Tag: emotional

With Fear and Trembling

With Fear and Trembling

When we are told in Philippians by Paul to “Work out our own salvation with fear and trembling,” doesn’t that fly in the face of “Fear not, for I am with you?” from Isaiah 41? This week i want to explore the thought that Paul raises in Philippians 2:12-13 about working out our own salvation, what does that mean? Well, i can tell you what it doesn’t mean, it doesn’t mean or even imply a works based salvation. It does not intend to put undue hardship on others, or ourselves for that matter . . . It does mean we need to take ownership of our journey. He will not contradict His Word, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, however, my journey of salvation may look very different than yours.

We are told in Proverbs 9 that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” This word for fear could be translated, respect. We are to respect the Lord, how does one show respect? By honoring them, listening to them, serving them, and obeying them, to name a few. But what about trembling? Well, it actually means to tremble. Have you ever seen the movie the Wizard of Oz? When Dorthy, Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion, finally get an audience with the Wizard they enter with fear and trembling. They have a great deal of respect for the Wizard of Oz and how he has presented himself to them. This is an excellent picture of the meaning, “fear and trembling.” Now that you have the picture, God is not the Wizard of Oz; He is the creator of the Universe! Paul is making a distinction here that we often overlook because, well, “grace” and “God is Love.” However, He is still the creator of the Universe, and He is the one who will sit on the Throne during the judgment and separate the sheep from the goats.

So yes, we are to think about our salvation! Are we living as Jesus instructed us? Are we being obedient? The next verse 2:13 says, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Isn’t that comforting? The creator of the Universe loves us so much, He is at work within us, giving us the ability to do and act in obedience. “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. It isn’t impossible to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling when we know that the Living God is at work with us! We simply need to be obedient to His leading, and responsive to His prompting to do according to His good and perfect will.

You are loved,

cj

Longingly

Longingly

Yesterday my youngest son came home from being away since Christmas. i was so anxious to see him, i kept watching for him through the window of the doors in the back of the Church as i was in a prayer meeting. i was totally distracted! As we were sitting there the question was asked, “how much does God love you?” As those who shared said many great things i couldn’t help but think that God, loves me even more than i love my son. He waits, longs and looks for me to come through the doors. And, when i do, like i did when my son walked in, He gets up and embraces me.

He being, omnipresent, has this desire for each one of us. He can’t wait to embrace me, you, us, and looks longingly for us to approach Him. Just look at the story of the prodigal son, it is a reflection of God’s relationship with us when we return to right our relationship with Him. The wedding banquet is another image of His desire to be with us. i think about how much i love my children and how every time they come to visit or stay with us how i wait longingly for their arrival. Then i think Jesus, loves me even more than that! How much more does He long for me?! It is incredibly humbling. Here are some Words from Scripture, if you are feeling unloved or lost, or if you just need to be reminded that the Father in Heaven looks longingly for you!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2-3

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God, Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4

You are love,

cj

Best by Far Moments

Best by Far Moments

There are several life lessons i have had a chance to bestow upon my 5-month-old grandson. Yes, he is only five months. But still. Now, i have taken the Norwegian name for grandpa, bestefar. my words of wisdom to him are known as “best by far moments with bestefar.” So far he has been told about:

  1. Only always Jesus!
  2. Throwing fits are not an appropriate responses to being upset.
  3. Some people are gonna make you mad, you love them anyway.
  4. Work hard at everything you do, even when you think no one is watching, someone is always watching.
  5. Enjoy every moment you can, cry, laugh, listen, be present!
  6. Don’t ever think that you know everything, someone always knows more, and whether they do or don’t; simply, know your stuff so that you can discern truth from lies, in so doing, you remain teachable.

The starting points for these lessons come from Psalm 1 . . .

“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and shall not stand in the path of sinners, and shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the Law of YWHW, and he meditates in His Law day and night. For he shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water, and whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked shall not rise in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For YWHW knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked comes to naught.”

These lessons are good for all of us and i am still learning to walk in them each day.

You are loved,

cj

In the beginning . . .

In the beginning . . .

“Once upon a time…” Many children’s stories begin this way. Star Wars, begins each of its movies with the tag line, “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…” Every great story has a great catch, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, if it doesn’t grab your attention, it’s hard to follow along much after. The Bible is often referred to as the good book, or the greatest book ever written! i know i am about to play semantics but to be 100% factual the Bible isn’t one book, but a collection of 66 books, written by some 40 different authors, over a thousandish years. Now think about that for a minute. So, the next time someone says the Bible is a boring book, you could start there as you express the idea that maybe they try reading it differently.

Unlike all other books the Bible, a collection of books is alive, it is a living breathing story of an Infinite God, who desires to reclaim His creation that once was good. Restoring that once intimate relationship He shared with those He placed in the garden. It is a dramatic story full of good versus evil. Read to the end we see that good does eventually conquer evil, but for a time it appears as though darkness and evil prevail. It has love letters and poetry, songs and instruction, wisdom and history, and it is chalked full of great mystery. As well as many of our catchphrases or slang terms are actually right from the Books of the Bible; “By the skin of their teeth,” “Jumpin Jehosaphat!” “Doubting Thomas,” “Drop in the bucket,” “A House Divided,” “Scapegoat,” and “To Everything, There is a Season,” just to name a few.

