One Man's Voice

This morning, I read in my Smith Wigglesworth devotional about Stephen, a man full of faith and power.  Stephen didn’t enjoy a life of ease.  As a matter of fact, he was killed because of His faith in Jesus Christ. Many argued and disputed with him but notice how he responded to them – it gives evidence to God’s Spirit at work in his life.

Acts 6:10 kjv ”And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.”

 It reminds me of the importance of constantly seeking God for more of His wisdom and Spirit. In our day to day, we too can find ourselves drawn in petty arguments and disagreements. Like Stephen, we can choose a response seasoned with wisdom and the Spirit of God, or a response that reeks of our fleshly desire to defend our positions and our preferences. Wisdom knows when to be silent, when to listen, and when a response is needed. Wisdom also knows the One whose preferences really matter.

Today, let us give God permission to shut our mouths, and if we must speak, give us His words and the grace to express it in His way. It’s the best way to respond.

Reading through the New York Times Magazine’s tribute to those we lost in 2008, I found myself reflecting on some of the greats of our time and the significant deposits they left on the earth – people like Steve Fossett, Jim Mckay, Tim Russert and many others. One thing that stands out about them all is that they are remembered not for their abilities, connections, money, or fame, even though each of them excelled in every one of these arenas. They were all simply remembered for the impact they had on the lives of others. How they affected us together. The lives they lived receive acclaim today because they shared what they had, used their abilities to strengthen the inabilities of others, spent their money to improve areas where others had lack, and used their connections and fame to bring transformation to their world.  I applaud them all!

 As I think about this year, it does make me think – what will be said of us? Truth is, we too have the same opportunity to impact our world and arguably in a way that may indeed matter even more. You and I can live lives that can also have a profound impact on others, both practically and even on a greater plain, spiritually. It takes place as we discover our purpose in God and live up to our calling. Jesus spoke of true greatness in a different way…

 Mark 10:43-45 esv But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 No doubt, we too have a message, the means, and the opportunity to use our gifts, treasure and talents to supernaturally impact this world for Jesus Christ – to raise His fame across the earth. It is in this way, you and I can experience true greatness in His Kingdom. Perhaps as we look back and applaud those who have served us well, may it inspire us all to look forward and commit to serving others well. Not only will it position us for greatness, it will bring honor and acclaim to our Lord Jesus Christ. What will be said of the life you live?

I am and will eternally be grateful to God. As I reflect on life today, I am increasingly amazed and humbled at God’s love and mercy. The older I get, the more I realize just how undeserving I am.

For many of us fortunate to have dinner with our families or friends today, I thought I will share what has become a bit of a tradition in our home. Before we eat, we take a moment to read Psalm 100. It’s a short but powerful psalm of thanksgiving. From our family to yours, have a beautiful thanksgiving and a life filled with more and more of God’s presence and His incredible goodness. Thanks for allowing me to share my blog with you. Much love,

David

Psalm 100 nlt

1  Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!

2  Worship the LORD with gladness.

    Come before him, singing with joy.

3  Acknowledge that the LORD is God!

    He made us, and we are his.

    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

    go into his courts with praise.

    Give thanks to him and praise his name.

5  For the LORD is good.

    His unfailing love continues forever,

    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

 

Kerby Brown taking on the 40 foot wave

This picture caught my attention recently. It is an Australian surfer, Kerby Brown, taking on a 40-foot wave and living to talk about it. What a gutsy combination of being bold and audacious.  Dictionary.com suggests that such a picture can only be described as bodacious.  It stands in contrast to my play-it-safe self.

You see, I tried surfing early in the summer and actually loved it.  I have brand new surfer shorts (never worn) and a surfboard that went from the store to the garage and has, since then, provided a bodacious experience for spiders. Now summer is way gone and I have totally missed out on a potential new career opportunity .

I think Christianity – or more accurately, following Jesus was meant to be bodacious. That’s what it was like for the believers in the book of Acts. They loved dangerously, forgave recklessly, shared their stuff wastefully with those in need, and pursued God unashamedly. They had a faith that wasn’t confined by fear, and lived out what it meant to be changed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. These disciples were bold, audacious and lived Romans 12.

Romans 12:9-12 (MSG)
⁹Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. ¹⁰Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.¹¹Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master,¹²cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.

I’m not talking about living dangerously just for the sake of it- that’s “stupidacious,” (word not found in dictionary.com). However, many who carry the label of Christians, find themselves confined to religious ghettos – garages of other play-it-safe, stored up fellow believers, who hide from interacting with those who really need to be touched by the good news of the Gospel. Jesus was drawn to those who needed Him the most and so should we.

