Are Your Watches Working?

How could my parents have known when they named me Gregory (my middle name) how prophetic it would be!? The name Gregory derives from the Greek word “gregoreo” meaning to “watch” or “be alert.” The Lord has given me a pastor’s heart as one who watches over the sheep. And through the gift of teaching, He has made me alert to deceptive teachings that deviate from sound doctrine.

In ancient times, a watchman would stand at his post on the high towers of the city walls, looking for any hostile advances. Committed to being alert and awake, he was poised to sound the alarm, ready to warn of approaching danger. (Habakkuk 2:1).

Perhaps you're thinking that the ministry of watchman position disappeared with the ancient prophets. The fact is that the New Testament is full of exhortations for watchfulness, soberness, and alertness.

In Jesus' warnings of the end-times (Mat. 24-25), He used the word “watch” or “ be alert” (same Greek word) six times. Even more pointed, Jesus’ last words to the Disciples were “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Mat. 26:41). Paul admonished: “Let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thes. 5:6).

What should you and I be watching for today?

There are three "WATCHES" : 1) watch over your souls (Prov. 4:23); 2) watch for false Christs and their false teachings (Mat. 24:4-5; 1 Tim, 4:1); 3) watch for His return (Mat. 25:42).

Are your watches working?

Are You Asking the Right Questions?

When my children were young, they asked lots of questions. That’s very normal. God made children to be inquisitive. It is how they learn, and how they develop mentally, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. When Jesus was 12, He spent three days in the synagogue, sitting in the midst of the teachers, asking questions (Luke 2:46).

My counselees always had lots of questions. Their questions were mostly the “what’s” and “why’s,” that is, “what” is happening to me and “why” is it happening? Sometimes, though, their question was more of a “why me?” than a legitimate question. My job was to help them see, by faith, what GOD was doing and why. When we truly want to know “what” God is doing in any given circumstance, and “why” God is either doing or allowing something in our lives, it is quite appropriate to ask God. “If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you...” (James 1:5).

The prophet Habakkuk was perplexed about what God was doing in the life of Israel. The entire book contains God’s answer, explaining His purposes and ultimate goodness. The prophet knew he was lacking in understanding so he asks his question, knowing full well the answer will bring clarity. He says “I will watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected" (Habakkuk 2:1).

When you ask God your “what” or “why” questions, check you heart. Make sure it's not just a veiled complaint. Ask in faith, believing He will answer. James says, “You do not have [your answer] because you do not ask” (4:3).

Are You Dying to Live?

In my last post, I made the statement that I am “heavenly,” no longer defined by “earth’s” standards. I sincerely apologize if anyone read any pride into that statement. In my defense, I did NOT say I ‘act’ like a heavenly person (ask my wife or children about that!), only that I know my position in Christ is a heavenly one. We have been born from above (1 John 5:1) and are told to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2). The question that remains is: how do we live a more ‘heavenly’ life, as those who have been raised up (resurrected) with Christ, while we are yet living in this earthly realm?

Certainly, every serious Christian wants to experience more of Jesus’ power, more of His love, more faith, more patience, more obedience, more purity—Paul calls it ‘resurrection’ life (Ro. 6:4). But, like Jesus, we cannot be raised up without first dying. We cannot experience “resurrection life” until we have died to the old self, (Ro. 6:6), died to the power of sin (6:11), and died to the world’s strong influence over us (Gal. 6:14). And this death is the greatest freedom anyone can ever know (Ro. 6:7).

After all, what can you do to a dead man? You cannot offend a dead man. A dead man knows no fear: there is nothing that can threaten him. A dead man can’t get angry, anxious or depressed—or need therapy!

Those who ‘know’ they have been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20) will be the freest persons in this world: they ‘rise above’ every earthly trial and affliction. They are “over-comers” (Ro. 8:29).

One of today’s most popular preachers tells his congregation you have to have a "never say die" attitude if you are going to receive the promises of God. I find that so ironic that he has chosen the phrase “never say die” because that is exactly what has to happen if you are going to live in the realm of Jesus’ resurrected life and experience power from on high!

Cash for Clunkers: “You Are What You Drive!”

While watching Cable news over the weekend, I couldn’t believe my ears. In arguing the merits of the “Cash for Clunkers” program, one commentator asked another “Isn’t it irresponsible for the government to encourage people who have just lost or may lose their job to buy a brand new car?” The other responded “I think it would give someone a better self-image to have a brand new car to drive, especially a nicer car, like a BMW, they might not afford without help from the government ($4500 trade in for a ‘clunker’). “After all,” the commentator said, “You are what you drive.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised; after all, isn’t this how “earthlings” define their self-worth—by what they drive, what they wear, what they do, where they live? Without knowing they were created to bear God’s image, they bear the image of those who are “earthy” (1 Cor. 15:48), and identifying themselves by earthy standards!

