Three for One

On March 17, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Chronicles 28: 9

If you seek Him, He will let you find Him.

I was looking through some notes yesterday and found this note, “Seeking God builds relationship with Jesus and the Spirit.” There wasn’t much else on the page. Apparently, it was an epiphany I had one day and felt inspired to write it down.

I can testify to the veracity of today’s verse. If you seek Him, you will, without a doubt, find Him. Once upon a time, I had a decent relationship with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. I had a block, though, when it came to the Father. When I was in High School, I believed a bunch of bunk about God growing me through pain and disappointment. Even though I came to understand, intellectually, how foolish an ideology that was, in my heart I still blamed God for the bad things that happened in those years. Knowing Jesus, though, and continually seeking Him brought me to a revelation of the lack of relationship with the Father. Ultimately, that formed the basis of reconciliation with my Father.

Seeking any one of the three persons of the Trinity brings us into greater harmony with the other two. We might rewrite this verse to, “If you seek Him, He will let you find Him, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.” That is the New Testament rendition of this verse. Each person of the Trinity longs to bring you into a deeper relationship with the other two. Each one brings specific benefits and relationship characteristics. We, therefore, need a healthy and well-developed relationship with each of them; Father, Son and Spirit. Seek Him and you will find them.

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Prayer Tree

On March 16, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment


Philippians 1: 4

[A]lways offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.

A funny thing happened on the way to a tree. My biking partner and I have a course we ride regularly. This lovely tree is along that course. One day, during a spring ride, the idea came to me to pray every time I went under this tree. I agreed with Father and began praying as I went out and again as I returned. As summer progressed, our time over this course got faster and faster. We had a goal, though, that we had not yet reached. So, one day when my riding buddy couldn’t ride, I determined to try to best our fastest time and reach that goal.

The ride began smoothly and at a good pace. The tree is in the early part of the ride. I prayed as I went under it. All was well. It got interesting on the way back. I was chasing the time goal and working pretty hard to reach it. By the time I got to the tree I was working hard and breathing hard. I could see the tree looming in the distance ahead. To myself, rather than aloud, due entirely to a lack of breath, I said, “I’m not going to pray this time because I need my air.” Okay, no! No sooner did I complete the thought, in fact, before it was fully formed in my mind, I heard a resounding, “No.” Our father was part of the initial bargain that I would pray each time I rode my bike under that tree and He meant to speak to this latest decision. The decision, it turns out, was not mine alone to make.

There may be many messages to take from this little story. The one which immediately occurred to me was, “He is a jealous God.” I gave Him an oath. Though it was not made in any formalized or ritualized setting or fashion, it was, nonetheless, a promise, a declaration of fealty, in fact, it was an oath. It was also an offering, a prayer offering. It calls to my mind the Old Testament offerings we read about. Though it had none of the formality, it was the same to Father. Did I really want to remove my offering from the altar? Of course not and He saved me from doing just that.

I could go on about the offering and covenant but there is another, more modern expression too. This little event, which turned out to be a be not such a little thing, is reflective of the life intertwined with the Trinity that Jesus taught and is forever leading us deeper into. It is reminiscent of a partnership. Once I forged that bargain with the Father, He was an interested party with a vote, in this case, the deciding vote. We are partners and I should not make unilateral decisions. I should consult my partner, or as they would have written in the Old Testament, I should inquire of the Lord.

You may have been waiting to see what today’s verse would teach us. For myself, it was the word, “always.” The verse does not say, I will pray as I promised but only when I feel like it. It says to me, every time you ride under that tree, you shall pray. And, by the way, I did pray and I did make my speed goal. Hmm, I wonder if the two are connected.

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Indwelling Presence

On March 15, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 140: 13

Certainly the righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.

Clearly there are two parts to this verse. I confess, it was the latter which drew my attention. The question this verse presents is, will the righteous give thanks and the upright dwell in God’s presence only in heaven or is this verse meant to suggest life on earth experiences. For it to have great attractiveness for me, it needs to speak of our human existence in the earth and I believe it does.

