Truth and Freedom

On January 30, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 8: 31 – 32

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

This is an oft quoted passage but misquoted in a sense. The truth will not set you free. It is knowing the truth that sets people free. Truth is all around us, but it is only when we get a revelation of the truths that are pertinent to us that they can affect our lives for the good. Once we have that revelation, then the truths have a transformative effect, which means, they can change your life.

The anchor of this verse as well as ideal held within is the part that is overlooked. This quote is from Jesus. He said the way to knowing the truth that will set you free is in “continuing in My word.” Whoops! What was that? Well, really, no big surprise here when we think about it. Where else would we turn for truth? Further, Jesus set he came to set us free. It is reasonable that if we want the freedom he came to give us then we should make ourselves his disciples. The way to freedom, then, is continuing in his word.

So, we quote this saying, “the truth shall set you free” but we only cite a part of it. We are forgetting the foundation upon which the whole concept is built, abiding in Jesus’ word. Faced with the reality of how we live in his truth and hence his freedom, how many of us want it badly enough to do something about it? We act like all of these things will drop out of the sky on us but that isn’t the way. Abiding in him, is the way. Remember Monday’s verse, “Teach me more about you, how you work and how you move, so that I can walk onward in your truth.” Walking in truth, and hence in freedom, comes through abiding with him and learning his ways. The simple truth of it is that spending time in our Bible and in prayer is how we come to live in the shining place of his glory. I don’t always get all the Bible time I need. We are all leading busy lives but I want victory and freedom for us all so I am motivated to find the secrets and share them with you. I wish there was a magic wand but the closest we get to it is a magic book. We can’t just wave it around though. We’ve got to spend time with it and allow it to speak to us. It was for freedom that Jesus set us free and he whom Jesus has set free is free indeed. Let your discipleship in the Word free you to victory in Jesus.

Back to Top

Blessed

On January 29, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 86: 17             GW

Grant me some proof of your goodness so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame.

The psalmist wanted God to give him a sign that everyone could see, a sign of God’s affection. Essentially, he wanted evidence that he was favored by God so that his enemies would ashamed that they had attacked the child of God.

Sometimes I think a similar way. I pray the blessing of the Lord will show on us so that all people will see it and know that Yahweh is God, the one and only true God. Then, all the world might come to know the love of God through the lives of his disciples.

A friend of mine remarked the other day about how people do things for me. Really, I think she was just amazed at the kindness others show especially in that it seems unearned. She has seen a number of blessings rain down in my life but a recent one took the cake, I guess. Just this week, one of the other bike captains offered to make bike racks for me. I would have been happy with a picture of his. I was overwhelmed when he offered to build some for our team. I was overwhelmed by his and his wife’s kindness towards me and our team.

So, what is this gracious act a testament to? Is it a sign of my persuasiveness? No, because I didn’t ask and wouldn’t have ever thought to. Is it a testament to their kindness? No doubt! You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. They are great folks. But, there is a greater force at work here. God has given me favor. His blessing on my life interacts with the goodness in these folks to create a God moment. These great things happen in my life because God is good.

The second half of this occurrence is that the people building the racks will be blessed for having blessed our team. God promised me that whoever blesses me will, themselves, be blessed by Him (Genesis 12: 3). The other side of that coin is that those who curse me will themselves be cursed. Well, how could they not. We sow what we reap. That is another reason I have wanted a sign on me though, almost as a warning. “Don’t be mean to me because it will rebound on to you.”

People should really get a clue. When you bless God’s kids, you get blessed. When you curse them, you have the curse on you. More than anything, though, I wish that people would see the “luck” I have and understand that it is God’s hand on me. It is His blessing working in my life and it will work for everyone. He is the source of goodness. I am just lucky that He loves me.

Back to Top

Who Dares?

On January 28, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 15: 1

Lord, who dares to dwell with you? Who presumes the privilege of being close to you, living next to you in your shining place of glory? Who are those who daily dwell in the life of the Holy Spirit?

One of the people who dared to live in that close proximity with the Lord was David, who is the writer of this psalm. He understood the great prestige of walking with Yahweh. Do we dare presume the privilege of living “next to (His) shining place of glory?” What does that even mean? What is this shining place of glory?

David goes on to refer to those who daily dwell in the life of the Spirit. These are amazing sentences to me. Apparently there were multiple people who were abiding daily in the life of the Holy Spirit so David was not alone in this. Doesn’t that seem to infer that we can live that same life?

