Selflessness… use it or lose it…

Romans 1:21

“…futile in their thinking…” is a really nice way to translate this.  I looked up the word translated into “futile” and it actually means “vain.”  So, in essence, what 1:21 is saying is humanity took its focus off God and put it on itself.  It began looking at itself.  I see that every day in my own life, in the lives of my kids, in the grocery store parking lot, at football games, wherever.  We are a selfish and self-centered people by nature.  Our selfishness leads down a road we don’t want to go down.  Verses 21-27 describe how this self-centered, me-centric view led to all kinds of depravity that must have just broken God’s heart and sickened him.

Romans 1:24-25

Romans 1:28-32

Verse 28 uses “… a debased mind…” That is another nice way to put it.  The word means “reprobate” which, according to Webesters, means “to foreordain to damnation; morally corrupt,” and then a laundry list of man’s depravity follows in the next verses.

The point for me this morning is that it is easy to take my eyes off Him, even if only for a second.  One minute leads to two minutes leads to 4 minutes, etc.  The self-centered road is a slippery one that is easy to walk down.  Think about it, we don’t have to teach our children to be selfish.  It starts early and comes naturally.  One of the first words any toddler learns is “MINE!”  Selflessness – the way Christ lived – is something that has to be learned. It is an on-going lesson that must be used and practiced daily or it goes away – like a foreign language – use it or lose it.

Dad, I need you today.  Fix my eyes on you in all that I do.  Don’t let my heart wander down the road that starts with Me.  My only hope is to have spiritual blinders, as a thoroughbred in a race, to keep me looking only in the direction I am to run.  Thank you for your amazing grace and mercy on me, on all of us.  Thank you for your love.  Help me be aware for opportunities to be selfless today.  Amen.

Growth by Community

I’m starting a journey through Romans today.

Romans 1:11-12

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

In this passage, Paul says that (in the NKJV translation) that he wants to “… impart to you some spiritual gift…”  I’ve struggled with this passage before.  This got me wondering: 1. Can an individual impart a spiritual gift (1 Cor 12:11)?, and 2. If so, how does one do that?  As I began to research this verse I came across a really interesting bit from A Survey of Bible doctrine by Charles Ryrie:

“Too, we can develop our gifts by benefiting from the ministry of others (see Ro 1:11 where Paul is not saying that he could bestow gifts but that he could through his ministry impart the benefit of his spiritual gifts to others). This should be a never ending cycle—gifted people ministering to others who are thereby built up and who in turn minister to others who are then built up to minister to others, etc. This is the way the body of Christ grows quantitatively and qualitatively.”

Ryries’s take on the word “impart,” really helped me personally.  And his last sentance got me focused on verse 12 where Paul talks about the importance of community.

“…that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

Now this, I get.  This is the very reason I’m engaged in daily accountability with a group of faithful men…. that we can be encouraged together by our mutual faith.  This is why Prov 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man shapens another.“

So what’s the take away today?   I cannot do this life by myself.  I need community. One of the great lies of the enemy is that somehow, manhood is defined by being the Lone Ranger, or John Wayne, the “strong, silent type.”  No. No! NO!  That is not what God intended.  That’s why God created Eve, because it was not good for Adam to be alone…

Thank you Lord for my community… for those You’ve placed in my life and in my path.  Help me to always be grateful for them and for the work you do in me through them.  May I never take You or them for granted.  Amen.

Growth by Community

I’m starting a journey through Romans today.

Romans 1:11-12

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

In this passage, Paul says that (in the NKJV translation) that he wants to “… impart to you some spiritual gift…” I’ve struggled with this passage before. This got me wondering: 1. Can an individual impart a spiritual gift (1 Cor 12:11)?, and 2. If so, how does one do that? As I began to research this verse I came across a really interesting bit from A Survey of Bible doctrine by Charles Ryrie:

“Too, we can develop our gifts by benefiting from the ministry of others (see Ro 1:11 where Paul is not saying that he could bestow gifts but that he could through his ministry impart the benefit of his spiritual gifts to others). This should be a never ending cycle—gifted people ministering to others who are thereby built up and who in turn minister to others who are then built up to minister to others, etc. This is the way the body of Christ grows quantitatively and qualitatively.”


Ryries’s take on the word “impart,” really helped me personally. And his last sentance got me focused on verse 12 where Paul talks about the importance of community.

