Windows of the Soul

All of Me

All that we are
Originally uploaded by insashi

29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. 31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. (Deuteronomy 4)

It’s pretty clear that God wanted the devotion of the children of Israel. He warned them in previous verses that he is a jealous God. He also warned them, prior to entering the Promised Land that if after they settled in, they worshipped idols of wood and stone, He would banish them to foreign lands belonging to their enemies. If from there, his people would seek Him with all of their heart and soul, then when they were in distress His people would find Him. Then they would return to the LORD and obey him. He reminds us He is merciful, and He will not abandon, destroy or forget the covenant he made.

How different is that for you or for me? How would we translate this into our modern everyday life?

If we seek God with all of our hearts we will find Him. But it takes everything we have. It’s called worship.

Are there times when we are banished to enemy territory? In a word, yes. Think about it. When we mess up we can go only so far before we realize we are out on the limb too far. Things catch up with us. We are found out. And we crash.

We find ourselves in enemy territory when we have turned away from God to our idols. Maybe it’s material things, people, destructive relationships, addictions – alcohol, sex, money, power, position. So when we crash – sin – we find ourselves estranged from God. We may find ourselves estranged from our family or friends as well. We may hit rock bottom. The principle is pretty much the same as the one we find above in Deuteronomy.

Yet if we turn away from our idols, and we seek God with all of our heart and soul, He will remember the covenant He made so long ago. 

He will be merciful. He will forgive. He will be found. 

But it takes all of me. And it takes all of you.

Lord, help us see our way out of the mess we make of our lives. And help us to seek you and to find you, with all we have within us. All of our heart. All of our soul. Thank you that your word says you will be found by us when we seek you with all that we are. Amen.

Believe

Believe
Originally uploaded by aftab.

But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 23" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." (Mark 9)

Jesus was about to do another miracle and heal a boy from demons that caused him to go rigid and foam at the mouth. Jesus asked about how long the boy suffered, and the father replied. He also said, if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. I guess the situation looked pretty bleak.

Jesus took exception to the “If you can” part of the sentence. He then went on to say EVERYTHING is possible for him who believes. Not some things. Not some things some times. He said everything. Everything is possible – can be done- for him who believes.

Do you believe this is true? Do you believe everything is possible if we believe? This is a strong and bold statement, and very encompassing.

Take a moment and really dwell on this statement by Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Really slow it down. Everything. Is possible. For him. Who believes. And swish these words around in your mind for a while. Dwell on them.

Maybe we ought to check to see if we truly believe. Maybe we need to cry out to Jesus as the man in the story cried out. “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”

Lord, may we truly believe that EVERYTHING is possible for him who believes. May this truth be woven into the fabric of our lives, our hearts, our minds, our very being. And may we believe, not because of who we are or what we can do. But may we believe because of Who You are, and what You can do. Amen.

Who You Are to Me

There is no such thing as chance; 
Originally uploaded by insashi

29"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."(Mark 8)

I can remember a pastor preaching on this verse. His emphasis was that we must also answer this question for ourselves. Who do we say Jesus is?

We must decide after being presented with the evidence of the Word of God, the faithful witness of believers, and the experiences we have with God, just who Jesus is to us. Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” The word “Christ” may also be translated as Messiah. "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) both mean "the Anointed One."

Anointed. I looked it up on line and found that it means to consecrate or make sacred in a ceremony that includes the token applying of oil; to dedicate to the service of God. We know that the Old Testament describes the one to come, the birth, death and life of Christ were prophesied long before he was born (Dictionary.com, 3-1-10).

Throughout the books of the prophets, God made many promises about the Messiah. Those who have placed their faith in him believe Jesus of Nazareth is the long awaited Messiah sent from God. In his birth, life, death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled every prophecy about the Messiah. Most of these prophecies were made 500-1000 years before Jesus was born (from TheAnointedOne.net, 3-1-10).

So, as we do in all relationships, we must decide for ourselves who Jesus is to us. By not deciding, we are making a decision not to enter into a relationship with the Christ, the Anointed One.

But today, I want you to consider the flip side of this relationship. Who are we to Christ? Who are we to God? There is a song by Big Daddy Weave called Who You are to Me. It describes who we are in the eyes of God. I encourage you to listen to it. You may never have thought about who you are to God, or how He sees you.

LORD, may we consider carefully who You are to us. But may we also understand who we are to You. Christianity is about a relationship, it’s not a religion. May we enter into the relationship of the ages with the God of eternity, simply by accepting You as the Messiah, the Savior not only of the world, but for each one of us individually. Amen.

Rebellion Repaid

rebellion …
Originally uploaded by mhd.hamwi

34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.' (Numbers 14)

The children of Israel explored the promised land flowing with milk and honey. They acknowledged the land, but were afraid of the people. Despite all of the miracles the LORD had done on their behalf, they still rebelled. They grumbled and were afraid. They complained. They began a rebellion. And the LORD’s anger burned against them. So, the LORD decided those leading the rebellion would suffer. They would die in the desert and would not get to go into the promised land. As stated above, they would suffer for forty years, for their sins and know what it is like to have the LORD against them. They suffered a year for each day they explored the promised land.

