Sonsofthesea.org

"Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

Month: July 2017

“A Way”… Proverbs 14:12

July 30, 2017 /

 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

How do you react, what do you do, when your miracle, your Word from God—comes to you seemingly—too late? When it offers you—no tah-dah  moment? No sharp intake of astounded breath—rather it offers, brings along with it—a heavy, still, disappointing silence. It leaves you staring off, befuddled, clueless—that’s it? Really?

You know that look. Certainly, you’ve witnessed it.  it’s disappointment—unfulfilled expectation. Instead of going left, it went right—way right! How do you handle disappointment and its emotional fallout?

We all have expectations—all of us. Even the most spiritual. Try as we might to live minus our faulty human ideals—our faultier still ungrounded expectations, we have them—we do. We even expect things from Jesus. And, to a certain extent, we’re right to. We, as His children, should expect things. Things like a certain measure of faith, His protection and provision, His presence, and the fulfillment of every promise He has ever made—to name but a few.

But here’s the catch—they’ll come His way, and, in His timing. Not ours.

Adding to this—don’t allow, you mustn’t allow, foolish expectations—self-serving expectations, to lead you down the wrong path. Proverbs 14:12 makes that abundantly clear, listen: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”  Don’t allow presupposition to pervade your relationship with Jesus—a wrong move—bad! It will cause you, most assuredly, to fall—headlong, into sin. And, following quickly behind that sin—comes sins cronies—heartache and disaster.

By allowing for a—He’s my buddy, He’s got this for me—irreverent way of thinking to creep in, exist, between the two of you—you and Jesus that is  you open the door for a mighty hard fall! Think of the leaven of the Pharisees here—a little of it in your relationship with Jesus can—will eventually, kill it.

Judas Iscariot is just such an example of what happens to us when we go, head-long, our own way.  Judas had a definite, ‘my buddy’ mindset. From perhaps the outset of his relationship with Jesus he allowed seeds of irreverence and a lust for the things of this world to grow within. He had Jesus all figured out. He, Jesus, had come to do Judas’s will, Judas’s way. Jesus would raise up an army to demolish the tyrannical, brutal, socially unjust, Roman reign over Israel. Jesus, according to Judas, was going to restore home rule, order, and power. And then Judas would get a hefty slice of that pie. Finally, order restored, surely then he’d have  real power and a secure place all for himself. His expectations weren’t only wrong and unwise—they were sin-filled.

His greed, arrogance, and lust for the riches of this world robbed Him of the True prize that was ever before him. Ever with him. Jesus.

He traded the eternal for the temporal. Jesus in exchange for a few pieces of silver…

Watch out for your faulty expectations…

There’s a saying that goes, Things are not always as they appear. When we focus on what we see, the tangible—rather than using our eyes of faith, looking out for the potential, the possible— we will always—always, be left disappointed by what we see. Just ask Judas. Seldom does anything end-up lining up exactly the way we’ve expected it to. See that’s the thing about this faith we possess—we’re called to walk by it—not by what we see…

Walking by sight is the way of Judas—not Jesus.  Steady your focus on The Giver and not His gifts. All we need do is read Judas’ outcome to learn what happens when we allow ourselves to be overcome by the lusts of our flesh. By what seems right. It’s okay to want things but there’s a line that when crossed it will blind us from being able to distinguish The Way from any way; from our own way…

Our Scripture bears repeating here:  “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

Don’t follow Judas into a fate of certain death, spiritually certainly, perhaps physically also. Ask The Holy Spirit to search you out. To bring to mind anything in you that may be headed in the wrong direction. Fueled by the wrong desires, the wrong motives. And, when He does, repent, on the spot, and course correct. We serve a loving Father who patiently awaits our coming to Him to ask for His help to do it His way. To surrender our temporal for His eternal.

