The Temptation of Treasure

“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. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6: 19—24 NIV

     Jesus has an awesome way of cutting to the chase! In his divine knowledge of all things, he could quickly see where someone was coming from and where they were going when it came to matters of the heart. I love reading about it and I can really appreciate his insight because it seems that Jesus was always a great person to chat with if you needed a heart check. That experience of revealed truth could be the ultimate encouragement, or the ugliest exposure, depending on the person. After having a face to face with Jesus I have found that the temptation of treasure is simply not comparable in leading me away from my chasing after Christ. But, I must admit that if I am taking the words of Christ seriously, it requires that my character needs adjusting. Once his words become alive and active, it tends to be a very uncomfortable discussion if I am un-open to his leading.

     After reading this passage about how our treasure is found in whatever we store up for ourselves, consider going through a “heart check” with Jesus for yourself. Ask these deeper questions in absolute openness and see how the Lord leads you…“If I were to dive into the depths of my heart— what would be found stored up in the deep places?” “Would an evaluation of my thought life reveal that I have stored up an abundance of holy scriptures or something less valuable?” “Would the allotment of my time spent show that I had done my best with the hours given to me?” “If God were to show me the strong temptations left open in my life, would they indicate that I was struggling rather than succeeded to defeat my enemies of lust and leisure?” “Would I be able to swim back to the surface and take note of any tangible evidence in my actions that help others assess where my treasure is?” “Can others see that I am devoted to you above all else and that I despise the things which would distract me?” “If my heart displays my devotion to God, would I be coming up short of your intention of intimate love?”

     If you find yourself struggling with the temptation of treasures in this earth, be resolved to:

(1) Determine Your Focus. Whatever is catching your eye generally shows your heart’s greatest weaknesses, don’t be afraid to address the distractions and squash their strength by exposing them to the light. If you find yourself treasuring the things that would lead your heart away from God, remind yourself that a ‘good eye’ is one that is fixing its gaze on Jesus, his will and his ways.

(2) Dominate Your Priorities. Whatever you find at the “front door” of your heart is a great revelation of your priorities and your possible temptations. Don’t let the things that you control, turn on you and control you. Be careful to master your temptations and not vice versa, make keeping God at first place in your life a priority, and remove anything by force that tries to get in the way.

(3) Devote Your Heart. The greatest indicator of an intimate relationship with Jesus is found in your devotion to fulfill the first and greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Duet 6, Mark 12:30). A life devoted to this cannot go astray, but if you find yourself off-track in your intimacy with Christ, then you can usually trace it back to a lack of devotion (or devotionals). Keeping the fire alive may be challenging, and at times it is more work than we want to do, but the rewards far outweigh the effort.

“May God continue to bless you with His best! ” – P. Beau

Character Counts

“It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you – the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God.” (1 Peter 3: 3—4 NCV)
 

      Scripture  tells us in 1 Peter Chapter 3 that beauty isn’t determined by our hairstyles, our accessories, or our fine clothing; but the true beauty of a person should come from within. Everyone seems distracted when it comes to what matters most. It is very obvious what our culture finds valuable by the priorities we see placed on pursuing pleasure, possessions, and prestige in today’s society. Various age groups chasing after means of fulfilling themselves with the latest and greatest fads to meet their fancy. There is the constant challenge of filling our storehouses with stuff, the need for more and more, and not being content with what we have but always desiring to get the other biggest or greatest thing. People are consumed with trying to be successful and get to the top; whether it be in sports, in school, their career chain or in the market place. Sadly enough, we don’t see any priorities placed on what God would have us focus on now-a-days in the commons of our culture. I wonder if this helps us or hurts us in our chasing after life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Especially if God doesn’t judge by those standards…why do we revert back to wasting our time adorning the outside and not beautifying the inside of ourselves? What would happen if we stopped and took the time to wonder what God considers valuable or beautiful?

      It seems that God measures beauty not in terms of what men can see but in the terms of faith and character, and how we react to his leadership (what I like to call ‘common practice’). In 1 Samuel it states that: “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

      So, what is Character then for example?  Character is defined by the things in your heart and soul that define you (those traits that form the essence of who you are) and determine how you live (why you act and react to those areas of moral and ethical principles that you value). And God sizes you up accordingly because character counts in a huge way. It sets in motion how we live, whether we obey or not, and how we treat ourselves and others. Most of the good results, the bad repercussions, and the ugly regrets of life come about from character decisions. Take the evil of our world into account and you find that it is because of a lack of godliness, not a lack of God being present.