“…that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”


Now this, I get. This is the very reason I’m engaged in daily accountability with a group of faithful men…. that we can be encouraged together by our mutual faith. This is why Prov 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man shapens another.“

So what’s the take away today? I cannot do this life by myself. I need community. One of the great lies of the enemy is that somehow, manhood is defined by being the Lone Ranger, or John Wayne, the “strong, silent type.” No. No! NO! That is not what God intended. That’s why God created Eve, because it was not good for Adam to be alone…

Thank you Lord for my community… for those You’ve placed in my life and in my path. Help me to always be grateful for them and for the work you do in me through them. May I never take You or them for granted. Amen.

Running After Papa…

Running After Papa

Faith & Doubt (Mark 11)

Those who read my blog regularly know we sleep to the New Testament playing on my MP3 player 24×7. Every day, I wake up to a new passage. Today I woke up to the MP3 player playing Mark 11 and it captured me this morning. So, that’s what I studied. IT IS RICH… Here is just SOME of the greatness of this chapter.

Mark 11:12-14

Jesus curses a fig tree because there is no fruit on it; and rightfully so. Did you catch the end of verse 13 where it says “… for it was not the season for figs.” Clue #1: This isn’t about a Jesus taking it out on a fig tree because he was hungry. The end of verse 14 provides Clue #2 where it says, “... and the disciples heard it.” OK. I think Jesus was setting them up for a lesson, which comes “later”, when we get to verses 20-26.

Mark 11:20-26

The next morning the fig tree is dried up from the roots (Clue #3: OK… even Roundup doesn’t kill a fig tree overnight – something supernatural is going on here). When Peter notices (Yeah Peter!) Jesus lays it on them.

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

OK. Quick Greek lesson. Faith (v22) = pistis, which means to “believe to a complete trust.” Doubt (v23 “does not doubt”) = diakrinomai, which means “judge, or to judge there is a difference.” Heart (v23) = kardia, which means “inner self, including: the volition, the mind, the desires, etc., though the facility of the intellect may be slightly more emphasized.” Believe (v23) = pisteuo, which is “faith, believe to the extent of complete trust.” Says (v23) = laleō , which implies a literal breaking of the sound waves, to speak aloud. Received (v24) = lambano, “to take hold of, grasp, grab, acquire.”

I’m not advocating a “name it and claim it” mentality, because the Scripture is also clear that the Lord will give us the desire of our hearts – meaning when we are close to him, in intimate fellowship with Him, our desires will be planted in us by Him. This means we won’t be asking for a new Lexus, or a million dollars, or any self-centered, self-pleasuring thing. We will want what He wants and our prayers will come into agreement with His heart.

What I do think this passage, and what Jesus was trying to teach the disciples, is this. Our mind is the key to our belief and ultimately our faith. Clearly, “doubt” in this passage is the antithesis of “faith” – in this passage. When I unpacked “doubt,” it is very clearly dealing with the mind – “to judge“, or “to judge there is a difference.” That says to me that my mind is evaluating what’s coming out of my mouth (aka, my prayer) with what it believes and measuring up any discrepancy, or difference.

The second key for me, comes in verses 25-26. An odd place, at the surface, to throw in a seemingly unrelated statement. But Jesus does not throw down random thoughts. These are very related. For the sake of brevity, unforgiveness affects our prayers. Its related to the previous thoughts. If I haven’t forgiven someone, then when I pray to Father, my mind (my “heart”) is constantly evaluating the truth of it all. If I haven’t or can’t forgive someone, then the truth of God forgiving me is something my heart can’t receive, and if God hasn’t forgiven me, then how can I believe (pisteuo) that He will hear – much less answer – my prayers? This is when my heart diakrinomai (doubts).

What then is the significance of “says” in verse 23? Again, for brevity, and I may write another blog later on this, it has to be audible. I know I am way too guilty of praying silently, quietly, and in my Spirit – not always with my tongue, aloud, audibly. I believe there is significance to the implications of the word laleo. Jesus cursed the fig tree (which remember was NOT in season) aloud (the disciples heard it) because there is power in our words and in our audible prayers. This is going to require some more digging into…

Daddy, you are SO good. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for time with me this morning. May the truth of your Word and the truth of your examples sink deeply into my heart today, so that I will not doubt in my heart, so that I will not judge there to be a difference in what I say and what I know about You.

Running After Papa…

Faith

OK.  You know we sleep to the New Testament playing on my MP3 player 24×7.  Every day, I wake up to a new passage.  Today I woke up to the MP3 player playing Mark 11 and it captured me this morning.  So, that’s what I studied.  IT IS RICH…  Here is just SOME of the greatness of this chapter.