I don’t drive a luxury car or live in a ‘status’ home, but such labels don’t affect me. Why? because I am no longer “earthy”—I am “heavenly”—“for the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). Nor will I use such labels to judge my brothers and sisters in Christ, for “I have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them…” (2 Cor. 5:16, NLT).

I don’t drive a clunker: I drive a Focus. But it has nothing to do with my self-image. His image in me—not self-image—is what matters to me…“Just as we have born the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:49). By the way, the car that defines me hasn’t been invented yet!

At Home

One of our friends sent me an email earlier this week to tell me a dear friend of hers had died that morning. My immediate response was: “he’s AT HOME with the Lord.”

While reading through the Gospel of John yesterday, my attention was drawn to the familiar words:
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and WE will come to him and make our HOME with him (John 14:23).

I realized that being “at home” with the Lord is a present reality. The words “at home” connote comfort, rest, contentment, love, intimacy, and familiarity. The phrase “Home Sweet Home” comes to mind! The more conscious we are of His internal dwelling presently, the more we will be “at home” with Him.

The original man and woman were “at home” with God in the Garden of Eden. But they sinned against God and became homeless! Through Jesus, God has brought us home to Himself, to His presence, to His love, to His Fellowship. And amazingly, we have become His dwelling place (Eph. 3:17).

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20). Are you “at home” with the Lord?

IT ONLY TAKES A SPOT…

Years ago, a book by Robert Munger called “My Heart, Christ’s Home” had a great impact on me. The author metaphorically compares our heart to a house with many rooms where Christ gradually takes up residence, room by room, until He fully possesses the house.

Now of course none of us would intentionally save a “room” in our heart for the devil, but we may unintentionally leave a “place” where he has access. Thus, Paul warns “Do not give a place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). The word “place” can also be translated “spot” as in “save my spot in line,” or “room” as in “is there any room in the car for me?”

It only takes a spot in our hearts to give the devil a “foothold." And a “foothold” can grow into a “stronghold.”

This word “place” or "spot" can also be translated figuratively as an “opportunity.” Every un-crucified “spot” in our hearts gives our enemy an opportunity to bring us into temptation and sin.

Toward the end of his earthly life, Jesus said “the ruler of this world is coming, and he finds nothing in me” (John 14:0). Peter amplifies the thought, saying that Jesus is “the lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). There was not even one spot (place, room, opportunity) for the devil to get a foothold in Jesus’ heart.

Someday Jesus will return for a Bride that is “holy and blameless,” without “spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph 5:27). We must ask ourselves if we are ready.

A True Friend is a Leech

Anyone who has heard me teach knows how much I love ‘word studies.’ While doing an in-depth study on blood covenant, I came across the following:

In Arabic, the word leech is derived from the Arab word friend. A leech is a parasite that lives from ingesting the blood of its host. We have a negative connotation of leeches today, but in history, a leech was considered a good thing. When someone was ill with a fever, leeches would be applied to the skin for bloodletting—removing bad blood. And doctors were commonly called leeches.

The Arabic word leech expresses the idea that a true friend freely offers his life to the other. In primitive Arabic cultures, a “blood brother” ceremony signified each was willing to give up his life, his very blood, to keep his commitment.

Of course the Jews were forbidden to drink blood, and did not enter into blood covenant with one another. But their covenant with God was of blood—but never their own, always a substitute (a bull, a bird, a lamb!).

The Jews would have been shocked to hear Jesus say “unless you drink the blood of the son of man, you have no life” (John 6:54). By saying this, Jesus foretold He was the substitute who would give His life (His blood) and become the source of eternal life. Later Jesus said: "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood" (Lk. 22:20).

The correlation between friendship and blood covenant is evidenced when Jesus explained "there is no greater love than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13-14). And so, by blood covenant, we enter the deepest experience we could ever have with another—our co-death and co-life with Jesus. Paul knew this: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ [lives] in me…” (Gal. 2:20).

Jesus chose you to be His friend (Jn. 15:14) and wants you to live by His life! Is His life flowing through your veins?

You May be Speaking, but I'm Not Listening!

Altha and I live very near the “Caltrain” railroad tracks. To say that dozens of commuter trains blaring their horns as they pass by every work day (and less often on nights and weekends) makes for disagreeable background noise would be an understatement. But over the years we have learned NOT to pay attention to the noisy trains. There’s nothing wrong with our ears; but by way of practice, we have “dulled” them to the intrusive sounds.

