Ever Searching

My youngest daughter is 15 months old. I love to watch her as she roams around our home. Her eyes are ever searching for some new object she has yet to explore. At her young age, she is more observant than I expect her to be. She finds every piece of fuzz on the living room carpet. She notices the smallest changes in her environment.

For instance, a new book sitting on my desk caught her eye yesterday. Before I could intervene, she pulled every item her little hands could reach down to the floor in hopes of grabbing the new book.

When she discovers new uncharted items, she is persistent in pursuing any course of action to get access to them. Since discovering my new book I have needed to remove her from my office area repeatedly. However, she keeps returning with unwavering determination to read my book. (Guess who had to move the book?)

Her constant searching and drive to discover makes me wonder if this quality is one Jesus had in mind when He told His followers that anyone not willing to receive God’s Kingdom like a little child would not enter it (Mark 10:15). Does God desire me to search after Him with the same drive and persistence?

I am attempting to approach the Kingdom like my daughter approaches life. Here are a few areas in which I have set new goals.

·         When faced with troubling circumstances, I will not dwell on the negatives. I will look for evidence of God at work because I know He is in control.

·         As I open my Bible to read, I will search for detail I have not noticed before. I will expect God to speak to me in new and fresh ways.

·         While completing my daily routines, I will take note of God’s provision and thank Him for His faithfulness.

·         When working with difficult people, I will search for ways to reflect God’s love and mercy.

 

When observing my daughter, it is obvious that her searching brings her great joy. She is thrilled at every new discovery. I know God and His Kingdom have depths I have yet to reach and I have renewed passion to search them out!

Falling Through the Pews

Have you ever wondered if you'd be missed at church if you were absent for an extended amount of time? Would someone on the pastoral staff come by to check on you? Would someone from your Sunday school class call? Would anyone take the time to contact you at all?

Most likely, you have established friendships in your local congregation and you would be missed. It might take some time, but sooner or later someone would follow up on their concerns for you. However, there are those sitting among us that might never receive that follow-up card or call.

While it is hard to believe, people fall through the cracks, or in our case, the pews each year. They slip out the back door unnoticed while fellow church members continue on as nothing has changed. Oh, their absences might be noticed on Sunday morning, but by Monday they have once again been forgotten. No one feels close enough to them to be the one to call to check on them. And there in lies the problem.

The body of Christ is like a family. Some are well-liked and well-connected. Others hang precariously on the sidelines watching like the quiet uncle that attends every family reunion. He's always there, but he never really visits with anyone. It is the church members who shy away from personal interactions and social gatherings that can easily be overlooked.

Consider Jesus' words in Matthew 25:44-45.

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

I have always related the 'least of these' with persons outside the walls of my church home, but what if the 'least' are those we overlook among us? Are there those among us who are needing? Or lonely and in spiritual prisons we knew nothing about? Are we unaware of their needs because they haven't announced them and we've failed to ask?

Take time this Sunday to look at everyone around you. Who seems to be hanging on the sidelines?  Are there people that seem to be friendless? Who slips in and out without much interaction? Does anyone sit alone week after week? What can you do to minister to those you identify?

Reach out and make a connection. It might not be easy. It will probably take continued efforts and self-sacrifice. Yet, isn't that what discipleship is all about? Didn't Jesus demonstrate this concept time and time again. Besides, it could keep someone from falling through the pews. 

Gifts Beyond Christmas

Psalm 68, a messianic psalm, describes the Christ as One who gives gifts to men, loading them with benefits. The apostle Paul refers to this passage as he writes of Christ’s fulfillment of the prophecy in Ephesians chapter 4. Read the following passage which includes verses 7-13.

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

 

Jesus Christ’s gifts to us extend far beyond the gift of His coming. He continues to gift individuals to lead His Church. In addition, He equips our lives to live victoriously in this last day. The person gift of equipping you and I can be a great testimony to the power of the resurrected Christ.

Think of your own life. How many times have you relied on Christ to carry you through a situation that was too hard to bear on your own? How many times have you stepped out in faith and God has provided the courage and strength you needed to complete the task He set in front of you? How many times has someone asked you “How did you ever…?” and you replied “It was God!”

Every situation you recall is a product of God’s giving.

As you prepare for Christmas, take time to stop and reflect on the many gifts God has given you. Equipping you to live a victorious life is just one. Look around you and acknowledge His goodness to you. He gets great pleasure by gifting you, His child. It is one of the reasons He came.