      With the hope of guiding you towards being beautiful in the eyes of God. Take a moment and reflect on your day-to-day…

      -  Do you have a heart of human flesh or a heart of God?

      -  Is your mind becoming more and more like the Mind of Christ?

      -  Are you practically staying in step with the Holy Spirit?

      -  What have you done recently to show God that you are responsive to his leading?

Habitually Honoring God

     I am a believer in the old saying, “you are what you eat.” What I mean is that if we desire to be physically healthy, then we should eat healthy foods with the knowledge that the healthy foods will fuel our body in the most optimum way. And if we were to apply this to our spiritual health, it goes in similar application: with the knowledge that if you strive to put the healthy things ‘in’, then you are less likely to get bad things ‘out’. And what we eat will fuel our spirit to either soar or sink in the spiritual atmospheres that we operate in. Ultimately, whatever we are ’feeding’ ourselves on a regular basis will do us good, or do us bad. In other words, if you want a healthy spiritual life, then you should have a regular diet of worship, prayer and the Word of God (The Bible) with a side of the fruit of the Spirit (one of which is self-control). With the intention of habitually honoring God I urge you to take this diet, follow the Lord’s leading and you won’t go wrong!  

     Honoring God with our day in and day out living is crucial in maintaining a relationship with God. And trust me I am not saying it is easy by any means, but I am saying that holiness and purity is possible. Amongst our culture where it just isn’t popular to live for God, I am under the assumption that if we could just get past ourselves we would be  doing a great job! Living to please God with our personal lives is best laid out for us in 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4, where it states, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong their brother or take advantage of him…For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

     A few factors to consider as we strive to habitually honor God:

     -  Be sanctified.

     -  Avoid immorality.

     -  Learn to control your own body.

     -  Strive to live a holy life.

     One strong consideration should be given to our striving to live a holy life. Habits are definitely a factor in holy living because our day to day habits display to others what is going on ‘on the inside’. I fully believe that habits dictate who you are. They are devised from the head, determined by the heart and destined to help you or hurt you. Choose wisely then your decisions as you strive to honor God with your life.  If you are struggling in your decision making, or breaking bad habits, then your best bet is turning to the Lord first and then turning to some trusted Christian friends second for support in adjusting your life around so that you can better practice habitually honoring God.

Secret Ingredient

“I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16: 33

I love the fact that God’s Word is just as relevant to us today as when Jesus spoke this secret ingredient of faith to his disciples as part of his final instructions to them. In his effort to comfort the disciples upcoming confusion and conflict of belief after his facing betrayal, arrest and crucifixion, Jesus was simply wanting to give a heads up to what was coming their way. In a display of love and compassion, he was leading them to learn something new, that if learned would benefit them for eternity.
In many ways, Jesus does the same to us. In today’s culture we face various trials and temptations on a daily basis which tempt us to be conflicted in our spirit. We have an onslaught of things that are intended to pull and push on our emotions, our ways of thinking, and our ethics and beliefs. If we fail to listen to the Lord’s leading, then we soon find our faith faltering, and we will fall and fumble when it comes to matters of trouble times. He lovingly lays out the lessons of life and godliness before us in a simple solution: (1) In this world you will have trouble. (2) But take heart! I have overcome the world. Jesus is faithful in that he offers the same peace to us that he offered to his disciples in their trouble times. And the instructions are the same to us all, the Secret Ingredient to peace in a world of trouble is the victory we have in Jesus Christ.
It is ironic how simple and direct this is, yet how complex and confusing we make it. We as humans can be so temperamental in our attitudes and temporary in our vision that we loose our muster and loose our focus. Here are some helpful reminders found in this scripture that can be used as a great encouragement for us as we go about living life:
Jesus can relate. Don’t forget to include him in what is going on with you. Not only is he fully God, he is also fully man; so he can relate to what you are facing and the circumstances you must go through that may try your faith. Remember that he hears your prayers, and he is faithful to answer and to be your ever present help in times of need.
Jesus encourages us to take heart. How many us have failed in the faith gauge when facing a troubled time? We quickly loose heart when we are going through those things that tempt us and try our faith, especially when we try on our own strength. But when we take heart and reflect on the fact that Jesus has overcame the world, we find that his victory can just as easily become our hope and encouragement.
Jesus has the power to help us overcome. Notice here that it says Jesus has the power, not we overcome by our own power. He is our help when it comes to overcoming. Keep in mind that you need him! Don’t be afraid to let him help you, rather than rely on your own abilities. Lean on the Lord and you can’t go wrong.
Jesus offers us a peace of mind and heart that is unlike that of the world we know. His peace is an awesome alternative to fear, worry and confusion. Let his words be a comfort to you in your times of chaos. Know that you overcome by His victory. Jesus won the war for us by the blood of the lamb, and we overcome by the word of our testimony. Always make it a point to continue onward despite the chaos as difficult as it may seem, God will see you through.

