The Righteous Judge

On November 12, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

James 4: 12

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

 I have an even better question. Who are you to judge yourself? You see, all judgment has been given to Jesus: ALL. We have no more business judging ourselves than we do in judging others. This is one thing that really makes Jesus angry. Read the gospels. When was his ire piqued? It was always over the sanctimonious Pharisees. How dare we judge what Jesus has sanctified.

I am as guilty as anyone. Recently my trip to the beach coincided with fall bike week, bikes as in motorcycles. Some bikers are accountants during the week but we also encountered some folks that you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley at night. But that is a judgment isn’t it? This fellow passed me on the street and I could feel myself recoil. He was covered in tattoos, his hair was dirty, his teeth needed some work and of course he was dressed in jeans and a leather vest. Now for all I know he could have been the nicest person at the beach but I felt myself wanting to give him a wide berth. I did catch myself though and tried to see him through Jesus’ eyes and then it occurred to me that Jesus went to the cross for this guy. Who am I? Am I really any cleaner than he?

God gave all judgment to Jesus because he is the savior, the life giver. When Jesus judges it is in order to bring salvation, hope and blessing. We condemn people. When we exercise judgment then we are calling what Jesus calls holy unclean. We begin to look like Pharisees.

For those of us who are tough on ourselves we must recognize that self-condemnation, judgment and persecution are not saintly exercises. We are God’s precious children. How would you feel or react to someone criticizing your children? Do your really want to call one of God’s children unclean? Not me! I’m guessing that is the one way to incur his wrath. Our energy would be better spent thanking God for making us His righteousness in Christ Jesus. We may not demonstrate perfection in our actions but the perfect lives within us. We are temples of the Holy One and that alone makes us worthy and beautiful. I may disappoint myself sometimes but God sees fit to make His abode within me. And honestly, as the Apostle Paul has taught us, it really is in my imperfection, in my weakness that His glory shines. Whatsmore, if I am busy judging and condemning myself it means that my eyes are on me rather than on Him and that is the deepest cut of all.

We have not been given the authority to judge anyone and the reason is because we seed the soil of our spirit with corruption when we exercise judgment. It is poison to our spirits and it is from our spirits that life comes forth. We all want to harvest a crop of abundant life so we must take care of the soil and note what kind of fertilizer and seed we are spreading. If we put toxic material like judgment and unforgiveness in the fertile soil of our regenerated spirit it is going to have a devastating effect on the life giving spring of our spirits. We really must ponder this and allow Jesus to speak into our lives about the toxic environment we are creating in His temple. It doesn’t matter who your judgment is aimed at – it is all forbidden you. So whether it is tattooed motorcycle riders, rock and roll musicians, gays, the “other” church or even yourself, you are killing your crop which is the abundant life of blessing and health when you engage in it. All judgment belongs to Jesus and he has not shared his authority with any of us. I would even say that it is a high offense against Jesus and the position God has given him. Moreover, we take on the mantle of Pharisees when we engage in judgment and the last thing any of us wants is for Jesus to see us as Pharisees. Release all judgment. You will find freedom and peace.

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Peaceful Mediations

On November 11, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joshua 1: 8

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Let us talk about meditation a little today. Yesterday we looked at Psalm 62:5 and Psalm 46: 10 which teach us to be still and quiet in the presence of God so that we may know Him as God. In the still, quiet peace of our souls is where we most easily connect with God. However, it is quite one thing to agree that you need to be still or that you need to meditate and another to actually do it. At least that was my experience. 

I decided one year that I was going to pray for an hour a day and I actually did it for quite a while. Now, you would expect my life to have exhibited a dynamic metamorphosis after praying for an hour a day. There is, however, an element of prayer that is necessary for it to have any power at all. That would be God. My prayer was an endless stream of syllables but I believe it lacked substance. It probably was noise in the ears of our Lord. I never bothered to connect with Him or the Holy Spirit so it was a soliloquy rather than a dialogue and prayer is not meant to be one-sided. Prayer is communication with God through the three persons of the trinity. My spirit, soul and mind were rarely quiet, still or silent. So, I would try with all my strength to be still and quiet. I would try to meditate. How many of you know that when you try that hard and apply power that you just create more noise. There is no effort in stillness. Remember, Psalm 46: 10 says to cease striving. So striving to hear the voice of God or striving to meditate is just not going to work. I was in violation of the principles of prayer and the kingdom of God. God teaches us that we connect and have deep fellowship through peace and ease. David commanded his soul to silence so that he could hear what the Father would say. David knew in whom his hope rested because he had many times experienced that saving grace of the Lord. 