There is only one right way and it’s not the way of Judas…

 

“Keep it Underwater” Mark 4: 18-19

July 16, 2017 /

  “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

Some may furrow their brow when looking between the title of this post and the Scripture verse. The question may arise, What does the Parable of the Sower, more specifically, seeds sown into thorny ground have to do with staying under the water? On the surface, the answer is, “nothing.” But, if you’ll permit me a bit of latitude, prayerfully, I will connect the dots given me by The Holy Spirit…

When a Believer chooses to take the next step of obedience in their faith walk with Christ they’re baptized—immersed in water. This holy act of obedience is an outward profession that demonstrates—if done with an upright heart, the believer’s public acknowledgement of their faith in a crucified, buried, and resurrected Savior. They too are signifying the end of their right to hold onto a life lived in bondage to sin and death as they welcome in the beginning of a life lived for Jesus and the hope of being a part of the final resurrection of those who believe in, live for—have given their life to, Jesus Christ (Matthew:6-8; Luke 3:3-16). Jesus Himself was baptized, not to denote His need for forgiveness—He was without sin, but rather to set an example for those of us who would come to believe in Him. In allowing Himself to be baptized, Jesus was pointing us towards his own death, burial, and resurrection, and the power He has over both.

The very foundation of the Christian’s hope…

And, unless you go into the baptismal waters a dry devil and come up a wet one, (with an unclean heart, being showy, with no true desire for surrender and change) any true Blood bought believer knows that once you walk out of that water, satan is there to greet you with every conceivable challenge and trial he is allowed to throw at you! He will challenge you from that moment forward, until the Lord takes you home. He was there in the wilderness to try Jesus after His baptism; surely, we, as Jesus’s followers, will not escape being met by satan’s temptations and trials also (Matthew 4:1-11).

So here is where I’ll pivot. Taking us up from under the water, onto dry land, and, into a thorny place.

In our Scripture today, Jesus is teaching on the parable of the Sower.  The third condition He speaks of in this parable is that of the seed (God’s Word) falling among thorns. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, (also known as the Synoptic Gospels) each speak of this same parable—and each expounds on it to a greater or lesser degrees. It is here that Jesus makes plain to us that those who have received God’s Word can easily loose it. They can literally allow God’s Word to be choked out of them—syphoned out of them, Word by Life-giving Word. All Seemingly unawares…

How?

Jesus teaches that if we let the cares of this world—the ‘thorns’—the worries of this life (our responsibilities), the deceitfulness of wealth (the lusting after earthly wealth, possessions), and the desire for other things (the pleasures of this life, sinful or not, to choke out what God has planted in us—through the hearing of His Word, we will not only cease to grow in Him, we will eventually fall away from Him. We’ll end up turning towards the true desire of our heart, our wants—our gods. Anything that we allow to crowd Jesus out, robbing us of time spent with Him—time seeking His will, putting Him above all that we may want or desire, is a thorn that, left unchallenged, can easily become a god…

And, in the end, if our thorns are not pulled up by their roots and made to die—they will overshadow and destroy our walk with Christ. “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).

Mind you—Jesus is by no means suggesting that a Christian should live a joyless life. And neither am I. Nor is He suggesting that one not have passions or interests.  Or, that the talents He gave not be applied to our work.  His Word tells us that: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17) He created both our passion and our interest—and then put them in us, His creations, for His use and purpose.

Jesus, when talking about these thorns, is referring to both the condition of the heart as much as the external circumstances that are coming up against it—threatening it. They—these thorns, speak to the Who and what a person has chosen to make a priority in this life. Said Scripturally: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Now that I’ve covered the thorny ground, one final pivot to head back into the waters of Baptism and unite them both in closing. In baptism, when we rise out of the water, our old man—our life as we’ve known it is left in there, a dead thing. We’ve relinquished our rights to self in our surrender to the Will of God…

In today’s Scripture, Jesus is teaching us how these thorns enter into our lives and their ramifications if left unchallenged. Unlike our Spirit-man, who experiences instant transformation ( becomes new) the moment we accept Jesus,  our flesh and soul must be put on the Potter’s wheel to have their habits, those thorns we’ve developed, worked out of us through submission to God and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s not instantaneous. The outer man, our flesh and soul, is a work in progress until Christ calls us home. Christ must work out of us those habits, hurts, and, hang-ups we’ve been carrying around with us, the residue of our  bad choices—our selfishness and self-reliance, our me-isms. Those desires, even those that are good and pleasant, that distract us from going after Him with all we have must go. We must choose, daily, often moment by moment, to surrender to His Hands. To say yes to Christ and no the lure of this world.

Friend, do all that you’re able to keep your thorns in the water where they belong. Stay pliable, submissive, and pray, always, that God will strengthen you to choose Him and not the thorns…

“And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Let me ask you friend, what do you need to take back to the water and leave there? Jesus is just waiting for you to give him your thorns, those things that hinder you drawing ever closer to Him. He’s always near, we do the moving. His promise of grace to Paul is yours as well. Grab hold of it today. Don’t let the world choke out—rob you, of your relationship with God.

