What Brings True Satisfaction?
I am greatly comforted by the assurance of Your presence, Father. You are here for me; all I have to do is call out. Praise Your Holy Name!
1 Corinthians 15:12-28 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the many struggles in life is living life itself. Many of us (and I’m sure I could say all of us) struggle in our attempts to just get through the day sometimes. Even those who are successful according to the world’s standards are often overridden by the demands and pressures of living. There are far too many suicides and attempted suicides amongst the powerful and famous.
So, I would ask, why are so many of us dead set against almost anything to do with God? Think about it. Our greatest struggles are against sin and death.
Yeah, we scream for control of our destiny and delve into sin at the slightest whim, but I think we all have to admit that though our fulfillment may last for a time, that over time, it all loses its shine. What brought us excitement just doesn’t do it anymore, and we need bigger and better and more of whatever it was that lured us in, to the point that it just doesn’t do anything for us anymore. And then we have to start all over, searching for something that will light us up – it’s a vicious, never-ending circle.
And death? That’s pretty much a no-brainer. For all of time, we have been chased and overcome by it. No one (except Jesus, of course) has succeeded. We all eventually succumb to its power over us, for we have no power, in and of ourselves, to oppose it.
So why do we fight against the one Person who overcame them both? Jesus Christ, with His sacrificial, voluntary death on the cross, defeated them both.
Peter, having firsthand experience with Jesus, had this to say,
He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 AMP
For indeed Christ died for sins once for all, the Just and Righteous for the unjust and unrighteous [the Innocent for the guilty] so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit… 1 Peter 3:18 AMP
The dead-end roads we go down in search of something that will fulfill us will never, ever accomplish that task. We will continue to fail, time and time again. Only the Conqueror of sin and death can bring us fulfillment…eternal fulfillment. All that we invest our lives in, in accordance with His will, will bring us true satisfaction.
Lord Jesus, we would cry out that You would help us to seek out that which would satisfy the thirst of our parched souls.
Feb 27th, 2024, Tues, 12:54 pm
Hankies and Tears of Joy
It is a glorious day! Thank You, Great Creator of the Universe, for Your wonderful gift!
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One of the oddest things triggered a memory for me today on my bus. After asking for a tissue, one of my kindergartners asked to throw it away after using it. What triggered my memory was, when she asked to do so, her little hand raised above the top of the seat, and she waved it in the air.
You may think, “What in the world could a waving used tissue bring to mind?” Well, let me tell you.
I’ve mentioned before that I had a pretty conservative upbringing – no dancing, no movies, no playing cards (ones with diamonds, spades, clubs, and hearts), etc. Today, the word “Pentecostal” brings different thoughts to different people. Back at the turn of the 20th century, when a group of holiness-minded folk pulled away from the Methodist church, the original name they took for themselves was the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. Some leaned a little heavier in that direction, and within a few years, they pulled away, and those that remained changed their name to the Church of the Nazarene.
The Church of the Nazarene at that time (the early 1900s) embraced what many today would label “emotional” worship experiences that, for me, were still a normal part of worship in the 60s and 70s. The things I’m talking about were when men and women would get “blessed” in a service and pull their hankies out and wave them about. Often, that would be accompanied by shouts of “Praise the Lord!” and “Glory!” Others would “run the aisles”. They would be so full of the Lord’s presence that they would run up and down the church’s aisles (or the tabernacle – the big worship center still at the West Virginia District Campgrounds.)
Now, if you’re thinking that is just a bunch of bologna, just a bunch of trumped-up emotion on the part of the participants, let me set you straight! When you looked into the faces of those hankie-waving, aisle-running, Glory-shouting folk, they were so filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives that they just had to express it! Their faces glowed with the joy of the Lord moving in and through them. Tears of joy would run down their cheeks, with smiles from ear to ear!
It wasn’t a show. It wasn’t something they did because others expected it or deemed it necessary if they were indeed followers of Christ; it was an outward expression of an inward experience!
It was definitely a bit more demonstrative than the lifting of hands common in many worship services today. Still, I am sorry to say that though I am not in the least bit offended by those who expressed their worship in such ways, I have never been inclined to do so.
Lord Jesus, I would pray that at some point in my life, I would be so blessed, so infilled with Your presence, that I would have to let it out some way. I would pray that it would be genuine and that if any were to witness it, they would know that You were at the center of it – the sole reason for its existence! Amen.
O clap your hands, all you people;
Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy.
For the Lord Most High is to be feared [and worshiped with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He is a great King over all the earth. Psalm 47:1-2 AMP
Feb 26th, 2024, Mon, 12:43 pm
True Humility
Father, may our time together be profitable. May the words that come forth be impactful for those who would take the time to read them. May Your blessing be upon me.
1 Corinthians 15:5-11 (<<click here to read the passage)
In the body of Christ, there is no room for pride and arrogance. Humility must reign in our hearts and minds. But far too often, that is not the case. In just about every area of life, there are individuals who are exceptionally good at what they do. They are masters of their trade. When we get to that level, people begin to treat us like we are something special. Some find it easy to believe, and others, with enough persuasion, can also come to believe it. And I’m sure it is no surprise that the church and its people – clergy and laity – are not exempt from these mindsets either.
Reading Paul’s words in the middle of verse 10 of today’s text – For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles… – we may be tempted to think that Paul thought too highly of himself, but reading through the entirety of his writings we know that that is not the case. When we honestly examine the lines of today’s text, we can readily see that Paul was not promoting himself but God.
