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Archive for the ‘Responsibility’ Category

Most Powerful

Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Responsibility, The Father, tagged , , , , , , on March 1, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The unbridled pursuit of power has resulted in destruction and carnage throughout history.  Actions resulting from the struggle for power and domination headline the news today.  Whether it is Iran pursuing nuclear capability, ISIS striving to extend its realm of influence, or political leaders in the US seeking to push their agenda, the wielding of power comes at a great price.  Following these three conflicts too closely has a power of its own.  It is easy to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the real and potential consequences of these conflicts.  All three of these headline-dominating topics fall short of the most powerful force in the universe though.  And that makes all the difference.  That of course is the power of God available to and through His children through intercessory prayer.  From Ephesians 1:19b and following.  “That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

The point today is not to spend a lot of time discussing God’s power.  From creating the universe, raising Jesus from the dead, and guiding the fledgling Church from 12 frightened disciples to the worldwide instrument of good that it is today – His credentials are solid.  Ultimate power resides in the Lord God Almighty.  I have been stirred lately that the Lord has a message for the Church today that we have a role to play in releasing His power in our day.  And that comes when we enter into intercessory prayer.

Prayer is simply communication with God.  It is meant to be a dialogue.  It is not meant to be a rote recitation of sacred words.  It is not meant to be an obligation we dutifully fulfill.  It is a conversation between two parties who love and respect each other.  God condescends to meet us where we are.  And through our time together He lifts us bit by bit to a higher place.  The more time spent with God in intimate fellowship, the less the cares and worries of this world hold and control us.  This intimacy is flooded with the Word of God.  Repeatedly the scriptures come to mind as I fellowship with the Father.  This is a primary way the Lord will speak to us.  He makes His Word come alive in our hearts.  The end result is that more and more we transformed and the mind of Christ takes shape within us.

As we spend time together with the Father, His desires become our desires.  This is where intercessory prayer begins.  It is as simple as longing for and expressing God’s desires into being through our lives and with our mouth.  We ask for those things that God desires to see happen in the world.

Jesus modeled this in His ministry.  He would begin the day in time alone with the Father.  He would then come down with purpose and launch into the day’s activity.  His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is instructive.  He knew what God’s plan was long before he entered that final private time with the Father.  He had foreshadowed to the disciples what was going to happen on numerous occasions.  Yet when the time actually arrived His disciples didn’t recognize it.  Jesus himself agonized over what was to take place offering up one more petition for a Plan B.  He even asked, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  He communed with His Father consistently. He understood what the Father’s plan was.  He acted upon it and He spoke it into being.  In John chapter 17 Jesus begins with a brief petition for Himself and then intercedes for His disciples and then all who would become believers.  Through His obedience the world was forever changed and lives continue to be transformed to this day … salvation, deliverance, healing, restoration, death to life all through Jesus’ life, death, and faithful obedience to the Father.

When Jesus ascended into heaven He promised to send the Holy Spirit to the Church.  The Holy Spirit is God living and abiding in the believer.  He is our counselor who always points the way to Jesus and the Father.  Jesus speaks to who the Holy Spirit is and what He will do in John chapters 14 – 16.  In John 14:12 Jesus tells His disciples, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”  Jesus is passing on His mantle to whoever believes in me.  That is us!  And that is amazing!!

One of the less visible, but vitally crucial roles God has given the church is that of intercessory prayer.  Missionaries are absolutely dependent upon the financial support from home to continue their work.  I would argue that it is an even greater need for the prayer support from home to remain unceasing.  The same God who was able to put a coin into the mouth of a fish for Peter and Jesus’ taxes is the same God who will meet the needs of a missionary in the field if the intercessory prayer is taking place.

