Month: April 2015

More Than a Paul-Principle

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The_Giving_Hands_by_therealzackDo you ever feel like you just can’t get it done?  You are too tired, too lost, too depressed, too sick, or whatever to get it done?  Whenever I get in one of these down-in-the-dumps moods, I know God’s resources are unlimited, and I ask Him to re-source or re-supply me.

One of the great verses that reveals the resources of God is 2 Corinthians 9:8, and you can read it in three different versions below:

  • God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. ~NKJV
  • God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. ~The Message
  • God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. ~Amplified Bible

Notice the “all” and the “always” in the NKJV:

  • “All grace” will abound toward you
  • God will “always” have “all” sufficiency in “all” things

I encourage you to embrace this principle and claim it as a promise just like Paul did.   Paul knew he could do “all” things in and through the strength of Jesus (Philippians 4:13).

God has an “abundance” of resources for every good work, and they are not reserved for just people named Paul.  They are available to all of His children for we are “heirs of God and coheirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).”

More Than Enough

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Grace-rAre there times when the words of a song pop into your mind, and you can’t shake them?  Off and on throughout the day you find yourself singing the words  or humming the tune.

I had that experience yesterday with the song Grace Greater Than Our Sin.  The chorus of this song speaks of the wonder of God’s grace:

“Grace, grace, God’s Grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin”

It’s through His grace that God saves you and equips you for the Christian life.  God made this clear to Paul when He said:  “My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9).” In essence, God was saying that His grace is “more than enough” to meet your needs.

Paul wrote at length about the subject of grace, and these verses speak of the different aspects of grace:

  • You are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).
  • The grace of God is abundant, and it abounds (Romans 5:17, 20).
  • Ephesians 1:7 speaks of the “riches of His grace.”
  • When you are in need of grace, Hebrews 4:16 instructs you to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

If you have wandered away from God, His grace is more than enough to get you back on the right track.  If you have stumbled in a weak moment, God’s unique grace will strengthen you.  As the Psalmist said:

Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High will remain in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.  You will cover me with your feathers, and under your wings I will find refuge. Your truth is my shield and armor. ~Psalm 94

It’s Good!

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il_340x270.582953616_9yvjSome of the books of the Bible have certain words or phrases that are frequently repeated.  While reading the Psalms, I began to notice how often the word “good” appears.   In the NKJV translation, it is mentioned 80 times.

I have selected five of these that speak of “good” in the context of your relationship with God:

  • Psalm 54:6: I will offer a sacrifice as a special gift to you. I will thank you, Lord, because you are good.
  • Psalm 69:16: Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
  • Psalm 73:28: As for me, to draw near to God is good; I have put my hope in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
  • Psalm 92:1-2: It is good to praise you, Lord, to sing praises to God Most High. It is good to tell of your love in the morning and of your loyalty at night.

Some Scripture is so full of meaning, so rich in content, and so easily understood that it needs no commentary.   This is the case with the verses above, so I will close with this quote from the Psalms:

“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations . . . Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Ps. 100:5; 136:1).”

A Mind Full of Memories

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2012-02-26-sandhillsOn Thursday night of this past week, I received a phone call about 10:30.  It was a call from my cousin:  “Hey Stan, I wanted you to know that Mom just died.”

I didn’t sleep much that night.  I kept thinking about my Aunt Ila.  I reminisced about my childhood days at Sallyards, and the Seymour gatherings at that white house bordered by railroad tracks on the South and surrounded by the captivating beauty of the Flint Hills.

My memories were of a time when both Ila and I were much younger.  As I thought of her, I remembered the sound of her joyful laugh, the infectious smile that lined her face, and the sparkle in her eyes.  Most of all, I remembered her kind gentle spirit and the warmth of her ever-present love.

As I thought about her love, I remembered the words of the Apostle Paul:

For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! 

~Romans 8:38-39

I hope this verse convinces you, as it does me, that not even the princes of darkness can separate us from the love of God.