The writer of Hebrews warns the Jewish believers they had become “dull of hearing” (5:11). What does “dull of hearing” mean. It means they were practiced in not paying attention! The opposite of “dull” is sharp—our human faculties are sharpened by using and practicing them, like any discipline.

How can we prevent our hearing from becoming dull? How do we sharpen our listening skills? The obvious answer is: by paying attention. Even as Altha and I have learned to ignore the sounds of trains, Christians can practice ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit. Sharpening your listening skills must be cultivated. It must be deliberate and consistent. The writer admonishes these Hebrew Christians to pay much closer attention to the things they heard. (2:1)

And finally, speaking through Isaiah, Jesus says: “The Lord wakens my ear morning by morning, to listen like one being taught; He has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient…” (Is. 50:4-5). In other words, even Jesus disciplined himself to listen and pay attention.

If you are not hearing the Lord, maybe you're not listening!

The Secret Place is Your Hiding Place

When my daughter Esther was about 3 years old, we had a little night-time hide-and-seek game we played with Altha. At bedtime Esther and I would go upstairs, get in her bed, and hide under her big pink comforter. Altha would come up stairs, look around the room, saying “Esther, where are you?” In her innocence, Esther didn't know the big father/daughter lump under the comforter was obvious. But as long as we stayed quiet, barely breathing, Esther believed we were hidden from Atha’s eyes.

And it is equally silly for us to think we can hide from God. But we do. That’s why a lot of people don’t cultivate a Secret Place with God—they are HIDING: feeling guilty, embarrassed, ashamed: “Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes” (Heb. 4:13).

But guess what! We don’t have to hide anything from God. Since we have died to the “old self,” we have “renounced the things hidden because of shame,” (2 Cor. 4:2); and are” hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). When God sees you, He sees you hidden in (through) Jesus. And when everything invisible becomes manifested, we who are in Jesus will also be seen in a glorious new condition, because Jesus “will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own” (Phil. 3:21).

As the world becomes more frightening, your Secret Place will increasingly become your Hiding Place. There you can come out from under your pink comforter and tell Him all your secrets.

Do You Know the Believer's Secret to Success?

Have you ever had this experience? A preacher steps on the platform and begins to speak a message so powerful you sense you are listening to someone who has just been in the Presence of God. There is an unmistakable power that emanates from the messenger who has spent time alone in that Secret Place.

Moses, who authored one of everyone’s favorite psalms, says “He that dwells in the SECRET PLACE of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Ps. 91:1). Jesus knew the importance of this intimate time and place with His Father: “So when you pray, go into your room…shut your door and pray to your Father who is in the SECRET PLACE; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6).

Do you have a Secret Place where you sit in the Presence of God, where you seek Him, desiring to know Him more perfectly?

It is a Secret Place because it is hidden from the eyes of others. It is a Secret Place because it takes place in your inner man. It is the secret place of your heart where deposits are made into your heavenly account—away from the arena of public recognition and reputation. In the Secret Place, you will know Jesus in whom are “HIDDEN all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

Does your public persona reflect the character of one who spends much time in his private Secret Place?

Do You Really Need Another Piece of Chocolate Pie?

I had an unusually strong “felt need” for God as long as I can remember. I used to wonder if other people needed Him as much as I did. I didn’t know it then, but now I know I was normal!

God knows we are NEEDY—He made us that way. But He WANTS us to need HIM! When any person acknowledges his need, God is ready to reveal Himself. Our greatest need is God Himself--for life, strength, peace and joy.

Our problem is not that we are needy.
The problem is we are not turning to God to meet our needs.

Most of us have learned to be self-sufficient and independent—anything but in need. As a result we settle for far less than God wants to give us. We have learned to meet our needs from relationships, career, money, food, entertainment, sports, hobbies, personal affirmation, even from ministry. But God loves us too much to leave us there in that place which will only lead to dissatisfaction and futility. As well-provided American Christians we must be especially careful not to be like the Laodiceans who said? `We are rich. We have everything we want. We don't need a thing!' (Rev. 3:17).

In the Garden of Eden, God provided for all of His children’s needs. He provided their physical needs, but also for psychological and spiritual needs by way of the fruit of the Tree of Life (which foreshadows the life of Jesus). But by choosing to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they were saying “we will meet our own spiritual needs.”

As you know Jesus better, you will know His divine power gives you everything you need to live a godly life of fulfillment (2 Pet. 1:3 NLT). And that He will generously provide all you need (socially, psychologically, spiritually) in abundance (2 Cor.9:8 NLT).

The next time you feel your neediness do not quench it with another piece of chocolate pie. Go to your secret place and let Him fill you up with Himself.