I don’t know about you, but I know I do not want to suffer for my sins for forty years. And I do not want to know what it is like to have the LORD against me. In a word, it would be misery. The LORD gave them miracle after miracle, provision after provision. All they had to do was watch, and now all God wanted was for them to believe, go in and take possession. But they were afraid. Fear.

Are we really all that different? Don’t we watch God provide for us, heal us, meet our needs, defeat our enemies, and we still fear just about everything except the LORD? God is the one who controls our eternal fate. He is the only ONE to fear. To revere. To worship. To obey.

Rather than be enemies with God, we should be thinking soberly about being friends with God. How do we do that? We accept Christ as our Savior. We study the Word. We pray. We fellowship with other believers. We live in relationship with God. We obey.

LORD, may we know you as friend and not as enemy. May we trust you because you have more than proven yourself to us. May we remember all you have done, and trust you for all you will do. Thank you for being our God. We will be your people. Amen.

Otherwise

2006-7-30 Wise and Otherwise Game Pieces
Originally uploaded by JanetandPhil

25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26" 'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." 27For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. (Acts 28)

Today what struck me was the latter part of verse 27, but I included the text from verse 25 on to give context to today’s thoughts. Paul had just talked to the crowd in Rome. Some believed and some didn’t. His comments were directed to those who were still holding out, from the prophet Isaiah. They hear, but they don’t hear. They see, but they don’t see.

What kind of conundrum is this?

What Paul was saying was that the Jews who refused to believe were given all the information and tools they needed. But they could not see because they had closed their minds and eyes to the truth. They could not hear because they would not allow themselves to hear the other side. They had allowed their hearts to become calloused.

Their hearts had become hard, inflexible, rigid, dense, resisting the words and arguments Paul made for Christ. He was connecting the dots of the Old and New Testaments for them, along with his personal experience.

So they were calloused. But there’s another word: OTHERWISE. If things were different, says the LORD, they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts. And turn. And God would heal them.

Seeing, not just in the physical sense, but in their spiritual reality. Hearing, not just in the physical, but in their hearts. Understanding, not just what is before them, but the implications in the unseen world of the Spirit, the mind, the emotions, connecting the dots. And turn. From their blindness, their deafness, their resistance, their sinfulness. To God. He in turn would heal them. Of the evil controlling them. Of their inability to see, hear, understand, and love.

How do we do this today? How do we keep an open heart? Spending time in the Word, prayer, fellowship. Practicing forgiveness, mercy, and love. Time with God, who heals us.

LORD, may we be men and women with open and sensitive hearts. Hearts that see, hear, and understand Your words to us. May we see with new eyes, hear with new ears, and understand with new hearts the truth of the gospel. Then may we honor You in all we are and in all we do.

Persuasion

Beeches and Bluebells
Originally uploaded by Giles C. Watson

28Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 29Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." 30The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, "This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment." 32Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." (Acts 26)

So, Paul had his defense, and he presented it to King Agrippa, Festus, and Bernice. Festus accused him of being insane, but King Agrippa’s response is what captured my attention today.

Agrippa asked, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" He got it. He knew what was going on. He understood that was the point of what Paul was doing. And he knew the Sanhedrin was jealous. He also knew that the point of Paul’s preaching was the salvation of souls.  It was geared to persuading his audience to become a Christ follower.  Agrippa quickly connected the dots and realized that Paul was preaching to him, too.  

Notice Agrippa used the word Christian. The sect of Christ believers was known as the Way. With that comment, and Paul’s response, Agrippa stood to leave. And he knew Paul had done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment and says so to Festus. But because Paul appealed to Caesar, he had to be held until that was fulfilled. So, in a way, Paul contributed to his own imprisonment. Yet, he was still preaching. Kind of like the Eveready Bunny…..still going. Paul just kept on going.

So, what’s the take away? The take away is found in Agrippa’s question to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" Short or long time, when God prepares a heart, that heart will discern the gospel message. That heart will be prepared. That heart will know. And that heart will make a decision to follow Christ or not. 

The take away is that the message is faithfully proclaimed. The take away is that the messenger may suffer, but the focus is on the message, on God, not the circumstances. The take away is that God is still in control, and His purposes will be fulfilled. 

LORD, may we take away the things from our circumstances that You want us to understand. May we also understand that our focus is on You. May we understand that we are to faithfully proclaim Your word. And may we trust you with the results. Amen.

Perspective

point of view
Originally uploaded by trevvy15

18When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. (Acts 25)

The entire Jewish community wanted to see Paul dead. And they were willing to ambush him, which is why they pleaded with Felix to send Paul to Jerusalem. Paul, however, appealed to Caesar. This put the authorities in a bind. Here he was a prisoner, and as the above verses point out, the dispute was about their religion, and about a dead man named Jesus, who Paul claimed was alive.

So, Felix had a visitor, King Agrippa. And King Agrippa was listening to Felix’s dilemma concerning what to do about Paul (above verses). As a result of the conversation, King Agrippa decided he wanted to hear Paul.