When you are stirred up and trampled down by the tragedy of death and the miles of trials you’ve walked in your life, why not take a peek at things from God’s perspective? God has a hold on you and He isn’t going to let you go.

Jesus said:   My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Are you “persuaded” by the words of Paul and convinced that there is no power on earth or below or heaven above that can separate you from the love of God?

I think Aunt Ila was convinced of this truth.  I think she could say:  “We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him (I John 4:16).”

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Whenever I look North of Highway 54 and my eyes see an empty and vacant pasture that used to be Sallyards, my mind is still full of memories.

One that remains and will always be cherished is the memory of Aunt Ila’s love.

The TGIF Zone

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thank-god-its-p6f715There are some weeks that by the time Friday rolls around, I need to get a little boost to finish the week.  I want to share a little booster  that’s tucked away in the Old Testament.  It’s like drinking a rejuvenating cup of spiritual adrenaline:

“For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6).”

When you listen to its uplifting theme, this TGIF Booster might make you crow like a rooster. Look at this dynamic definition of your righteous relationship with God:

  • You belong to God.
  • You are special because He has chosen you.
  • You are one of His prized possessions.

Isn’t this enough to make you click your heels together; shake off your mental malaise; and praise God?

Let me affirm what’s already been said: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (100:3).”  This verse clarifies and verifies who you are:  You are His; you are made by Him; and, He cares for you like a shepherd does his sheep.

When God purchased you it’s not because He was looking for a bargain and you had been discontinued and discounted.  No, you’re valuable, and He paid a premium to purchase you:  “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price, so glorify God in your body (I Corinthians 6:20).”

Not only can you TGIF, but you can also TGFF.  You can Thank God For the Friday that He paid the price for your redemption through the death of Jesus.

Don’t moan about the day: own the day.  You’ve entered the TGIF zone.

Life: Infested or Invested

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reflection-in-mirrorMy morning routine includes the couple of minutes I spend looking into the mirror.  This is not an exercise in vanity.  It’s just the best way to examine my wrinkled mug; apply the shaving cream; and wield the razor to shave my beard.

As I was checking the stubble on my face, I thought of Paul’s statement to the church at Corinth: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).”

When you think about it, there are several times each day that you take the time to check the quality of some item:

  • Bananas are checked to see if they are too ripe or too green.
  • Apples are examined to see if they are bruised.
  • When you buy something you check to make sure you have been given the correct amount of change.

How much time do you spend in spiritual self-examination?  The Psalmist said:  “I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies (Psalm 119:59).”  When he didn’t like what he saw, the author of the Psalm ironed out the wrinkles in his life by turning to God’s Word.

The methodology of the Psalms was the same message espoused by James (1:21-25):

Lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

You have the freedom to look into the “perfect law of liberty” and to use it as a mirror to examine your life.  When you do this, what do you see?

  • Do you see a reflection of righteousness?
  • Is there an image of personal purity?
  • Do you recognize the features of faithfulness in the face you see?

A good mirror to use is a prayer in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”spic n span

Let me suggest this prayer as a daily test:  Does this mirror reflect a life that’s infested by the ring-around-the-collar filth of the world or one that is invested in the spic and span principles of God’s Word?

Three That Leave Me Full of Wonder

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3_of_hearts_by_farvei-d3kgg80There are three short verses in the fifth chapter of Thessalonians that leave me full of wonder: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Every time I read these verses, I wonder how it is possible to fully embrace their principles:

  • I rejoice, but I must confess I do not “always” rejoice.
  • I pray, but I do “cease.”
  • I give “thanks,” but I have to be honest: There’s quite a few times I do not give thanks for “everything.”

When I read these verses yesterday, I gave a little more attention to “in everything give thanks.”  It occurred to me that I have never given thanks to:

  • Ben Franklin for the eyeglasses that sit atop my nose and help me to see.
  • Thomas Edison for the light bulbs that brighten my house and my office.
  • Henry Ford for his ingenuity in manufacturing the automobile.
  • Sir Alexander Fleming and his life-saving discovery of penicillin.

