Trust in the Lord

It seems everyone I talk to is concerned about money. There is no doubt we are in perilous times with regards to our economy and the stock market. Like millions of other Americans, I have a 401K that seems to be going down instead of going up. So it seemed like a good time for me to step back, take an account and ask myself the question "Where does my hope lie?".

For anyone that's ever been on a mission trip to another country, you may have seen what poverty is really like. But even in their poverty, the poorest people seem to be the most victorious Christians that I've ever met. In fact, there seems to be a correlation between how much "stuff" you have and how much you trust God. Unfortunately, the correlation seems to be the opposite of what we'd expect. It seems the more we have the less we trust in Him.

So where am I to put my trust?

We are not to put our trust in riches.

Mark 10:24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, and said to them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

Paul told Timothy to "charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).

We are not to put our trust in man.

Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

We are not to put our trust in governments.

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek help from the LORD.

Psalms 118:9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

We are to trust in the Lord alone.

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psalms 71:5 For you are my hope, O Lord GOD: in you I have trusted from my youth.

Psalms 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding.

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in Him.

So I'm giving myself some advice.

First, remember what real treasure is.

Matthew 6: 19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Secondly, don't worry.

Matthew 6:25-33 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

And last, be satisfied with the good stuff, the simple things.

Proverbs 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.

Proverbs 15:17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with strife.

Proverbs 16:8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

What's Your Sign?

When I started writing this blog, what I was hoping for was to stimulate comments from the readers. Not just comments like "I enjoyed this" (although believe me, I really appreciate it when people tell me they enjoy what I wrote), but I wanted to start discussions - people commenting on other people's comments. So this blog is a little different from the others - it is designed to give you the stimulus to comment.

Last Sunday in church, there was a drama. People walked across stage holding up a cardboard sign. They didn't say anything, just walked to the center of the stage and held up their sign. On one side of the sign was a statement about their past. Then they flipped the sign over to show a statement about their present - what God had done for them.

God is a redeemer. He takes lives that are messed up, full of hurt and pain and He redeems them and makes them into something beautiful. I've seen it in my own life and in the lives of so many others. Those two words, "but now", carry so much meaning. We don't have to be defined by our past.

If I could make a sign and display it for the world to see, what would it say? These would be mine:

I was blind, but now I see.

I was dead, but now I'm alive.

I was bound, but now I'm free.

I was a slave, but now I'm a child.

I was angry, but now I'm at peace.

I was unsatisfied, but now I'm content.

I was full of self, but now I'm full of the Holy Spirit.

What has God done for you? Or to put it another way, what would your sign say? I look forward to hearing from you.

He Knows

He knows me.

Psalms 139:1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

He knew me before I was born.

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you"

He knows my name.

Revelation 3:5 "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels."

He knows His plan for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "

He knows how many hairs are on my head.

Matthew 10:30 "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

He knows my heart and my thoughts.

Psalms 139:23 "Search me, Oh God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts."

He knows my comings and my goings.

Psalms 139:3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

He knows the words I'm going to speak before I even speak them.

Psalms 139:4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

He knows the day I'm going to die.

Psalms 139:16 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Don't every forget that He knows you better than you know yourself.

He knows exactly what you are going through.

He knows the worry, the fear, the anxiety and the anxiousness.

He knows the thoughts you think in the night hours. The thoughts that you can't confide to another person.

He knows the unforgiveness that you so desperately want to let go of.

He knows the hurt that you can't even put into words. The hurt that other people can't understand.

He knows ... and He loves you so much.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

Living in Enemy Territory

I saw a movie once called "The Matrix". The plot is kind of complicated, so I won't try to explain it all in detail here. Suffice it to say that in the movie the human race is enslaved and each person is kept in a comatose state in a kind of 'cocoon'. But even though their body is in a vegetative state their minds are alive and well. The trick is that each person thinks they are living a normal life. In their minds they get up and go to work, they eat, they sleep, they play with their kids, etc.. But it's all just an illusion in their minds. There is no real job, no real family, no real food. They have no idea that they are enslaved.

However, there are a few people that have broken free and live in the real world. But the real world is enemy territory. Civilization has been destroyed - there are no jobs, the food is terrible, danger around every corner - a pretty miserable existence and as far from a normal life as you can get. But at least their eyes are open to reality and they are free. To me the allegory regarding this world is obvious. We get up and go to work, make and spend money, love and are loved. We think that we are alive and free. But it's all just an illusion. The Bible says those without Christ in this world are dead and in bondage.