Don’t let the cares of this world rob you of all that He has planted in you through the hearing of His Word…

If you haven’t asked Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, then do it now, today. No man is promised tomorrow. Pray this simple prayer wherever you are… Lord, Come into my heart. I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe you died and rose again, and will come to bring us to yourself. I give you my life in full surrender.”

If you just prayed that for the first time, welcome into the family! Pray that God now lead you into a church home that is steeped in His Word. But you must do your part. You have to  go. Trust that He’ll direct you but remember, He can’t take you where you refuse to go!

Blessings Friends…

 

“Everything” Philippians 3:7-8

July 9, 2017 /

“But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life]. But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled].”

One of the greatest lessons I am learning—becoming filled with, to the exclusion of all else in Autumn of my life is this: Nothing, let me stress that—nothing, is more valuable to me than God. Knowing and being known by Him is my greatest gift, greatest joy—the prize above every prize, and He has blessed me with some amazing gifts over the years!

Yet by far—without comparison—in a league all by itself, is my relationship with Jesus. More accurately, it’s His choosing to have one with me. There is nothing more valued, more treasured, or near to my heart than loving and be being loved by God. Period. This is my truth.

Now, this great love of my life—this great prize without measure, this God who is the Light of my life, has allowed me to experience some of the lowest, most pain filled, tear-filled moments in of my life. Not everything I’ve experienced with Him has been a honeymoon high. There have been deaths, implausible loss, sickness, abandonment, betrayal, abuse, disgrace—and great pain. Some—a lot, came at the hands of my choices—bad ones. Other stuff came because that’s life—they come at the expense of being alive. They are the salt in the sugar…

I share this with you to portray, as realistically as I know how, that this same God who showered me with the blessings of three amazing children, a grandchild that has my heart, parents that I love, siblings I am grateful for, health, strength, peace, and, provision that some would only hope for—all of this and more than our limited time together and these pages have room for, I would give up, hand it and them all back—if it meant I couldn’t have, if it meant, losing Jesus. That’s not easy to say mind you—and truth be told, I’m not even sure what saying it truly means.

I know only this: I never want a life without Jesus as the center of it…

And as scary as it is to say that I count it all loss, and it is scary (which doesn’t mean I don’t have faith. Contrary to what you may have been told you can have faith and be afraid. Often actually faith requires you to press forward on shaky legs).  I’ve seen in my life; a sampling of what God will take away from us as we walk through the firing process of being shaped and molded into the image and likeness of His Son. Much like what a clay pot endures in the furnace to finish it in something solid and lasting. Yet, still I trust God. I know the plans He has for me are for my good, not to kill me—even if it feels that way at times.

But let’s get back to the blessings. Let’s look at the many blessings that each of us have. And, although some may have what the world calls “more” in terms of material possessions—status, beauty, intelligence, toys, etc. If you are reading this now, we are each equal in that we share breath, life, and opportunity. The possibilities are endless in what you might accomplish having possession of these blessings.

If you think I’m wrong—remember, the moment God takes them back, and He will, (it’s another thing we all have in common)—the blessings end, life ends—we will all be required to return the gifts we’ve been entrusted with. See, they were always only on loan. In our humanity, we forget that and we get attached to them and think that they are our possessions—and that we have a right to them.

There’s a lesson there for someone—for me…

Jesus has given us all innumerable gifts, blessings, and, opportunities. Paul knew this. And in today’s passage he forced me to re-member this—refocus. Why? Because as much as I love Jesus—and I do. As much as I am willing to say yes, as scary as saying yes can be—and I am and it is, I still, in my humanness, get distracted by ‘things.’ The gifts, the people, the stuff—the blessings. And I need to be re-minded—to refocus. To never lose sight of the One who blesses, who chose me for Himself—who willingly laid His life down on a Cross He held like a lover, so that I could have a new life in and with Him. Both now and in Heaven…

And that is why friends—in the autumn of my life, I am asking Jesus to prune me deeply. Is that scary, as I’ve already said—you bet it is! At almost 60 I’ve tasted enough of loss to not take saying this lightly or the sting—the sometimes-paralyzing effects, on a life losing something or someone can have. But I trust God despite how I may feel. Feelings change, God alone is eternal. And I believe with everything in me—in paying it forward. Of my life benefitting another’s. I believe that to gain one must be willing to pay a dear price—to suffer loses. I didn’t always have this wisdom—and I can’t claim what I’ve learned as mine. That credit goes to The Holy Spirit. To a God who’s walked with me through the train-wreck I had turned my life into, and said, “Trust Me, I have such great plans for you.” And, even the trust it took to trust Him—He alone provided!

