THE GOOD HAND OF THE LORD IS UPON YOU!

Throughout the book of Esther the Lord is given the credit for things accomplished. We can find encouragement and strength as we consider these words:

The good hand of his God was on him (Ezra 7:9).

Certainly, believers can claim this privilege, because they have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb and have the eternal, powerful, same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in them (Romans 8:11). Wow! Think of that! We have the good hand of a good God upon us, looking out for our good! While we would concur that this is certainly true, we often we don’t realize it because we are not attempting great things. True, the good hand of the Lord does tend to bless believers in the normal, everyday activities that everyone finds themselves involved in. But too often we don’t attempt things beyond our comfort zone, beyond the everyday things. I know that has been a lifelong challenge for me…to reach for better and higher things. But if we would stretch ourselves, the hand of the Lord would be even more obvious, as we see ourselves attempting and accomplishing good things that are beyond our own ability to perform…things that could only be done with the good hand of the Lord on us. Our powerful God is ready, willing and waiting to allow us to be His co-workers, doing great things like loving others, giving, making disciples, moving in the gifts of the Spirit and other supernatural things. Perhaps something has been churning inside of you that may be one of the reasons you remain on earth at this time. A gift, a calling, or just something that needs to be done that you can do…because the good hand of the Lord is on you!

The hand of our God is for good on all who seek Him (Ezra 8:22)!

 

TWO MASTERS

We can learn a lot as we read about the various kings of Israel and Judah, and also as we read the prophets. Much is said about mixing devotion to God with devotion with other, often competing loves. Let’s start in 2 Kings 17:33:

So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods…

The mixture of right and wrong has never sat right with the Almighty. Jesus said serving two masters just doesn’t work. Ancient Israel often served two masters, or at least they tried. The application for today is easy to connect. The modern church (and likely the historic church too) is guilty of this big time, yielding to ever increasing temptations in the western world in these latter days of history. We too, great multi-taskers that we are, try to serve two masters. Often in the place of God, we hold dear things, entertainment, the man-made American dream and OUR goals in life which often contradict God’s plan for our lives. We may be productive, and we may not be doing anything that wicked, but, when our devotion to God is choked by our devotion to many other things, we are trying to serve two masters.

We fear the Lord—some—and serve our personal idols—some. We don’t love and serve God with our whole heart—just some or most of our heart. Sometimes we don’t love God at all—we just “like” Him. There’s no question that many modern believers spend more time, money and energy on temporary things that have no eternal significance—more than with or on God. We mix our lives up with various parts of life claiming more of us than we allow Him to have. This often isn’t intentional, but nevertheless, it happens all the time.

Let’s just be honest…how much of our time, money and strength does God get? Could it be said of us that we have divided devotions? Most of us would say, of course not…God comes first. Does He? In word, maybe, but what about in life? Does our time, life and checkbook really say LOUD AND CLEAR that He is first and the biggest part of our lives? Again, I want to emphasize, we believe we default to God as number one because we know that’s the way it should be. But do we deny ourselves and take up our cross and live like the disciples He has called us to be? Or are we just too busy?

Many through the years have been willing to evaluate their lives and have found themselves trying way too hard to serve two masters. They were humble enough to make adjustments and elevate God to the primary place in life He requires and deserves. Often their stories are legendary because of the changes they were willing to make. Life goes by way, way too fast. Soon decades have passed with mixed up priorities and we have lived a life way short of what it could have been. Maybe we recognize that we need to stop and reset, and will get around to it someday. Again, months, years and decades pass and we still haven’t got around to it. I have found it helpful to schedule God into my life and soon He is first in mind and heart. It’s not like this is an optional thing. Don’t let any more time and missed opportunities pass. A godly, fulfilling life awaits anyone who will humble themselves and make the adjustments in their lives necessary to put God first. Elevate Him to number ONE today!

 

WERE YOU ONCE CLOSER TO GOD?

Were you once closer to God? We maybe don’t think of it much, but God is greatly invested in His children. He rejoices when we bless Him and live as we ought, and He grieves when we disappoint Him. Certainly, there is forgiveness available to us if we let Him down, but there is a kind of let down that breaks the heart of God. When He gets crowded out and replaced, it saddens Him just like it would us. Especially when we once gave Him great joy and walked and talked with Him regularly. In reading in Jeremiah I came across some haunting words that made me actually feel the heart of God for those who once were hot, but now are cold or lukewarm:

I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of His harvest. What wrong did your fathers find in Me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless (Jeremiah 2:2,3,5)?