Complete Christianity

“And you have been given fullness in Christ…” – Colossians 2: 10a

     The common Christianity that is interpreted and practiced in today’s culture of believers is extremely puzzling. It seems that some place their salvation in the Son of God by faith, and then by foolishness, add different elements of what they pick and choose in their chasing after Christ. Rather than considering the whole counsel of the Word of God, this practice of pick and choose leaves one at odds with oneself and others. It would be similar to constructing a house before consulting the proper building codes, and then wondering why the house is never approved as suitable to live in. In a similar manner, unless an understanding is developed of what being complete in Christ is, then how can completeness be?
     Jesus did not intend for this. As he made up his mind to fulfill the law, coming to earth to live and die in order to lovingly choose his children; he also has such a mind for us, that he would leave for our benefit a completed version of his own ’Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth’. His intention is for us not only to know him, but to know what he has done for us. This means (1) that we have the ability to have a relationship with him through his finished work (faith), (2) that we have an opportunity to place our identity in that finished work (relationship), and (3) that we have a way to demonstrate our faith through dependency on that finished work (fellowship).
     The challenge that lies ahead for us to live in complete Christianity is reverting back to those basics, rather than filling our heads only with the things we pick and choose. As it states in Colossians, we have been given fullness in Christ. That completion upon Christ’s finished work offers a whole lot more than just a free ticket to a better place. The meaning of the word fullness as used in the original language means a completion, an accomplishment that will carry on to the end, or to carry out to the full. This is central for us as followers of Christ to better understand what complete Christianity is really all about. Most believers are sadly stopping at the very beginning and remaining there, rather than learning to remain in him and not themselves. The Bible helps us better understand the passionate pursuit of Christ cries out to live in such a way that demonstrates ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’
     Our faithful obedience to the cries of our hearts will always be that we continue to chase Christ in order to capture him in his fullness and learn to live in complete Christianity. May your deepest desire be to not only get the depth of this fullness which lies in Christ and is given to us, but that you may also grow in it…to comprehend that truth in the depth of yourself; that your identity has been given, it is not gained, and that your dependency on Christ will be demonstrated in this life by action, not evaluated by contemplation.

The Savior’s Shelter

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” … “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” – Psalm 91: 1, 2, 14– 16

The return on a life well invested in resting in God’s shadow is priceless and un-measurable. Dwelling in the shelter of the Most High is an awesome experience. There is none like it. His presence alone promises such a deep admiration and awe that it can feel uncomfortable until the sweetness of dwelling in that sovereign shadow is learned. Those who practice it can say with assurance that the provision of peace that comes from the Lord surely passes all understanding, and it is like no other.
Let the words of the Lord found here give you comfort in your times of troubled circumstance. His feelings of passion toward us are backed up with fulfilled promises for those who have God as a trusted refuge and fortress. All that is required of those who believe on him is trust, and in turn he states in his own words, that he will repay our trust seven fold. This simple statement noted in Psalm 91 is a beautiful description of the Lord’s passionate feelings toward us. If you choose to trust him, he promises that he will:
Rescue you
Protect you
Answer you
Be with you
Deliver you
Honor you
Give you eternal life and show you salvation
In light of this revelation of his promise, what will our promise be? How would life change if we not only trusted God, but we could trust ourselves to run to the Savior’s Shelter for comfort in times of chaos? May we live in such a way that we acknowledge his name in a similar fashion of love and passion; and then strive to live out that love, not only by our words, but in our actions.

Pebble Purging

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us…”                 1 John 3: 1

     I love the thought of God having a heart after his creation in such a way that he would care to replace our stubbornness with his spirit. I am all the more grateful that as I learn to follow God’s lead, he is always faithful to continually renew my heart and spirit to be more like him. In fact, at times I question my faithfulness to stick with what God desires of me in the renewal process and I find myself in wonder at his work. God’s love is lavished on us in such a way that through his work of removing our hearts of stone and replacing them with hearts of flesh, we find the prize and privilege of knowing his heart towards us.