Perhaps the reason I am here today and you are here today—is that God is still working in us both? Or, maybe He is calling you to Himself for the first time and you needed to hear this (remember the breath, life, and, opportunity?) …

Perhaps you needed to be reminded—as I certainly do, as Paul is reminding us all— to stay focused on the Giver and not on HIs gifts. On The One—and not the stuff the One provides. As I said earlier, one day He will ask each of us for all His stuff back. The only “forever” things we get to keep are, primarily, our relationship with Him. Then, the lasting effects of those things that we give away (the good we do for others). Those actions are forever multiplying. And love. That, like it’s creator—is eternal. We each have choices to make. Where and how to spend our time, talents, and the resources we’ve been entrusted with. Greater still, the choice of what it is we hold dear—our best thing if you. What ‘everything’ are you willing to let go of today that you may gain Christ—or more of Him. Remember, to gain you must be willing to lose something.

With trembling human legs—I count it all joy that I may lose all things and gain Christ Jesus my Lord. Not even fully understanding the scale of my words, I choose to profess them nonetheless. I do not need to see to believe…

Friend, what about you? Are you too willing to count it all a loss to gain God? He is looking for hearts that are willing to say, “yes to your will and ways Lord.”

I am praying your strength because I know what it is to have a heart that is willing but also flesh that is so weak. Yet greater than my prayers are the prayers of Jesus sitting at the Right Hand of the Father praying for you—cheering you on. Because He so wants you to lose it all that you would gain Him. Trust Him today. Take the first—or maybe the 101st step, and say yes Lord, be my everything. I count it all loss that I might gain you. He’s waiting…

Then buckle up and enjoy the journey—and Love, of a lifetime…!

“They traded the truth about God for a lie. So, they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen” Romans 1:25

“Dependence” Isaiah 41:13

July 2, 2017 /

“For I the Lord your God keep hold of your right hand; [I am the Lord], Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

In this world, we are usually discouraged from being or becoming dependent on anything or anyone. Dependence on someone is—more often than not, seen as a sign of weakness—of immaturity. Particularly when a person is of sufficient age, in the natural, that being independent should be a thing celebrated and actively pursued. And, while this is true—and necessary in our natural evolution into adulthood and its subsequent responsibilities, there is one area in every believer’s life in which we should never—must never, seek to become independent.

That being , in our relationship with God—and our sole reliance on Him.

There is a well-known Christian song entitled, ” Cornerstone.”  Part of its lyrics are as follows:

When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil

I rest on His unchanging grace. Said differently, I depend, solely rely on, completely trust in, God.

So, the question then becomes, in a world where dependence is discouraged and individualism touted, “Who do you, can you, depend on?”

Before we go further, before you answer that, please, allow me pause here to urge you: If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, please, ask Him into your heart, now, today, without delay, as your Lord and Savior. Pray this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, come into my heart, I surrender it to you. I believe you died for me and resurrected on the third day. Have your way in my life. I choose to depend on you. Romans 10:9-10 says this to us: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Notice, however, that you must both confess and believe. Lip service will not do! So, If you prayed that prayer for the first time, I now encourage you to ask God to lead you into a solid Christ centered church so that you will learn to grow in Him and His Word, and find your place, your part, His will for your life…

Welcome Home my brother or sister in Christ! I look forward to meeting you in Our Father’ s House!

Now, let’s dig in, shall we?…

A recent quote I read said this: In the world, dependency is seen as immaturity. But in my Kingdom, dependence on Me is a prime measure of maturity.

It is well-known, factually established—that what is said in the Word of God, what we are taught about what is right, and good, and true, what is best for us, is, characteristically, the polar opposite of what we are taught in the world in which we live. For example, God’s Word teaches: We must die to live, forgive everyone—no exceptions, love our enemies, give away that we may receive, be humble so that He may lift us up. I could list many other examples of how living according to God’s Word—His will,  is the exact opposite of the self-sufficient ways in which the world encourages us to live.