The tone of these verses resemble the regret of a life once devoted and on fire for God but has cooled for whatever reason. Here are some common ones:

• Busyness
• Neglect of prayer
• Neglect of the Bible
• Neglect of being with God’s people
• Neglect of volunteering, blessing others
• Neglect of giving
• Once again, Busyness

Yes, busyness is in the list twice on purpose. Most of the other reasons are often a result of misplaced priorities and becoming too busy. That’s not to say that the things we are involved in are necessarily sinful. But they are often only good instead of the best.

Notice that all of these are our fault and are controllable by us. No one has ever cooled in their faith because it was Gods doing or fault. No matter what life throws at us, if we are walking close to Him, we can handle it and remain on fire and in fellowship with Him. But if something adverse comes our way, we may tend toward the Lord, or we may push farther away from Him if we are not at that time intentionally close to Him.

The tone of these verses sounds sad and remorseful, and the Lord is speaking these words in this tone about Israel who once was close to Him but now, not so much. Similarly, I think His great heart is broken when we edge Him out of our too busy lives, once best friends, but now mere acquaintances. We know if this is us, and we know what to do about it. He is waiting for a reunion:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

 

A MICRO BLOG: DREAMS AND GOALS

What’s the deal with all the emphasis on committing OUR dreams to the Lord? Or how about trusting God with OUR dreams? Or setting goals and asking, or in some cases demanding, that God bless OUR goals?

Is life all about us and our dreams and goals? What happened to what should be our concern for the dreams and goals of God? How about, instead of forever trying to get God on board with our dreams and goals, we just get on board with HIS!

 

 

SLOW DOWN PART 2

Last time we began to talk about how different life and ministry has become in the past 200 years or so. In both business and ministry goals are often set, often without consulting God but assuming that if we grow bigger it is better. We often make OUR plans and ask (or demand) the Lord to bless them rather than consult Him first and get on board with HIS plans. As so often happens, the attitude and method of the world is slowly adopted by the church. And the world’s definition of success is often adopted by the church too. One of the blessings of America is that it is the land of endless opportunity. The more we work, the more we grow, the more productive we become, the more money we can make. The opportunity for incredible worldly success has caused greed to abound in America. The love of money is everywhere in spite of the scriptures warning us that the love of money is the root of evil. And the obsession with money and success has permeated the church along with greed and the misplaced priorities that come with it. Church folk have become as busy as the unbelievers in their quest to conquer in business and ministry. But it hasn’t always been this way, and the words of God still plead with 21^st century Christians:

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

When David heard that King Saul and David’s good friend Jonathan had died, he stopped everything and mourned. Throughout David’s life, he checked out of busy life regularly and meditated, worshipped and wrote Psalms. In spite of having more responsibility than most on earth at the time, he had margin in his life. He kept demands at arm’s length and had the great resource of time available as needed. Several years ago I read a book by a doctor who had enough of life spinning out of control because of busyness. He took control of his life back and slowed down. His name is Richard Swenson and he wrote a book about getting control of his life again called Margin. At the time, I was also struggling with what so many are challenged by misplaced priorities and just general busyness. I stopped the madness and have never regretted it. No one who slows life down does regret it. Our only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner.

A slower life is basically what the godly have lived since the beginning of time. Whether they knew it or not, their theme verse was the verse above about slowing down and knowing God. They sought God first and whatever came out of that time with Him was their priority. They consulted God for His will rather than busy themselves with too many things and demand or request that God somehow get involved. Maybe their ministry never got beyond their small circle of friends and family, maybe it expanded. But it wasn’t their great marketing skills or fancy church service that expanded their reach. It was the Spirit of God advancing their influence as they became equipped through walking intimately with God.

When you have no goal to become well known or grow a large ministry, you generally live and stay humble. And when you live humble, you are the one most surprised when your influence grows. Your influence grows because God sees in you one who He can trust, one who can say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

Next time we will conclude our series on slowing down. To read part one follow this link:

https://danspulpit.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/slow-down-part-1/

 

 

SLOW DOWN, PART 1

David was anointed as king but had not yet assumed kingly responsibilities. Saul was still alive and on a mission to find and kill David. David was in hiding with the Philistines. By and by a battle ensued between the Philistines and Israel. Saul and his son Jonathon, David’s good friend, were both killed in the battle. In 1 Samuel chapter 1 David laments the loss of King Saul and Jonathan and it sounded something like this:

The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you. O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan was slain in your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me; your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.

