which way does my life lead?

This seems a bit tenuous because I could not type quickly enough to keep up with my train of thought …

Proverbs 15:24
The path of life leads upwards for the wise; they leave the grave behind.

Notice the aspect here- this is not a prophecy of what will come nor a promise for the future, but a comment upon the now. It is the present continuous. As we walk wisely the shadow of the grave falls away. The place where nothing can be attained, where hope deserts us and where actions begin to fade grows ever more distant. Wise walking directs us upwards to accomplishment, faith and lasting achievement.

Matt Stone commenting on the rubicon's question, “who would miss [your church] if you weren’t there anymore?” says, “I don't think the average person in the street would panic if we suddenly weren't there one day, but we have forged relationships with some local families who very much value our friendship and presence in their lives.”
There is something lasting being done there by his church. I wonder however whether these are questions to be asked of our own lives. Are we making a lasting impact – one that will outlive our time on earth?
How would you answer these questions?

• So you are a Christian- who would miss you if you weren’t there anymore?
• So you are a Christian- who is it you find yourself ministering to… people like you?
• So you are a Christian- what point has there been to your existence - for whose benefit?
• So you are a Christian- how dirty have you got trying to be a transforming influence in your community?
• So you are a Christian- why do you do what you do?
• So you are a Christian- do you embody the gospel by standing up for true love, justice and grace?

It’s harder when they are so personal. I wonder how I would answer them …

Does the path of my life lead me upwards? Does it lead others that way?

the faith of doubting Thomas

STANDOUT VERSE- John 11:16
Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too – and die with Jesus.”

Jesus and the disciples had only just escaped from an angry mob in Jerusalem that had been trying to stone them for blasphemy. To return was asking for trouble and Lazarus lived just a few miles away and the people of Jerusalem had come to comfort Mary and Martha. Thomas is perhaps best known for his doubting. Not being there when Jesus appeared in the upper room, he was reluctant to believe in Jesus’ resurrection. Yet here, immediately after witnessing Lazarus’ resurrection, Thomas makes a statement of great faith and commitment.
The other disciples, including those whom who we applaud for their great courage, tried to talk Jesus out of this course of action yet the only one who has faith is doubting Thomas. He remembers the voice that spoke and wonders what may have changed since he first heard Jesus say, “Follow me!” He knew his call. Does Jesus need to say it again just because times have gotten hard, as if that first call only applied to the good times? Does He first call, “Follow me when times are best!” and later “Follow me through the mildly irritating!” Does the call to discipleship slowly ramp up to a climax of “Follow me to a fiery furnace, to battle a giant, to a cross: to death!” Is sacrifice only for the spiritually mature?

When I responded to the call “Follow me!” nothing more was said. The way ahead was unknown and all I knew was that Jesus would be there on the road ahead – the great shepherd, whose voice I would come to know better gathering me in and walking before. And right then I needed to know nothing else. Sometimes, like the other disciples and as time has gone on, I want to know more and I choose to imagine that I responded to more than those two words.

And doubting Thomas’ faith shames me.

Lord give me the faith of doubting Thomas and as I walk into today may I go, prepared even to die with Jesus.

When All You’ve Got Is A "Maybe"

Standout Verse – 1 Samuel 14:6-7 (NKJV)
Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armour, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.” So his armour-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”

Sometimes other people say what you want to say much better than you would have done. Sometimes they say what you wish you could but never would have said. Sometimes others exceed you. When they do it is an immeasurable blessing for they stretch you beyond the present confines of self.
Today was a day when I was blessed by someone exceeding my insight on this verse, which caught my attention. Keith Linkous’ insight was marvellous and I reproduce a slightly edited version below. See http://sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=38032 for a full transcript.