The Danger of Drifting

I still remember many of the hymns I grew up singing in the little Baptist church. One was titled “I've Anchored My Soul in Jesus.” While you may think the old hymns are outdated and irrelevant, allow me to use the title of this hymn to challenge you. Is your soul anchored in Jesus? And what exactly does it mean?

Being anchored in Jesus means being anchored in TRUTH so you won’t DRIFT into false teaching.

Jesus warned that one of the dangers in the end times would be that many will be misled (Matthew 24), or drift away from truth. A drift is not obvious at first. If you have swum in the ocean, you know that the tide carries you far away from the place you originally entered the water.

Calling the backslidden unrepentant Jews back to God, the prophets often used the word RETURN (Is.30:15). RETURN, one of the most common words in the Old Testament, literally means to “go back to the point of departure.” It is natural for any of us to find we have drifted, usually unintentionally, from the truth we once knew and followed. But it can only happen when we are not anchored.

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it [truth]…an anchor of the soul…sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 2:11; 6:19).

How Much Time Does It Take to Build a Character?

The older I get, the more hindsight I have—hindsight being defined as “I wish I knew then what I know now!”

When I was a young man, I was all about being PRODUCTIVE—measurable achievements defined me. I viewed the PROCESS to that goal as a necessary inconvenience. Like a child in the back seat of the car, I just wanted to know “Are we there yet?” Now that I am old—meaning I have less time ahead of me than behind me—I think more about God’s process (what He is doing inside me, and how I am responding to Him) than my accomplishments! I am comfortable being a branch, letting Him produce the fruit. I really believe “The Lord will work out His plans for my life” (Ps. 138:8).

Characteristically, younger people are impatient with “process”—exceeding the speed limit, so they will reach their destination “on time.” Today, it’s all about “speed”! BETTER means FASTER. Unfortunately, younger people approach spiritual progress with this same state of mind—immediate gratification has come home to roost!

Have we forgotten that our Father Abraham waited forty years for God’s promise? And do we really think Joseph’s life was put on hold for 14 ‘useless’ years in prison? And let’s not forget that Moses’ preparation for ministry took 40 years of isolation in the desert. Their achievements must not be viewed apart from their process. How long will your process take? Only God knows.

God had a reason for creating this thing called TIME: He, the Eternal One, uses “time” to build your character—and only then will He use you to accomplish His purposes. Why do you think Paul uses the words endurance and patience so much? Squash plants sprout overnight and grow to maturity within weeks. Great oak trees take years to mature. Don’t be in such a hurry! Evidently, He isn’t!

Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised (Heb. 10:36 NLT).

My Wife Has Beautiful Eyes

When I lived in Afghanistan, I learned just enough Farsi to get by. Having studied several foreign languages, I always enjoyed learning idioms that were unique to its linguistic culture. One Farsi expression I found to be delightful was “Your eyes are beautiful.” The counterpart expression in English is probably “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I prefer the Afghan version.

The Afghan idiom your eyes are beautiful means you have a wonderful way of looking at things. While the English idiom focuses on the arbitrary beauty of the object, the Afghan expression focuses on the viewer’s capacity for seeing beauty. My wife Altha has cultivated these BEAUTIFUL EYES.

In this fallen world, we must all cultivate BEAUTIFUL EYES. It is too easy to see the imperfections in people. It is harder to see the invisible work God is doing in them (Phil. 2:13). The same can be said about circumstances (Ro. 8:28). The only way you will ever acquire BEAUTIFUL EYES is to develop eyes of faith, to see people and circumstance as God does—seeing through God’s eyes. With your BEAUTIFUL EYES, you will be able to see God (Mat. 5:8)—and you will see that the whole earth is full of His glory (Is. 6:3).

Do you arbitrarily and subjectively assess ‘beauty’? Or do you have BEAUTIFUL EYES?

… A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul (Mat. 6:22 NLT).

"Please Keep Your Hands and Arms Inside the Boat at All Times"

Noah’s ark is a picture of salvation in Jesus. It also pictures faith in Jesus. It took faith to build the boat and faith to get into the boat. It even took faith to stay in the boat until it was time to receive what God promised! Faith is the boat (the vehicle) that gets you to the promises of God. But you have to stay in it.

One time, Jesus told the disciples to get into the boat because they were going to the other side of the lake. Then unexpectedly, a severe storm threatened to capsize them. They must have wished they had never gotten into the boat. Similarly, when unexpected ‘storms’ occur in our lives, we question whether we really heard the Lord—our faith is challenged—and we wonder if this ‘boat’ (our faith) will save us.

Jesus rebuked the storm; then He rebuked them for their lack of faith. Like those disciples, we must get into faith if we are to reach the place of our calling. The challenge we all face is to stay in faith. It is when you are in the boat (faith) in the middle of a storm that your faith is either shaken or proven. (Sadly, too many people panic, and their faith is shipwrecked!)

