Earthen Vessel

For a while II Corinthians 5:14, For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;, has been consistently on my mind. It seemed that no matter what I was learning, teaching,... in some way the truth that Christ's love, the LOVE that sent Him to the cross (John 3:16), should compel us to ACT. It should drive, motivate us in our walk, journey, life to make choices, to live our life in a way that HE directs, that brings HIM glory (recognition), that will further HIS kingdom...WOW! What motivation! He made, loves, came for, died and rose for us! Why would we dare not follow HIM? Live like HIM?... This is ALL true and so much more could be said, but I am going to tell you what happened Wednesday and came to a climax this morning.

Ready for it? This is AWESOME! I love it when God speaks, which HE always does, we just aren't often listening!

Wednesday as I was waiting for my Bible study friend, I opened my Bible and II Corinthians 4:7-15 caught my eye. Go ahead read it. :) 

I immediately thought of the song Trading My Sorrows. Then I really focused and read starting in verse 7. But we have this earthen vessel that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. He created us with the limitations, shortcomings, to have needs and the inability to care for or meet them...Why? For the same reason HE has given throughout HIStory with Adam & Eve and their need for clothes and sacrifice, Noah and the ark, the 10 commandments,... because the power is of God, NOT of us! Everything we need, HE is supplying. (Philippians 4:19 and Ephesians 3:14-21)

But wait! It doesn't end there. Everything we are brought into shows that we need HIM and HE carries us through, showing that we only need HIM, HE will provide, protect, and lead. We just have to yield and say I'm done! It's not what I can control, do, provide, protect,...because I am not able to do anything outside of HIM! He gives us lessons to help us realize it is about our need for HIM! It's about saving us with ETERNAL HOPE because HE wants that personal relationship with us! As we learn and live this, it will spread, become contagious, and many will find the grace which will cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God!

HE set the Israelites apart to show all nations that HE is, was, and always will be the ONE and ONLY true God. (Isaiah 44:6) HE calls us and uses us to give testimony of HIM! When we yield to HIM, HE leads, guides, protects, and provides for us. We can and should see it is all HIS doing, then tell others so that HE gets the glory! Instead of seeing a shortage in needs, we see a huge opportunity for the FATHER to lavish HIS supplies and blessings on us as HIS child. Encouragement, strength, refuge & rest, food, bills, clothing,... When we step out of the way to stop trying to control, God will receive the glory, recognition, because it is nothing we have done but what HE does!

Next, I decided that I should read the verses that come before verse 7 because verse 7 begins with But. This mean there is a comparison or contrast. Well what is it? In II Corinthians 4:1-6, we have this ministry to do! We are to be light, reflect HIS image, that those who are blinded might see HIM! Not for personal recognition or so we can say look at me. BUT so we live in a way that people see HIM and are drawn to HIM! I am reminded of what Ghandi said, I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians. If your Christians acted more like like your Christ, I might become a christian. Others have said Christians are the worst to do business with. HOW DARE WE? Remember, we are to be compelled by Christ's love that drove HIM to the cross for us to save us. We taint, cover THIS IMAGE  by controlling things, providing for ourselves, standing for what we feel are our rights, we make it about ourselves. 

Why did Paul say that all things are good but not all are beneficial (I Corinthians 6:12; 10:23) Sure we have freedom! We can live anyway that we want, but when we do we give an ugly distorted picture of WHO our Lord and Savior is! (Romans 6:1) The world can say, I have worked for this, I partied and enjoyed losing control of myself, I was able to get so much done on Sunday or go fishing... But only those who have a personal relationship with Christ can say ABBA supplied  my food, clothing, shelter, only those who have that relationship can say, I gathered with my brothers and sisters in Christ to invest in and encourage them and to receive their encouragement and investment. The ministry that we are called to is to let HIM shine, not ourselves and definitely not the world because we have been called out of the world. (John 15:19; Romans 12:2, 14:7; II Corinthians 1:9) 

I was drawn to see how this passage concludes. (It didn't but let me tell you how it tied to II Corinthians 5:14) 