Mark 11:12-14

Jesus curses a fig tree because there is no fruit on it; and rightfully so.  Did you catch the end of verse 13 where it says “… for it was not the season for figs.”  Clue #1: This isn’t about a Jesus taking it out on a fig tree because he was hungry.  The end of verse 14 provides Clue #2 where it says, “… and the disciples heard it.”   OK.  I think Jesus was setting them up for a lesson, which comes “later”, when we get to verses 20-26.

Mark 11:20-26

The next morning the fig tree is dried up from the roots (Clue #3: OK… even Roundup doesn’t kill a fig tree overnight – something supernatural is going on here).  When Peter notices (Yeah Peter!) Jesus lays it on them.


22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

OK.  Quick Greek lesson.  Faith (v22) = pistis, which means to “believe to a complete trust.”  Doubt (v23 “does not doubt”) = diakrinomai, which means “judge, or to judge there is a difference.”  Heart (v23) = kardia, which means “inner self, including: the volition, the mind, the desires, etc., though the facility of the intellect may be slightly more emphasized.” Believe (v23) = pisteuo, which is “faith, believe to the extent of complete trust.” Says (v23) = laleō , which implies a literal breaking of the sound waves, to speak aloud.  Received (v24) = lambano, “to take hold of, grasp, grab, acquire.”

I’m not advocating a “name it and claim it” mentality, because the Scripture is also clear that the Lord will give us the desire of our hearts – meaning when we are close to him, in intimate fellowship with Him, our desires will be planted in us by Him.  This means we won’t be asking for a new Lexus, or a million dollars, or any self-centered, self-pleasuring thing.  We will want what He wants and our prayers will come into agreement with His heart.

What I do think this passage, and what Jesus was trying to teach the disciples, is this.  Our mind is the key to our belief and ultimately our faith.   Clearly, “doubt” in this passage is the antithesis of “faith” – in this passage.   When I unpacked “doubt,” it is very clearly dealing with the mind – “to judge”, or “to judge there is a difference.”  That says to me that my mind is evaluating what’s coming out of my mouth (aka, my prayer) with what it believes and measuring up any discrepancy, or difference.

The second key for me, comes in verses 25-26.  An odd place, at the surface, to throw in a seemingly unrelated statement.  But Jesus does not throw down random thoughts.  These are very related.  For the sake of brevity, unforgiveness affects our prayers.  Its related to the previous thoughts.  If I haven’t forgiven someone, then when I pray to Father,  my mind (my “heart”) is constantly evaluating the truth of it all.  If I haven’t or can’t forgive someone, then the truth of God forgiving me is something my heart can’t receive, and if God hasn’t forgiven me, then how can I pisteuo that He will hear – much less answer – my prayers?   This is when my heart diakrinomai (doubts).

What then is the significance of “says” in verse 23?  Again, for brevity, and I may write another blog later on this, it has to be audible.  I know I am way too guilty of praying silently, quietly, and in my Spirit – not always with my tongue, aloud, audibly.  I believe there is significance to the implications of the word laleo.  Jesus cursed the fig tree (which remember was NOT in season) aloud (the disciples heard it) because there is power in our words and in our audible prayers.  This is going to require some more digging into…

I’m sorry for the length, but breakfast with Papa was GOOOOD this morning!

Daddy, you are SO good.  Thank you for your Word.  Thank you for time with me this morning.  May the truth of your Word and the truth of your examples sink deeply into my heart today, so that I will not doubt in my heart, so that I will not judge there to be a difference in what I say and what I know about You.


Comfort

Job 2:11-13

After all of Job’s troubles come in Chapter 1 and 2, Job’s three friends come to see him.  Job 2:12 says that his friends “scarcely recognized him” he was so disfigured from being covered from head to toe in boils and scraping them with broken pottery just to find some relief.  These were his friends – we often forget that because we view their accusations as “not friendlike”.  They knew Job.

Here’s the interesting thing to me.  Job 2:13 (NLT) “They sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights.  No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.”  Wow!  In our microwave society, how often do we want to “fix” it… quickly, because Heroes is going to be on in 30 minutes…

We all understand biblical comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), as we learned on Quest, and I believe it is an amazing process that Father has put in the heart of man to comfort each other, our wives and our children, but I think there are times when no words at all is warranted.  There are times when we just need to be there and say nothing.  I don’t always have to offer some words of comfort, sometimes just the presence of a friend physically standing with you is O so powerful.  The lyric from the C&W song “You say it best, when you say nothing at all” is sometimes very appropriate in times of comfort.

Father, thank you for comfort.  Thank you for your Word that gives us models and examples of how to live life together.  Please help me know when to speak and when to just “be there” for a hurting soul in need of comfort.  Help me best represent You in each situation.