Undoubtedly though, there will be times you wonder if you got on the wrong ‘cruise.’ But don’t, instead follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and patience (Heb. 6:12).

“I Only Have Eyes for You!”

Behold, you are fair, my love! … You have doves’ eyes." (Song of Solomon 1:15).

A dove has a single eye, that is, no peripheral vision; it can only see one thing at a time. When a dove sets its gaze upon another dove, it sees nothing else, nor is it easily distracted. The single eye of the dove also reflects its nature as a “love bird” because of lifelong monogamous devotion.

Many biblical scholars interpret the love poem, Song of Solomon, allegorically as Jesus and His bride (the Church). Whether you agree with this or not, certainly Jesus as our groom deserves a bride who is single-mindedly devoted to Him—one who has doves’ eyes.

Soon Jesus will return for you, His Bride. While you wait for your groom, are your eyes fixed on Him (Heb 12:2)? We are living in a time in history like none other, constantly assaulted with sensualized images through our PCs, TVs, magazine covers, billboards, and more. The temptation, called the “lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16), has never been more seductive nor forceful than in these days. In many ways, countless people are held captive by the lust of the eyes—materialism, beauty, celebrity, power, sex.

Let’s not forget how Eve succumbed to the Serpent’s deception when he opened her eyes to something other than God—the Bible says the fruit was a delight to her eyes. Could this be what Paul had in mind with this warning: I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent (2 Cor. 11:3)?

Is Jesus SITTING or STANDING?

Throughout my travels in Africa and Asia, I was an invited guest in many homes. And whenever I arrived at the home of my host, he stood up to greet me. This seems to be a universal courtesy—the only exception being that an elderly or highly regarded individual might remain seated.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, the Scriptures declare that He was "seated on the right hand of the throne of God” (Mark 16:19; Heb 1:3). Today, Jesus is still seated. But wait! While being stoned to death, Stephan looked up and saw Jesus STANDING on the right hand of God (Acts 7:55). And to the church at Laodicea, Jesus spoke “I STAND at the door, and knock” (Rev 3:20).

So which is it? Is Jesus SITTING or STANDING? And why should it matter to us?

SITTING is a position of rest—and you don’t rest until you’ve finished your work. (God rested on the 7th day after finishing His work.) Jesus is sitting because His work is done. That is important to us.

STANDING is a waiting and working posture. While Jesus’ work of salvation is done, as long as you and I remain in this world, His work in us and through us continues: we are not finished. Think about it: though the King of the Universe is seated on His throne, He chooses to stand with us, doing His work with you, for you, through you, and in you, so you can STAND firm in your faith (1 Cor. 16:13). It is very important for us to remember that we do not stand alone.

Jesus is Not Surprised by Your Failure

As a child, I envisioned growing up to be the greatest preacher of all times (certainly someone would have to replace Billy Graham). When I got married I was sure I would be the husband every woman dreamed of. When Esther was born, I resolved to be as perfect a father as any child ever wanted. To greater and lesser degrees, I failed at each of these. But because of my failures, I am a better father, husband, pastor/teacher.

Accordingly, I thank God for showing me the failures of Peter. Peter, most confident of disciples, stepped out of the boat to walk on water and declared allegiance to Jesus to his last breath! Peter probably had few failures in his life—I wonder what he thought when Jesus foretold his failure (Luke 22:31-34).

I am also intrigued that Jesus did NOT say ‘Peter, I am praying you won’t fail.’ Rather Jesus prays: that 1) Peter’s faith will not fail, and 2) he will RETURN and strengthen his brothers. Why doesn’t Jesus just pray that Peter won’t fail? Wouldn’t Jesus’ prayer have been answered? Yes, but Jesus knew that Peter needed to fail—in order to be broken of self-confidence and self-reliance so he could do the work he was called to do.

After his failure, Peter did what many people do. He turned back to familiar things. Is this why Jesus prayed he would RETURN! Not surprising, Peter turned back to the one thing he did well: FISHING! He fished all night, but FAILED to catch even a minnow.

The incident serves as a vivid reminder to Peter (read the whole story in John 21) that Jesus had promised he would become a great fisher of men. Changing the analogy, but with the same intent, Jesus spoke the words: “feed my sheep.” The significance should not escape us. BECAUSE of his failure, Peter was ready to give up. And Jesus says BECAUSE of your failure, I can now use you.

Without a bitter experience of his own inadequacy, Peter was not ready to feed the sheep. Not until he had miserably failed in his own strength was Peter ready to fulfill his calling to be the great evangelist and shepherd of the early Church.

