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 6 Aug 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1961&t=NIV >
3. Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for hypomonē (Strong's 5281)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 6 Aug 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm? >Strongs=G5281&t=NIV
4. John Gill's Exposition. http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/1-timothy-4-16.html

Plumb Line

If you have ever hung wallpaper or have watched a professional hang it, you probably know what a plumb line is.


Collins English Dictionary defines a plumb line as "a string with a metal weight at one end that, when suspended, points directly towards the earth's centre of gravity and so is used to determine verticality, the depth of water, etc."1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plumb lines have been used since ancient times. This tool merely consists of a line with an attached weight. Originally a stone was used, but later the weight was made of lead. The weight came to be called a plummet, from the Latin word for lead - plumbum.2


In wallpapering and other construction applications, a plumb line ensures a true vertical alignment, and it is used as a reference. This tool confirms that hung pieces of wallpaper remain true; that is, they do not veer from the straight line, all the way down the wall, and all the way around your room.

Such attention to detail is particularly important in old houses or buildings because usually they are not square. Getting that first strip of wall paper affixed to the wall properly, (perfectly vertical), is critical to the success of the entire project.

The plumb line is hung from the ceiling, and a pencil is used to mark a vertical line on the wall. The line can also be chalked and then snapped against the wall, leaving a faint chalk line as a guide. Whichever method is used, a perfect vertical results, against which the first length of paper is hung, and the process is repeated for each subsequent strip of paper. If the first piece is not absolutely straight, then hanging the rest becomes increasingly difficult, and project chaos follows.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In Isaiah 28:16-17, God tells us how plumb lines apply to our spiritual lives:

"So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
 See, I lay a stone in Zion,
 a tested stone,
 a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
 the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
 I will make justice the measuring line
 and righteousness the plumb line;
 hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
 and water will overflow your hiding place."

Our spiritual vertical line is God's righteousness. Our uprightness, integrity, and honesty are all measured against His flawlessness.

"He will judge the world in righteousness;
 He will govern the peoples with justice."
 Psalm 9:8

In Biblical times, plumb lines were known to many people, including Jesus, who as a carpenter, would have owned one. The Lord uses His Word to illuminate just how vertically straight or upright we should be. Unfortunately, human beings cannot attain His perfection.  In no way can we attain His righteousness on our own.

The Lord's righteousness clearly gives us proof-positive that we are "off-the-mark".  We are evil in comparison to His perfect plumb line. We are corrupt, wicked, crooked...out of plumb...when we are compared to or measured against a perfect, holy, and righteous God.

Amos 7:7-9 tells us, "This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD asked me, 'What do you see, Amos?'


'A plumb line,' I replied.


Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'


'The high places of Isaac will be destroyed
 and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; 
 with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.'"

The Lord's condemnation back in Amos' time was not just applicable to that time because the Lord is unchanging and timeless, and the concept still applies today.

God's Word and Jesus' model show us how our thoughts, words, and actions are not in agreement with our perfect, holy, and righteous God. On our own, we could never stand upright before our holy God.  We would each be found wanting.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23

Because of God's perfection, purity, and holiness, He cannot just nod away our wickedness, and this wickedness would doom us to an eternity in hell, without a solution.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

God loves us so much He provided the perfect and the only solution to reconcile us to Himself.

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

He literally gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish in hell for all eternity, but instead we might have eternal life in heaven with Him (John 3:16; John 10:10).

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 tells us, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep."

God provided the perfect and only solution for our chaotic, off-the-mark position. His precious, beloved, and flawless Son, Jesus Christ, came to die on the cross in our place to completely and perfectly pay the penalty for our wickedness. Christ's crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension brought us to the plumb line. Our individual acceptance or receiving of Jesus as personal Savior and Lord ensures that we remain on the vertical! We receive Christ by faith, as an act of our will, and this appointment is individual and personal - just like the hanging of one piece of wallpaper on the vertical.