From: When All You’ve Got Is A "Maybe", by Keith Linkous

The future, the absolute direction Jonathan needed for the present time just was not clear. All he could say was "It may be..." He couldn’t be sure one way or the other. He seemed to, and probably did, feel that it was the right thing to do, but there is uncertainty revealed in his words. There seemed to be some doubt.
I believe that there are times when we have uncertainties and doubts when the enemy is not majorly involved. There are times when we are just unsure and unclear on the right step to take, and the right move to make. Sometimes, all we have is a sense, a feeling, and something abstract. We have nothing concrete and sure. Most of the time, in every area of life, we like guarantees. We like the sure thing. But the "sure thing" doesn’t require any faith. In Hebrews 11:6, faith is identified as a prerequisite for pleasing God. The truth is most of us will face more "maybe’s" than we will certainties in our walk with God. There will be times when we have a sense of what’s right, what God’s will is, but we will still have doubts and uncertainties.
Ecclesiastes 11 talks about "not watching the wind and clouds." What does that mean? I believe it means: Don’t get caught up watching the natural circumstances. Don’t get distracted by waiting for natural things to align themselves. Listen: If all we do is wait on the right time, on the right conditions, on the right people, or the right atmosphere, then all we will ever do is sit around talking about "how bad we need things to line up" so we can get things done!
The metaphor used in Ecclesiastes 11, relates this truth to sowing and reaping. "He who regards the wind will never sow, and he that observes the clouds will never reap." Whether sowing or reaping, you can’t sit around waiting on "perfect" conditions before you take action. Don’t wait on the wind, and don’t focus on the clouds. And if we wait to do anything for God, until we are absolutely sure that it’s the right thing, then we will only sit around and miss miracles!
Sometimes you have to move out on a "maybe." Now I’m not talking about senseless action, and trusting God to empower our every whim. But I do believe that there are times when you have to step out by faith, and that means that YOU WILL NOT BE SURE. To wait until you’re sure is not moving by faith. All you may have is a "maybe". But I believe the Lord would say, "If you will begin to move out on a maybe, I will transform your maybe into a MIRACLE!"
We are to walk by faith and not by sight. That means take a chance, move out even when you’re unsure. Move out on a "maybe". That means you can still have some doubts and reservations. You can still have questions, and not know the whole plan. But if you will move out on a "maybe," then God can do an awesome work, just because you stepped out in "maybe faith."
So, what are you going to do when you’re not certain? Are you just going to sit back and wait on the natural circumstances to align themselves? Are you going to wait for
conditions that are perfect to launch the ministry expansion God put on your heart?

Jesus said, "I am he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens." I believe that God can open and shut doors that we, nor anyone else, can do anything about. *HOWEVER, I also believe that there are doors that God unlocks, but leaves closed, seeing if we have the faith to try the doorknob! I believe we have often missed God’s movement and direction, because we wanted to see the entire panoramic view. But God may just be wanting us to "push on the door" a little bit!
I believe that God will draw you to an unlocked door, that is closed, and then give you a "maybe" condition, and see what your faith will cause you to do! Some people are worried about making a mistake. And it is a possibility. But I have come to know that you can not make a mess so big that God cannot turn it around. You can’t make a mistake so big, that God cannot erase it. If you give yourself permission to fail or falter, you give yourself permission to try. And sometimes, that’s all God wants. He just wants you to try!
Now, you may think that we are only to move out on a surety. But do you realize how many natural decisions we make, based on a "maybe"? What about marriage? What about fishing? What about these deer hunters that get up a 3:00 A.M. while it’s still dark, put on camouflage, go to the woods, get in a tree stand and sit for EIGHT HOURS? They are doing all of that based on a "MAYBE!" *And if people will do natural, menial things based on a "maybe," could it be possible that God wants us to incorporate that kind of faith into the realm of Spiritual matters?