[Question: Does God MAKE you FAIL? Answer: No, You don’t need any help with that! He just allows you to dig your own hole and fall into it, knowing this will cause you to RETURN to Him.]

The Child Becomes a SON

I have two wonderful children, Esther and Joshua, who have become responsible young adults: the ultimate goal of every father. Of course no parent is happy if his child remains immature; so he teaches, trains, and disciplines the child until he reaches adulthood. A mature adult ‘child’ reflects well on a parent! Likewise, God’s ultimate desire is to have many glorious “sons” (Heb. 2:10). [Note: In biblical terminology, “son” is gender-neutral.]

Paul makes a distinction between a child and a son: “sonship” represents growth into the fullness of what our heavenly Father has birthed in us. While sonship is inherent in birth, it must be developed until it is the realization of those possibilities—growing up and attaining full stature (Eph.4:14).

A child has God’s nature. But a son has God’s character. When Paul speaks of being conformed to Jesus’ image, he uses the word “son”—not “child” (Ro. 8:29). When Jesus was 30 (the age at which a Jewish man could enter the priesthood), His Father affirmed Him: “this is my beloved SON in whom I am well pleased” (Mat. 17:5).

When Christ’s work of “bringing man sons to glory” is accomplished, the great climax of the new creation will be “the revealing of the sons of God” (Ro. 8:19). Are you ready to be revealed?

HAVE YOU FOUND GOD’S REST?

Last year I had a "stress test" to see how my heart was functioning under physical stress. God has a stress test too! He allows, even engineers, pressures in your life to see how your 'heart' will respond.

Jesus said “"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens…and you will find rest for your souls” (Mat 11:28-29 NLT).

In Revelation 14:13, John says "blessed are the DEAD who DIE in the Lord from now on...so that they may rest from their labors". As you live as one who has died with Jesus you will find rest from the stress of living inthis world. But as long as you are living by your own will power, you will not be able to find God’s rest.

When a person dies, we say that person has “entered his final rest.” Our death with Jesus has brought us into a state of rest just as much as if we had died physically. But while we remain alive to self-sufficiency or self-reliance, there can be no such rest.

And worse, until we have died to our self-life, we are not living by His life! Paul says: “Consider yourself dead to sin and alive unto God in Christ Jesus” (Ro. 6:11). Being alive to God means living by His strength—not your own.

When it is “no longer I who live, but Christ [is living] in me” (Gal. 2:20), I have entered His rest.

ARE YOU A “LOSER”?

Since you are a sanctified person, I am sure you never even think about calling someone a “loser.” The Online Dictionary defines loser as “a failure, dud, flop, washout." But speaking as a psychologist, I believe it connotes someone caught up in self-defeating behaviors. Given that, who of us has not felt like a “loser” at times?

One time, a rich young man came to Jesus saying “I have kept the law; is there anything I lack in order to have eternal life?” He was anything but a loser; he was a ‘gainer’—in effect, saying, I have made a lot of gains in righteousness. Is it enough? Am I lacking anything? (Mark 10:20-21)

Jesus’ response must have surprised him. Jesus explains that in God’s economy, gains are losses and losses are gains, saying, ‘you must lose everything you own.’ The young man went away sad because he was rich—his identity was tied to his gains. He could not bring himself to be a “loser.” Jesus has called all His disciples to lose: dare we say to be “losers?”—But NOT defined as those with self-destructive behaviors, but those who willingly lose everything if it means gaining Him.

Paul said “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus…for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8 NIV).

Following Jesus is Like Going on a Good Diet: You Lose a Lot!

As I read my morning newspapers, I am amused by contradictory reports about gains and losses affecting our economy. Whether you want a gain or a loss depends on what you are measuring. You certainly want to see gains when reading the financial page. But a loss when standing on your bathroom scale.

In God's economy, gains and losses have a particularly symbiotic relationship. Progress is measured not by how much we gain, but how much we lose.

Jesus said “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep [gain] it for eternal life” (John 12:25 NLT). Paul said “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus...for whose sake I have lost all things...that I may gain Christ (Phil. 3:8 NIV).

“And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Mat 16:26 NLT). You’ve heard the expression “No pain, No gain.” While that is spiritually accurate, it is equally true to say: “No loss, No gain!”

God says: “You are a Pleasure to Work With.”

Perhaps you're feeling discouraged today because you’ve tried hard to change, but can't see any progress. Maybe you feel like giving up? You’re not alone. Let Paul's words comfort you: “Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” (Gal. 6:9 NLT).

You are a divine work in progress. God is at work in you to conform you to the image of Jesus. It gives God pleasure [to be] working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him (Eph. 2:10;1:5; Ro. 8:29; Phil. 2:13).

