The History of Self

In the Garden, their “I’s” were opened.

After that, everyone did what was right in his own “I’s”.

When the Savior came to earth, men asked him ‘what must “I” do to be saved?’

Jesus said the “I” cannot save himself because “I” is bad; then He said, if your “I” makes you stumble, you should get rid of it. What he meant was your “I” must die.

Even after they were saved men would ask: “Why am “I” still doing what “I” don’t want to do?

Paul answered this way; there is a new “I” and an old “I.” The old “I” was crucified with Christ. It is no longer that “I” who lives. Christ lives in the new “I”.

Now “I” can do all things through Christ. And now you know why Paul prayed that our “I’s” would be opened so “I” can see how much Christ loves me.

Are You Just Showing Up?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but you probably haven’t made any plans yet. Right? You won’t decide until the last minute where you want to go and with whom you’d like to eat—you’ll just show up. Right? Well, of course not! By now your plans are set—time and menu have been determined! You wouldn’t dream of just showing up at a friend or relative’s house.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians approach God with a “just show up” attitude. Recently, I asked a man “where do you go to church?” meaning where are you being taught, where do you fellowship, engage other believers, use your gifts? He said “I go to [such and such] church, but I am not a member; I don’t belong to any small group; I just go there.” In other words, he just shows up! (By the way, he was not involved in any spiritual activities outside the church either.) I asked about his Bible study and prayer life and not surprisingly, he said it was irregular—in other words, he just shows up.

Of all the New Testament writers, James puts the greatest emphasis on faith in action. He exhorts believers: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (4:8). The Greek word “draw near” is an active verb, derived from the words “go, lead, bring.” I think James is saying we must be deliberate in our approach to God, i.e., “bringing ourselves” to God. Now, I’m quite sure God will be quite happy to see you whenever you show up, but how much better if we are actively bringing ourselves to God, deliberately engaging Him with a time, place, and a plan for Bible study, prayer, reflection, and confession. Think about that tomorrow when someone just shows up at your house for Turkey dinner, unannounced!

Are We Having an Energy Crisis?

Having travelled (and lived) in parts of the world that have no electricity, I find it somewhat strange when I read about the U.S. “energy crisis.” In the last decade we have become increasingly educated and warned of the limits of these ‘natural’ resources. Even so, we find it unimaginable we will ever be without them. But according to recent U. N. statistics, there are as many as 2 billion people on the planet who suffer from “energy poverty”—the lack of electricity, natural gas, or any modern fuels used for cooking or for heating homes.

As I read the above statistics, I couldn’t help thinking how many Christians live, spiritually, like impoverished peoples of developing countries. They live as though they were energy deprived, that is, unable to access God’s indwelling, resident power to live victoriously. But it should not be so.

God has given us all the ‘energy’ we need to live effective Christian lives—He energizes us with His own life “by God’s mighty power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). The Greek word for “work” is the word “energeo,” which of course is where we get out English word energy! The writer of Hebrews uses this word when he says the Word of God is alive and active [full of energy] (4:12).

So why should any Christian ever have an energy crisis? There can be only one reason: he is still operating in his own. Whenever you feel like you have run out of the energy it takes to be obedient and please God, it is probably because you are accessing your own; God promises you will never run out of His. “For God is working [energizing] in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him” (Phil. 2:13).

What About Your Remains?

Last week, I attended the memorial service for my 90-year old aunt. As I reflected on the service and the things that were said on her behalf, I thought about Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward” (1 Cor.3:14 NASB). I find an interesting double-meaning in the word “remains.”

When someone is deceased, we speak of their remains, meaning the lifeless body. In the case of my aunt, she requested that her remains be cremated, meaning disposed of by fire. I find this ironic, given Paul's language in verse 13 where he says “there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the FIRE to see whether or not it keeps its value [i.e., whether it REMAINS].” My aunt's body and her works will go through a fire.