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

Dear Righteous Lord,
Thank you for illuminating my wickedness with your perfect plumb line, your righteousness. Thank you for drawing me to yourself, and clearly showing me my need for a personal Savior. Thank you most of all for providing the ONLY solution for my sinful position - your precious Son, Jesus Christ. Your love for me is overwhelming. Thank you for my brothers and sisters in Christ! We love you because you first loved us. To you goes all of the praise and glory forever and ever! Amen.

1. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged, 10th Edition 2009 ©, William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009


2. http://www.keyway.ca/htm2005/20050118.htm, The Lord's Plumb Line, Wayne Blank

Principles

I love facilitating ladies' Bible studies, and I especially enjoy multigenerational groups. The wisdom and encouragement that flow freely in a multigenerational group from late teens through seventy year olds are almost too precious to describe. I always come home much more blessed than any of my attendees could ever feel.


As a facilitator, leader, or teacher, I have discovered I am exceptionally critical of Bible study authors, speakers, and teachers. Even if I respect and enjoy a particular author or speaker, I find myself analyzing every word, every phrase, and every concept that is spoken or written. Because of that tendency, in recent years, I have noticed a dangerous trend.

I have observed Christian speakers and authors using the word "principle" as "an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct." Actually these "principles" are accepted or professed rules of action or conduct that they have discerned from Scripture." Unfortunately, presenters and writers frequently take this one step further, and present these personal observations or extrapolations as truths for all to follow and apply.

While the concepts may be valid personal deductions for the speakers and authors, and recovery program standards might be helpful and solid, I am cautioning us to always compare these "principles" directly to God's word to ferret out the specific Bible verses that state God's truth. We need to search, explore, and examine the Scriptures for God's precepts, statutes, and commands to individually ensure that what is being taught (even by godly humans) is exactly what God says. These principles or applied rules for conduct must be tested and proved against God's holy, infallible, inerrant, and living word, before we, as hearers, or readers, or followers of Christ take them to be 100% true and applicable to our own lives. Otherwise, are they not legalisms?

Romans 3:3-4 says, "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
  and prevail when you judge.”

Gill's Expository notes remind us "God is true, faithful to his word, constant in his promises, and will always fulfill his purposes; though every man is a liar, vain, fallacious, and inconstant." Romans 3:4 is "a proof that God is true, and stands to his word, though men are fallacious, inconstant, and wicked."

The Bible clearly cautions us about misuse and abuse of His word:

"And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." Revelation 22:19

I pity the person who ever detracts from the purity of God's word!

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:12-17

"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Diving into the Bible individually and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us how to apply God's truths to our everyday lives is an imperative. That is the beauty and majesty of being indwelled by the Holy Spirit. God has equipped us not only by placing His living word at our fingertips, but by giving us the perfect teacher and counselor. Both are enormous gifts we must not take for granted. Instead, we must continually assess if we are staying true to the Scriptures.

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26

As facilitators, leaders, and teachers, we must realize it is not always safe or wise to latch on to "principles" because by definition, they come from men (or women), not directly from God. We must be overly critical of materials we use, watching for subtle, noticeable differences or inconsistencies. While Christian authors, speakers, and celebrities may give us fun tools to spark conversations or trigger our thought processes, if they are not backing up what they say with chapter and verse from God's word, they are not good enough for teaching situations. All our teaching aides must be teeming with Bible verse upon Bible verse upon Bible verse to ensure we are on point. In this, we must not waiver.

The danger of accepting "principles" as equal to God's precepts without testing and proving them is that when false teachers abound, we will be prone (if not eager) to "turn our ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." That just cannot be our position.

In the midst of my recent focus on this word "principle", I must say I have been especially blessed and thankful for my own local community. I am thankful for a pastor who preaches directly out of God's word, teaching us verse by verse, what God has to say about unpopular subjects. Our pastor does not add nor does he detract from God's precepts. He teaches us to love one another, but not at the expense of watering down God's instructions. We know God's plumb line, and he urges and encourages and teaches us to follow it!