David does go on to answer his own question in the rest of the psalm and the answer is informative. The greater part of this psalm is opening our eyes and hearts to the possibilities. It sounds exciting to live next to God in His shining place of glory. God is glory and in His presence is abundant glory. To witness God’s glory is to enjoy His presence. So, aren’t we talking about living, continually, in God’s presence? Further, one would conclude from this that living a life in the Holy Spirit is how one gets to live in God’s shining place of glory.

It’s important to note that David isn’t talking about the great hereafter. He is talking about right here, right now. A life of living in the radiant glow of God’s presence is actually a real possibility. And, think of this, David wrote this before the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. How much more should the glorious presence of God be available to New Testament believers?

I want to stir up your sense of wonder. I am hoping to get you thinking about what God’s shining place of glory is and how David knew about it. He also knew people who lived daily in the life of the Holy Spirit. Of how many people would you say that? There is so much more that God has for us than we are living. Let’s reach for all the gusto. Let’s see how much Father is really willing to do for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. There are heights we can attain which would free us to a life we can not even currently imagine. Let’s dig deeper and explore what our Father will do, what He wants to do with a life surrendered. Who dares to dwell with Yahweh?

Back to Top

Honoring Your Name

On January 27, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 86: 11 – 12                  TPT

Teach me more about you, how you work and how you move, so that I can walk onward in your truth until everything within me brings honor to your name. With all my heart and passion I will thank you my God!

I hardly know what to write about this passage. This is a prayer from David, and it sounds like it, doesn’t it? I was first attracted to the section about teaching us to move like Him, work like Him but then I am over-taken by David’s entreaty that God teach him so that everything about him brings honor to God’s name. Oh my! How short I fall of that goal. What if I made that a cry of my heart, to live my life, to follow my Lord so closely that everything within me, everything about me brings honor to my Lord? What a life that would be!

And why not? Why not set that as a goal, but it really isn’t about it being a goal or setting this before us as a goal. It is about the cry of a heart which longs to know God so precisely, so intimately that every thought, word and deed reflects an all encompassing passion for the Father.

It is a good thing to want to know how the Father works, how He moves and I have prayed that for years. Now, though, I ask myself why. I believe the answer is out of a desire for success. If we do things the way Father does then we are assured of being successful, right? Perhaps, now, I am growing up and because of that bringing honor to His name impassions my soul.

God was good to David and David trusted Him explicitly. However, it seems that David loved God for more than just what God could do for him. He knew how to trust God for daily provision. He knew how to believe God for rescue even in the most dire circumstances. Above all else, though, he loved God for who He is and he longed to honor Him and give Him praise. I want to be like David. I want to walk in truth until everything within me brings honor to His name. That is an aspiration for a life eternal.

Back to Top

The River

On January 24, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Lamentations 3: 22 – 23        NLV

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

This is the same verse as yesterday, but I sent you a different version. Today I am going to share with you my personal journaling which came out of this verse. Sometimes as I meditate on scripture, Father gives me something for the Word of the Day. Sometimes, it’s just for me. This was just a bit of imagery, nothing serious. None the less, I hope you enjoy it and see how pondering that scripture and the words in it blossomed into a fuller thought complete with visual aids.

“This makes me think of a river. Like the river, God’s love is a constant flow. I am ever amused at how the river keeps refilling. The water I look at right now is leaving, moving downstream for some other to enjoy and appreciate. Meanwhile, my vista is constantly restored. The transition and refilling is so continuous, so constant that the transition between the previous flow and the new is transparent, invisible. There is no segue, no seam, just one continual flow of water. It is almost as if old water is not being replaced by new. For all its dynamic power and movement, there is a perspective of the river which makes it feel like a snapshot.

What is new, is old again. There is no emptying even though there is constant refilling. Like God’s love, the river constantly replenishes itself so that what we experience is ceaseless flow.

God’s love is the perpetual renewing of His grace flowing in and through our lives.”

Back to Top

Ruminations

On January 23, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Lamentations 3: 22 – 23       NRSV

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I have a new journal, a gift from a friend. This morning I turned to the page with this verse and found myself pondering it. As I turned it over in my mind, I wondered if this might provide a good opportunity to show you what meditation can look like. Now I know some of you are old hands at meditating on scripture but bear with the rest of us for today.

Meditating on scriptures is where I receive a lot of revelation. Many Words of the Day come out of this process. In fact, tomorrow I will share with you what came out of my meditation on this scripture. Pondering scripture is where I connect with God and He shows me a deeper view of a scripture or a different aspect of it.