The thoughts that came to me as I read this lament had little to do with the text. As I read the stories of the Bible and of church and secular history, I am impressed that until the last 200 years or so, life was generally pretty slow. If someone like David needed time to lament, he took the time to do just that. In some parts of the world and in rural America we still see a slow, less hectic lifestyle. Not so much in most of the western world!

When a person catches a vision to accomplish something for God in these modern times, goals are set with a plan to accomplish those goals. Ministry has become quite similar to the way things are done in business when a new product is launched, a company is built, or new star is marketed. This includes lots of multitasking, plugging every day with as much productivity as possible, and maybe more than possible demanding overtime. Ministry, like a business, overcomes us and life becomes fast and busy.

We would do well to consider the ways people of old built their ministries, or for that matter, their business. We read their stories and wonder at the great things they accomplished for God. But they did it a lot different than we do today. We think our ways are better because they are bigger. Bigger and more productive is not always better. The truth is, few if any in the Bible and church history set out to build a ministry with any type of goal similar to the lofty goals we have in ministry today. Saints of old set out to minister, yes, and if some kind of ministry happened as a result of ministering, so be it. But they didn’t fill every day with a goal of building the next greatest ministry in the church. People were more important than ministry. Ministering was more important than a ministry.

Many of us in society and in the church think that if we don’t make some kind of name for ourselves and grow and grow, we are pretty much a failure in ministry. Nearly extinct are those who are more concerned about quality and a job well done than quantity. A pastor of a very small church whose life is all about making disciples of his small flock couldn’t possibly be near as important as the TV pastor that has a flock of millions and a bank account with millions too. Who will hear “well done?” I don’t know, but not the man with all the numbers just because he has all the numbers.

Spiritual people in the Bible and most of church history didn’t set goals to build a ministry and become a household name. Their first priority was to know God and live every day life in a manner worthy of His name. Their definition of success largely included things like being a servant of God and others and living a Sermon on the Mount lifestyle, and hopefully, others would catch on. They sought the kingdom of God and His righteousness first, way before any ministry ambitions. Life was slow, not hurried, and no one had a watch or an alarm. When something came up that demanded time to rightly address it, they didn’t have to pore over their schedule and see if they could find a hole in it. Because of margin in their slower lives, they actually had time and willingly gave of that time whatever it took to minister to the need. Next time, more on slowing life down for the glory of God and for ourselves too.

 

LOT CHECKS INTO SODOM

  After Abraham and Lot separated Lot went his way to set up camp. Genesis 13:12 says, “Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.” I would guess it made good sense to live near and eventually in Sodom. All the conveniences were right there. The ability to buy and sell more quickly and efficiently had some draw. It was probably beneficial financially for Lot. There were friends and more opportunities for the kids. There were lots of ways to get involved with all the pagan kids after school. The church youth group was there to help pick up the pieces when the devil started to have his way. There were perhaps some great Seeker friendly churches that watered down the Word of God and didn’t contradict one’s personal goals too much. Opportunity knocked and Lot walked right in.

We have all made decisions like Lot at different times. Who hasn’t made a decision based solely on the financial ramifications? We in America will even leave our families, friends, schools and churches where everything is going well to better ourselves financially in another state where we know no one. We are conditioned from youth to look out for ourselves and do most things to better ourselves. And we are taught to jealously guard OUR money! But it is not our money. Everything we receive has come from God and we must steward it like it is on loan to us. If the Bible teaches anything about money it teaches us not to make life decisions based on how to get more of it. Contentment has escaped most Americans and we in the Church should be a shining example of what being content with what we have looks like.

How did moving to Sodom and becoming absorbed into the culture work for Lot? Soon Sodom was destroyed and everything in it…including everything Lot worked for decades to accumulate. His wife became a lover of the good life and things that don’t last forever and couldn’t help but look back at her precious Sodom when it was being destroyed. She died still longing for the things in Sodom. And what about the children? Two of Lot’s daughters married unbelievers and wouldn’t leave when warned about the impending doom. Their husbands laughed Lot to scorn and the daughters stayed with their husbands. The other two daughters escaped with Lot out of Sodom and ended up having children with their own father. All the temporary things that directed Lot’s life were gone in a night. He ended up living in fear in a cave with absolutely nothing left.

I have lived the good life with plenty of money but it was never enough. I also have lived and am living the simple, content life and there is no comparison. Don’t get me wrong, I find no fault with wealth. But Jesus said it, “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those with wealth can be a great blessing but have an uphill climb to the kingdom of God. Whether we have wealth or not, let us be content and work for eternal treasures and make decisions based on eternal values.