Let me challenge you to join me in do something different today.  Every time you have a negative thought, replace immediately by giving thanks for something in your life.  Any inconvenience you experience today is to be used as a reminder to give thanks for something that makes your life easier.

By the end of the day, we might be giving thanks for more things, if not everything.

From Deadly to Dazzling and Delightful

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eggs2They’ve gone from being downright deadly to dazzling and delightful.  Eggs were all but banned by dietitians and doctors alike; however, I recently heard a person should eat four eggs a week to help ward off on the onset of diabetes.

Eggs have been a topic of discussion and an element of speech ever since the first person asked:  “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

How many of these egg-laced phrases have you heard?

  • He egged me on.
  • I have egg on my face.
  • There’s an egghead.
  • Boy, he really laid an egg.
  • Be careful, talking with him is like walking on egg shells.
  • Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

Most of the egg-centric philosophy above is pretty good advice; however, I have to question the context of the last one.  It’s wise to put all of your eggs in one basket when that basket is Jesus.

If you remember the exchange that Jesus had with Peter, you might agree with me:  Jesus said to the Apostles, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (John 6:67-69).”

When it comes to the basket of eternal life, I hope you will come to know and to believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God.

Easter: What’s Left?

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475EF8AB-342D-4D51-885D-64659421391BWhen the last Easter egg has been found and eaten, and the kids have said “good-bye” to their sugar high.  What remains?  I hope it is more than chocolate stains and a few extra pounds that were added by way of the calorie-packed candy, and other Easter delights.

One thing that will always remain is God’s Word, and it is a unique book.  The uniqueness of the Bible is seen in its unity. This book is a collection of 66 ancient documents that were originally written in 3 languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Even though 40 different authors, wrote over a span of 1,500 years the theme and message of the Bible is consistent.

In my Easter sermon yesterday, I mentioned Jesus’ encounter with two disheartened disciples as they walked down the Emmaus road.  To help them understand the events surrounding His crucifixion, Jesus, began “at Moses and all the Prophets, and He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:27).”

The life of Jesus fulfilled multiple prophecies.  Long before He was born, it was predicted that He would be flogged; die with the wicked; and, He would be buried like a rich man.

Prophecy is important because it confirms the claims of Jesus.  Here are just a few of the many He fulfilled:

  • Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10)
  • He would be from the line of King David (2 Samuel 7:12-13)
  • He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
  • 700 years before Jesus was born, the Prophet Isaiah predicted in graphic detail the manner in which Jesus would die (Is. 53).

The Bible has stood the test of time; and, when it comes time for you to be tested, it will stand with you.

From Yesterday to Tomorrow

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kenyan_aaMaybe it’s the Kenyan AA, the Costa Rica by the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Company, the Three Continent, or perhaps it’s Tully’s Hawaiian Blend, that does it to me.  I’m not sure if it is the coffee or something, but there are some mornings that I become acutely curious about the mental path my mind travels.

When I find myself wondering about the wandering of my mind, and I question the wisdom of the words that travel from my neural pathways to the tip of my keyboard, I may need to think about my drink:  Does the blend of coffee influence my thoughts?

My first cup of coffee this morning was Kenyan AA.  As I was sipping it, I thought about the Beatles and the resurrection.  Did this best blend of coffee from Kenya ingest a strange correlation between England’s Fab Four and Jesus?

Yesterday is one of the better-known songs by the Beatles, and a line in the song says:  “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far way . . .” As I thought of those lyrics, I thought they might have been the exact words of Jesus’ disciples immediately following His arrest.

I took another sip and “yesterday” was my thought in a little different context.  I wondered about a couple of things:

  • How did the disciples think about “yesterday” the day after the resurrection of Jesus?
  • I wondered about Paul McCartney’s words: “I’m not half the man I used to be . . .”

Because of the resurrection I’m not half the man I used to be: I’m a whole person due to the fullness of Jesus.  This relationship is clarified by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!

Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!

Glory down all the generations!

Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

I’m not sure how your “yesterday” was, but I do know the hope you can have tomorrow through the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.