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"And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me" (Psalm 50:15)
Fire trucks everywhere with an EMS rescue vehicle thrown in for good measure! That is what I saw late one night this past week, beloved, when the sound of many sirens on our usually quiet street brought me as well as other neighbors into our front yards. Two doors down from our home my neighbors had detected a burning odor somewhere in their ceiling and, unable to find it, had called 911. Local rescue companies responded in grand fashion! I counted at least ten fire trucks from various neighborhood companies along with the one EMS team. Fortunately, no fire was discovered so the rescue vehicles quickly dispersed and returned to their "alert" posture. I was so gratified to know that merely dialing 911 in an emergency situation brings such a response! In fact, while standing and talking with other neighbors during this recent episode, one commented to me that the scene before us caused him to want to more faithfully support rescue's fund raising efforts with his own monetary donation. It seems that I was not the only one who appreciated the wonderful service we were seeing!
Were you aware, beloved, that God has an emergency response system of His own to which you and I may appeal? The psalmist urges us to call out to Him "in the day of trouble" and that, when we do so, He will "rescue" us. How often in each of our lives have we as Christians known the saving hand of God? How many times can we look back and recall those times when God's presence in difficult times came alongside and comforted us, guided us and strengthened us? What a blessing to know that when we "call," He is there!
But what about those times when there is no emergency? Is God just "on alert" somewhere in our lives until the next time that we may need Him? Far from it! The psalmist here went on to say that, once rescued by His gracious hand, He will expect us to "honor" Him. In fact, if you return with me to the verse just preceding this one, here is what we find:
"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High" (Psalm 50:14)
The psalmist spoke of those whose very lives fulfill promises made and covenants established. That is what is meant by "pay your vows," beloved. As Christians we are those who have dedicated ourselves to follow Jesus Christ, to be true to God's Word every moment of every day. God is not a "stand by" being, One who sits quietly on the sidelines until an emergency arises and we need Him again! He is or should be at the very center of our living, the One for whom we exist, whose glory is our mantle and whose goal is our mission. Talk about making a "donation" to our rescue system! Ours should be one of a life wholly committed to Jesus Christ.
The miracle of being rescued is just one aspect of God's involvement in our lives, beloved. When we need it, He is there. But He is also there when all is well and the road ahead of us is smooth. What is He to us then? Don't let God just be your "911" emergency system! He wants to be so much more. He deserves the "honor" of your living moment by moment, day by day. You can count on Him, beloved. Can He count on you?
Ron
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Mountain Peaks, Valleys, and Everything in Between
"But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on a level place; in the congregations I shall bless the Lord" (Psalm 26:11-12)
I was sitting this morning in my favorite auto repair facility, beloved, waiting for the mechanic to finish servicing my car so that I could get on my way. As I waited, I could hear the roar of a fighter jet flying overhead, an all too familiar sound for those of us who live near Air Force bases. The pilot streaked across the sky with his plane on its side, seeming to be only a few hundred feet above the place where I sat. I quickly walked outside to catch a glimpse of his rehearsals. As I stood and watched, he put his jet into a steep vertical climb, afterburners full, stretching skyward until he disappeared into the high ceiling of distant clouds. It was as if he had flown straight into the presence of God!
As I continued to watch, suddenly he appeared again from that same cloud cover, this time with the nose of his aircraft pointed straight at the ground, all the time performing a slow controlled spiral as he plummeted toward the earth. I almost held my breath as he slowly leveled out and flew a straight course toward the horizon, his aircraft once more parallel to the ground. In just a few seconds he was out of sight and I did not see him again.
As I reflected on what is always for me an exciting experience, suddenly a spiritual parallel began to take shape. How often we see Christians who live from "mountain top to mountain top," always spiraling skyward emotionally in search of a new height to ascend, always looking for a new level of spiritual "high" to achieve. These are those believers for whom "valleys" simply do not exist and when they do occasionally come, these dear saints seem incapable of dealing with them because their focus is always on the spiritual heights of personal experience.
Others by contrast are "valley" people, the realists for whom there are no mountain tops, no exciting flights upward to new heights of Christian experience. They are like the aircraft whose nose is pointed to the ground. Valleys are all that they know so valleys are all that they see!