Doesn’t it make sense since God is the one doing the work we should expect a good outcome? The Bible is quite clear on this point: God, having begun a good work in you, will FINISH it (Phil. 1:6). What's more, His work is PERFECT (Heb. 13:21).

The next time you feel depressed by an apparent lack of progress, remind yourself that you are a divine work in progress, and that He isn’t finished yet.

God Doesn’t Like Your Legs

Our manufactured home does not sit on a solid foundation; it rests on a number of strategically placed piers. And 15 years, they are still holding up our house.

Foundations are the unseen, unnoticed, but critical part of any building. The strength of the foundation will determine the quality and integrity of everything built upon it. The writer of Hebrews (6:1) describes our SPIRITUAL foundation as being built on two key principles: REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS and FAITH TOWARD GOD. You cannot build a house of faith on a foundation of dead works.

Dead works are things done in your own strength, “self life” always wanting to prove its goodness & strength. While not inherently sinful, dead works are sin because they are acts of self-reliance, not faith: “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Ro. 14:23).

The psalmist says “God does not delight in the strength of a horse not does he take pleasure in the LEGS OF A MAN” (147:10)—legs of a man referring to one’s natural strength, talents, cleverness, resourcefulness, all contributing to self-righteousness. A man’s LEGS may be the foundation upon which his body rests. But cannot be the base upon which he builds his house of faith!

Have you been too proud of your legs! Is there anything you need to repent of?

“The King of Pop is Dead, Yet His Spirit Lives On” : a Perspective

Reading these headlines caused me to consider what is the ‘spirit that lives on’ that makes Michael Jackson the center of worldwide attention and praise.

MAN NEEDS TO WORSHIP. In the beginning, God created man to worship excellence—His Glory and His Creation (Ps. 19). Sin did not remove man’s desire to worship excellence, but it did change the object of his worship. No longer worshipping the God who made the heavens, he worships the creation and the creature (Ro. 1:25). He worships every day. And if not worshipping God, by default, will worship anything.

Celebrity—in sports, entertainment, or power—provides men with something to believe in greater than themselves. Not unlike those of Noah’s time, they are drawn to “men of renown” (Gen. 4:23-24). They thrive upon the glory of their heroes who give them hope that they are not the fallen, broken, helpless children of Adam. They surmise: ‘if our heroes can overcome their obstacles to greatness, maybe we can too.’ Or, if not, they settle for living vicariously.

Don’t get me wrong: Michael’s musical talent was arguably unmatched. But the incredible grieving of his death and exaggerated celebration of his life is a revealing commentary on the condition of man and his pursuit of excellence.

I Hate Looking at Myself

One of my dear Christian brothers recently called to tell me the Lord is revealing things in his life that need to change. He said it is embarrassing and humbling to see these things; I knew exactly what he meant! (See the June 30 blog post.) Reflecting on his words, I realized the reason for our embarrassment is that we like to think of ourselves as being better than we are—accordingly, we avoid such self-examination.

Paul affirms that we ought to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). But the inherent danger during these times is that we become introspective—painfully “self-conscious.” Note Paul’s emphasis is not on ourselves, but on whether or not we are living in faith.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they became SELF CONSCIOUS for the fist time. Their nakedness is symbolic of self-consciousness and shame. Shifting focus away from God’s sufficiency, they paid more attention to their incompetence and what to do about it. Paul says we become slaves to the things we pay attention to (Ro. 6:16). Overly paying attention to our problems keeps us stuck.

We will never be changed by looking at ourselves; when we forget who we are (in our flesh) and focus on who He is, we will be changed into who we are called to be. Let us be careful during times of self-examination to keep fixing our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:3).

Some People Keep Their Distance From God

You don’t have to be a psychologist to know that when people are hurt, they “distance” themselves from the one who hurt them. It’s the safest way not to be hurt again!

Unfortunately, when people misunderstand God’s work in their lives, they feel hurt and want to distance themselves from Him too. In Jeremiah 2:5 God says: “What injustice did your fathers find in Me that they went far away [distanced themselves] from me?”

No one knows the Father’s heart like Jesus. And Jesus tells us God is like a gardener pruning a vine—cutting away “natural” growth, SELF LIFE that is keeping HIS LIFE from producing more fruit. In employing this analogy—pruning/cutting—in John 15, Jesus also uses the word “abide.” That the branch must abide in the vine seems self-evident, doesn’t it!

The significance is this: ABIDING is the opposite of DISTANCING. Jesus is saying when the Father is cutting away your self-life, it may hurt. And your reaction may be to ‘move away’ or detach yourself from Him: stay connected to Me—“abide,” He says. Image a branch trying to detach itself from the vine! And it is just as absurd to distance ourselves from God. If we detach or disconnect from Him, we disconnect from the source of life, and can bear no fruit. And worse, we will whither.