     The genuine heart of God, which cries out for his creation to know of his care, is like no other. We should always give God the glory he deserves for his gift of renewal that is available to us. No place is too far off that the love of God cannot reach towards us and gently guide our heart back to its rightful place in his hands. The love lavished on us is so great that there is no depressing descent into sin strong enough to keep us captive and no stubbornness of the stone walled heart thick enough to holdfast against his conquest to save. No matter the mold we have set ourselves in, or the mindset we have taken of his love for us, he continues to stand with outstretched arms and call for us. There is none as great as the love of the Father, and nothing as glorious as experiencing it.

     The glory to glory process of God comes through all of his workings in us. We experience this life changing love of God through defining moments. As we rejoice that the love of God causes us to be transformed from the inside out, we find that his gentle hand guides us to continue to change. He is always faithful, in his love for us, to cause us to cleanse the recesses of our deep seeded stone pebbles. For the intimate places within our hearts are in desperate need of renewal and these revealing moments are meant for us to discover how truly great his love is for us.

     Let us all be wary of our response in our God given seasons of stone pebble purging. Rather than grudgingly complying and grumbling about the obedience required of you, instead focus your thoughts on what God’s heart is towards you and be grateful. The greatest attitude when being continually renewed is the attitude of gratitude. Never fail to remember that if left to your lonesome, you could be stuck in a rut with a heart resembling a rock…

Point to Ponder:

“Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning.” - John Henry Cardinal Newman

Carbon Copy

       The concept of true humility runs counter-culture within the day and age that we find ourselves. Our existing world-values place us in a paradox of purpose when considering living life with an end goal in mind. We have all faced the temptation to live life for ourselves or to lose our life for a greater purpose. When it comes to the distinct way of thinking that the world dictates to us, I often find people have some seriously confusing concepts of how to live life successfully. Unless our purpose is pointed in the correct direction, towards the destination that God would have for us, we are simply aimlessly wandering and wasting precious amounts of time. I must admit that in my pursuit of all that God has for me, the clashing world values of pride, personal independence and ‘the pursuit of happiness’ have competed, or even bumped off course, the plans of my Lord. And looking toward how life’s rewards seem to go to the intelligent, the rich, the good-looking, and the powerful (all categories of which I seem to be excluded), I have recently found myself extremely grateful that the kingdom of God is equally available to all regardless of position or abilities.

       In my quest to find an answer to the question of what a ‘Carbon Copy Christian’ is to look like, I found answers in the main difference between the characteristic of our Deliverer and that of the Devil. The Deliverer of our souls from the misguided mess that we find ourselves in has a genuine humility that is directly related to His being the Lord of Lords. I admire His willingness to humble himself; in his love for mankind, and in taking the first step that would challenge his followers in their understanding of servant leadership by saying and living out, ‘if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’ Whereas, the main characteristic of the Devil, that landed him where he remains to this day, is that of the opposite spirit: pride. He was so into himself and his ability to run things, that when given the opportunity, he tried to overthrow the control of the Kingdom in mutinous fashion. How ironic it must be that his every attempt there-after only results in failure…

       In our pursuit to purge pride out of our system, and have the Spirit of God instill in us a broken and contrite heart, I would pray that we all continue to come to better know the ways of God in having attitudes of being poor in spirit, purpose driven and living life that gives praise to the Ancient of Days. After all, when its said and done, what’s the fun if its not to give glory to the Son.

       Point to Ponder:

“Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning.” - John Henry Cardinal Newman

Nuances of New Life

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”    - 2 Corinthians 5: 17

     The initial experience that we have with the Lord when we become saved is such a great wonder of restoration and renewal. We come out of a wretched state of being broken and bruised by the world and its ways. I don’t think the spoken analogy of Jesus relating salvation to a rebirthing was a mis-spoken description. In fact, the spiritual rebirth process at the beginning of our lives with the Spirit seems very similar to our natural birthing. We come into the new world, covered in flesh and blood, and struggling to breath and to see all that is in the new world, and we are in great need of care and nurturing guidance in order to survive.

     Do you ever find yourself wondering about what to do after that initial experience? Of what being a ‘new creation’ is all about? I am often caught in complete awe of what God has done when I reflect on all that he has brought me out of and how he chose to reconcile myself to him. And I am also found catching myself stumbling unless I purposely pay attention to his guidance. Unless I remain sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, I will miss out on the subtle variations that God would prefer in my chasing of Christ-likeness. We very easily become stagnant in our spiritual zest for life and godliness when we find ourselves at a dead-end in our pursuit of his presence. In those cases, I think the next three nuances of our new life in Christ that describe stages of thought that the Lord takes us through, will help to move us forward.  