For both types of Christian I would encourage a closer look at the psalmist's statement: "My foot stands on a level place." It will not be the mountain tops of spiritual excitement nor the valleys of spiritual somberness that make us the effective servants of Jesus Christ which He wants us to be, beloved. It will be the "level flight" that results from our choice to walk in our integrity as did the psalmist. We will praise God for the mountain tops when they come and we will praise Him for the valleys that try and prove our faith. But always, always we will fly straight and level in the integrity of those whose lives are sold out to Jesus Christ. As someone much wiser than I once observed:
"It doesn't matter nearly as much how high you jump in church as how straight you walk when you come down"
Amen!
Ron
I was sitting this morning in my favorite auto repair facility, beloved, waiting for the mechanic to finish servicing my car so that I could get on my way. As I waited, I could hear the roar of a fighter jet flying overhead, an all too familiar sound for those of us who live near Air Force bases. The pilot streaked across the sky with his plane on its side, seeming to be only a few hundred feet above the place where I sat. I quickly walked outside to catch a glimpse of his rehearsals. As I stood and watched, he put his jet into a steep vertical climb, afterburners full, stretching skyward until he disappeared into the high ceiling of distant clouds. It was as if he had flown straight into the presence of God!
As I continued to watch, suddenly he appeared again from that same cloud cover, this time with the nose of his aircraft pointed straight at the ground, all the time performing a slow controlled spiral as he plummeted toward the earth. I almost held my breath as he slowly leveled out and flew a straight course toward the horizon, his aircraft once more parallel to the ground. In just a few seconds he was out of sight and I did not see him again.
As I reflected on what is always for me an exciting experience, suddenly a spiritual parallel began to take shape. How often we see Christians who live from "mountain top to mountain top," always spiraling skyward emotionally in search of a new height to ascend, always looking for a new level of spiritual "high" to achieve. These are those believers for whom "valleys" simply do not exist and when they do occasionally come, these dear saints seem incapable of dealing with them because their focus is always on the spiritual heights of personal experience.
Others by contrast are "valley" people, the realists for whom there are no mountain tops, no exciting flights upward to new heights of Christian experience. They are like the aircraft whose nose is pointed to the ground. Valleys are all that they know so valleys are all that they see!
For both types of Christian I would encourage a closer look at the psalmist's statement: "My foot stands on a level place." It will not be the mountain tops of spiritual excitement nor the valleys of spiritual somberness that make us the effective servants of Jesus Christ which He wants us to be, beloved. It will be the "level flight" that results from our choice to walk in our integrity as did the psalmist. We will praise God for the mountain tops when they come and we will praise Him for the valleys that try and prove our faith. But always, always we will fly straight and level in the integrity of those whose lives are sold out to Jesus Christ. As someone much wiser than I once observed:
"It doesn't matter nearly as much how high you jump in church as how straight you walk when you come down"
Amen!
Ron
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving: The Outcome of Ministry
"For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God"
(2 Corinthians 9:12)
Ask absolutely anyone about Thanksgiving, beloved, and they will tell you that it is one of our national holidays! And to so many people that is basically all that it is - Turkey Day - the chance for family and friends to gather for a scrumptious meal and to spend quality time together. Not a bad idea either, is it?
But check the pages of God's Word, beloved, and what you discover quickly is that "thanksgiving" is more than a holiday! In fact, Scripture has so much to say about thanksgiving that it is quite impossible in this short space to deal with all that it does say. Let's confine ourselves, then, to the single verse above and see for ourselves that thanksgiving is actually the natural outpouring of passionate, effective ministry.
The word "ministry" is the Greek word from which we derive our word "deacon" and is simply translated as ministry in the sense of serving one another. That, by the way, is what deacons are meant to do, but that is another subject for another day! Paul had been up to his eyebrows in ministry himself, specifically a love-offering being collected from saints in every region to be taken back to Jerusalem and ministered there to the needy in that area. Believers everywhere had been more than generous, many like the Macedonians giving through great personal sacrifice to "fully supply the needs of the saints" in Jerusalem.
