“You have come to need milk and not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:12b-14.
When an infant is born the necessity for development is milk. There is no question that milk is essential in the health and growth of all babies. But what if milk was the only source of food given to a child as they approached toddler’s age or even young children? The child would be unhealthy and stunted in growth – sickly if you will – and would not develop in the healthy manner required for maturation.
The same is with our spiritual growth. When we begin our pursuit of knowing God we nurse on simple truths until truths of that season are learned. We then move on to deeper truths in our spiritual walk nourishing us with more knowledge of Christ. ‘Professing believers who stay on a milk diet are unskilled in the word of righteousness. They are hearers of the word, but not doers. They lose what they do not use, and remain in a state of perpetual infancy.’ Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 2172.
As in the case of Helen Keller, due of her inability to see and hear, she worked hard developing her sense of taste, smell and touch. She exercised her remaining senses to help her distinguish between important things she needed to recognize in order to be successful. Just as her challenges heightened her remaining senses, adversity sharpens our spiritual senses allowing us to determine right from wrong. Through the exercising and practicing of our faith, we will learn to hear and recognize God’s truths to bring us into a mature and seasoned faith.
The temptation is to forget what we have learned and not put in action the truths of the solid food for which we have been fed by God. By returning to mere milk, we will not grow into the beautiful spiritual adults for which we were created.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Unlimited Grace
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times…’ This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:21-35.
Forgiveness…most are fast to require it and slow to give it! This conversation between Peter and Jesus makes the requirements clear according to God. Traditional Rabbinic teaching only required a person to forgive three times. Peter had offered what he considered a generous amount of mercy and forgiveness, as he more than doubled the number. When Jesus answered He was not really giving a certain number but rather inferring an indefinite amount of times we are to forgive. He goes on to tell a story of a servant who begs his master to extend his time to pay back a huge amount of money. The master extends this due date and shows him mercy. That servant, in turn, would not extend the same to his servant who owed him a much smaller amount. The one who was shown grace was unwilling to give grace. Jesus ends this illustration with the truth that people who treat others this way on earth will be treated the same way in Heaven by the Father.
According to Scripture and my commentary the following is laid out regarding true forgiveness.
"The answer is that there are stages in the administration of forgiveness, as follows:
1. When a brother wrongs me or sins against me, I should forgive him immediately in my heart. (Eph 4:32) That frees me from a bitter, unforgiving spirit, and leaves the matter on his shoulders.
2. While I have forgiven him in my heart, I do not yet tell him that he is forgiven. It would not be righteous to administer forgiveness publicly until he has repented. So I am obligated to go to him and rebuke him in love, hoping to lead him to confession. (Luke 17:3)
3. As soon as he apologizes and confesses his sin, I tell him that he is forgiven. (Luke 17:4)
It seems to me that we cannot hold someone accountability for wounding us if we have never approached them in truth and love on the subject. Just as we cannot ask God for forgiveness if we are unaware of any unconfessed sin, we cannot expect those who wound us to know they have hurt us. We have the Holy Spirit to convict and reveal what sin we are carrying. We, too, should lovingly and Scripturally follow this Christian principle in seeking forgiveness from others.
By following the instructions of Jesus, we stand pure and merciful when we approach God to receive our own mercy and grace.
Forgiveness…most are fast to require it and slow to give it! This conversation between Peter and Jesus makes the requirements clear according to God. Traditional Rabbinic teaching only required a person to forgive three times. Peter had offered what he considered a generous amount of mercy and forgiveness, as he more than doubled the number. When Jesus answered He was not really giving a certain number but rather inferring an indefinite amount of times we are to forgive. He goes on to tell a story of a servant who begs his master to extend his time to pay back a huge amount of money. The master extends this due date and shows him mercy. That servant, in turn, would not extend the same to his servant who owed him a much smaller amount. The one who was shown grace was unwilling to give grace. Jesus ends this illustration with the truth that people who treat others this way on earth will be treated the same way in Heaven by the Father.
According to Scripture and my commentary the following is laid out regarding true forgiveness.
"The answer is that there are stages in the administration of forgiveness, as follows:
1. When a brother wrongs me or sins against me, I should forgive him immediately in my heart. (Eph 4:32) That frees me from a bitter, unforgiving spirit, and leaves the matter on his shoulders.
2. While I have forgiven him in my heart, I do not yet tell him that he is forgiven. It would not be righteous to administer forgiveness publicly until he has repented. So I am obligated to go to him and rebuke him in love, hoping to lead him to confession. (Luke 17:3)
3. As soon as he apologizes and confesses his sin, I tell him that he is forgiven. (Luke 17:4)
It seems to me that we cannot hold someone accountability for wounding us if we have never approached them in truth and love on the subject. Just as we cannot ask God for forgiveness if we are unaware of any unconfessed sin, we cannot expect those who wound us to know they have hurt us. We have the Holy Spirit to convict and reveal what sin we are carrying. We, too, should lovingly and Scripturally follow this Christian principle in seeking forgiveness from others.