I am blessed by elders who are committed to encouraging and challenging our congregation to know God's word, to grow more in our personal relationships with the Lord, and to apply His truths (not man's or woman's) to our lives.

I am appreciative of our deacons, who joyfully and consistently provide our local body with service and ministering, just as God calls them to do.

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10

I am appreciative our local body is offering a recovery program that couples its author's principles to God's precepts (point by point), and gives God all of the glory and honor for healing.

Dear and Precious Heavenly Father,


You are holy and perfect, and out of your grace, mercy, and kindness, you have given us your infallible, inerrant, living word. Not only does it reveal your character, your promises, your discipline, and your greatest gift, your Son Jesus Christ, but it shows us your will for our lives and your truths! Thank you for that immovable plumb line. Thank you for cleansing us completely through Jesus' sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension. Thank you for enabling us to live changed lives by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for pastors, elders, deacons, authors, and speakers who always put you and your word first! May all that we do and say give glory to you, and may we be ever serious about staying true to only you - the One and Only True Source! You are God Alone! May you always be the only One to whom we go for final truth, empowerment, healing, salvation, sanctification, and glorification. Amen.

Stay tuned for my next blog on plumb lines.

Set Apart by God and for God

In Romans 1 we learn that Paul was sought out by Christ to be His apostle. Paul did not seek or take on this position of his own accord, but he was summoned by God. Paul, formerly known as Saul, was an unlikely and surprising choice - not only had he been a persecutor of the church, but we even find him keeping the clothes of those who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7:54-60). That act indicated he was a consenting participant in Stephen's death.


Yet God chose to set apart Paul for preaching the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles. This young, well-educated, intelligent, tent-making rebel was literally marked, appointed, or separated from others to be devoted to God's purpose of sharing the treasure of Jesus Christ. Paul was to preach and defend the gospel, and after his life-changing, dazzling light appointment with God on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-19), he did so with faithfulness and integrity.

In Romans 1:9 Paul tells us that he serves God with his whole heart in preaching the gospel of His Son. He is not assuming this role half-heartedly or with his eyes on worldly aspirations, but Paul is committing the entirety of his being to this incomparable task. He has been entrusted with the mission of proclaiming Jesus to the Gentiles, and to the astonishment of his listeners in Damascus, he proclaimed Jesus vigorously, declaring Him to be the Son of God!

The all important subject of this gospel message is Jesus. Not only has He accomplished God's work on the cross, but every aspect of who He is - that is the essence of Paul's teaching and preaching.

Jesus, in the midst of this world's disgusting and rampant sin, walked in absolute and perfect holiness. Ponder that again - Jesus was 100% holy and 100% perfect. He conquered sin once and for all through His hideous crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension, and He delivered us from sin's penalty of death and hell.

Paul was especially honored and set apart to bear these glad tidings of God, and he spread the news of God's grace over and over and over again. Even though he was beaten and imprisoned, he did not sway from his duty.

According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, Paul's life ended thusly:

During Nero's time, " A fierce persecution now broke out against the Christians. Paul was seized, and once more conveyed to Rome a prisoner. During this imprisonment he probably wrote the Second Epistle to Timothy, the last he ever wrote. 'There can be little doubt that he appeared again at Nero's bar [court], and this time the charge did not break down. In all history there is not a more startling illustration of the irony of human life than this scene of Paul at the bar of Nero. On the judgment-seat, clad in the imperial purple, sat a man who, in a bad world, had attained the eminence of being the very worst and meanest being in it, a man stained with every crime, a man whose whole being was so steeped in every nameable and unnameable vice, that body and soul of him were, as someone said at the time, nothing but a compound of mud and blood; and in the prisoner's dock stood the best man the world possessed, his hair whitened with labours for the good of men and the glory of God. The trial ended: Paul was condemned, and delivered over to the executioner. He was led out of the city, with a crowd of the lowest rabble at his heels. The fatal spot was reached; he knelt beside the block; the headsman's axe gleamed in the sun and fell; and the head of the apostle of the world rolled down in the dust' (probably A.D. 66), four years before the fall of Jerusalem."1