When we leave this world, the work we have done for the Kingdom of God will remain: we will be rewarded. Given the gravity of this, should you—regardless of your age—be more mindful of what you are building? And not only for eternal rewards, but that the ‘building’ you are doing will continue, or remain, ‘in time’ through those people in whom you have invested? As I looked around the church last week at my Aunt Ruby's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, I thought to myself, these are her legacy. But now the Lord has given me a fresh revelation of this: they are her eternal 'remains.'

Francis Frangipane said “The Lord inspects His house by walking through it and throwing matches!” Will your 'building' pass the test of His fire. Will it remain?

PRAY FOR JOSE

Did you know that November 8 was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church? Each year, more than half a million churches join together to pray for persecuted Christians. We need to be reminded to pray our brothers and sisters who are abused or imprisoned because of their faith.

And it isn’t just the persecuted ones who need our prayers. We must remember to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who live in sub-standard conditions: they have no running water, adequate food or housing. We need to pray for those who are suffering because they are poor, hungry or sick.

While in Guatemala, we met “evangelicals” (that’s what Guatemalan Christians call themselves) wherever we went. On the day we travelled 6 hours to visit the “Shadow of His Wings” orphanage, we hired a driver named Jose. On the long drive back, he told me he was an evangelical, having recently been born again. He gave me his brief testimony of drug abuse and theft. He said he had been in prison 3 times, but now he goes to Bible study 4 nights a week. I do not know what Jose’s home is like (I would like to have visited him there) but I do know that there are many Christians like him who have very little of the things we take for granted: clean drinking water, hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing, and enough income to buy food and provide adequate housing for one’s family.

Let us not forget to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world. “Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit; stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18).

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE PRESENTATION OF “SHADOW OF HIS WINGS” ORPHANAGE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f1DTQHR8ws

How Are You Meeting the Biblical Mandate to Care for Orphans and Widows?

When we accepted our daughter’s invitation to visit her and her husband in Guatemala, we told her the one thing we wanted to do was to visit an orphanage. So our second ‘divine surprise' in Guatemala was finding "Shadow of His Wings," currently providing 5 homes for 64 orphaned girls.

The girls come from various backgrounds, but most have come out of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Several are daughters of prostitutes, with one of them being forced into her mother's profession at the age of six. Some girls have come to “Shadow of His Wings” badly beaten, one by her mother and the other by a stepfather. But all have suffered the lack of food, clothing, shelter, and love. And since most of the girls have received little or no education, “Shadow of His Wings” built Liberty Christian School (currently grade school and junior high). Not surprisingly, they have a need for trained teachers, psychologists, and counselors to help these girls be healed and learn who they are in Christ.

“Shadow of His Wings” long term goals include building homes for at least 150 girls and 100 boys, a high school, a multi-purpose building with a central kitchen, a medical clinic (which will also serve community members), administrative building, 2 small staff homes, and a building for the “Step Up” transition program for the girls who turn eighteen. Additionally, they are planning to have a home for babies with an adoption program. And long term to build a home for widows to be known as Grammy's House.

The Bible says: “pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles…” (James 1:27 NLT) Can you imagine any ministry more responsive to James’ words than “Shadow of His Wings”?

Now, may I ask you to read the following words of Jesus and let them ‘disturb’ you as they do me?
Then He will also say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.” Then they themselves also will answer, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." (Matt. 25:41-45).

Faith That Doesn't Show Itself By Good Deeds Is No Faith At All

On our first full day of our stay in Guatemala, we visited Casa Jackson, a home for feeding malnourished children—our daughter and her husband volunteer there, feeding babies and changing diapers. But our “divine surprise’ was finding it was part of a larger ministry called Nuestros Ahijados (God’s Child). We visited their ‘campus’, called the Dream Center, located in the notorious San Felipe slums. Nuestros Ahijados feeds, cares for, and educates needy children, women, and families. And because most of the families they work with live in houses that are just pieces of wood with dirt floors and lamina sheets for roofs, Nuestros Ahijados has a program to build homes with solid walls and cement floors. They currently have a two-year waiting list to build these homes (which cost only $1500). We are excited to find such a great need that is within our means to do something about!