By following the instructions of Jesus, we stand pure and merciful when we approach God to receive our own mercy and grace.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Communication of Love
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
When we were created we were never meant to walk alone. God provided a bridge of communication for which we may all approach Him sinless, pure and reconciled. This bridge was Jesus who was sent to earth to take the place of sin in order that man could fellowship with God. Why do we question God’s love and build these mysterious barriers of communication with God?
We choose people to love in our own lives such as a partner or a child. Out of our love we long for someone in whom to place that love. We don’t withhold until that person is perfect but rather love in spite of their own imperfections. We learn to love over their flaws and accept them into our lives in fellowship and relationship.
There are many means of communication when entering into a relationship with someone. We communicate through our words, our actions, our beliefs and sometimes through others. If we hate something, it will be known. If we love something it will be shown. The same was with Christ Jesus. He came as our example and communicated many things through His life, death and resurrection.
Through His life, He communicated how to walk through life, how to live and how to love.
Through His death, He communicated how to surrender and to sacrifice.
Through His resurrection, He communicated how to believe, how to hope and how to receive eternal life.
God would not have shown us this great love if He didn’t want to fellowship and talk to us. His sacrifice was not in vain and provides an open and eternal bridge for which we can know Him, hear from Him and return His love.
When we were created we were never meant to walk alone. God provided a bridge of communication for which we may all approach Him sinless, pure and reconciled. This bridge was Jesus who was sent to earth to take the place of sin in order that man could fellowship with God. Why do we question God’s love and build these mysterious barriers of communication with God?
We choose people to love in our own lives such as a partner or a child. Out of our love we long for someone in whom to place that love. We don’t withhold until that person is perfect but rather love in spite of their own imperfections. We learn to love over their flaws and accept them into our lives in fellowship and relationship.
There are many means of communication when entering into a relationship with someone. We communicate through our words, our actions, our beliefs and sometimes through others. If we hate something, it will be known. If we love something it will be shown. The same was with Christ Jesus. He came as our example and communicated many things through His life, death and resurrection.
Through His life, He communicated how to walk through life, how to live and how to love.
Through His death, He communicated how to surrender and to sacrifice.
Through His resurrection, He communicated how to believe, how to hope and how to receive eternal life.
God would not have shown us this great love if He didn’t want to fellowship and talk to us. His sacrifice was not in vain and provides an open and eternal bridge for which we can know Him, hear from Him and return His love.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wait Until Your Father Comes Home!
“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame…Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Gen. 2:25 – 3:8.
When I was young my days were filled with playing outdoors with my sisters and living a carefree life in the country. It was a wonderful life with lots of freedom to run, explore and generally have a great time. I could tell when it was getting close to dinner as the day would begin getting a little cooler. Suddenly, my dad’s car would appear as he made his way home from work. We would run up to him welcoming him home and telling him about our day. Looking back, I had my own little Garden of Eden.
One day when I had disobeyed my mother, she withheld the punishment until daddy got home causing me to anticipate his arrival much differently. I no longer ran up to his car, but instead, being very aware of my disobedience watched from the window for him. I had sewn together my case to plead in an effort to receive mercy from the court. My disobedience had created a barrier between me and my dad.
Our disobedience to God will also create tension and barriers in our intimate relationship with Him. We will try to run from Him, hide from Him, or sew together justification for our actions to Him. We will no longer enjoy ‘walking through the garden in the cool of the day’ with Him. Instead we will limit our time of fellowship with Him because of our awareness of disobedience to Him. We will experience Him 'from the window instead of running up towards Him.'
God knows that man fell from grace that dreadful day in the Garden. He knows that we are unable to be sinless and save ourselves. That is why God sent Christ to do the work for us. He came to earth and became flesh so that He could take the place for us to have eternal life. ‘The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.’ Gen. 3:21. The LORD God made a garment of skin for Christ who through His life, death and resurrection has clothed us with eternal life.
Don't miss out on 'walking through the garden in the cool of the day.' He is waiting...
When I was young my days were filled with playing outdoors with my sisters and living a carefree life in the country. It was a wonderful life with lots of freedom to run, explore and generally have a great time. I could tell when it was getting close to dinner as the day would begin getting a little cooler. Suddenly, my dad’s car would appear as he made his way home from work. We would run up to him welcoming him home and telling him about our day. Looking back, I had my own little Garden of Eden.