As I was soaking in II Corinthians 4:16, I couldn't stop at verse 18 but had to continue through chapter 5, Paul was encouraging that bad, hard, sad times do come. This earthen vessel will perish and as we get older the evidence of that becomes more evident! Also as we get older, if we have the personal relationship with Christ, our inward man, spirit or soul, is renewed everyday. What we experience in our earthen vessel is for just a moment, James 4:14 says that its as a vapor. Affliction is part of what God uses to shape us into HIS character (James 1; Philippians 1:6) and it is outweighed by the eternal weight of glory. Our hope is not in the temporary that can be gone in a moment but in the eternal. HE gives us HIS Spirit, at the moment we come to HIM through Christ, as our Guarantee, Reminder, and Comforter that this world is not our home!

Knowing this we want to live our lives, we are compelled to live our lives in a fashion that draws man to HIM; so that they too may have the ETERNAL HOPE that is within us. Having a clear conscience because we lived according to HIS path! (Hebrews 12:1-2) We cannot boast about what we have done, but that we are old creatures passed away, made new through Christ's death and resurrection! (II Corinthians 5) We are compelled to ACT as the new creature, bearing well and honestly to the office of Ambassador for which we are called. 

There are so many truths, so much to learn about HIM and the path HE has called us to. I challenge you to read II Corinthians 4 & 5. Learn what HE has for you, apply it, and share it! Remember this world is not my home, but as I live in it I will let it see the difference HE makes and be the light to which others are drawn to HIM! For me to live is Christ! (Philippians 1:21)

Unified By HIM For HIM!

It has been a long time since I have blogged anything. I want to expand on my post for Feb 7, 2011. Recently, our church family participated in a 15 hour prayer vigil. During my time of prayer, my ABBA brought Jeremiah 13 back to mind. I want to share what HE laid on my heart and what I have been learning about HIM and what HE has for us as HIS children.

The Lord gives Jeremiah a visual. He told Jeremiah to get a sash, to tie it around his waste, then to take the sash off and hide it beside the river. When He told Jeremiah to retrieve the sash, he finds that the sash is ruined and unable to fulfill its purpose.

There are a couple of thoughts that challenged me about this example, during this time it was prompted to my mind. The Lord tells Jeremiah that the sash represents Judah, which as the sash is made to cling to the waist; so Judah was made to cling to the Lord!

A sash is sewn together, made of many tiny strands woven into one singular item. Such a tight unity for a common purpose! HE said that Judah (a nation) was made in the same way. We as Christians are also told that we are many members but one body! (I Corinthians 12 and Romans 12) We are designed to be unified (John 17, Christ prayed that believers would have unity like He and His Father had), sewn together for a common purpose of being tied to our CREATOR.

Are we fulfilling our purpose of being tiny parts, a member of a large body? Are we tightly sewn into this body or have we allowed our portion to be unraveled and distorted?

Also the Lord had him hide the sash away. Because it was hidden away it was in a fashion that it was not meant to be, it became ruined, rendered useless. When we are not sewn into the spot that we are designed for to be tied to Him, we are useless.

I was helping Abby organize her room. As we were putting items away, I saw a stray piece of elastic on the floor. I thought that it was useless trash. Abby told me that it was a piece of her bracelet kit. It was of use to her! She put it back with the kit. In the same way, we may feel stray or useless or others may see us as stray or useless, BUT the DESIGNER knows for what HE designed you. Humble and submit yourself to the DESIGNER to be sewn into HIS sash and tied to HIS waist. HE alone can reconcile you to HIMSELF!