Then the word "service" is a Greek word which could well be translated worship through service or ministry and stands in contrast to what takes place traditionally in a house of worship on any given day. It refers to that "worship" of God that is offered by us through the acts of personal ministry which we carry out on behalf of others. You see, beloved, as Paul was making clear, there is "worship" and then there is "worship"!
As the material needs of the Jerusalem saints were being met, people from all regions who had learned about it began to offer thanksgiving to God for it, especially those in the city of Jerusalem. Thus, their words of thanksgiving became the outcome of ministry!
Did you know that you and I should be the cause for God receiving thanksgiving from those who know us personally, beloved? Our actions ought to motivate people to lift holy hands in praise to God and to thank Him for what He has done and is doing through our lives. How many people who know you personally have reason to give thanks to God for you? How much is God receiving glory and honor because of what you are doing? I know of no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than to serve others and to bring God praise!
Turkey and dressing are delicious, no doubt about that! But thanksgiving is meant to be the natural by-product of ministry, beloved. It really is more than a holiday! Happy Thanksgiving!
Ron
(2 Corinthians 9:12)
Ask absolutely anyone about Thanksgiving, beloved, and they will tell you that it is one of our national holidays! And to so many people that is basically all that it is - Turkey Day - the chance for family and friends to gather for a scrumptious meal and to spend quality time together. Not a bad idea either, is it?
But check the pages of God's Word, beloved, and what you discover quickly is that "thanksgiving" is more than a holiday! In fact, Scripture has so much to say about thanksgiving that it is quite impossible in this short space to deal with all that it does say. Let's confine ourselves, then, to the single verse above and see for ourselves that thanksgiving is actually the natural outpouring of passionate, effective ministry.
The word "ministry" is the Greek word from which we derive our word "deacon" and is simply translated as ministry in the sense of serving one another. That, by the way, is what deacons are meant to do, but that is another subject for another day! Paul had been up to his eyebrows in ministry himself, specifically a love-offering being collected from saints in every region to be taken back to Jerusalem and ministered there to the needy in that area. Believers everywhere had been more than generous, many like the Macedonians giving through great personal sacrifice to "fully supply the needs of the saints" in Jerusalem.
Then the word "service" is a Greek word which could well be translated worship through service or ministry and stands in contrast to what takes place traditionally in a house of worship on any given day. It refers to that "worship" of God that is offered by us through the acts of personal ministry which we carry out on behalf of others. You see, beloved, as Paul was making clear, there is "worship" and then there is "worship"!
As the material needs of the Jerusalem saints were being met, people from all regions who had learned about it began to offer thanksgiving to God for it, especially those in the city of Jerusalem. Thus, their words of thanksgiving became the outcome of ministry!
Did you know that you and I should be the cause for God receiving thanksgiving from those who know us personally, beloved? Our actions ought to motivate people to lift holy hands in praise to God and to thank Him for what He has done and is doing through our lives. How many people who know you personally have reason to give thanks to God for you? How much is God receiving glory and honor because of what you are doing? I know of no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than to serve others and to bring God praise!
Turkey and dressing are delicious, no doubt about that! But thanksgiving is meant to be the natural by-product of ministry, beloved. It really is more than a holiday! Happy Thanksgiving!
Ron
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Watch Out for Slippery Slopes!
"Surely Thou dost set them in slippery places; Thou dost cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!" (Psalm 73:18-19)
I know something firsthand about "slippery places," beloved! Just this past week I was not watching what I was doing and my foot slipped from a slippery step and put me on my face before I was aware of what was happening. Slippery places are definitely dangerous!