It is exceedingly unfair for teachers to constantly intone about meditation and never teach us how to meditate. For some of you I understand this comes easily. I cannot even fathom. Others of you may have struggled with me. How then do we enter that rest that we often hear about? 

My revelation was not my own. A dear friend and mentor led me, this year, to two ministries which in conjunction have opened the prison doors and set me free. The first of those ministries is Communion with God Ministries whose founder is Dr. Mark Virkler. How appropriate. Now, do you think a ministry with that name may be able to help you find God and assist you in communing with him? Absolutely! And it was certainly true for me. Dr. Virkler’s foundational program is 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice. If you want to hear God’s voice speaking directly to you, then this program will make it happen for you. Dr. Virkler very subtlety teaches us left brained people to stimulate the right side of our brains bringing us into greater balance and causing us to experience the other half of the world (maybe more than ½). His website is a great beginning place and it is loaded with tons of free content. Free is good. I learned how to use the 4 keys just from his website and had an immediate breakthrough. The website is www.cwgministries.org. 

The other ministry that has radically altered my life this year is Impact Ministries with Dr. James Richards. Dr. Richards has many areas of expertise which can impact your life but the Heart Physics program is what has taught me how to be still. It was amazingly easy too. I was absolutely astounded at how quickly I began having significant breakthroughs. In fact, during the first week I had several major ideas just “come to me.” That which Dr. Richards teaches can alter every area of life. And while it takes a few minutes to go through the heart exercises, that time and more is added back in productivity and creativity. He also teaches you how to have more energy. You will be amazed at the peace you gain through heart physics and I guarantee you will learn how to calm yourself down and to meditate. It is a very fruitful program. Find all of Dr. Richards’ resources at www.impactministries.com or www.heartphysics.com.

We can all have peace. We can all find God in the stillness of our hearts. These two ministries can help you find that place of calm serenity where Jesus is waiting for you. Be still and know your God and savior. Find peace and truth in meditation.

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Be Still

On November 10, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 62: 5

My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.

The first thing I needed to understand about this verse in order for it to minister blessing to me is that David is actually addressing his own soul. I think there is an entire message in the truth that sometimes we need to speak to our souls commanding them in a particular direction but what I really want to talk about today is being still before God so that we can enter into deep communion with Him. 

This has been a contemplation of my heart for a long time now and a focus for this year. I have never been very good at being still. Psalm 46: 10 tells us, “Be still and know that I am God” or as it reads in the NASB version, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Either phrasing is equally difficult. Being still relates to both physical stillness and mental quiet. I found being still and quiet physically challenging but mental quiet near impossible. I would sit down to pray and my mind was all over the place. I thought I had a quick, active mind but in truth I had an undisciplined mind. In my experience, it is very difficult to have an active communication with God when my mind will not shut up for one moment. Something, therefore, really struck me about the silence David commanded to his soul.

It turns out that this “silence” is an interesting word. It is the word “damam”. Its primary meaning is “to be or grow dumb, silent or still – ceasing.” Not surprisingly, we see the expected silence but there is also the concept of stillness that is found in Psalm 46: 10 as well as the mandate to cease striving. This is a profound silence then, akin, in my mind, to peace. When we look at all of the definitions and synonyms for this word “silence” we find the words relax, rest and wait. There is an imperative tense too in made silent, kept silent, stand still, stay still, wait in silence. These are the commands David spoke to his soul. He tells his inner being to be still, quiet, relaxed, etc. knowing that God will speak into the silence.

We know David to be a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13: 14). We also see in David a person who fully expected God to be an active player in his life. I have to conclude that this internal discipline that David exercised and his core belief that God would speak into the silence were critical factors in the enviable relationship that He enjoyed with God. There is nothing, however, that God did for David that He will not also do for you and me. Therefore, it may be wise for us to look into this man’s behaviors and attitudes, no, not to observe only but rather to model his behaviors so that we may enjoy the same fruit. For I am convinced that if we sow the same seed that David sowed, we will reap the same fruit, that of a close, personal, Psalm 23 kind of experience with the Father of lights, the God of the universe, our very own dear father.