When I was a child, decoder rings and spy toys were extremely popular.  My friends and I used to sneak about the house with our periscope tubes spying on the goings on about the house. We were intrigued by perceived secrets.  How blessed are we that our heavenly Father did not keep the finished work of Christ a secret!  Our precious LORD proclaimed the mystery loudly to Paul, to the apostles, and to each of us, and we must take our commission to spread this great news seriously. We must be the "Pauls of our times"!

Additional Scriptures to read and meditate upon:

Acts 9:3-19
Romans 1:1-32
1 Timothy 1:15
Romans 5:11-12
Romans 12:1-3
2 Corinthians 4:1-18
Ephesians 2:3-5
Titus 3:4-6
Hebrews 4:15-16
1 Peter 1:2-4

Dear Precious Heavenly Father,
Your plan, purpose, and calling are beyond are mental capacity, but we trust you. When and if you call us to be set apart for your commission of sharing the treasure of the great news of Jesus, may we take that task as seriously as the apostle Paul did.  Prepare us to be vigorous and steadfast, and through your strength may we persevere until the end. Amen.

1. M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.

Not Reviewed or Approved by Humans

On Thursday, December 30, 2010 at 6:55 A.M., Hoosiers in central Indiana experienced an earthquake of a magnitude of 3.8. The quake at a depth of 3 miles lasted only 5 or 6 seconds. Several people reported their houses shook, their doors rattled, some pictures fell from their walls, and they heard a sound similar to thunder.


Although the quake's epicenter was in a cornfield 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis, the U.S. Geological Survey reported it was felt by people as far away as Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Once I knew no one was injured, what interested me was this. One radio announcer printed a colorful seismic report from the government's online geological department's site indicating all of the quake's activity. He was intrigued by this information, and was eager to share it with his listeners, until he saw a disclaimer at the bottom of the report, “This report has not been reviewed or approved by a human.”

The announcer cracked up laughing on the air. The computer generated official looking report was automatically published online without ever having been seen or approved by one single person. The computer generated document had been programmed to publish without any human’s okay.

Apparently, the powers that be did not see fit to verify that the computer's calculations were accurate. When I heard this, I wondered at the wisdom, or lack of wisdom of not having such an important document reviewed, verified, and approved prior to publishing it for the public's eyes and use.

While I think such Internet publishing is irresponsible and not helpful in the realm of earthquakes, floods, tornados, or other natural occurrences, I paused for a moment and thought about the Creator of these events.

God orchestrated the creation of the world, the heavens, and mankind. He has a plan and purpose for our lives and this earth, and He did not need (or ask) in the beginning or now for any of His work to be reviewed or approved by any human.

Then why do we humans think that we are or need to be in control?  Why do we behave as though the Lord needs our “okey dokey” in our daily lives?

Earthquakes between 2.5 and 5.4 on the Richter scale are listed as moderate. About 30,000 such quakes occur yearly within that range, yet John Steinmetz of the Indiana Geological Survey said there have only been two earthquakes of equal or greater magnitude in central Indiana in the past 175 years.

Consequently, this shaking on December 30, 2010 commanded Hoosiers' attention and notice. I had to wonder if the Orchestrator of the earthquake was given any attention or notice, and I think not..


I, along with most humans, tend to forget that we are not in control. We cannot control the weather, earthquakes, the sun, the planets, or the stars. God Almighty did not seek our counsel.

Read and meditate on these verses:

Job 9:4-11:

"His wisdom is profound, His power is vast.
Who has resisted Him and come out unscathed?
He moves mountains without their knowing it
and overturns them in His anger.
He shakes the earth from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.
He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;
He seals off the light of the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.
When He passes me, I cannot see Him;
when He goes by, I cannot perceive Him."

Job 12:13:

“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His."