I saw a bumper sticker one time that read: “If you feel far away from God, guess who moved?”

Are You COPING or CONQUERING?

What would you think of me if I told you I own a watch that doesn’t keep good time? It usually runs about 30 minutes slow by the end of the day, but each new morning, I reset the time, hoping it will do better. First, you’d think my expectations are oddly low. Second, you’d want to know who the watch maker is so you can avoid purchasing one.

It seems to me this is how most Christians live their lives—with such limited expectation they bring into question the reliability of their Maker! Ouch!

ARE YOU JUST COPING WITH YOUR IMPERFECTIONS?
The Bible says we are free from the power of sin. In fact, the Bible tells us we should be pursuing “perfection” (also translated “mature” and/or “complete”) in our walk with God (Hebrews 6:1). This presumes that “perfection” is possible. Not afraid of using superlatives, Paul says: “we are more than conquerors.” YET IT SEEMS TO ME MOST CHRISTIANS DO MORE COPING THAN CONQUERING! We say ‘no,’ we will never be free of those nagging sins, always controlled by those nasty temptations. It’s just the way we are, we say; after all, we are sinners.

Why is it so hard for us to believe the power of sin is broken? Why do we so easily believe in the power of our sinful self life, but find it hard to believe in the greater power of Christ’s life? Paul says the life of Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Yet we still believe that sinning is inevitable!

Andrew Murray said: “The necessity of sinning daily and the impossibility of living for one day without actual transgression is a deeply-rooted belief in most Christians. Confusion about the believer’s freedom from the power of sin is so universal that most Christians consider it a dangerous doctrine.”

A. B. Simpson said: “most Christians hold to the subtle belief that it is impossible to be kept from sinning.”

Ray Stedman said: “This struggle can cease only when we reckon on who we really are in Christ. It is a new self-image that delivers us. When we begin to think of ourselves as God thinks of us, we will find we have the power to say ‘No’ to sin.”
The Bible says we are sons of God with a new identity (John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:16-17) no longer slaves to the power of sin (Romans 6:6, 11). The greatest mistake Christians make is interpreting these wonderful truths by their own experience. They say “the Bible says I am dead to sin, but I seem to be alive,” paying more attention to their experience and feelings than to absolute truth.

Meditate on Paul’s statement on perfection: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own… [so] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus… let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way…” (Philippians 3:12-15, RSV). In other words, let's raise our expectations!

Is God's Workmanship Living Up to Your Standards?

Have you ever complained about your spouse to one of your friends? Or maybe you’ve grumbled about a particularly difficult friend? Or maybe you voiced concerns about your pastor or an elder in your church?

The Bible warns us against speaking or complaining against a brother or sister (James 4:11; 5:9). Why?

Because they are God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10). When we criticize another brother or sister, we are actually saying that God’s workmanship does not live up to our standards, that He is not doing a very good job.

This is certainly a test of our faith, isn’t it? Do you trust that God is working in that contentious, hard-to-live-with friend of yours? Do you believe God is working in your spouse or child? Do you believe God is working in your pastor’s heart? If not, you need an attitude adjustment.

Paul said if we have a complaint against anyone, instead of being unforgiving and bitter, we should put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forbearing with them, and forgiving them (Colossians 3:12-13).

After being delivered from Egypt, some Hebrews grumbled. Paul says God was not well pleased with them; accordingly, they were “laid low in the wilderness.” Complaining and grumbling will keep you in a low place. Thanksgiving and praise will lift you higher.

Even the Cutest Baby Stinks If He's Not Changed

Question: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to change!

Psychologists have long been puzzled at human resistance to change—why does a child of an alcoholic grow up to marry an alcoholic? Rick Joyner calls it the TYRANNY OF THE FAMILIAR! For us who profess Christ as Lord, we are being conformed to His image; so we have a lot of changing to do!

There is a warning in Jeremiah 48:11 about failure to change. Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs; and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel…therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent has not changed.
In ancient times, wine was improved by pouring it from vessel to vessel to purge it of dregs. Moab is pictured as unpoured wine -- settled and at ease, refusing to change. But he is stagnated—he smells awful. Pouring is a metaphor for change. As God’s child, you must be ‘poured’ from one experience to the next to reach maturity until you are FILLED to fullness with Christ’s life (see Colossians 2:9-10).

As you are EMPTIED of your ‘self’ and FILLED with Christ, you become a sweet aroma (2 Cor. 2:14). If you are feeling frustrated, depressed or anxious today, you probably aren’t emanating a very pleasant fragrance to those around you. The question is: WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?