Rees Howell was the President of the Bible College of Wales during WWII.  His greatest calling though was that of an intercessor.  During the war there were numerous times when the Holy Spirit would lay the burden of intercession heavy upon Mr. Howell.  One instance the burden was so great that He was moved to cancel classes and call for the entire school to enter into intercessory prayer.  As the hours marched on, hundreds of students and faculty were on their face before God, interceding for God’s hand of protection upon those in great peril.  At times the mood in the chapel would shift as the Lord’s Spirit impressed the urgency of the situation upon the group gathered together.  Late at night the Holy Spirit let Rees know the work was completed.  A few days later news came from Italy of a miraculous intervention as the Allies moved across the Island of Sicily.  The Allies were surrounded and facing certain annihilation. Reinforcements were not going to arrive in time and the German and Italian bombardment was taking a tremendous toll.  It was simply a matter of time before the outgunned Allied soldiers were decimated.  The commanders had considered surrender, but decided to hold until they could hold no longer which wouldn’t be long.  Suddenly and inexplicably the bombardment stopped.  The bombing ceased in the night at exactly the time that the word was given to the intercessors that their immediate work was through.

Now this begs the question – does God take sides in a conflict?  The answer is simple.  God is Holy and He is His own.  We need to seek His face, grow in our intimacy with Him and then we join His side.  In the present conflict with ISIS, just like in World War II there is a very clear evil at work on one side of the conflict.  While it is surprising that a clear plan of action has not come forward to deal with ISIS this simply means we still have time to intercede.  You and I are called to pray the desires of God into existence.  He wants us to partner with Him in the redemption of the world and intercession is one of the ways we do that.

Go back to Ephesians where we started.  Pick it up at Ephesian 1:18 – 19a.  “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.”  Friends I encourage you to ask God to put a burden on your heart to join Him in intercession.  Consider a healthy dis-satisfaction with evil as a starting place and ask God to give you the words and perseverance to pray through.  When He does launch into it with all you are.  When we do we are tying into God’s incomparable great power for us who believe.

Be blessed and be a blessing to those the Father puts in your path and on your heart today.

 

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When Prodigals Return

Posted in Salvation on March 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

There is rejoicing in heaven when a prodigal child returns home.  The joy of the parents here on earth is pretty intense too.  Today I am experiencing that joy.  I mentioned in an earlier post that my wife’s broken leg has been the catalyst for so much positive in our lives.  Last night one of our children said to me, “Dad, I hate that Mom broke her leg, but I have to tell you it changed my life.”  And I have been watching that transformation for weeks now in silent thanksgiving, but last night as she said that I could no longer be silent in my thanksgiving… Alleluia, Thank You Heavenly Father!!!

Our child has been going through a very difficult time at work.  She has some very legitimate issues with promises that were made to her by leadership but broken by the next round of leaders to step in.  The flesh side of our nature is so volatile.  When we feel wronged it is natural to become angry, frustrated, upset – all normal responses.  But also not responses that should rule over us.  Another comment she made was that when she prayed to God she asked what she had done wrong she was immediately reminded of the verse – Love your neighbor as yourself.  Her response was repentance and forgiveness.  And God has taken away the depth and pain of the emotions as she did so.  As we talked I could clearly see a woman who has been through a mighty battle emerging victorious.  She is a bit battered and bruised, but victorious none-the-less.  God is working in her life and for the first time in a long time they are working diligently together.

One side note, shortly after Lisa broke her leg our daughter shared some of her work turmoil with me.  Obviously it became a prayer concern of mine.  I run a good bit so I was praying for her as I ran.  I distinctly remember as I got to the cul-de-sac at the end of our neighborhood the Lord speaking to my heart.  He said, “When R gets to the end of herself, she will find Me”.  When I got home I mentioned it to my wife.  Last night’s conversation was the fulfillment of that word.  (I just noticed the symbolism in that the Lord spoke when I hit the cul-de-sac and had to turn around…Wow)

That reminds me of another thing she said, “You know we are all Prodigals to one extent or another.” From my experience I believe so.  I know I rebelled against God and His moral law.  Several of those persons who I look to as examples of godly virtue have shared that they were once rebels against God.  And this agrees with the scripture in Romans 3:23  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  I am so thankful that God made a way to reconcile us to Himself and to others.  Jesus and His sacrifice on our behalf has made a way for us to be put in right standing with God.  And He gives us His Holy Spirit to live within us as He transforms us from the rebels we once were to the saints He has destined us to be.  What glory and wonder we get to experience!