If you have not come to a personal relationship with Christ, admit that you are separated from Christ, from God (Romans 3:23, 6:23) by your sin (anything that you do that is contrary to HIS nature).
Believe that God sent Christ to die for you, to reconcile you back to HIMSELF (Romans 5:10).
Confess your sins to HIM and ask HIM to bring you into HIS family (I John 1:9; Romans 10:13)!
Once you are in HIS family, be a unified useful member! Have you allowed yourself to be unraveled, disconnected, or hidden away? Come let HIM use you for HIS recognition and design!
It is time to answer HIS call to be united to HIS body and to be used of HIM for HIS purpose and glory (Romans 13:11)!
Get connected!
Act on your FAITH as the shown in Hebrews 11 and 12 and by the compelling of HIS love (2 Corinthians 5:14) by which we are saved through HIS sacrifice!
This is the least that we can do for HIM, WHO has given, does give, and will give us all (Colossians 1:17; Philippians 4:19)! He made us, loves us, died and rose for us, provides for us, protects us, leads us... and He simply requires us to be submitted to HIS control, HIS design, HIS service (Romans 12:1-2)!

This song is geared towards men, but the words should be true of us all! Will we answer the call to be who HE designed us to be?

Answer the Call

by Steve Green

 

The Spirit of God is calling
Calling to men
Stirring within our hearts a call
To faithfulness again
First to our God
Then in our homes
Faithful in all we are
And with all that we own

Chorus

I answer the call
I take my stand
I choose to live my days on earth
A faithful man
And to that end
I give my all
And in the strength and grace of God
I answer the call

I understand that no man
Can stand on his own
But thanks be to the spirit
We'll never stand alone
Now by His will I choose to be
All that the FATHER said
That HIS children could be

Chorus

A call to dedicate our lives
To nurture our children and love our wives
A call to guard our hearts and eyes
To press toward the goal -- To win the prize

Chorus (3 times)

God Wants You To Know Him!

     We all desire to be known. We want to leave a heritage. We have eulogies at funerals to remember our loved ones. What will you be remembered or known for?
    
     Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  Tells us that in the midst of life's turmoil and disaster around us, He wants us to be still and know that He is God. He says let the little children come unto Me in Mark 14:10, "But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God." Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork." So many things help us to know who He is, tells us He wants us to know Him!
 
     The Lord allows me to counsel people for Him. Recently, I have counseled one that has so much pain and hurt and she blames God and is angry at Him. I have tried so hard to give her hope and advice, while letting her know that the only true hope is in my Lord and Savior. I desire her to know Him. For several sessions, I expressed, without being pushy, this was her true need. Every session, I departed burdened by her rejection of and anger for Him.

     One cloudy, dreary day, we met and ended in the same way. She rejected Him. I prayed with her and gave her a hug. Knowing anytime could be her final time of rejection. I returned home heavy hearted and noticed that she was still waiting in her car. I went back out to check on her, and I could visibly see the battle raging inside of her. As she expressed the torment of the battle, God allowed the sun to shine brightly in her face!

     This was a little after 7 in the evening! There had been no sun shining that day! Earlier in the session, He had spoken through me to tell her that even though we cannot physically see or touch Him, He gives her evidences to know that He is there and He loves you. Sometimes, He touches you through a pat on the back from someone. When rain drops fall, we can think of Him crying when we are hurting or when we have disappointed Him. When the sun shines brightly, we can think of His warm smiling face on us. So when He allowed the sun to shine so brightly, I was reminded of pastor's message out of 2 Kings about Elisha asking God to open his servant's eyes to see His hand working. I knew that I had prayed with her several times that He would show Himself to her! As the sun shined so brightly in her face, I said look He is shining His smiling face on you. "The heavens declare the glory of God." WOW! Praise God, He did!

     What happened next? She asked Him to be her Savior! 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

     Father, thank You for drawing us to You! Thank You for wanting us to know You! Thank You for by Your mercy and grace wanting to use me! May anything I say or do be used to draw honor and glory to You!