What is the epiphany of Holy Spirit inspired language about us giving thanks to God when we all move to heaven, or for that matter, where is the great revelation in exposing an afterlife spent in the presence of God? Those are great truths and good news, but the truly remarkable thought is that these two declarations describe life here on earth. We can also know this by the preceding language. Verse 12 reads, “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.” There are no afflicted or poor in heaven, no need for God to justly defend them. Therefore, we know the author wrote about an earthly condition in which it is possible to live in God’s presence.

That is what is attractive about this verse, living, dwelling daily in His presence. The glory of God has been sent into the earth to dwell among men. But wait, the best is yet to come. Jesus described this Holy presence as the inhabitation of the Spirit of God within us. We are the temple of the Most Holy. I know that sounds like just a bunch of “church words” but if we are to think of them literally rather than poetically see what an amazing idea His indwelling presence really is. The Apostle Paul said that nothing could in any way separate us from the love of God. Well, I guess not if we openly allow the Spirit to integrate with us in a meaningful way. I mean to say, this isn’t a churchy experience as much as a daily one when we allow the Spirit to expand into every part of our being and our lives. This living in and with the presence of God can become as real to us as living with our families. For some people living with God became more substantive than their existence with people. I have read of nuns and monks for whom the reality of God’s presence was encompassing. I am not suggesting we must live as monks but rather use their lives as evidence that this God of whom we speak, Yahweh, our true Father, can and will live with us as much as we can allow. The more we grow spiritually, the more capacity we have for sharing our lives with the three people of Divinity. We can long for just a bit more every day and then, by the end of summer, we will have a SONtan from all the time spent in his presence. That idea warms my heart, partially because I know it is an ever-increasing possibility. Seek Him. Know Him and invite Him into your everyday existence.

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Greatest and Worst

On March 12, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 12: 28

One of the scribes came up and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”

It is interesting that Jesus did not answer according to the question. The inquirer wanted to know which one commandment is the greatest. Jesus answered with two, love God with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself. He said the combination of these two are the greatest commandment. It was a bit of a cheap question as if to say, if I decide only to keep one commandment, which should it be. Intellectually, though, it is an interesting question, attempting to discern where God’s thoughts and priorities lie. Alternatively, I have wondered why no one ever asked him, “Which is the worst sin?”

How would you answer that question? How would God? We have a sense, don’t we, that there are little sins, and big ones. Some sins are worse than others. Murder, rape, idolatry, and adultery are biggies. The Apostle Paul gave us a list of “those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them,” (Romans 1: 28 – 32). He lumps lying, arrogance and gossiping with murder and haters of God, the latter of which obviously flies in the face of the one Great Commandment.

What do we say then? What are the categories of sin? Where do we draw the lines? Perhaps this is a question best answered each person for himself.

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Sweet Dreams

On March 11, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 139: 17 – 18

How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

Check this out! David was having a grand encounter with God, in a dream. Then he awoke and God was still there with him. The dream and the reality were simpatico. They were contiguous. I had a dream like that once. When I awoke, I was still in the dream and it lasted quite a while.

David was aware of the tender thoughts God had about him. He was also surprised at the sheer volume of kind thoughts Yahweh thought about him. That is precious. God is thinking lovely thoughts about you too and He thinks masses of them daily. Think about that just a moment. All day long, your heavenly Father is thinking lovely thoughts about you. It is a constant flood of love thoughts. Were you to get in His head, you would find He is thinking how beautiful you are and how much He loves you and He thinks those things all day long.

That should give you something fun to ponder today. Moreover, when you go to sleep tonight, ask Father to share them with you as you sleep. I bet you will awaken tomorrow in a good mood. Be blessed.

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Leadership

On March 10, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 12: 6, 8

However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly . . . the one who is in leadership, with diligence.

There is such a thing as Biblical Leadership. It actually makes an interesting study. The one point I want to bring to light today is that bossing isn’t leading. Christian leaders must lead by love.