As a Christian, I have been set free. I was blind but now I can see. However, I now realize that I'm living in enemy occupied territory. The longer I'm here and I see the results of the enemy's tactics the more I just want God to put an end to it. Like all of us, I frequently wonder when is God going to invade? But just like you, I have friends and relatives who haven't come over to this side yet. So I feel this pull within me; one side of me looking for His coming, the other hoping He will delay for awhile longer.

C.S. Lewis said it best in his book Mere Christianity.

"God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to invade openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right; but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else - something it never entered your head to conceive - comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistable love or irrestistable horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it."

2Peter 3:8-12 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.

I'd Rather You Be Cold or Hot

It never ceases to amaze me how little thought people really give to the existence of God. I mean, if you really believe that God exists and that He created you ... don't you think you just might want to see if there is anything He wants from you? In fact, of all the subjects we could debate or discuss, isn't this the only one that really matters? Yet it seems to me that although people say they believe in God, they don't really give the subject of God the attention it rightly deserves.

Let me give you an example. Last Sunday, in front of 300+ people, I made the statement that "God spoke to me". I stated this very clearly, even enunciating where I was when He spoke and exactly what He said to me. There were people sitting in the audience with whom I'm acquainted that I know are not Christians. Now I'm sure if you asked them they would say they believe in God, but their life doesn't exhibit any fruit of being a Christian. So for the sake of the discussion let's just agree that they are unbelievers. Later in the week I ran across these same people. The odd thing to me is that they treated me exactly like they had treated me before I made this statement. We talked about the weather, our families and other mundane stuff. But they made no mention of my "speaking with God".

Now let's think about this for a second. Either what I said was true, God Himself really did speak to me ... or I'm a raving lunatic who thinks he talks to God. Either way, there should have been some reaction from them. If they had believed what I said was true, then I would have thought they would have wanted to discuss it. Did I really hear from God? Do I really know Him? If they thought I was a raving lunatic, then I would have expected them to run the other way as fast as they could. But they did neither of these things. They just went on about life just as if they'd never heard me make the statement in the first place.

If you really think about it though, isn't this what the majority of people do? There is a group of people in this world that don't believe in God at all. And on the other end of the spectrum there is a group of people that not only believe but have surrendered themselves to Him and serve Him with all their heart. But in the middle is the majority ... people who more than likely say that they believe in God but really never give God or even the subject of God the attention they both deserve. Jesus calls this state "lukewarm" and said He'd much rather us be cold or hot. I can understand that. As odd as it sounds, I can respect a person that has at least given the subject of God their attention and then made a decision not to believe. I can't understand it, but I can respect it. But there is no excuse to be so emotionally or intellectually lazy that you don't even address it. That I can't understand.

Luke 17:26-30 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed."

The Helper

As I write this, it's 2:15 in the morning. I woke up thinking about the Holy Spirit and His role as our Helper. I've got this analogy that I can't get out of my mind of a man trying to navigate an obstacle course blind-folded. Obviously, this would be impossible without someone helping him, calling out voice commands or giving a gentle nudge on the shoulder here or there. Just as most analogies aren't perfect, this one isn't either. But for some reason on this night this is how I envision His role as our Helper.

We are going through this life trying to navigate it's twists and turns with no idea what lies next around the corner. For some of us, it does seem like we are running blind-folded and the idea of the unknown scares us to death. For most of us this journey will take us through places that we don't want to go. But we can take comfort in the fact that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit is described as our Counselor and our Helper. It's His job to not only help us navigate through the treacherous places, but to prepare us beforehand for what we will encounter as we go through them. Why do we have to go through these places? Why can't the journey just be nice and smooth and avoid the rough areas? I'm not sure. I just know that if I trust Him that He's promised to direct my paths.

I know some people right now who are going through places they don't want to be. They are good Christians and I have the upmost confidence that they'll be OK as they navigate these waters with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As I thought about these friends of mine, my mind couldn't help but wander to other people I know, people who are not Christians but yet it seems they never experience the heart-ache or personal trials that Christians do.

But then I realized, they are running on the wrong course. You see, what does it matter if the is journey is smooth and straight, if when you cross the finish line the judge tells you that you were never in the race.