A man brought his demon possessed son to Jesus, to get him to cast the devils out. Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible." But the man replied: "I believe. But help my unbelief." Now, that sounds like "Schizophrenic Faith." First he believes, then he doesn’t believe. But I believe that he was saying: "All I have hope in is a ’MAYBE!’ I know you can do it, but I’m not sure what you’re going to do." But Jesus moved on his behalf, and turned his "maybe" into a MIRACLE!

Now let me return to 1Samuel 14 very quickly. The scene is that of Jonathan and his armour-bearer coming to a place where they were facing a garrison of the Philistines. Some believe this to be up to 250 armed soldiers. So it was 2 against 250. What were they to do? Jonathan says, "Let us go over unto them, for IT MAY BE that the Lord will work for us." Now listen: An armour-bearer didn’t have his own weaponry and armour. He only bore that of his master. So there was only one sword among them, and they want to "attack!"
And the armour bearer proves that he’s just as "crazy" as Jonathan, because he says, "I’m with you. Do what’s in your heart!" Oh Lord, give us a church full of people like that. People who will move out on a maybe, and others who will say, "We’re with you!"

Look at what these men were missing. They were at a place of insufficiency. They had insufficient personnel, insufficient weaponry or equipment, and insufficient plans. They weren’t equipped, or able in the natural to do it. But they also had something else: THEY HAD "MAYBE FAITH." They didn’t have assurance, but they had faith in a "maybe"! And God intervened on there behalf, and wrought a wonderful victory!

I don’t want to excuse my inactivity any longer, nor the church’s inactivity, by giving lame excuses that are not full of faith, but full of doubtful reasoning. I don’t plan
on my last words being "It’s just not time yet." I think it’s time that we analyze our faith, and begin to step out on a "MAYBE", and trust God to turn that "maybe" into a miracle! When all you’ve got is a "maybe," MAYBE God is wanting you to move on out, test the doorknob, push on the door, and step out in faith. And what is faith? What is it really?

Faith is what moves you, motivates you, and ACTIVATES you, WHEN ALL YOU’VE GOT IS A "MAYBE".

Lord, I too don’t want to excuse inactivity any longer by giving lame excuses that are not full of faith but instead full of doubtful reasoning. Teach me to move on out, test the doorknob, push on the door, and step out in faith. Give me a faith that moves me, motivates me, and activates me, when all I’ve got is a "maybe".

one mistake away

1Samuel 12:20-22
Don’t be afraid … You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonour his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

How often do we despair when we have done wrong and realise our sinfulness? Convinced that the Lord will finally say that enough is enough and declare we have gone too far?

Casting Crowns sing a song with this lyric:

I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

Though this feeling is natural it is unnecessary. In fact it demonstrates a misunderstanding of God and of our relationship with Him. And it shows a misunderstanding of what grace truly is. We often say that we cannot work to achieve our salvation; that it comes not by our actions but only by the gift of God.

Doctrine 8 of The Salvation Army

We believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ …

But somehow we don’t always allow that to extend into our relationship with God. It is as if we think that God will get fed up of and abandon us if we fail to meet his standard. We remove the aspect of grace from our understanding of salvation when we read the next doctrine.

Doctrine 9 of The Salvation Army

We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.

Samuel reminds us that we need to restore grace into continued salvation and gives us insight into a balance that needs to be achieved. A symbiosis between the need for continued obedient faith and a recognition that such obedience is not the fount of salvation. Obedience is not required because the slightest flaw of the regenerate life will result in eternal damnation but because disobedience is the root of turning from God. Samuel shows us that when the relationship with God ends it does so not because God has tired of us but because we have turned our backs upon Him. Grace extends to the disciple as to the unbeliever. Though we may feel one mistake away, the danger is that we stay that way – not that we are left. It is not a well place fear that God abandon us, but an unknowing recognition that we are abandoning Him. For such is sin.

Casting Crowns continue:

I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me
You’re holding on to me.

Today God says to us: “Don’t be afraid … You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship Me with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on Me. Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! I will not abandon you, because that would dishonour My great name. For it has pleased me to make you My own. It has pleased me … pleased me.”