Indeed, this comes with a price.  People may reject you and your efforts, but let that spur you on to keep trying. Wipeout is actually part of the experience. If when you think of reaching beyond your comfort zone and taking a risk for God you are hindered by thoughts of:

• “I tried that already and it didn’t work…”
• “That’ll never work for me…”
• “I’m not good enough… strong enough… spiritual enough… smart enough…”
• “Me? You’ve got to be kidding!”

If that’s your list of normal constraints, absolutely disregard that list and dare to be bodacious. By God’s grace, you can influence your world. You must!

 P.S. Next summer, I do intend to hit the surf again. Can’t wait to take on the 40-foot wave.  

2 Corinthians 12:9 Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. NLT

It’s difficult to reconcile how Paul could use the words boast and weaknesses in the same sentence. We cover our weakness, try to repair it, not boast about it.  In all honesty, facing and dealing with our weakness can be a daily burden leaving us discouraged and depressed. What seems to be a molehill for others is a mountain in our lives.  Yet, God’s promise to us is that in spite of our weakness, and, as a matter of fact, during the times when we feel most helpless, we can turn to Him for help.  His power works at its best when our strength is at its least.

Charlotte Elliott struggled with this issue in her life.  She became bitter and angry about the circumstances in her life.  Charlotte was an invalid from her youth and deeply resented the circumstances of her handicap.  When she gave her life to God, she longed to be used by Him, yet she felt her health and physical condition prevented it. Alone one evening, she poured out her feelings to God and penned the words:

Just as I am, tho tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt

Fightings and fears within, without,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

 You may recognize this as the third stanza to a song that has been sung at many evangelistic meetings.  A song that epitomizes that we can all come to God the way we are.  This song has helped millions to make that step… that step towards the unconditional, outstretched arms of God.  Charlotte may not have seen the fruits of her work, yet God used her moment of seeming weakness and despair to change the lives of many. Indeed, in spite of Charlotte’s physical impairment, God used her pen to draw millions to Him.

 Don’t focus on your difficulties or weaknesses.  Focus on the God who is bigger than your difficulties. Turn to Him in your moments of weakness and invite Him to show Himself strong on your behalf.  Whether or not you feel strong is irrelevant.  Don’t wallow in it.  Immerse yourself in your God. Let Him be your strong tower. Let Him bring out the best in you.

Question: What weaknesses are consuming your attention? Drawing you to look at yourself instead of the bigness of your God?  Let God show himself strong in spite of your circumstances.  Talk to Him today. His gracious favor is all you need. 

Sorry about the title and yes it is a trick question. I borrowed it from Stuart McAllister. Does your mother know that you are stupid? There is no good answer to this question.  If you say yes – you are acknowledging your stupidity. If you say no, you are acknowledging her ignorance of your stupidity. If you say I don’t know – you are saying you are too stupid to even know how your mother feels about you. 

Indeed, questions can have an embedded assumption or assertion. No wonder, very often Jesus would ask a question in return, when confronted with a question. He did it to force people to think, and to force them to open up within their own assumptions. He had a way of helping people come to grips with their motivation.

When asked in Matthew 19 “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” he responded, “Why ask me about what is good?”

When approached by some Pharisees about a woman caught in adultery they asked: “The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” he responded with a statement – but really with a question of self-examination “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

Consider this classic example in 

Luke 20:20-22 nlt  Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent secret agents pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. ²¹ They said, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You sincerely teach the ways of God. ²² Now tell us – is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?”

To understand what is happening here, we need to consider the context. The religious people asking the question believed they were God’s chosen people and enslaved by the Roman Government. Their belief was that if you pay taxes, you are financing oppression of God’s holy people. It is why Jesus just couldn’t say yes. If he did, due to their cultural assumptions, they would accuse him of compromising his holiness to save his own life. If he says no, they would then turn him over to the Roman government to be charged with tax evasion. Jesus chose to respond to the question with one of his own.

Luke 20:23-26 He saw through their trickery and said, ²⁴ ”Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. ²⁵ “Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God.” ²⁶ So they failed to trap him in the presence of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they were silenced.

He answers the question – give to Cesar what belongs to him and by that, he shows them that it doesn’t make you unholy. Holiness is about giving to God what is rightfully His. I have wondered, why they didn’t ask the next logical question. So, what belongs to God? He could have then led them into how a right understanding on how to worship God in a way that is true and holy. 

It is important that we check our motives before we launch the question. Here are some “questions” to prepare our hearts toward God.

Am I honestly seeking to know what is true? Have I “loaded” the question to shape the response I want to hear?

Lord, what wrong assumptions about you have I brought into this conversation?