And who is this world?

John 2:15-16 explains that:  “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” The world, that is the ways of it, as opposed to God’s ways is, as one Theologian describes it: an evil (rebellious) organized system under Satan, which operates through unbelieving people who are opposed to God.

Now hold up! I can hear the rants and visceral disapproval. The, how-dare-you!

And I understand, I do. I too, at one time, would have ranted right along with you. Probably the loudest! Rebelled against those stinging words with like vehemence. With the same indignant outrage. Why? I was very much a part of, steeped in, the world. In doing life my way. And, if truth be told, there are still remnants of that same thinking and its subsequent actions that still linger with me today, like a foul odor. Those sins I still struggle with daily. This is not about being holier than though. But it is about the strength, the surety to forgive those sins, my sins, your sins,  that lives in the Blood of Jesus Christ alone…

It’s also about the choices we must make. And then live by.

I’m sure you’d agree that we are surrounded by choices. From the moment we open our eyes until the time we close them, we are in choice-making mode. Stating with five more minutes or get up now? What will I eat? What to wear? Which route to take to work? Will I go to work? Time for coffee or maybe it’s tea today? you get the idea…

Choices.

And so, along that line, is our choice to follow—rely, depend on, set our hope on, God. That too, though obviously a far greater and consequential, to say nothing of, eternal choice, is also our’s to make. We are free to, must in fact, say yes to God. To His calling us to Himself. Or, by default, in saying nothing, in continuing on, eyes-closed, things as they are, we are effectively saying—no, nope, not now. I’m good on my own God. Maybe later…

However, unlike the above daily chore list of choices we robotically make, choosing God is, must be, intentional. As it is the only eternally life changing choice we will ever make. Let me explain. John 3:16, often familiar, even, to those who are not yet students of God’s Word tells us: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” When we say yes to God’s calling us to Himself we are not only making a right-now choice, we’re not just given a new life here on earth—but, as if that were not enough, we will have, are promised, an eternal home with God in Heaven.

One choice—eternal consequence. And to not choose Christ is your choice. Literally…

As a believer in Christ Jesus we must live our lives in absolute reliance, dependence, on Him. Something that one will never—can never do, without faith in—complete belief in, Him being exactly who He says He is, and that He will do all that He says He will do. Period. That is the basis of our faith. Numbers 23:19 says it like this: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

If you look at the photo image attached to this post you will notice that the climber is reliant—dependent, literally, on her chosen ropes for safety—for her life. To complete her journey, unencumbered by worry, she cannot waste precious time and valuable energy constantly checking to make certain her rope is secured and her connection to it solid. She must choose,both her equipment and,what she will anchor herself to, wisely. As Christians,

 

our faith and reliance, our dependence, on God must also be like that also.  Notice that she is leaning back confidently, being mindful,surely,of what is around her, but confidently nonetheless—enjoying this adventure she’s on! She knows—is certain, that what she is connected to—dependent on, is solid—fixed, reliable. Therefore, she is confident to climb or to descend without trepidation. If we will trust our very lives to a piece of rope—how much more to God? To Him who is dependable, sure, fixed, unchanging. To the God who calls us to anchor our life to His. To depend solely on Him for safety, guidance, provision, Truth, and life?  Just a this climber has anchored her ropes into rock.

As I said in the beginning, dependence, according to the world, is seen as a sign of weakness. But, as I also said in the beginning, the Bible often teaches us the polar-opposite of what the world teaches…

Listen to yet another example: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Corinthians 12:10, emphasis my own.

The world will ultimately fail us. Its rope will fray and we will fall—perhaps to our deaths, as many climbers have. Only when we rely—depend, put our life into the All-Powerful Hands of Jesus—can we be assured we will never fall to our deaths.

On that we can depend…

The more mature in the faith we are, the bigger God will be for us. As our vision of God becomes clearer and we understand His enormity, we learn to rest in him. We grow in our ability to depend completely on him and know that with a God as competent as the God we find in the pages of Scripture, the universe in which we find ourselves is truly a safe place for us. The surety of God’s promise is God Himself.

Said Scripturally: “He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber” Psalm 121:3

Depend on The Rock of Ages. Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone. Our only sure foundation…

© 2024 Sonsofthesea.org

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