Today I am so thankful to God.  He promises that if we train up a child in the way they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it.  I have believed that for 20+ years.  Today that believing is seeing.  He promises that if we pray believing, then we shall have that which we pray for.  Today we have one of the most precious things we have been praying for.  He describes the love He has for the prodigal child and the loving response when they return.  Today our daughter is embraced by her Heavenly Father (and as soon as I can get my arms around her by me too!).  There is a robe with her name on it and a fattened calf that is mooing its last moo somewhere as well.

Alleluia, Praise the Name of the Living Lord – Who was and is and is to come.  Honor, Glory, Power, and Praise be unto Him forever and ever. AMEN!

 

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Noblesse Oblige

Posted in Jesus Christ, Responsibility, Uncategorized, tagged , on March 9, 2012| 3 Comments »

The phrase Noblesse Oblige has been running through my mind for quite some time now. It struck me as I listened to a commentary yesterday about a study coming out of UC Berkley that purported that rich persons are more unethical than poor people.  While there were some obvious flaws and a degree of bias in the study, it does effectively raise the question of the personal responsibility we each have.

I looked up the term Noblesse Oblige in Wikipedia and I found that it is of French origin and it simply means that with nobility comes responsibility. I was raised to believe that we have an obligation to do for others less fortunate than ourselves. In the home where I was raised this did not manifest itself as a political ideology but rather a personal responsibility. It was to be carried out at least partly in thankful response to God’s provision for us.

In Hebrews the people of God are called a royal priesthood and a holy nation.  As a child of God we are adopted into God’s family.  Children of kings are princes and princesses.  Since God is the King of kings we His children are princes and princesses of the most high king.  We are royalty.  But this is not an honor to be crowed about, but rather a responsibility to be lived out.  Rather than a status to become puffed up and proud about this should provoke a response of humility and gratitude.  All the resources of heaven are at the disposal of God’s children, but they are not there solely for our benefit and consumption, but so that we can further God’s kingdom.  We are blessed to be a blessing.

I think a lot about the legacy I am leaving my children.  My parents were able to provide more for my siblings and me than their parents provided for them.  There is no condemnation of my grandparents in this but the simple recognition that coming out of the depression my grandparents had little, so their opportunity to provide was diminished.  My parents trained us that we in turn were to provide appropriately for our children when our time came.  But that provision carried within it the clear mandate of responsibility to others beyond our children.

While I am fortunate that I can look to the pattern my parents set not everyone has the good fortune to have the role models in the home that I had.  However we all do have Jesus, the penultimate role model that we can look to.  Jesus was the Son of God and yet He condescended to live among us as one of us.  His time here on earth was a model of obedience to His father and His Father.  And the expression of that obedience was to always do the Father’s will in serving, helping, teaching, and ministering to others.  A quick scan through the gospels reveals that Jesus helped rich and poor alike.  All social classes were drawn to Him.

Even though I would postulate that the religious and political elite of the day were generally antagonistic toward Him, Jesus still reached out and ministered to those who would listen.  Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were members of the Sanhedrin who could easily have gone with their religious leaders, but they followed Jesus instead.  And even in His final hours Jesus was not hostile to the leaders who were condemning Him.  He spoke the truth and then offered up His life as a sacrifice for them as well as for the admiring followers.

The practical application of Noblesse Oblige falls to us today.  As children of the King we are to further God’s work of redemption in this fallen world.  Kindness, courtesy, and treating others with respect are the basic fundamentals we must exhibit.  Noblesse Oblige is as simple as listening to God’s voice and responding when He gives us a task or reveals a need that we can address.  Serving others like Jesus did is a wonderful privilege and holy obligation that is ours as believers.

Be blessed in your service to our Father and unto those He puts in your path today.

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Payback

Posted in Jesus Christ, Responsibility, tagged , , , , on February 29, 2012| Leave a Comment »

When faced with a trick question from His detractors Jesus gave a most insightful answer – “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God” (Mt 22:21). When I read that I marvel at the cleverness of Jesus’ answer in trapping the Pharisees.  However the real punch in this statement are two powerful truths that His answer illustrates.