Earlier i mentioned tag lines or opening phases to catch the readers attention. Here are a few of those:

“In the beginning God . . .” Genesis 1:1 Eckoed later in the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word . . .”

“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.” Song of Solomon 1:2

“The Word of the Lord . . .” Many books begin this way.

Explore the living, breathing, Word of God and let it breathe life into you today!

You are Loved,

cj

From the beginning of time. . .

From the beginning of time. . .

“Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.”

From Genesis, all the way to Revelation, there is one story that is being unfolded, God and His relationship with mankind. It was present at creation, in the garden, painfully at the flood, frustratingly through Exodus, whispering in the silence, and victorious at the cross! Even in the midst of increasing corruption on the earth, God generously found one that was faithful, Noah.

“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6:5-8 ESV

We read here of God’s grieving heart for His creation and that even though He was sorry He created man, and in that was resolved to “blot out man” He, however, being the very essence of love, had mercy on one, Noah, who found favor with God. We are told that the days before Christ’s return will be like the days of Noah. It is no wonder that Jesus said, “I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8 ESV). i say, if He could find it in one Noah, He would find it again. Yet, in His forbearance, He set in motion the greatest redemption story of all time, Jesus.

As we look around our world today, i think it would be very easy to say that wickedness abounds and that it is increasingly true that the thoughts and intentions of the heart of man are on evil, and that continually. Will the Lord find one with faith on earth? Jesus is the Ark of our day, He is our redemption, as many scoffed at Noah building the Ark, so many scoff at the name of Jesus and all who would, and have, called on His name. The persecution will only increase as the days grow ever more wicked. We must remain vigilant.

The song, “Jesus Paid it All,” is one of my all-time favorite Hymns. i find myself singing the refrain often when i need a reminder that Jesus is all i need. He is the one who washed away all my sins; He paid it all, and for those who put their faith, and trust in Jesus . . . will ride the Ark of the Lord’s return.

i am putting a link here to Celtic Worship’s rendition of “Jesus Paid it All,” i hope you enjoy it as much as i do!

You are loved,

cj

Rise and Pray that you may . . .

Rise and Pray that you may . . .

Have you ever been daydreaming, or have your mind wander off into thought, only to have to shake the thought free, thinking, “where did that come from?” Having been a thought or desire to sin; Whether it be a lustful thought, a thought of doubt, perhaps one to do harm to another or yourself, or a thought to call into question your own faith even? These little thoughts if left unchecked can become a real problem! Sadly, many Christain’s fear confessing these types of thoughts because they don’t want others to think bad of them. So, instead, they live in these secret thoughts, these little temptations that overtake the weak, the weary, the naive, even the seasoned because of apathy. Jesus, knowing the nature of man warned His disciples to pray in such a way that they wouldn’t give into temptation.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:9-13

This idea of lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil reminds us that Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, where He was tempted but the devil. This instruction in the Lord’s prayer is a reminder for us to pray that no matter what trials or temptations befall us, and there will be countless, that we would not give in to them but rather choose obedience over disobedience. For example, Jesus in the garden tells His disciples to pray that they would “not enter into temptation.”

“And He came out and went, as was His custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. ANd when He came to the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony He, prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and He said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.‘” Luke 22:39-46

Here we read this about this incredible moment in the garden where Jesus is nearly overcome by grief and sorrow. He tells His disciples to pray, and then He goes and prays, and i believe that this prayer is Jesus praying against temptation. The movie “The Passion of the Christ” i think does a great job of depicting the agony and the thought and the spiritual battle that was taking place at that moment. As we read in the garden account, Jesus takes every thought captive and turns it over, “not My will, but Yours be done.” We are to take every thought captive and if we do it is a step in the right direction against the trials and temptations that come our way.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

Let us, as Paul did, take every thought captive to obey Christ!

Wholeheartedly

Wholeheartedly

Seek God daily, persistently, and wholeheartedly; You will find life in all its fullness, and it will transform the way that you love and serve others. Does it mean endless blessing? Your best life now? Folks, can i be totally honest? No, no it doesn’t. Moses sought God daily and wandered in the desert for forty years. Peter sought God daily and was nailed to a cross, upside down. Paul sought God daily, and he prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, it wasn’t. John sought God daily and was exiled on an island until he died. If life gives you wandering, exile, or a thorn in the flesh, it does not mean you do not have God’s favor upon your life. Neither does it mean that God delights in causing you pain.

Life is full of challenges because the world is a dark place. Its ruler sits on the throne he created, and it is temporary. He succeeded in tempting Eve. He failed at killing the Messiah. Jesus, the Messiah, the One who conquered death, promises that for those who seek Him, they will receive an eternal reward. He also warns us, those that seek Him daily, He warns us not to lose heart. For those that do, He warns to return to our first love!

 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.  I know your deeds, your hard work, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:1-7)

 Let us return to the love we had at first! Let us live our lives seeking God daily, persistently, wholeheartedly!

You are loved,

cj

“What must I do to be saved?”