Fiery Impact

     A small spark from a smoldering campfire dances upon the dry grass. Quickly the surrounding area is ignited into flames. The wild fire spreads out of control burning and igniting everything in its path. Although a fire is destructive and devastating, I pray that the Lord would ignite a passion within me (all of us that have a relationship with Him) that spreads like a "wildfire" in our midst! 
     The devastation of an out of control fire spreads quickly and unprejudicedly! What if our lives would spark a fire in the dry and thirsty lives of the poor, needy, and lost world~ and in each other! 2 Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;" The love of God should be that spark in our lives! It should compel us to move in action through love for HIM reaching others!
     The truths of the quick, unpredictable, and severeness of wildfires has been seen in California. People evacuated from their homes and loss of so much both natural and man made. We need to be on "fire" in a way to be His tools to cause such devastation to the grip of sin and Satan on man.
     John Wesley made a statement about him being set on fire and people coming to watch him burn. When there is a fire people will gather to watch it. We can be an impact by being a blazin' fire for Christ. Christ said in Matthew 5:14~16 "¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  ¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Let's be His light that has the powerful impact like the California wildfires.
     In Jeremiah 20, Jeremiah faces persecution for delivering the message of the Lord. He decides that he will no longer even mention the name of the Lord. Jeremiah 20:9 "Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.”  But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. " He could not stop the burning fire in his heart to share the message that the Lord had for him to share! Wow! Only if we would feel the desire to share His message that deeply!
     No matter what may come our way, may His purpose for our life be so compelling that we can not keep it in! Hebrews 12:29 "For our God is a consuming fire."

Father, set me on fire for you!

One Door

     "...One door and only one and yet the sides are two. I'm on the inside, which side are you?..." is part of a song that we used to sing in children's church. The song is filled with such an elementary truth that we as humans choose to ignore. There is only One Way to be redeemed, to be in the relationship with our Creator for which He designed us to be in with Him.
     Our Heavenly Father has given us several object lessons beautifully illustrating His design to purchase us back. The first slaying of an animal to cover Adam and Eve after their first sin, disobedience to God. (Genesis 2 & 3)
     How about Cain and Abel? (Genesis 4) Abel brought the one and only sacrifice that God had commanded and would accept. Abel was found right with God because he obeyed, but his brother Cain chose to come with the sacrifice that he wanted to bring and was rejected by God because he disobeyed.
     The history of Noah and the ark. (Genesis 6-8) His diligent following of God's command to build the ark enabled him and his family to survive the flood. In order for them to be saved from the flood, they had to enter the only door to the ark. Those who refused to enter this door perished.
     Continually, our Heavenly Father orchestrates history (His story) to bring us to Him, to give us visual lessons telling us His design. When the Israelites painted their door posts with the lamb's blood for the passover, they were spared the death of their firstborn because they obeyed God's command. (Exodus 11 & 12)
     Christ laying down His life on the cross and His resurrection is the Sacrifice that God had been pointing to with all of these (and so many more) beautifully vivid descriptions in His Word. (John 14:6) As the book of Hebrews outlines, Jesus is the Way and the perfect sacrifice, the new covenant, the Holy Priesthood...
     In my study and meditation of the book of Jeremiah, I saw this truth yet again. (Jeremiah 21) The LORD says that He is going to allow Babylon to conqueror the Israelites. King Zedekiah sends a messenger to Jeremiah to ask him to ask God to have mercy on them. Instead of granting this request, God tells them to defect to Babylon because He would not spare them. Babylon's captivity would bring more mercy than He would give them. Those who refused to defect would be diseased, killed, and find NO mercy. God was punishing those who did not obey. Their disobedience showed their rejection of Him, the reason He was pronouncing destruction on them in the first place.
     Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? He is the ONE and ONLY WAY to eternal life, to NOT being separated from God, our Creator, for all of eternity! If you reject Him and do not come in the ONE and ONLY WAY that He has provided, He will reject you. You will be eternally separated from Him. (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Romans 5:8; I John 1:9; Romans 10:13...)

For the Furtherance of His kingdom! 

I Have A Purpose?