David was going through a really tough time in his life, a "crisis of faith," let's call it. So critical was his spiritual situation, in fact, that he openly confessed:
"But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped" (v.2)
I love the way that Charles Spurgeon described that which was going on in the king's life during this time:
"The Psalmist could make no progress in the good road. His feet ran away from under him like those of a man on a sheet of ice. He was weakened for all practical action, and in great danger of actual sin, and so of a disgraceful fall" (Great Verses from the Psalms, p.131)
And what was it that was causing David so much spiritual consternation? What had his water boiling? Let's allow him to tell us in his own words:
"For I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death; and their body is fat" (vv.3-4)
David had allowed his vision to become focused upon the momentary and fleeting wealth and prosperity of the godless. And that misplaced focus caused him to question his faith and to question God's wisdom. He even questioned whether or not he had wasted his own efforts in living a godly life (vv.13-14)! It was not until he allowed his spiritual gaze to be refocused upon God's plan and purpose that he regained a truly biblical worldview:
"When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end" (vv.16-17)
We will always in this world have the "arrogant" and the "wicked" and those whose "pride is their necklace," beloved. We will continue to live about the "violent" and the "mockers." That is precisely why as Christians we need so desperately to keep a biblical worldview, to "come into the sanctuary of God" with David and to meditate daily and fervently upon the truths of God. That is when this world of sinful sickness will make sense. The ungodly may be having their moment now, but know this, beloved. God has set their feet on slippery slopes! Sooner or later apart from His grace and mercy they will fall and fall hard.
So what can we do now? Let's return to David's closing words in this psalm for they are classic:
"But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works" (v.28)
Basically David has revealed to us that there are two things that we need to do today. First, we need to seek refuge in our relationship with God - to embrace His perspective, His timetable, and His "big picture." Secondly, we need to tell a lost world about this glorious God - to speak of His love in Jesus Christ, of His mercy and grace. As we embrace unconditionally and walk within steadfastly God's plan and purpose, we will no longer gaze upon the temporary fatness of the ungodly and wonder why life is so unfair. We will keep our feet off of "slippery slopes"!
Ron
I know something firsthand about "slippery places," beloved! Just this past week I was not watching what I was doing and my foot slipped from a slippery step and put me on my face before I was aware of what was happening. Slippery places are definitely dangerous!
David was going through a really tough time in his life, a "crisis of faith," let's call it. So critical was his spiritual situation, in fact, that he openly confessed:
"But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped" (v.2)
I love the way that Charles Spurgeon described that which was going on in the king's life during this time:
"The Psalmist could make no progress in the good road. His feet ran away from under him like those of a man on a sheet of ice. He was weakened for all practical action, and in great danger of actual sin, and so of a disgraceful fall" (Great Verses from the Psalms, p.131)
And what was it that was causing David so much spiritual consternation? What had his water boiling? Let's allow him to tell us in his own words:
"For I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death; and their body is fat" (vv.3-4)
David had allowed his vision to become focused upon the momentary and fleeting wealth and prosperity of the godless. And that misplaced focus caused him to question his faith and to question God's wisdom. He even questioned whether or not he had wasted his own efforts in living a godly life (vv.13-14)! It was not until he allowed his spiritual gaze to be refocused upon God's plan and purpose that he regained a truly biblical worldview:
"When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end" (vv.16-17)
We will always in this world have the "arrogant" and the "wicked" and those whose "pride is their necklace," beloved. We will continue to live about the "violent" and the "mockers." That is precisely why as Christians we need so desperately to keep a biblical worldview, to "come into the sanctuary of God" with David and to meditate daily and fervently upon the truths of God. That is when this world of sinful sickness will make sense. The ungodly may be having their moment now, but know this, beloved. God has set their feet on slippery slopes! Sooner or later apart from His grace and mercy they will fall and fall hard.
So what can we do now? Let's return to David's closing words in this psalm for they are classic:
"But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works" (v.28)
Basically David has revealed to us that there are two things that we need to do today. First, we need to seek refuge in our relationship with God - to embrace His perspective, His timetable, and His "big picture." Secondly, we need to tell a lost world about this glorious God - to speak of His love in Jesus Christ, of His mercy and grace. As we embrace unconditionally and walk within steadfastly God's plan and purpose, we will no longer gaze upon the temporary fatness of the ungodly and wonder why life is so unfair. We will keep our feet off of "slippery slopes"!
Ron
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Eating on Sundays and Wednesdays
"Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation" (1 Peter 2:2)
Let's get one fact perfectly straight right from the start, beloved - I love to eat! I don't know anyone who loves to eat any more than I do. I just love the taste of good food! I look forward to every meal and "relish" (pardon the pun!) the anticipation of tasting a savory dish, just like those scrumptious meals that will be served soon on Thanksgiving Day. That fact firmly established, then, I cannot imagine the thought of feeding myself only two days a week. I mean, eating is supposed to be a daily experience!