“What must I do to be saved?”

Jesus said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) We can read throughout the New Testament folks asking a very important question, “What must I do to be saved?” There are many faiths, some even claiming to be Christain that would answer that question with a list of works that must be carried out. But, let us explore some of the answers given in Scripture and see what we truly must do to be saved!

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” Acts 2:37-38 ESV

“Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved you and your household.'” Acts 16:30-31 ESV

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 ESV

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

“Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:5-6 ESV

We could keep going but these key passages show that Salvation comes by faith in Jesus only. That we cannot in any way work our way onto a list. No one is better or worse off in what is required of us to attain to salvation, repent and believe. i guess the tricky part comes in the idea of repentance. What does it truly mean to repent? Simply, to turn from sin. We were all once living in sin and darkness, and those who have come to repentance and faith in Jesus should no longer walk in sin. The following are not works of salvation but the mark of true faith, of a true believer.

“I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the siants and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:9-13

Again, we could explore so many more passages that talk about our response to God’s grace and salvation, but, these give us a good foundation. We are not to look like the world but be ambassadors to the Kingdom of God. Living as children of light, in a dark and fallen world. Repent and believe! And, live for the King of kings!

You are loved,

cj

Breaking In

Breaking In

Today i spoke with a publisher online. i am attempting to get my book, “Staying the Journey” published. It would be amazing if it were available by Christmas but at this point, i am not holding my breath. Anyway, the first publisher i sent it to waited eight weeks to tell me that they don’t publish my sort of book, on Christian Living and Spiritual Formation. Eight weeks. So, i started over. i have now sent it on to several publishers at once and even looked into getting a Literary Agent. Because, without one, it is an uphill battle for a first-time author. But it isn’t easy to convince an agent to represent you.  It is a wait and see sort of field, am i good enough? Is my writing good enough, is it clear, with good punctuation, did i dot all my i’s and cross all my T’s? Or am i an editors nightmare? Waiting isn’t fun.

This guy i spoke with today is part of a publishing company that has a division that does self-publishing but with a lot of help. They do this sort of 50-50 deal, it’s not really 50-50 but so that it is better understood and easier to explain let’s just say it’s 50-50. i put up some cash to start the process, in doing so, i unleash their expertise. If i were to 100% self-publish, i would have to do all the groundwork, getting my book into stores and online etc. With them, they do all that for me, along with much more, including websites and digital copies of my book for download. Breaking into this seemingly exclusive club known as professional writers is, well, not as easy as one would hope.

Isn’t it comforting to know that we don’t have to break into heaven? That we have an agent that makes entry into heaven seamless?

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

We are blessed to have an agent who represents us. He not only represents us but when the God of the universe looks at us to gauge whether or not we are worthy, He sees our agent and our agent says, “this one is good enough, for their sins are forgiven.” Be encouraged my friends, Jesus, our advocate, mediator, agent, doesn’t look at our ability but rather our heart and in Him, we have boundless opportunity, for He loves us!

You are loved,

cj

In Step with the Spirit

In Step with the Spirit

Lent is an excellent time to take time and recalculate whether you are in step with the Spirit of God. The reality is that we as humans can, and often do find ourselves in the weeds of life. Sometimes knowingly, and other times unknowingly, but either way, taking a self-assessment to determine where you are is always a good idea; and what better time to do it than Lent. The period in which we look to the cross, the final sacrifice, the one that tore the veil into the Holy of Holies. Granting us access to the Father, the Alpha, and the Omega, the very Creator of the Universe, which includes you and me.

We know that there is a spiritual battle going on around us and actually in us. The struggle in us is that of the flesh versus the spirit. Paul writes to the Church in Galatia about this struggle.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians 5:16-17 ESV

In the letter to the Romans we read:

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin.” Romans 7:21-25 ESV

It is because of this war that we must remain vigilant to the schemes of the enemy. We know that the devil is prowling around like a lion, looking for someone to devour, waiting for that opportune time to strike! (1 Peter 5:8) Therefore, take heed, and some personal responsibility, to remain accountable to the Spirit of God. Here are some practical ways to stay vigilant in your journey with Jesus.

  1. Study the Word! Be in it, meditate on the Word, day and night! (Psalm 1:2) And, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
  2. Pray! Jesus’ example to us on the importance of getting away to pray is written throughout the Gospels. We are also instructed to “pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
  3. Journal. We are told to “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart” Proverbs 3:3, In fact, we are told several times to write them on our hearts, and hands, and our very souls.
  4. Accountability! It is important to have trusted friends around you. To share your struggles with and to confess your sins to in order to be held accountable; to help keep you on the right path. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) Also, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16

This short list isn’t a complete one, we could talk about the importance of a Church family or small group, the list continues. However, the above list will definitely help one stay vigilant on their Journey with Jesus. Let me close with a simple way to take your temperature to find out where you are:

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:18-25

As you look at yourself, do you see more flesh or more Spirit? If more flesh, confess, pray, get in the Word, journal, and get accountable. If more of the Spirit, do not slack! Weed out what flesh is there, confess, pray, get in the Word, journal, and get accountable.

You are loved,

cj