All that I am – continued…

We play the new testament while we sleep on my MP3 player each night.  This morning I woke up to the passage in Mark, where Jesus tells the Pharisee’s that the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” and to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:29-31)

This certainly feeds into yesterday’s entry.  How do I praise him with all that I am?  By loving Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  This, of course, could fill pages and pages of blogs and books on the application of just that verse… and if fact, it does… The Bible IS the original blog detailing what that looks like.

For me, today, it is an active love.  It is choosing Him over me.  It is choosing others over me.  It is dying to self and letting Christ live through me; letting His humility and patience overtake my own fleshsuit and all the baggage it has with it.  It is remembering… remembering that MY righteous acts are like filthy rags to Him (Is 64:6).  It is remembering that I have indeed sinned, and continue to sin, and I need to be saved (Is 64:5). It is remembering that there is NO WAY I could do this life without Him and that my wisdom is foolishness to him (I Cor 1:24-25).

It’s remembering that He chose me.

Thank you Lord, for choosing me. Help me praise you with all that I am today, by loving you with all my heart, soul,  mind, and strength and by loving my neighbors as myself.  Help me to have an active love today, engaging in remembering You and all that you have done, are doing, and will do.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

All that I am…

Psalm 103:1-5 (NLT) – you should really read this.  It’s good.

I am renewed thinking and meditating on all the Lord has done for me.  “Let all that I am praise the Lord…” is a repeated phrase all throughout the 103rd Psalm.  I’ve been thinking of this passage since I read it this morning.  It’s been gnawing at me… penetrating beneath the exterior and seeping into the depths of my heart.

v2 “… may I never forget the good things he does for me.”  I am a very forgetful person.  How difficult it is to remember all that He has done.  Why does it seem so easy to remember the bad stuff or the stuff He doesn’t do?  He has been good to me… very good.  Why he has, I’ll never fully understand.

What does it mean to praise him with “all that I am”?  I fear if I try to answer this now, it will only be a surface, “Christian” answer.  There is so much more meat on this bone.  This is going to take some time to digest….

Selfless Obedience

In Job 38-42, God himself “questions” Job.  Questions is a really, really, nice way to say that God got all up in Job’s business and attitude.  In a series of questions, God describes himself, well, really he describes his works.  Slowly digesting each question that God asks Job is a very “awe-ing” time.  It filled me with wonder and gave me a fresh perspective on God’s hugeness, power, and majesty.

In Job 42:7-10 (click to read), it isn’t until Job prays FOR his friends – these same three friends who have accused, berated, and wrecklessly represented the Lord for 30+ chapters – that God restores to Job all Job lost in the trials (v10).

Two things struck me:

1.  Not until Job took his eyes off his own misery and trouble, did God restore and end his misery and trouble.  Job had to minister and be concerned with others… even those who he most likely wasn’t very pleased with at the time.  Personally, I’d have been ticked at them and wanted to curse them instead of pray for them.

2.  Just as God allowed the trials and circumstances surrounding Job’s troubles and losses, He also orchestrated Job’s praying for his friends and his own ultimate restortation.  God addresses these friends in v7 and tells them that Job has to pray for them.  This gets Job’s eyes off his own troubles (after he’s had a correction in his attitude and his own significance) and on to praying for his friends.  Isn’t it just like Father to send what we need our way?

And this is the point for me.  In the midst of trials -whatever form they take – I need to continue to be aware and look for those opportunities to do God’s bidding, regardless of how I feel at the time, and regardless of how I feel about who I am ministering to.

I am to be on guard for God opportunities… be aware for what He’s doing around me and join in on His work… Ephesians 2:10 (The Message) “He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.“

I wrote a blog a few months ago about this verse in Ephesians.  See it here.  Interesting… different passages… same lesson.  Who says God’s word isn’t alive?

Changing Lives…

Colossians 1:4-6 (NLT)

4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good New. 6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

The Good News bears fruit by changing lives just as it changed mine. There ‘s much to unpack in that statement.

  • Am I sharing the Good News?
  • Is it changing others lives everywhere?
  • Did it change my life? When did it change my life?
  • Is it still changing my life?

OK. These questions are a little haunting, especially if I ask myself is the Good News changing lives in my own home? How different is my family from the rest of the world? Is God’s word impacting their lives? Why or why not? The why or why not is directly related to Question #1. Am I sharing with my family – my wife, my sons, my daughters – the impact and change God’s word has on my own life?

Lord, please help me realize and be attentive to “teachable moments” with my family. I Peter 3:15 says “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ” I ask to be attentive and ready Lord, especially to those in my own household. In Jesus’ name… Amen.