Things from a strictly human perspective seemed to go from bad to worse for Paul. And he had done nothing wrong. But, if we step back and look at things from a godly point of view, the Jews looked really petty, and Paul was getting an audience with a king, and he would get one with Caesar himself.

So, what’s the take away? Maybe to take a step back and look. Take a moment and evaluate, or reevaluate, our circumstances according to how God views them.

So many of the day-to-day things we are concerned about are not the things God is concerned about. God does not seem to be moved by our inconveniences, by our sense of time and timing. He does not seem to be concerned about our comfort – creature comforts.

God is primarily concerned about the heart. About our relationship with him. He is concerned that others come to know Christ. He is concerned that we become not only seekers, but followers. He is concerned that His Word accomplishes His purposes.

LORD, may we be obedient to your precepts. May we be the people you have called us to be. May we honor you with our lives, and be instruments of your love and peace. Selah.

Set Apart

Dead Sea & Holy Light
Originally uploaded by chiar@s.

7 Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy. (Leviticus 20)

Today this verse stopped me in my tracks. And all through several chapters of Leviticus, verses were dedicated to the idea of holiness. There’s a part for each of us to play in holiness, and there is a part for God to play in holiness.

First, our part. We are told to consecrate ourselves and be holy. Consecration has to do with the idea of setting ourselves apart, devoting ourselves to God and being transformed. We are also told to be holy. Be. Our very existence is to be described as holy. Devout ... godly. We are also told to keep God’s decrees and follow them. Keep His law, His commands. Follow them.

Think about that for a minute. So, we set ourselves apart and devote our lives to God. Be godly. And keep God’s laws.

Now God’s part. He is the LORD. He exists as the One in charge of the Universe, and all that is in it. He is the Ruler, and He makes us holy. He recognizes us as saints, declares us pure, and He dedicates us to His service.

We do ... and He does. We obey and He creates. It’s both God and us moving and working toward the same end.

So, how do we do this? I believe it’s a matter of the heart. We have to want to belong to God. We have to desire His ways more than our ways or the world’s ways. We need to know His laws and keep them in our hearts by reading and meditating on His word.  

And how does He do it? Well, He’s in charge, in the first place. We may never know how God works His likeness, HIs holiness into us, but He does. 

LORD, may we be holy as you are. May we do our part, so that you will also do Your part to sanctify, set us apart, and be transformed. Then may our lives truly be living sacrifices, to the honor and glory of Your name. Selah.

X-tra Ordinary

Dolphins flourish in North Sea at dusk
Originally uploaded by B℮n

1God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. (Acts 19)

Paul traveled and preached. He discussed. He persuaded. He told the story of Jesus to the Gentiles, the Jews, and any who were interested in listening, participating. In his tireless efforts, and through the blessings of God, “the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”

Even the silversmiths and craftsmen who worked in the temples had something to say about Paul, and the impact he was making on the community, and their livelihood: “And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.”

Paul was having an impact on many people spiritually, economically, socially, mentally. People were being saved and sanctified, and the word of the LORD spread widely and grew in power. This meant they weren’t making idols, contributing to the temples of various gods, they were meeting with other believers, and they were placing their attention on the things of God, not the things of man made for various gods, or idols.

God worked extra-ordinary miracles through Paul. So much so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul were taken to the sick and they were made well. This is miraculous power on the level of Jesus himself. Yet we know all Jesus did was in concert and continual communication with the Father.

God did not give these extra-ordinary gifts to just anyone. Paul was not only wholly devoted to God, spreading the message of Jesus Christ, but he was also full of the Holy Spirit, and power in order to do these things. Paul was holy as God is holy. From ancient times, God’s people were commanded: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’ This kind of power is granted to the pure, the holy, those whose lives are in continual communion (prayer) with the LORD. The old adage, purity + prayer = power, was definitely at work in Paul’s life. He was making a major impact.

LORD, may we, too, be people of purity, prayer and thus wield your power to make an impact on the world, doing the things you have ordained for us to do. May we know you and walk with you so closely that we make a major impact on the world around us. May we rock our world even as You have rocked ours. Amen.

Many People in this City

Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the earth
Originally uploaded by Art Is Us

9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." (Acts 18)

Paul seemed to have a pattern. He would travel, work – if he needed to support himself, then go to the synagogue and reason with the Jews. Often in vigorous debate. But after reasoning, he would always turn his attention and efforts to the Gentiles.

The Jews would typically become angry with him, and they even would take up their arguments with the prevailing rulers. But God protected Paul, although at times things seemed serious, because there were numerous threats made against him.

Just as God said one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent. I am with you and no one will attack or harm you…” These words were proved true with what happened in Achaia.

The same is true today. If God has visited us in dreams and visions, and spoken to our hearts, then what we have heard is true. We need only believe. And we need to do the things God has said to do.

LORD, there are times when life is overwhelming. When we feel defeated on every side. When we feel under attack, and as if we have been harmed. LORD, may I realize You are with me. May I realize there is nothing to fear. Because You, LORD, have many people in this city. Selah.