Lord God, today and every other day: may I please You.

Dagon leads the way

1 SAMUEL 5:2-4
[The Philistines] carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again.

Dagon fell face down, and not just his idol … Isaiah 19 talks of the idols of Egypt trembling; Isaiah 46 of the gods of Babylon bowing low to the ground; Philippians 2 that every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. So down he falls, face down before the ark, even though the ark was placed to the side. “Facing,” as Matthew Henry puts it “the conqueror, to whom he is constrained to yield and do homage

All creation will worship. And will do so at the place where it is and even within its own stronghold. Dagon was in the place of his greatest strength – in his own temple, the place where he received worship. The Philistines wished to claim their greater strength by placing the ark into their temple, subservient to their god. But this plan failed. How could they claim that they were greater than the Israelites if their God could not stand before the ark. They believed that their power was tied to the strength of their god, but, as Matthew Henry also says, “by falling prostrate before the ark of God, which was a posture of adoration, [he] did as it were direct his worshippers to pay their homage to the God of Israel, as greater than all gods.” Their hope was misplaced and their strength in a creature who could not remain on his feet in the presence of their enemies’ law or the signs of their enemy’s God’s goodness and saving power (the tablets, mannah and rod kept within the ark. In fact Aaron’s rod which, as a content of the ark, they brought into their temple had already demonstrated its superiority over the gods of Egypt by, as a snake, swallowing the rods of the Egyptian priests.)

What are our idols? To what, other than God, do we pay tribute? One day these will bow alongside us before God; they will recognise that He is greater than they. How foolish will we then feel for having given them, at times, greater regard than we gave to the Lord? If we have set the law of God within our hearts and we become a visible testimony to the goodness and saving power of God, then we must take heed to the ark and to this verse. We have no need to be subservient to false gods; to be so is to dishonour the God we serve and bear witness to. We must bring the idols that surround us crashing down. We must worship God alone.

.....My hope is built on nothing less
.....Than Jesus' blood and righteousness,
.....I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
.....But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
..........On Christ, the solid rock, I stand,
..........All other ground is sinking sand.

Place me on Solid Rock.

which do you follow

John 5:39-40
You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

Sin can be very subtle in its starting form. I recently recorded a TV programme called Jesus Camp which I have been watching. It came with a health warning to those who watched it that they may find some scenes disturbing. They were right for me, though perhaps for different reasons. Among the things that disturbed me was an American family who, as well as the daily pledge of allegiance to the American flag also said a pledge of allegiance to the bible: “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.” Is this a nice touch – teaching them patriotism and godliness or is it bibliolatry? Is it selling out and seeking to model faith on secular culture or is it an incarnational reinvention?

As part of my daily worship I also saw the video below, which reminded me that incarnation is not about reinventing and compromising faith to fit into contemporary culture selling out, but is getting down and dirty: making the move to be amongst and one of whilst yet retaining purity and modelling holiness in the midst.

That TV programme also showed me (an adult – I didn’t like it’s presentation style to young children) an illustration of sin. A minister said that when we first come across it its can seem quite attractive - perhaps even cute, cuddly and harmless – like a lion cub. You can see where the rest of the illustration goes. Retaining that purity and finding holiness is therefore not easy but it is impossible if, as with those Jesus was speaking to, we become so involved in religion that we miss Christ.

To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me,
In every thought and deed,
this is my aim, my creed;
To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me,
His Spirit helping me,
Like him I'll be.

a doormat for Jesus (part 2)

On 31st March I wrote about being a doormat for Jesus, and I have spent much time thinking about Jesus’ call to turn the other cheek and how to do so is a sign of strength and defiance rather than weakness and submission.

A very useful discussion on this point is available from http://www.emergentvillage.com/podcast/samir-selmanovic-courage . It is an mp3, an hour long, but if you have the time free it is well worth a visit.