         Stuck in the Past. The ‘one step forward, two steps back’ thinking that accompanies the Christian who remains in the past is simply destructive and downright unhealthy for a new believer; but, most find themselves in this state from anywhere to a year, or a lifetime, after their conversion. All of our guilt, shame and condemnation simply remains at the point of its separation from us; and if we continually go backwards, we will never move forward. The Word of God is very clear in that we are too no longer focus on what is behind us, but pay attention to where God is taking us.

         Stagnant in the Present. Surely a spiritual drought is not far off for those who continue to practice complacency or comparison. Our current circumstances can become a hindrance if we continue to practice some of the religious idealisms found in churches today or if we often compare ourselves to other Christians or Christian leaders. Just like being stuck in the past can be destructive, being stuck in the present tense is just as harmful in that we are not moving according to the Lord’s leading but to our own.

        Stretching towards the Future. For us to be ‘strong in Lord’ as God would consider the term means that we are no longer focused on our past or our present circumstances, but that we are stretching ourselves towards the future. This state of thinking would not only include fixing our eyes on Jesus, but requires action on our part by conforming ourselves to the image of Christ on a daily basis. Our main aim as followers of Christ should always be to stay in step with Spirit and remain in a constant state of change.

     In the nuances of our new life as a Christian, the continual process of stretching towards the future is ideal, but only if put into practice by letting the old be gone and allowing the new to come! May God bless you as you continue to chase after Christ!!!

Point to Ponder: “Life by (or ‘in’) the Spirit” is not an occasional influence of the Spirit, but an abiding state, wherein we are continually alive, though sometimes sleeping and inactive.”     - A.R. Fausset

Stuck in the Struggle

     We should always approach God with an attitude of gratitude because of the gift of salvation he has for us in Jesus. We have the faith to believe in God, even though we cannot see him, and even though most the world criticizes his love letter to us (Bible) and all that it stands for; we believe in that salvation from the Lord. We understand the gift of salvation; we embrace it, we count it precious, we hope in it—then why is it so hard to carry on the thought of his unconditional love after the fact or moment of our conversion? In our lives we owe it to him to live in such a way that we are always showing an attitude of gratitude. Believing and receiving this gift can be difficult when we find ourselves wrestling with the thoughts of guilt and shame that come with living in sin because sin has a tendency to take us farther than we wanted to go, and inflict more damage than we signed up for, and then leave us with the bill. The real struggle is not coming to that point; in fact, some say that is the easiest moment and that the real struggle is learning to live out our new faith after that moment and trying to better understand what our new life is really all about. To be honest, I love the process that begins after walking through that moment of confessing our sins and being forgiven of them all.

     To live the new life we must ask ourselves to honestly answer this question: Am I still stuck in the struggle? The ultimate answer lies in a coming to know the difference between being forgiven and being forgiving. Being forgiven means we have believed and received the gift of God’s salvation to us, whereas being forgiving requires us to extend grace towards others. Making a choice to be forgiving puts us in the position of pardoning others as they error against us.

     The struggle becomes us having to forgive our family and foes for wrongs committed to us…and being Christ-like about it. The lack of forgiveness on our part reveals a form of punitive thinking and a disposition of conditional love based on performance. It has been said that forgiveness is the law of love, and indeed so, because love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. True love comes in the moments when our last nerve has been stretched and broken and our heart wrenched in parts and yet we still love others enough to not hold their wrongs against them. If Jesus was kind enough to do all that was required to save us from sin despite the scorn and mocking, then shouldn’t the same be a consideration of us as we strive to be more like him? I think he stated his position on the topic of forgiveness best when he summarized the parable of the unforgiving debtor in saying, “…I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” (Matthew 18: 21—35)

 

• Have you experienced God’s offering of forgiveness ? 
• What changes took place once your sins were removed ?
• Do you feel ’near’ to God ?  Why or why not ?
• Do you feel like the door is always open between you and God ?

     “To confess, simply means ‘to agree.’  Take a few moments each day to agree with God about how well your thoughts, words, and actions have lined up with what he desires for your life.”

• How often do  you ‘agree’ with God ?
• What do you think God desires for your life ?
• Do you feel that your life actions line up with his desires ?