Jesus acknowledges that there is a role for human government in our lives. He also endorses the collection of taxes by that government. The Pharisees seemed to think that Jesus would somehow implicate himself as “anti-government” in His answer, but He did no such a thing. Instead He affirmed that government had a right to some portion of payback because it was theirs. In Jesus day the government in Rome had established roads throughout the empire, it provided stability and security in many areas that were once lawless, it brought a level of opportunity in trade and education that many areas had never known before, it brought a common currency. In short the Roman government provided benefits to the communities where they held sway and it was appropriate for those who benefited to pony up and pay taxes. That does not endorse everything they did nor all the methods they used in bringing about those benefits but it does provide a legitimate basis for the collection of revenue for services rendered.

Jesus’ statement does not address the issues of how much tax, what level of benefits, etc. It only touches on that fact that the government was due payback. As I study Jesus’ life He comes across as the least political, high profile person ever. In fact in one sense it can be argued that His lack of political manuevering resulted in His untimely death (from a human perspective).  A little wheeling and dealing probably could have saved His life from the political machine at work in his day… but then we all would still be lost in our sins.

This brings us to the second half of Jesus’ statement which I hold up is far and away the more important point of the exchange – “give to God what belongs to God”. If the government provides a few roads and some military protection for the entire population then a combined group offering to pay for these benefits is due.  But Jesus’ action is ultimately a personal act.  Jesus action is intensely personal.  He saved MY Life.  He radically altered it for the good while I am living here on earth and He has promised an eternity in heaven with Him. This is way more than roads and a tenuous security, it is life that rich and full. In a very real sense Jesus bought me with His love and sacrificial death on my behalf. I belong to Him so my only appropriate response is to give Him all of me.

What does it mean to give Him all of me? Well I have figured out a few things that seem to fit into the definition of all.

First off all my finances less what He said I owed to the government is rightfully His. But if we take scriptures as a whole we see that God gave a guideline of a tithe, 10%. While He rightfully can ask for it all, He allows us to begin at 10%. I recognize that the rest is also His so when He asks for more I seek to be in a position to give more. I won’t go there today, but this speaks to being financially responsible with the remaining 90%.

Next there is my time. Since I belong to Jesus then all my time is His.  Obviously my quiet time with God is a blessed shared time with Him.  He speaks through His Word and by His Holy Spirit He breathes life into me during these times of sweet communion.  But when the quiet time ends, my time is still His.  Some persons have postulated that we give God 10% of our time.  Setting aside 2.4 hours each day for dedicated alone time with God CAN be achieved by a few and I don’t doubt that it can have benefits, but I honestly believe that God’s expectation for our time is not the tithe but the total.  Brother Lawrence, a monk in the middle ages, penned a devotional called “Practicing the Presence of God”.  In it this humble man identified that He was able to commune with God while peeling potatoes and performing the most mundane of tasks.  I believe the same concept is captured in 1 Thessalonians where we are admonished to “pray without ceasing”.  We are to live with a constant awareness of God and respond immediately to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. These promptings can be to pray, to perform a kind act, to give a word of encouragement, to provide an appropriate word of correction, to speak or sing or shout or wait – any number of God-directed acts that fit within the plan that only He sees in its entirety.  I would like to say I have achieved this… or that I have made significant progress, but the truth is while I have matured and I do better than I once did, I still have a long way to go.  However I believe this to be God’s call to me, to live fully in Him and give Him all my time in this manner.

Lastly I want to speak to those relationships and possessions that we call ours.  It naturally follows that if I belong to God, then everything that I call mine belongs to God as well.  Holding back anything falls short of the total surrender that Jesus calls us to.  He gave us the perfect example in His obedience to the Father. In leaving heaven to become a human, born in the most humble of circumstances, raised in relative obscurity and meager provision, Jesus surrendered more than any of us can imagine. But He did not stop there. He willingly submitted to a mock trial, accused of false charges He did not even defend Himself, but He accepted a punishment that He did not deserve. He truly gave everything to God… and He did it on our behalf. With Jesus as our model and inspiration we can offer every relationship and every thing in our lives for His use. For things I have learned this means not to hold on too tightly. For relationships I have learned this means to love with all the intensity that we have and hold them up to God for Him to do what He knows needs to be done.

While I would love to continue, my time is again about up. Remember to give to God what belongs to God. You were bought with a price. The precious blood of Jesus covered your sins and made you part of God’s family. You are His. Live fully for Him today and always.

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