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

Tozer's Rules of Discernment

A few weeks ago my family and I were going to the beach for a week. I needed something to read, so I stopped by the bookstore before heading out of town. In reading several of the Christian blogs that I peruse every now and then, I had seen some good quotes from A.W. Tozer. So I ended up buying a book "The Best of A.W. Tozer - Book One". In the book, there is a chapter entitled "How to try the Spirits". Now is just so happened that during this time frame I was preparing to teach a class on discernment, so you can imagine that the title of the chapter whetted my interest.

In the chapter, Tozer puts forth his method by which he would "test the spirits". Now I had been studying a lot in this area and had been attempting to come up with my own "methods" of discernment, but as I read his method I was impressed with not only how simple it was but how easy it was to apply it pretty much anything.

In short, his method is this: This new doctrine, this new view of truth, this new religious habit, this new spiritual experience, whatever it is - how has it affected my attitude toward and my relation to God, Christ, the Word of God, self, other Christians, the world and sin.

His contention is that by these sevenfold tests we can "prove all things" and determine if something is from God or not. Now Tozer wrote an entire chapter on this method, taking the time to explain each test, so I would encourage you to buy the book and read it for yourself in detail. For brevity's sake I'll just touch briefly on each one.

1. God.

What has this done to my relationship with Him? If it has made me love Him more, if it has magnified Him in my eyes, if it has purified my concept of Him and caused Him to appear greater and more wonderful than before ... then I can conclude that it is probably from Him and will not lead me into error.

2. Christ

How does this affect my attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ? Christ must stand at the center of any true doctrine, all acceptable religious practices and any genuine Christian experience. Whatever makes Christ indispensable to us is pretty sure to be from God.

3. The Word of God

Does this experience or new view of truth spring out of the Word of God or was it the result of some stimulus that lay outside of the Bible? Whatever originates outside of the scriptures should be suspect until it can be shown to be in accord with them. "To the law and to the testimony" (Isaiah 8:20) should always be the last and final proof.

4. self

A good rule is this: If this experience has served to humble me and make me 'small' in my own eyes, it has a good chance to be from God; but if it has given me a feeling of pride in myself it probably is not from Him. He must increase while we must decrease.

5. other Christians

Whatever tends to separate us in person or in heart from our fellow Christians is not of God. Conversely, whatever causes us to love the children of God is likely to be from Him.

6. the world

Any real work of God will tend to make us uncomfortable with the world's fellowship, its pleasures or its riches. Any spirit that permits compromise with the world is unequivocally a false spirit. Any religious movement or experience that imitates the world has to be suspect.

7. sin

Is your heart turned away from sin and toward holiness? Anything that weakens the hatred of sin can be immediately identified as false. Whatever makes holiness more attractive and sin more intolerable can be identified as genuine.

As I read these tests and began to think on them, I realized that they can be applied to just about anything. They are good for testing religious things like teachings, prophecies and experiences. But they are also good for testing more mundane things like books, songs, movies ... even blogs.

Remember, these tests are not 'absolutes' but should serve as a warning flags. They have really helped me in my practice of discernment and I hope they can help you as well.

God Lives in Me

I've heard people state from time to time that it is foolish of Christians to believe that God actually 'lives' inside of them. "Is there a hole or something down in there where He stays?" is how I believe I've heard it phrased.

Granted, this is an odd thing. While the Bible clearly states that the Spirit of God lives or dwells inside us ....

John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

1Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

... it is obvious to us that there isn't a specific place or location within us where He resides. So how do we explain the biblical statement that God can actually reside within us?

Let's look at it from a different viewpoint (for readers of C.S. Lewis, you'll recognize this analogy from his book "Mere Christianity"). Let's say that we were scientists and we came to this planet to observe life here. We would observe a various assortment of things like electricity, lettuce and dogs. Now as scientists, we can only learn from what we observe. We can't get 'inside' of the lettuce or the dog to know what is going on. Whether they have a mind, whether they can think or reason, whether they have morals ... we can only infer those things from watching their actions.

But when it comes to humans, it's a entirely different story. We can learn not only from observing their actions, we also get an entirely different viewpoint because we are human! And when I look inside myself, I see something that I absolutely cannot explain. I see that I have a spirit. That spirit feels emotions and it thinks and it plans and a million other things. But where does it live? Where does it dwell? How can it even exist inside of me when I'm only made up of blood and tissue and fluids?

So can I explain how the Spirit of God lives inside of me? No, I can't. But I also can't explain how my own spirit lives inside of me, either. And when I look at it from that perspective, it doesn't seem that odd at all that His Spirit can dwell with my spirit .. wherever that may be.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.