Isaiah 40:12-14:

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD,
or instruct the LORD as His counselor?
Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten Him,
and who taught Him the right way?
Who was it that taught Him knowledge,
or showed Him the path of understanding?"

Isaiah 40:21-26

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than He blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
'To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of His great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 40:28-31

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."


Join me in remembering that our LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never slumbers, nor does He become weary. We, whose hope is in the LORD, will be renewed and never shaken. We can turn to our Almighty God, knowing that He knows best, and that we do not. We should not feebly attempt to take control and manipulate events. We must trust that the every-day outcomes of our lives do not need to be reviewed or approved by any human.

Father,
I pray today for one thing - to trust you completely. You are worthy and able! AMEN!!

Renovations

Summer 2010 was a tough one. My husband and I tackled numerous and diverse household projects, and I discovered I do not like muss and fuss, especially when renovations are not decorative and visible. I could not see the results of the labor quickly or easily, so I really hated seeing the expenses!!


I cannot enumerate how many times I feel similarly. Scripture tells me I was washed clean, and I am being transformed into the likeness of Christ, yet often I cannot "see" tangible results or even feel them.

Guess what? The most wonderful part of being Christ's is I do not have to feel or see anything. He bought me with the perfect price, and my debt was marked "paid in full." He sees my heart; He knows my progress, and He is doing the work!

Acts 20:28 tells us that the church of God was purchased with His own blood. Strong's expands on our meaning of "purchased" (bought): "to reserve, keep safe, to preserve for one's self". Our God purchased us with Christ's blood to keep us safe and to preserve us for Himself for all eternity. We are His private property. We were "bought away" from this wicked world, and that makes my heart sing!

Ephesians 2:19 tells us we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but we are fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household!

Although I may not "see" the results I would expect or want, and although I do not always "feel" transformed, I am my Lord's. Just so I would not doubt His unseen work, He sent me His Holy Spirit as my comforter and my assurance that I am His!

Romans 8:16 says, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible says that the testimony of the Spirit is not for the satisfaction of others, but for the saints (believers) themselves, if we ever have moments of doubt, temptations of the devil, or feelings of unworthiness. This witness of the Holy Spirit is to establish and confirm our salvation that has already occurred.

John Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament says," this Spirit dwells in us, acts in us, and brings us in effect into this relationship which has been acquired for us by Christ, through that work which He accomplished for us, entering into it Himself (that is, as man risen). We know Him because He is with us and dwells in us The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."

Although this testimony is not audible, it is loud and clear to our hearts! We are enabled to love God and enjoy Him to the fullest on this earth. He then equips us to be slowly, but surely transformed, so the process is truly all about Him!

Dear Heavenly Father,


I am not fond of the fuss and muss of maintenance or renovations that are invisible to the naked eye. Similarly I have such a tough time feeling worthy of your grace, and I am not worthy of your love and salvation. I, however, am so thankful for your unmerited mercies and grace. I thank you for the amazing gift of your Holy Spirit, who gives me an internal assurance to my spirit that Christ's righteousness and blood payment secured my soul, once and for all, and completely. Thank you for this love and peace, especially on days when I wish my transformation into the likeness of Christ was more visible to me. Once again I trust you, and I believe all of your promises. I praise your precious and holy name. Amen!

Honor

Recently I saw a movie that almost broke my heart, but the writer left me with a message I will not forget. A young boy was battling a rare, aggressive brain cancer, and he was losing the fight. HIs body was not responding to the prescribed treatments.

At one point, this boy was tormented by a classmate. He was viciously teased about being bald, and his eyebrows were starting to disappear. His best friend, who happened to be a girl, took him to chat with her beloved grandfather. When the children told him about the hatefulness, he said, "They are teasing you because they are jealous." The kids looked at him dumbfounded.

The grandfather continued, "They are jealous because you are the famous one, chosen by God for the honor of being one of His warriors. You are riding forth victoriously in truth, humility, and righteousness. People look at their lives as they observe your courage and strength. Warriors point these lost ones to God."