Leaving the food analogy behind for a moment, let me tell you where this all came from and where it is going. I was recently studying and preparing a message from 1 Corinthians 14 and was struck by the Apostle Paul's instruction to the Corinthian women to "ask their own husbands at home" if they desired to grow spiritually (v.35). Without getting into the specifics of what had gone wrong with the church in Corinth to prompt such an exhortation from him, I was reminded by his words that the home is to be the primary "campus" for Christian education. Or to return to the food analogy, we should be feeding ourselves daily upon the Word at home just like we feed ourselves daily with the food from our cupboards.
What is unfortunate, beloved, is that we have transferred this personal responsibility for nourishing ourselves spiritually from the home to the local church. We have made the church our primary "campus" for Christian education and, in many cases, our only "campus"! We have reached the point where we now only "eat" on Sundays and Wednesdays and conclude that it is all the feeding that we need to receive as Christians - Sunday School, a preaching service or two - and we're good to go for the week! No wonder that the church of Jesus Christ is as anemic and ineffective as it has become!
If feeding ourselves physically two days a week is to you an absurd notion, beloved, then imagine how much more absurd to you should be the idea that what you get at church is all that your soul needs in order to grow steadily in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ! Imagine believing that with such "snacks" as you receive on Sundays and Wednesdays, you may still become a warrior for Jesus Christ and a builder in His kingdom! If it wouldn't sustain you physically, my friend, then it won't sustain you spiritually.
Let me invite you to join me in pleasing your spiritual palate on a daily basis. Drop the two-day a week routine and start feeding your spirit regularly upon the sustenance of God's Word. Begin to look forward to each "meal" with anticipation and enjoy it with gusto. Let each one nourish and strengthen you for the life of service to which God in His mercy has called you. Bon appetit, beloved!
Ron
Let's get one fact perfectly straight right from the start, beloved - I love to eat! I don't know anyone who loves to eat any more than I do. I just love the taste of good food! I look forward to every meal and "relish" (pardon the pun!) the anticipation of tasting a savory dish, just like those scrumptious meals that will be served soon on Thanksgiving Day. That fact firmly established, then, I cannot imagine the thought of feeding myself only two days a week. I mean, eating is supposed to be a daily experience!
Leaving the food analogy behind for a moment, let me tell you where this all came from and where it is going. I was recently studying and preparing a message from 1 Corinthians 14 and was struck by the Apostle Paul's instruction to the Corinthian women to "ask their own husbands at home" if they desired to grow spiritually (v.35). Without getting into the specifics of what had gone wrong with the church in Corinth to prompt such an exhortation from him, I was reminded by his words that the home is to be the primary "campus" for Christian education. Or to return to the food analogy, we should be feeding ourselves daily upon the Word at home just like we feed ourselves daily with the food from our cupboards.
What is unfortunate, beloved, is that we have transferred this personal responsibility for nourishing ourselves spiritually from the home to the local church. We have made the church our primary "campus" for Christian education and, in many cases, our only "campus"! We have reached the point where we now only "eat" on Sundays and Wednesdays and conclude that it is all the feeding that we need to receive as Christians - Sunday School, a preaching service or two - and we're good to go for the week! No wonder that the church of Jesus Christ is as anemic and ineffective as it has become!
If feeding ourselves physically two days a week is to you an absurd notion, beloved, then imagine how much more absurd to you should be the idea that what you get at church is all that your soul needs in order to grow steadily in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ! Imagine believing that with such "snacks" as you receive on Sundays and Wednesdays, you may still become a warrior for Jesus Christ and a builder in His kingdom! If it wouldn't sustain you physically, my friend, then it won't sustain you spiritually.
Let me invite you to join me in pleasing your spiritual palate on a daily basis. Drop the two-day a week routine and start feeding your spirit regularly upon the sustenance of God's Word. Begin to look forward to each "meal" with anticipation and enjoy it with gusto. Let each one nourish and strengthen you for the life of service to which God in His mercy has called you. Bon appetit, beloved!
Ron
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