     My father-in-law cannot sit still! He retired from his career after over 30 yrs of dedicated service. So he began to live this relaxed and so deserved lazy lifestyle, right? NO! He began another full time "career" that dealt somewhat with what he had experience in, not just a "fill your time" hobby like some would do. He needs to feel successful and needed.
     On the flip side, I have known some that were not able to work any longer. They begin to feel useless and not needed. They mentally, emotionally, and physically begin to deteriorate.
     We all want to be useful! We want to have a purpose in life. Often I communicate with people that are searching for their purpose. So what is our purpose in life? What were we created for? What is the intricate design that He fashioned us for?
     Our Father, being the all-knowing, ever-present Creator, gives the prophet Jeremiah an object lesson that cannot be misunderstood but goes to the heart of this puzzling question. We find the answer strewn throughout Scripture. Jeremiah 13 is one such specific solution!
     The Lord tells Jeremiah to purchase a girdle. He instructs Jeremiah to purchase this girdle and to wear it, but NOT to wash it. This seems simple, right? He then instructs Jeremiah to take this girdle that he purchased and hide it in a hole in a rock by the Euphrates River.
     What? Lord, you instructed me to purchase this girdle, wear it (not washing it), and now You want me to hide it? We are never told that Jeremiah questioned God! Sometimes though, our Father gives us instructions that we do NOT understand. We need to obey by faith, just like Jeremiah did!
     To finalize this object lesson, God tells Jeremiah to retrieve the girdle from the place where Jeremiah hid it. It should be no surprise that Jeremiah obediently drew the girdle from its hiding place to find that it was damaged and no longer usable for the design it was made for. How does this object lesson teach us about our purpose and design in life?
     Our Father goes on to tell Jeremiah that the girdle was made to cling to the waist. He communicates to Jeremiah that the way the girdle was made to cling to the waist is the fashion in which His chosen people we designed to cling to Him! He tells the prophet that His people were made to be close to Him! WOW! Our purpose, the reason for which we were designed, is to have an intimate relationship with HIM, our Creator!
     If we do not fulfill the purpose for which we were designed, we are damaged, rendered unusable. My challenge would be that we would fulfill the design that we were created for, have that personal and intimate relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ! He will lead you and show you His plan for you and make you successful (able to fulfill the design for which you were created) as you cling to HIM!
Jeremiah 13; Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 139
For His glory! 

Choose You This Day!

Have you ever come to an important choice in life? A pivoting point? A point of no return? Joshua was the leader of Israel. He followed Moses, who had a tremendous reputation and following. Joshua had seen and had been a useful tool of God's great and marvelous works through which God had blessed and protected His people.
Joshua gives his final instructions and farewell to the people before God takes him home to be with Him. He reminds the people of their heritage. He tells them that their forefathers worshiped false gods. How God called Abraham to go to a place that God would show him, a place that Abraham did not know.
Abraham had a choice. Follow God away from the things, people, culture, worship, and even his extended family to this place he did not know, or he could refuse to obey God. By FAITH, Abraham chose to obey.
Joshua also reminded them of Isaac, Jacob & Esau, Moses & Aaron, and how God had pulled them out of Egypt. He recalls the battles and people that God conquerored for them. The miracles and amazing signs that God  had given them! He challenges them with all of these things in such a bold manner, a manner that only a respected leader could muster. Joshua reminds them of the bestowment of lands and resources, none of which they toiled or gave any energy in acquiring. God had given it ALL to them! They were/are HIS chosen people, set aside for the purpose of drawing all peoples of the world to the ONE TRUE God, the "I AM"!
Now this is where the opportunity , the choice of a lifetime comes in. Joshua gave this memorial of their heritage to challenge them to choose! You may ask, "What did they have to choose?" Joshua tells them to decide who they would serve. He tells them that he and his family (house) would serve the LORD! But that they could not say they chose to serve the LORD and continue to go their own way, worship false gods, and following those who did NOT choose to serve the LORD!
So my distinct challenge for ALL of us is that we don't ride the fence! We make our choice! Make it based on the facts that God created us to commune in an intimate relationship with HIM. Even in our complete and devastating rebellion, we chose to sin- to separate ourselves from Him and His design for us. He still provided THE WAY of salvation- JESUS (John 14:6)! He has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 139)! He loves us (John 3:16; I John 4)! Know these crucial, yet only "tip of the iceberg" evidences. We have a choice to make. What is your choice?
"...As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD..." Joshua 24:15
Choose Him, today!