I honestly do not know if that is why God allows our world and our precious ones to be stricken with chronic or terminal illnesses, but I do know that He uses us in so many different ways. If our trials and tragedies point others to our Savior, I do think He is certainly being honored.

Honor is the highest respect we can offer, and such praise involves public esteem of another person and his or her reputation. Genesis 45:13 says, "Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly."

Joseph wants his father to hear about and to even see all the honor that has been accorded him in Egypt for his wealth, riches, grandeur, dignity, power, and authority. Joseph's house was magnificent with all of its servants. His majestic chariot was second only to the king. He had been given authority over the people, and they reverenced him. He had power, particularly over the distribution of corn.

According to Matthew Henry, Joseph "desires that his father may speedily be made glad with the tidings of his life and dignity. He knew it would be a refreshing oil to his hoary head and a sovereign cordial to his spirits. If anything would make him young again, this would. He is very earnest that his father and all his family should come to Egypt."

In Exodus 12:42 we are told, "Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come."

Matthew Henry says, "Memorable was the destruction of the Egyptians, and the deliverance of the Israelites by it. That remarkable night was to be celebrated in all generations."

God's power, wisdom, goodness, truth, and faithfulness are plainly displayed to the Israelites, and to us through His Word.

No one exists who is more worthy of our honor, praise, or respect than God Almighty. He deserves fame and glory from us, His created beings. The great things God has done for His people and continues to do for His people are not to be remembered for just a fleeting moment, but remembrance of His deeds and who He is, should be perpetuated throughout all the ages, especially His redemptive work through Christ Jesus!

Shall we not commit anew to celebrating Him? Shall we not give Him the honor, praise, glory, and reverence that only He deserves?

Heavenly Father,
No one, and I mean no one, deserves the honor you do. May I never take you for granted! May I never place my respect and praise with another person or idol. You are my Creator, my Sustainer, and my Redeemer, and only you deserve glory. May I celebrate you anew every day! Amen.

Immeasurably More Than Extraordinary

My middle school home economics teacher was a stickler for accuracy. As we learned to cook, and especially to bake, every single ingredient had to be precisely measured with measuring cups or measuring spoons. Flour was spooned into the measuring cup, and a knife was moved over the top to level the dry ingredient perfectly. The same process was applied to all dry ingredients to ensure that each and every measure was just so. Paula Deen and Martha Stuart both subscribe to this technique, and they teach that the proper scientific measurements lend to success in baking. I still use these same techniques, 39 years after I first learned them.


Similarly, we tend to want to know exactly how our performances measure up to our rivals. We size up people and performances based upon manmade standards or measures. We especially use statistics to quantify sports' performances and to assess sales' performances. We ask:

What was your sales quota last month?  Did you beat it?

Where did you rank amongst the other sales reps?

How many rebounds did you have?

What were your R.B.I.'s?

We even try to measure a church's efficacy by how many people are seated in the sanctuary every Sunday.

So when Paul tells us that the Lord is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, and God's discourse in Job 38 focuses on all of His marvelous works that are beyond our full understanding and standards of measurement, how can our minds fully grasp God's majesty, His love, or what He could possibly accomplish in our lives?

Job 11:8-9 tells us that the mysteries of God and His limits are "higher than the heavens" and "deeper than the depths of the grave." "Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea."  I don't know about you, but my mind cannot begin to fathom just how big that is. Full comprehension of God's nature, designs, and character are beyond our human scope; He surpasses all the capacity of our intellect.

God is immeasurably more than extraordinary!  He is able to do immeasurably more!  He spoke this world, its vegetation, its people into existence from nothing. He placed stars in the heavens and called them by name.  He numbers the hairs on my head, and on yours, and He knew each of us while we were being knit together in our mothers' wombs.

I wish an English word existed for the phrase "immeasurably more than extraordinary."  I have searched and searched, and I cannot find any that begins to explain our God's "extraordinariness"... Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain (Psalm 139:6).