Finally, for some of you quiet contemplation may come easily though that is beyond my comprehension. Others of you may find this topic challenging. All of us probably need to meditate (think on, cogitate, ponder) over this topic. Quiet spirits, still minds and bodies are not the stuff of modern society. If, however, we want to enjoy daily communion with our Father, if we want to hear His voice speaking into our everyday life then we are going to have to master the art of silence, the skill of still.

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Heart Talk

On November 7, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 27: 8

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”

The whole Bible; the law and the prophets are contained in this little verse so how shall we speak about it? There is one word which jumped out at me from this passage. It is the word “heart”. David received the Word of the Lord with his heart and responded from his heart. I wonder if this revealed “heart response” is the reason that God called David a man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13: 14).

You see, my first instinct would have been to receive God’s instruction with my mind. Then I would probably analyze it for a week or two and then I would get around to actually doing what He said. As it turns out, though, God is not asking us to seek Him with our minds. He wants us to seek Him with our hearts. It just amazes me that David’s heart answered God instead of his mind. I didn’t even realize our hearts had a voice. I wonder what it sounded like when David’s heart answered God. No doubt God heard him.

So, what is my heart saying to God today? What is yours saying? Our culture validates brain activity but does very little to honor works of the heart, much less the voice of the heart. But God isn’t speaking to our minds. He doesn’t live in our brains. He is a heart God and we must learn to open our hearts to His voice. And then we must learn to speak to Him out of our hearts. There is where the real communication takes place and it is always where relationships are forged. I have heard of getting a check-up from the neck up. Perhaps it is time we got a heart physical.

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Fleeing Fear

On November 6, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 44: 8

Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?

I understand that we are living in frightening times but none the less our Father tells us not to be afraid. There is a good reason for this, several in fact. First of all, if we are in fear, then we are not in faith. That is the biggest reason of all. Secondly, though, God has prepared a way for us through all of the trouble of this age. 

You are going to hear a lot of doom and gloom reports but even as you hear them you need to say in the back of your mind, “This report is not for the saved, the holy ones of God.” You will need to remind yourself constantly that the frightening news that you hear is not for you. For every calamity, economic depression and terror threat your Father has prepared a way. Re the 23rd Psalm and integrate it into your being. Even in the midst of your enemies, even if you are living in the valley of the shadow of death, fear not. Your Father has prepared your table. He has prepared a feast for you so that even amidst the turmoil, even when surrounded by enemies you will be dining at a feast prepared for you by the Father of Lights. Your enemies will stand on the side lines and observe the banquet that your Father has prepared. You will sit and dine leisurely ignoring all but the grace and blessing of the Lord.

Don’t fear. Don’t tremble and be afraid. God has prepared a way. If you find fear in your heart or mouth, root it out, spit it out. Do not let fear be a part of your vocabulary or thought process. When you hear yourself say that you are afraid, get your Bible and put this verse in your mouth instead. Your God is much bigger than the monsters under your bed. He always was, He always will be. Fear not! This is the command of the Lord.

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Precious Peace

On November 5, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 14: 27

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.

So here is the question. If Jesus gave us his peace then why are we not more peaceful? I have been playing in a week long bridge tournament and it is a great place to study peace (or the lack thereof). I just wonder what a psychologist would say if he or she studied people in bridge tournaments. It is an amazing dynamic. There are a lot of great people and I really enjoy getting to see the people from my mother’s bridge club that I do not get to see often. My goodness, it warms my heart just having my eyes filled with the visage of these beautiful people. Then you sit down at the table and start playing cards with someone you probably have never met before and you get to see human relationship dynamics at their loudest. I have said before, bridge can really highlight your shortcomings. If you are, impatient, bossy, rude, controlling, or have any of a number of character flaws, the game of bridge takes a 25,000 lumens spotlight and shines it right on your weakness. It pulls the brokenness right out of you and puts it on the table for everyone to see. This is especially true when you play in a week long tournament. As Saturday and Sunday roll around the rude behavior increases. Some folks are so impolite you would have a hard time believing me it I told you about it. 

Probably my greatest weakness (having to choose between several here) is that I don’t like to let anyone push me around. I am a fighter and have been since I was a child. So when these bossy, rude people get in my face I tend to push back. Now, I don’t think I am usually rude back but I don’t let their bad-mannered comments to me slide either. So Jesus said to me this week, “Why are you letting them have the peace I gave you?” Whoa!!

We also had some major issues with the hotel in which we stayed and one young guy who worked there almost made me lose my testimony. Well, truth be told, he cannot make me lose my temper. I am the only one who can make that choice. So Jesus challenged me all week long to hang onto that which he gave me. If Jesus gave me his peace then why would I let some jerk steal it from me? 