My Life Application Study Bible states, “This was not an arrogant boast, because he knew that his power came from God and that it really didn’t matter who worked hardest. Because of his prominent position as a Pharisee, Paul’s conversion made him the object of even greater persecution than the other apostles; thus, he had to work harder to preach the same message.”
What grabbed my attention regarding this passage was what the notes had to say about verse 10 – first, the verse itself.
But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. v10a
Paul knew that he had worked hard and accomplished much but only because God had poured kindness and grace upon him. (emphasis mine)
True humility is not convincing yourself that you are worthless but recognizing God’s work in you. It is having God’s perspective on who you are and acknowledging his grace in developing your abilities.
In the sight of God, we are more than useless, and I believe that more today than ever. We serve a mighty God, and as Jesus Himself said in Matthew 19:26,
“With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” AMP
Cling to that promise today!
Feb 25th, 2024, Sun, 6:04 pm
Take a Chance on Me
Thank You, Father, for Your direction throughout my day. Help me, through every day, to seek Your guidance and reflect You in all I say and do. Amen.
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I’ve had a song stuck in my head since last Saturday! I even listened to it Monday in an attempt to get it out of my head. …it hasn’t worked… Even this morning, it would randomly pop up. I thought its lyrics might tie in well to my blog…nope. I’d have really had to stretch to make it work.
The song is Take a Chance on Me, sung by ABBA in 1978. I still like their music, but why was that song stuck in my head?
As I drove this morning (it was still running through my mind!) …the title…that made a connection with me! We’ve been watching the well-received The Chosen. Their website states: The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus Christ, seen through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, [it] shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings. (You can find it on several different platforms – I use their app.)
What’s impacted me the most is that Jesus is seen in His humanity. He is genuine, sincere, caring, and compassionate. He’s portrayed how I picture Him in my head when reading the Bible and speaking of Him from the pulpit and on my blog.
We just watched Episode 7 of the first season last night. In this episode, Matthew is called to follow Jesus. Early on, he is portrayed as an odd duck of sorts. He is very intelligent – a young man of numbers and fixated on detail, with a great aversion to the filth of his culture. (Early on, he steps into a pile of manure and nearly wretches, pulls off his sandals, and replaces them with a backup pair from his satchel.) He has more money than he knows what to do with. People shove him, push him, spit on him – he is a reject of his people. Tax collectors are not popular…
In the storyline, he witnesses Peter’s big haul of fish and his call to follow Jesus. Later, he gets a rooftop view of the healing of the paralytic who was lowered through the roof. Shortly after that event, Jesus makes eye contact with him.
Truth be told, Matthew is a mess. Not only did his people reject him, but his family did, too. They don’t even claim him anymore. And at this point, he is struggling. He is drawn to Jesus. He is questioning everything about his life.
And then Jesus calls him. “Matthew, follow Me.” His mouth drops. Jesus’ other disciples protest. The Roman soldier manning the tax collections tries to stop him – but to no avail. None of what is said or done fazes him. He leaves it all and follows Jesus!
In each of Jesus’ interactions, it’s like He’s saying, “Take a chance on Me.” “You’ve tried so many other things, none of which have given you what you wanted. Take a chance on Me.”
He says the same to us. Quit running. Quit trying to make it all come together by yourself. Only Jesus can truly help you become who you were created to be. Take a chance…you won’t regret it.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~ Jesus (Matthew 11:28 NIV)
Feb 22nd, 2024, Thurs, 12:42 pm
Snow Behind the House
There just seems to be so much going on in our lives, Father. Please help me to first focus on our time together. And then, as the days go on, I would ask that You enable me to prioritize the many other things that need to be accomplished. Amen.
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Interestingly, the way our house sits, when we get snow, there is almost always a part of our yard where the snow stays longer than pretty much anywhere else in the yard. The reason is that the back of our house never gets direct sunlight. This is a picture from today – highs yesterday were in the 40s, and today they are in the 50s. The far end has melted in that the wind blew almost all of it away, so there wasn’t much left to melt.
My question today is, are there things in our lives that we keep in such a way that the warmth of God’s Son cannot reach? We think we can get away with it, but Hebrews 4:13 tells us the truth. It says,
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. NIV
Maybe there are things nobody knows about that we keep tucked away, safe and sound – our thoughts, dreams, and fantasies. Some are probably harmless enough, but others can be dangerous to our well-being on many fronts, especially from a spiritual perspective.
Maybe there are mindsets that we have firmly locked into place, and our Lord has approached us on numerous occasions to let them go, and time and again, we refuse. Maybe it is a prejudice against someone or a group of people – we don’t like them and don’t want anything to do with them. Nobody needs to know…we’re just really good about keeping our distance…about hiding behind things more noticeable. Our “adversaries” may not even realize how we think about them, but the cold shoulders we turn to them only harm us.
Maybe we are much more forthright in expressing our disdain. We feel we can justify our coldness, for they have brought it on themselves. We were deeply hurt; they do not deserve love or compassion. They deserve to be frozen out, and the Lord, the gentleman He is, will not force us to yield. Though He desires to “thaw” us out with the warmth of His love permeating us to the core of our soul, He allows us to make our choice, though we are hurt by our actions and our relationships with Him and others are significantly impacted.
Over time, the snow behind my house goes away. The more the atmosphere warms up, the less the snow can hold out. Lord Jesus, may we feel the need to spend time with you in copious amounts. We may be stubborn, but over time, our association with You will cause our frozen hearts to melt as we are filled with the warmth of Your love.
Feb 21st, 2024, Wed, 12:33 pm