One day when I had disobeyed my mother, she withheld the punishment until daddy got home causing me to anticipate his arrival much differently. I no longer ran up to his car, but instead, being very aware of my disobedience watched from the window for him. I had sewn together my case to plead in an effort to receive mercy from the court. My disobedience had created a barrier between me and my dad.
Our disobedience to God will also create tension and barriers in our intimate relationship with Him. We will try to run from Him, hide from Him, or sew together justification for our actions to Him. We will no longer enjoy ‘walking through the garden in the cool of the day’ with Him. Instead we will limit our time of fellowship with Him because of our awareness of disobedience to Him. We will experience Him 'from the window instead of running up towards Him.'
God knows that man fell from grace that dreadful day in the Garden. He knows that we are unable to be sinless and save ourselves. That is why God sent Christ to do the work for us. He came to earth and became flesh so that He could take the place for us to have eternal life. ‘The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.’ Gen. 3:21. The LORD God made a garment of skin for Christ who through His life, death and resurrection has clothed us with eternal life.
Don't miss out on 'walking through the garden in the cool of the day.' He is waiting...
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Mirrors & Freedom
“Do not merely listen to the word…Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But he who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25.
For me, this past year was a year of running from one challenge to the next. My focus was intently on caregiving much to the exclusion of everything else. After the death of my father-in-law I remember walking through one of the stores in the mall. I happened to catch my reflection in a mirror as I passed by and was shocked to see how tired I now appeared. Over the past year a day had not gone by when I hadn’t at some point seen myself in a mirror but this day was different. My situation no longer had any competing focus and I could truly see myself – tired eyes and all.
The same thing has been happening in my heart and my spirit. Now that my caregiving focus has come to an end I can reflect on everything God has shown me through His word. I have learned immeasurable truths about myself and have been shown amazing revelations about God. These are things I don’t want to forget. I don’t want the impact made by these challenges to ever fade away. I never want to be the same.
We will be shown amazing things about God in our adversities. These revelations through our pain, if cherished and not forgotten, will be the new truths by which our thoughts and actions may be guided. However, the flesh would bid us to return to the old way of our thought process. Life would invite us to dwell on the former things instead of putting into action the things that God has shown us through our experiences. ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ 2 Co. 5:17.
Life’s challenges are too tough to go through only to turn around and have the reflection of what they represented fade away. Don’t lose sight of the truths for which God showed you through the tough seasons. These precious truths will be the transforming freedom that God intends you to have. ‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ John 8:32.
For me, this past year was a year of running from one challenge to the next. My focus was intently on caregiving much to the exclusion of everything else. After the death of my father-in-law I remember walking through one of the stores in the mall. I happened to catch my reflection in a mirror as I passed by and was shocked to see how tired I now appeared. Over the past year a day had not gone by when I hadn’t at some point seen myself in a mirror but this day was different. My situation no longer had any competing focus and I could truly see myself – tired eyes and all.
The same thing has been happening in my heart and my spirit. Now that my caregiving focus has come to an end I can reflect on everything God has shown me through His word. I have learned immeasurable truths about myself and have been shown amazing revelations about God. These are things I don’t want to forget. I don’t want the impact made by these challenges to ever fade away. I never want to be the same.
We will be shown amazing things about God in our adversities. These revelations through our pain, if cherished and not forgotten, will be the new truths by which our thoughts and actions may be guided. However, the flesh would bid us to return to the old way of our thought process. Life would invite us to dwell on the former things instead of putting into action the things that God has shown us through our experiences. ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ 2 Co. 5:17.
Life’s challenges are too tough to go through only to turn around and have the reflection of what they represented fade away. Don’t lose sight of the truths for which God showed you through the tough seasons. These precious truths will be the transforming freedom that God intends you to have. ‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ John 8:32.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Recognizing Jesus
“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.’ But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” 1 Sam.16:6-7.
God instructed Samuel to go to a certain household in Bethlehem where God had chosen the next king. He didn’t offer Samuel the name of the future king, but told Samuel that it would be revealed. The first son of Jesse walked in and Samuel naturally assumed that this tall, handsome and postured fellow was his guy – no question about it. God intervened and basically told Samuel that he was not the future king. After parading all of his sons before Samuel and God rejecting all of them it was revealed that the baby boy of the family was out in the field tending sheep. When they sent for him I am sure he entered the scene sweaty and smelly. The next verse makes my heart sing – “Then the LORD said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one.’” 1 Sam. 16:12. It doesn't matter from where we have been or the condition of our lives, He calls us to rise and follow Him.
Another king was not recognized in the New Testament – the King of Glory! ‘The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers came up and mocked him… ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Luke 23:35-36.