One lady at the bridge table got me a little. She and her partner played the first two hands and took their jolly sweet time in so doing. No problem. I am not going to cause them stress or boss them to hurry. Unfortunately, when it came to the last hand I was trying to play and she kept interrupting my chain of thought to tell me to hurry. Well, who died to make her the boss of the world, right? So eventually I pushed back (didn’t I tell you I hate to be bossed around?). I told her that her interruptions were making it hard for me to think quickly. I wasn’t rude but I think I was at least firm. Well, one thing led to another and we left that table with less than cordial feelings. It certainly was not mine nor my partner’s intention to be rude or contrary but I have a hard time not pushing back when someone gets in my face. That’s my damage showing. But here is the thing, I have a lord who loves me more than life itself and as he left this earth he gave me his sweet peace. Why, then, am I letting some goober steal it from me. 

The peace of the Lord is precious, sacred even. Moreover, Jesus left his peace for us because he knew that we needed it. His peace is not just a gratuitous offering. It is necessary for life. If we abide in his peace we will manifest much better health than those who let the turkeys get them down. So many of today’s medical malconditions result from allowing our peace to slip. It is called stress and every time we allow stress to replace peace we are allowing damage to be done in our bodies. We can recover but we need to do so as quickly as we possibly can. Say a quick prayer (even while you are sitting at the bridge table) and repent if need be. Repentance may be a simple as, “Lord, I am sorry I let your peace get away just then. Forgive me and help me to move back into peace right now.” That is not difficult, is it? Then you might take a deep breath, close your eyes for one second and let his peace flood right back into you. It really does work but you have to be intentional about it. This is not a magic formula. It is all about setting your heart and mind on living in Jesus’ peace and being determined.

There is one other point I would like for us to think about. What does it say about the person who is acting out? Maybe they are fussing at their partner or being crabby but what they are really saying if you listen well is, “I am hurt and broken! I need help.” You see, the damage in our personality is showing and it really is a cry for help. Now, you cannot always intervene in the person’s life at that moment but you can pray for them. And I think I am going to get better at praying for all of my opponents before the games. I will say that we only had that one encounter with an opponent but I did pray for all of the players before the tournament began. Maybe as each new opponent comes to my table I can say a very short prayer and thus avoid those issues. Hey, and remember to pray for your partner (not about them). It is up to you and me to be the carriers of the blessing. Criticizing our partners and feuding with opponents is not part of the blessing. There is something much more important going on here than just our master points. We are the actual ambassadors of Christ to a hurting world. We are affecting eternity with our words and attitudes so let us keep everything in perspective and live and love, in Jesus’ name.

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Philosophical Luxury

On November 4, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 5: 22 – 23

And one of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and upon seeing Him, fell at His feet, and entreated Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her that she may get well and live.”

I wonder about old Jairus. You know Jesus and the synagogue rulers were not on the best of terms. That makes me wonder where Jairus stood with Jesus before his daughter became ill. I just imagined this morning as I read this passage that he may well have been one of those people who stood in the synagogue courtyard complaining about and criticizing Jesus. I bet those folks had a big time running down Jesus and saying every sort of mean and critical thing. But when the need arises vain philosophies wane. I like to say, “There are no atheists in the oncology ward at the hospital.” While that is not completely true the point is made. Sometimes our philosophies are a luxury that we can no longer afford. 

Inside every human is the knowledge of the truth. Most people know the truth of God in the depths of their soul but they don’t want to acknowledge that truth. When Jairus’ need grew large enough, he pursued the truth and when he did salvation came to his whole household. 

Where does this leave us? If this is true then I think it leads us to establishing an ethic of patient compassion. Perhaps we cannot know all of the reasons people deny the truth but we can be there when their need overwhelms their philosophy. Compassion led Jairus to salvation. Compassion healed his sick daughter. Compassion must then also be our guiding light.

Sometimes when I hear the foolishness which spills out of people’s mouths I am amazed. They go through so many hoops in order to avoid admitting the truth. We can be available to pray when their need arises though and prayer does work. When you pray and their need is satisfied they will begin to understand that the Lord, our God, loves them and will help them. Answers to prayers are not for the saved only. They are a witness to all of the Jairus’s of the world and their kinfolk. Don’t withhold your prayer from the ungodly because it may be your prayer that leads them to eternal life with the Father.

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