In September 2009, the Guatemalan government declared a state of emergency and requested international support to respond to a major food crisis. Drought in the country has wiped out the corn and bean crops of poor families. The government estimates more than 3 million people are at risk of serious food shortages. Doctors are reporting a growing number of life-threatening cases of severe malnutrition in children. The current phenomenon of starving children is unlike any seen in years. Analysts expect the current crisis to worsen because crop failures have pushed food prices out of reach for many poor families.

I am reminded of James’ words:
“Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well,” but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless (James 2:15-17 NLT).

Divine Surprises

Altha and I returned from Guatemala on Friday, two days later than our “planned” arrival. Now I am putting the word “planned” in quotations for a reason. Before we left on our trip, we were strongly led to pray for the Lord’s will to be done—purposefully letting go of any expectations of how things should be.

From beginning to end of our Guatemalan adventure, each day was uniquely and divinely designed to accomplish God’s purposes. There were some circumstances that resulted in our “planned” events being cancelled. From a natural perspective, these might be seen as disappointments. But let me be very clear: in submitting to God’s plans there can be no disappointment. Why?

Your disappointments are directly related to your expectations. Therefore, when you have truly surrendered your personal plans and expectations to HIS, you will not be disappointed. Rather, you will view all circumstances through the eyes of faith, seeing what God sees, understand what He is doing.

As a counselor, I know all too well how Christians tend to see these divine interventions as “interruptions,” or worse, “interferences.” Can you see what a difference it will make when you approach each day expecting to be surprised by God’s plans for you—“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Believing that will make you much more content.

(In future postings, I will share with you some of the wonderful divine surprises that God provided during our 11 days in Guatemala.)

Off to Guatemala

Altha and I are leaving for Guatemala today, returning on November 11th. Our daughter Esther and her husband John have been traveling through Central America since September. In Costa Rica they volunteered in schools and churches, and then decided to spend a month in Guatemala to volunteer in a home for malnourished children. www.casajackson.com. They are also helping serve food in a homeless shelter. Not only are Altha and I looking forward to seeing where they are ministering, but we plan to visit a girls’ orphanage/school as well. You can find out about the orphanage at www.shadowofhiswingsorphanage.org

Esther and John’s volunteer work for the poor and needy reveals their heart of compassion. As you can imagine we are very proud of them. They are feeding babies, changing diapers and serving meals to the homeless. I am reminded of those in the Bible who served in places of obscurity where their faithfulness in the little things was proven before God gave them greater authority—David was a common shepherd before he was a king! Remember this when you think your place in God’s kingdom is insignificant!

NOTE:
I will not be posting a blog for the next 9 days. Please pray for our protection. Guatemala has the highest tourism crime rate in Latin America. Like the orphanage we will visit, however, we will be hidden safely under the shadow of His wings.

Can You Do Two Things at Once?

Unlike any other time in human history, people are multi-tasking. Hyper-automation makes it possible to do many things at once: you can simultaneously wash clothes, cook dinner, and water your lawn; and all of this as you drive to work talking on the phone. But there is something no one can do. No one can do two opposite things at once. For example, you cannot SIT and WALK at the same time.

Paul employs this self-evident ‘common sense’ approach to sanctification: he says you cannot walk by the Spirit and carry out the desire of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). It is impossible to walk by the Spirit and sin. It quite simple: either you are Spirit-led or flesh-driven—but you cannot be both at the same time.

What then is the secret to being able to “walk by the Spirit?” Oddly, the answer is “sitting.” While it is physically impossible to sit and walk at the same time, it is imperative in the spiritual realm. What does it mean to sit, i.e., Paul says we are “seated with Christ” (Eph 2:6)? ‘Sitting’ is a position of rest. When Christ finished his work He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2). It is your position of power and authority in Christ (the best seat in the house!) that empowers your walk. Paradoxically, then, we must remain seated while we are walking.

Think of a man who is handicapped and is confined to his wheel chair. Even though he is ‘sitting,’ he is also moving (walking). In fact, unless he remains seated in his chair, he cannot go anywhere (his chair empowers him). He both sits and walks at once. And so it is in the spiritual realm, unless you learn how to SIT and WALK at the same time, you really can't get anywhere.