A Bruised Head

The first glimpse of our Savior leaps off the page early in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 3:15, God tells the serpent the Seed of a woman will bruise his head. God predicts enmity between Jesus and the devil. Throughout the New Testament, we see the devil plant doubts in the hearts of the people and stir up hatred in the hearts of the Jewish leaders. While Satan hoped for victory, when Christ rose from the dead his triumph over evil was complete. Evidence of His victory is recorded in the following New Testament verses.

Hebrews 2:14 [NKJV] reads “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, this is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

1 John 3:8 “…the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

While Christ’s work of salvation is complete, He continues to bruise the devil’s head.

Jesus continually works on our behalf to thwart the plans Satan has for us. While Satan schemes and manipulates circumstances to harm us, God’s good plans for us prevail. Christ not only redeemed us from eternal damnation, He redeems our lives from the heartache and destruction of sin.

In Genesis 50:20 Joseph explains to his brothers “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.”

Do you find yourself wondering about your current circumstances? Is it hard to recognize the big picture from your view point? Yes, it is true that the devil is working against you, but your Messiah will continue to put him in his place. As you remain in Christ, the devil cannot harm you. Your Savior has overcome and will bruise the serpent’s head as many times as needed to ensure your victory!

Reconstruction Project

What has your response to grace looked like lately? Are you continually letting Christ make you more like Him? Are you finding the journey toward Christ-like character is a challenging one? I'm committed to growing in Christ, but I've found the work is not always easy. At times, it can be down right painful.

Today was one such day. Today, God was gracious enough to reveal to me my prideful spirit. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I did ask for it. Literally. Because my desire is to be like Christ, I have given Him full rein to move me from the place I currently reside to the place He desires and needs for me to be.

Therefore, God and I are working on a reconstruction project. Reconstruction is a specialty with God. He can take the barely-standing structure that humans call life and remodel it from the inside out. I discovered when I invited God to partner with me in change, He participated fully. When I told Him I wanted to be more like Him, He took me at my word.

Remodeling can be quite an undertaking. Believe me when I say looking at the deep places inside- my deepest longings, my fears, why I do the things I do- has uncovered an ugly mess. But He hasn't yet decided that I am not worth all the effort. And, I am not fearful that He will. He can see how beautiful the end project could be.

In fact, after the extremely hard work he had me do today, I am convinced even more that He loves me. He sees what I can be in Him and His dreams for me are far above and beyond what I can ever begin to imagine. This is why He is so good to reveal to me the real me. So I can continue to work towards what I am destined to become.

As I work day to day to complete the plans He has laid out for me, He is working on a construction project all His own. When my hard work is finally finished and my time on earth is done, I am moving into a mansion on a street made of gold that He completed just for me. I can hardly wait to get there!

I hope you will give Him permission to do a little remodeling in your life. The end product and the relationship you build as you work together are beyond compare.


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

Response to Grace

Humans are people of conditioning and we are conditioned to respond. We respond to a change of temperature in a room. We respond when we hear an infant cry. We respond when someone hurts or offends us or when someone gives us an unexpected gift. Many times we respond openly and unashamedly. Other times, we try to hide our response because of fear or embarassment. However, no matter how hard we try, it is very difficult to withhold the actual response itself.

At some point in life, every person has an opportunity to respond to God's grace. Many people respond to God's invitation to grace as if it is an extravagant gift. Others turn away in offense because they are unwilling to admit thier need for mercy.

Although everyone must respond initially, the best response to grace is one that is never ending. A healthy and maturing relationship with Christ is demonstrated by infinite responses-God continues to offer His grace and we continue to respond.

A continued response to grace is most often demonstrated by visible changes in a life. When we truly accept God's grace and are filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, the old man within us begins to die. The habits, thoughts, and desires of the old self will no longer be able to live in agreement with the identity of the new nature. They will have to find another place to dwell.

Shedding our 'old clothes' and putting on garments of righteousness is just one continued response to grace. A greater love for God, His Word, and His Ways is another. When we accept this magnificient and unimagineable gift, we will want to better know the One who gives to us so generously. Our committment to experience Him on deeper levels demonstrates a continued response to grace.

Have you accepted God's abundant grace? Has He forgiven your sins, erased your failures, and pardoned your unfaithfulness? In addition, has He blessed you more than you ever thought possible? I know that I will never be able to thank Him for all He has done for me!

What has your response to His grace looked like thus far? Was your response a momentous but one-time occurrence that hasn't required much thought since? Or are you continuing to daily respond to the grace He offers? Take a minute and reflect on your responses. What evidence have they produced in your life? Responding to God's grace is a lifelong process. Continue to respond so He can continue to conform you to His image!


The LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. Isaiah 30:18