Why then do we make an effort?  Because 1 Corinthians 13:9 tells us, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

If we patiently seek Him now, if we persevere, we WILL see Him face to face; now we know in part - then one day (after we have passed from this earth) we will know Him fully!!

Meanwhile, the Spirit of God, residing in His children gives us the ability to perceive as much as is necessary (according to the measure that God bestows on each of us individually). We may not be able to measure His love or His plans out in our nice little cups, but He knows just exactly what is perfect and timely for each of us.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

Since God is more exceptional in His character, in His power, in His glory, in His majesty... how can I begin to imagine what to ask of Him, the One who is "immeasurably more than"?

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."  Romans 8:25-27

Dear Father, may I continue to pray to You who is not only 100% able, but who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine. May I ask You to heal the bodies and spirits of my friends and family, so they may continue to minister powerfully in Your Name. Every time I get a glimpse of and experience your “immeasurably more than”, may I give you honor, praise, and glory forever and ever! May I proclaim You loudly, and may I live each and every day with the knowledge that one day I WILL know you fully and completely! What a promise that is! In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

What We Really Deserve

During this Christmas season, I paid close attention to television commercials. I diligently watched for that perfect gift I might otherwise miss! Well, I did not find that "I can't live without it" present, but I noticed a troubling, pervasive message in this year's advertising. One evening I heard the phrases "You deserve this," or "It is your right to"... over 15 times!  I was disgusted that advertisers are brainwashing gullible adults and teaching our impressionable children and grandchildren this detrimental concept of entitlement.


Romans 8:4 warns us, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."

Scripture tells us that we deserve hell. Yes, you read that correctly. Our sinful nature since the falling of Adam and Eve affords us the right to live in hell for all eternity. That is what we deserve.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

Knowing what I deserve and then realizing that God has specifically chosen to extend an extraordinary mercy to me overwhelms me. My heart literally overflows with gratitude.


Mercy is unmerited grace, compassion, and kindness. It is God's forgiveness of His creatures' offenses.1


Easton's Bible Dictionary defines mercy as:

"compassion for the miserable. Its object is misery. By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the sons of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness (Gen. 19:19; Ex. 20:6; 34:6, 7; Ps. 85:10; 86:15, 16). In Christ mercy and truth meet together. Mercy is also a Christian grace (Matt. 5:7; 18:33-35)."2

Ponder that sentence, "In Christ mercy and truth meet together."3  The truth according to a Holy Lord is we deserve hell for all eternity, yet in His loving mercy, our LORD has provided the perfect atoning sacrifice (HIMSELF) to cleanse us of all guilt once and for all.

Just thinking about our LORD's mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace fills my inner being with love, my eyes with tears, and my mouth with praise.

Psalm 103:1-5; 8-18


1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

"His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100:5 NKJV

"Jesus died…on purpose. No surprise. No hesitation. No faltering…


The journey to the cross didn’t begin in Jericho. It didn’t begin in Galilee. It didn’t begin in Nazareth. It didn’t even begin in Bethlehem. The journey to the cross began long before. As the echo of the crunching of the fruit was still sounding in the garden, Jesus was leaving for Calvary.


So what is mercy all about? It's not about me, and it's not about you. It is all about Jesus and His finished work on Calvary!"4 Max Lucado

Dear Heavenly Father,



Thank you for your abounding love, which you clearly manifested to us through your extension of mercy. Keep me from ever being conned into believing that I "deserve" or have the "right to" anything that is not clearly gifted to me by you. Protect me from the sin of entitlement, so I may spend my days praising you for the grace you have bestowed upon me. Amen!


1. mercy. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercy (accessed: January 02, 2011).


2. mercy. Dictionary.com. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercy (accessed: January 02, 2011).


3. mercy. Dictionary.com. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercy (accessed: January 02, 2011).


4.online devotion by Max Lucado, Everlasting Mercy, posted 09 Dec 2010 10:09 PM PST.