It’s funny how Yahweh can use any circumstance of life to teach. I started watching a new TV show last week. The first episode includes a classic set up. There is a family of Mom, Dad, a son and a daughter. The eldest child is the boy. There is an apocalyptic event. The parents depart to go find help, leaving the two children with a group of other survivors. As the parents prepare to leave, they tell the eldest child to look after the younger and the younger to listen to the older. From that moment you see the dynamic which is about to unfold.

I immediately knew the older brother was going to try to boss the younger sister and that the sister would be a free spirit who would constantly rebel against the rules and restrictions the brother would try to impose. If only they could see from a distance and not fall into the trap which would strain their relationship.

As I watched this introduction to their situation, I heard this thought, “Bossing isn’t leading.” What a challenge those words can impose upon us. Perhaps you have the burden of leading or of being responsible for others. How does one walk the tight rope of responsibility and leadership?

Christian leadership is better couched in the term “edification.” In other words, Christian leaders are supposed to build up others. Look at Ephesians 4: 29 from the NIV Bible, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Hence, Christian leaders are meant to lead by love. No one suggests this model is easy, but it is Jesus’ model. It is the way, and I believe we are much more inclined, and able, when we think about it consciously. Now that we know, we can endeavor to be the older brother who nurtures his charge into a positive growth cycle rather than repressing them and their development.

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Divine Love

On March 9, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 13: 10

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

1 John 4: 8

God is love.

A friend of mine brought up a very good point recently; one that deserves more than a mention. The substance is, how does love behave. I draw on the teachings of Bill Johnson in answering this.

There is much hurt and anguish in the world. Yet, purportedly, God loves us. Why, then, is there so much hurt? Why do bad things happen to those whom the Lord loves? My friend, Lynn, brought to my attention that some churches teach that God does not do these “bad” things to us, but that He does allow them. Not only does that sound schizophrenic but also just sick at a nauseating level. Is this Divine Love, to sit and silently watch as evil doers lavish all modes of hurt upon us? If this is the measure of Divine Love, then what shall we expect of human love?

This is where I draw upon an analogy given by Bill Johnson. What do you think of a parent who abuses their child? It is abhorrent, is it not? It is below human norms, below human decency. It is bestial at best. Now, what about a father who sits idly by and watches someone else defile his own child. Is he not a repugnant, sub-human specimen? Can you say that Father loves his child? Is he even sane? Bill Johnson pointed out that not only is this parent socially aberrant, but he is also legally and criminally negligent. In other words, human institutions would punish the father who “allows” harm to come to his child. We would want to eject him from our congregation, yet we believe, somehow, that our Heavenly Father, the one who created us, and whom we praise could be so apathetic as to stand by while someone harms His child. Is He no better a father than a human we would reject and scorn?

To say that our Beloved allows evil to befall us is to attach all those same negative adjectives to Him that we would for a negligent human parent. Our Father is not mentally deranged, nor in any measure insensitive. He is the epitome of a loving parent. When I shared with you recently about how stressed people are and gave the example of someone who verbally attacked me, my Mom called asking who she needed to beat up. That is a parent! They go to the mat for you. They risk life and limb for their children. Are we to say that our Heavenly Father is less loving and protective than our earthly parents?

Anyone who believes that cannot know Love. Love will never allow harm to another. Love is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, if you will allow me that small paraphrase. In other words, Love is the culmination of everything Yahweh Father has ever said and done. This ball of dirt we live on is here because of Love. The air in our lungs was sourced by Love. It is irrational and bordering on insane to believe, much less teach, that our beloved Father allows bad things to happen to us intentionally. But then, if we blame Him, we have no need to search for an explanation closer to home.

Believe me! Your Father loves you with a love that is beyond anything you have ever experienced in the earthly realm. He grieves at every bruise and empathizes with every tear. Take my word on this, but not for long. Take the time to come to this conclusion on your own. Follow me in faith until you can explain to your own heart the madness of mistrusting the one who loves you most. Search for the truth and you will come to know, beyond any argument, that God is Love. He is the lover of your soul. He is the strong tower you can run into, not the ignorant spectator. Be informed in the depths of your spirit that God is good.

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