Let’s face it – it can be tough recognizing the King. He may be in front of you in line at the grocery store carefully counting out the remaining change of his last dollar. The King may be the man or woman who is sitting on a bench in the mall crying needing someone to notice. The King just may be lying in your home as you care for them in sickness. The King may be that homeless teen who is searching for hope to get home. “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40.
We will never know how many times we were approached by the King of Glory. We must serve Him in every way presented to us and ride with the King!
Who is this King of Glory?
God instructed Samuel to go to a certain household in Bethlehem where God had chosen the next king. He didn’t offer Samuel the name of the future king, but told Samuel that it would be revealed. The first son of Jesse walked in and Samuel naturally assumed that this tall, handsome and postured fellow was his guy – no question about it. God intervened and basically told Samuel that he was not the future king. After parading all of his sons before Samuel and God rejecting all of them it was revealed that the baby boy of the family was out in the field tending sheep. When they sent for him I am sure he entered the scene sweaty and smelly. The next verse makes my heart sing – “Then the LORD said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one.’” 1 Sam. 16:12. It doesn't matter from where we have been or the condition of our lives, He calls us to rise and follow Him.
Another king was not recognized in the New Testament – the King of Glory! ‘The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers came up and mocked him… ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Luke 23:35-36.
Let’s face it – it can be tough recognizing the King. He may be in front of you in line at the grocery store carefully counting out the remaining change of his last dollar. The King may be the man or woman who is sitting on a bench in the mall crying needing someone to notice. The King just may be lying in your home as you care for them in sickness. The King may be that homeless teen who is searching for hope to get home. “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40.
We will never know how many times we were approached by the King of Glory. We must serve Him in every way presented to us and ride with the King!
Who is this King of Glory?
Friday, March 25, 2011
All You Need Is Love
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:5
In Ruth we find the same concept as she placed herself at the feet of Boaz with a heart and mind for him. She trusted the process of choosing and pursuing him as her kinsman-redeemer. There is no support in Scripture that they spent a lot of time getting to know each other. In contrast, it seems that there were only three meetings before He redeemed her. The first was their introduction to each other. The second was his invitation to be fed at his table which she accepted. The third was her decision to choose him for the rest of her life. Ruth’s knowledge of Boaz was extremely limited but regardless she chose him. Ruth knew she had her entire life to experience her kinsman-redeemer and get to know him more intimately through this union.
The only other relationship that is similar to this one-sided love before love is returned is the birthing process. With each of my babies, I have preserved that sacred moment when they were born into my family and placed upon me. There is no other experience more burned upon my heart than the birth of my children. They were born with hearts that had yet to experience love. The love they developed was their response to the love they received. The birth came first and then the relationship followed.
Our pursuit of God will always start with His pursuit of us through the love He has and the love we desire. We are introduced to Him at which time He will always take the initiative and invite us to come to His table. We recognize Him as being the One who will return our love and redeem our lives. Once we accept His invitation and take His extended hand to walk with Him we will experience the love first hand. In turn, through spending time with Him we will develop the same intimate love for Him that comes so naturally through Him. It is only through the intimate time spent with my children that they have developed the love for me that I originally had for them. They love because they were first loved.
We love because He first loved us!
In Ruth we find the same concept as she placed herself at the feet of Boaz with a heart and mind for him. She trusted the process of choosing and pursuing him as her kinsman-redeemer. There is no support in Scripture that they spent a lot of time getting to know each other. In contrast, it seems that there were only three meetings before He redeemed her. The first was their introduction to each other. The second was his invitation to be fed at his table which she accepted. The third was her decision to choose him for the rest of her life. Ruth’s knowledge of Boaz was extremely limited but regardless she chose him. Ruth knew she had her entire life to experience her kinsman-redeemer and get to know him more intimately through this union.
The only other relationship that is similar to this one-sided love before love is returned is the birthing process. With each of my babies, I have preserved that sacred moment when they were born into my family and placed upon me. There is no other experience more burned upon my heart than the birth of my children. They were born with hearts that had yet to experience love. The love they developed was their response to the love they received. The birth came first and then the relationship followed.
Our pursuit of God will always start with His pursuit of us through the love He has and the love we desire. We are introduced to Him at which time He will always take the initiative and invite us to come to His table. We recognize Him as being the One who will return our love and redeem our lives. Once we accept His invitation and take His extended hand to walk with Him we will experience the love first hand. In turn, through spending time with Him we will develop the same intimate love for Him that comes so naturally through Him. It is only through the intimate time spent with my children that they have developed the love for me that I originally had for them. They love because they were first loved.
We love because He first loved us!
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