Reading this scripture, you might stop on the word “steadfast”. What does that word mean? What does it mean to you? What synonym could you replace it with. I didn’t stop there, but maybe someday I will. I was arrested by “never ceases.” I began to replace “never ceases” with other words: eternal, abundant, they overflow, unending . . . you get the idea. As I thought about those words an idea began to form about this bottomless well, the cup of coffee that has no bottom.

You might want to stop and think about “His mercies.” What is the author talking about here? What are God’s never ending mercies? Compassion is one of the synonyms you will find in other versions. What word or words would you use?

This never ending, renewable resource had me fascinated this morning. His mercies are inexhaustible. None the less, He gives us a fresh supply every morning. I guess, like the manna in the desert, God does not want us living on day old bread. He gives us a fresh, new stock of His compassion every morning.

All I did with this scripture, was to play the synonym game. That yielded a fuller understanding and developed into ideas and a visual image, which is what I will share tomorrow. There is nothing special about what I did. I just let the Holy Spirit lead my mind and spirit on a journey. It is quite fun, actually. Give it a try on this scripture. I would love for you to send me your impressions. Remember, there is no right or wrong. We all see from slightly different vantage points and that is a good thing.

Back to Top

Prophetic Utterance

On January 22, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 18:15       Complete Jewish Bible 

“ADONAI will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him.”

I have been looking at this verse for some time now. What do you think of it? One of my reactions to it goes back to yesterday’s verse. People are so easily offended these days that it makes the job of a pastor a challenge. How do you say what people need to hear if they so easily take offense?

I have also noticed a general sense of bringing everyone down to a uniform level. We don’t honor experts any longer. People with advanced degrees are not called by their honorific title. We act as though we know more than our doctors, lawyers and yes, even our prophets. That increases the difficulty for clergy to offer an “expert” opinion.

First, it is important that we take responsibility for our own lives as it relates to our health and our spiritual health. We should not rely on our medical doctors or our pastors solely. It is not because they are not competent. It’s just that we have the ultimate responsibility for our lives, including our health and spiritual growth. With that caveat out of the way, there is one other point one might make about this verse. We are in a different dispensation than those to whom Deuteronomy was first directed. None the less, this verse in in our Bible for a reason. God didn’t take it out when He made the Christian Bible. He didn’t relegate it to the Jews. Therefore, it must still have some meaning for us.

In this new dispensation, we are allowed and welcome to go into the Father’s presence for ourselves. You do not need me, or any other intermediary, in order for you to have a jolly good time in the presence of the Lord. You can walk with Him, talk with Him and spend your entire day with Him. I have heard it said that anyone with a computer and a search engine can become a Bible expert. I think that comment speaks directly to this issue of what makes a spiritual leader. “Professional” clergy are probably feeling frustrated and perhaps not very appreciated. They see uncredentialed people teaching and there is some push back. My question is, how has that changed? Sure, technology is a major asset, but couldn’t you say of the old days, “Anyone with a Bible can be an expert.”

So, who should you listen to? Perhaps no one other than yourself? Afterall, you have admittance to the throne room. “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him,” (1 John 2: 27). John recognizes the Spirit within you and your own access to God’s wisdom. However, look at this comment from Hebrews 5: 12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” You are not babies, but truth be told, we all have need of learning and guidance.

Well, I have done the typical lawyer thing to you. I have argued both sides of the issue. Now, I would like to give you my thoughts on the matter. I think there is only one credential which makes someone worthy to be your teacher. It is the beginning of today’s verse, “ADONAI will raise up for you a prophet.” Only God makes a person qualified as a teacher. I don’t think having a seminary degree or an advanced degree in theology qualifies a person to be a spiritual leader, teacher or advisor and I most certainly do not think anyone should call themselves a prophet unless Yahweh, Himself, has appointed and anointed them to that role.

My greater concern is this, it’s that we wouldn’t recognize a prophet if one fell on us and further, we wouldn’t know what to do with them. I do believe God is still giving us spiritual leaders and that we are well advised to follow them, even if we don’t always agree with them, perhaps especially when we don’t agree. My concern is that we get wrapped up in the world around us and do not listen to the teachers and prophets God is sending us. Even preachers are fools, to my way of thinking, if they don’t receive teaching from other anointed preachers. I have seen ministers who only take their own counsel and, unfortunately, some of them don’t last when that happens. It can be very tragic. I don’t want that for you.

Has God dropped some prophets into your society? How about into your life? I bet He has. Sure, use your discernment regarding whose counsel you receive, but don’t be your own preacher. Go to God in your own time, definitely. Get wise counsel from Him directly. You are entitled to that and He wants the Holy Spirit to be your teacher. But, don’t discount that God is raising up prophets in this day and time and we are supposed to pay attention to them.

Back to Top