relationship with God

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Pure In Relationship

This is part of a series of writings I am working on to expand the post I published earlier, Pure In HEART.  This series will be taking a more detailed look at each point of that post.  Today I look at part four, Pure in Relationship.

Again, the seeds for this series came from God through a song that took up residence in my mind for the better part of a week.  🙂   I think the song may be titled, “Highway To Heaven”, but the line that stuck with me is, “it’s a highway to heaven . . . none can go up there . . . but the pure in heart . . . well, it’s a highway to heaven . . . walking on the King’s highway!”

The phrase that continually jumped out at me was the idea of “pure in heart“.  I believe God has given me another acrostic to provide the framework for a sermon He has been giving me — and thus a series of writings.  What does it mean to be pure in heart?  I want to look at five areas that should help lead us toward being pure in heart.  We’ve already looked at living Pure in Humor, Pure in Eyes, and Pure in Attitude and now we come to Pure in Relationship.

” Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”  1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV)

Somewhere along the line it seems that respect in relationship has slid out of practice in a society that values the individual rights above all else and lives by an “everything is about me” attitude.  Living pure in relationship will require a foundation of purity in attitude.  As our attitude grows into being more Christ-like, we more consistently consider the needs of others above those of our own.

Paul writes to the young evangelist, Timothy, with some great instructions on what a pure relationship would look like in a variety of age and gender contexts.  We treat older men as if they were our father — even, and especially, when the situation appears to call for correction.  We treat younger men as brothers — siblings who may not always agree but always are looking out for and protect against attacks from outside the family.  We treat older women as we would a loving and sacrificial mother — with great love, tenderness and compassion.  We treat younger women as a sister — with absolute purity and no allowance for thoughts by us, or by anyone else, that would place them in a compromising position.  Unfortunately, much of the meaning gets lost when we fail to understand how Timothy would have heard and taken the comparisons that Paul makes.

The ultimate purity in relationship ought to be found in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ!  This is a relationship that we simply must get right.  As the song that planted the seeds for this series says, “none can go up there, but the pure in heart”.  In our relationship with God, do we tend to “cheat” on Him with other lovers?  Do we talk back and show complete contempt for who He is?  Do we ignore His will and commands with a disrespect that leads us down a very dark path?  Do we have no regard for His name and the reputation we give it to those who are watching us?  In our relationship with Him, and with others, God calls us to be holy as He is holy.  While that is impossible to do on our own, we can experience a cleansing of our attitude and an empowering of His Spirit to enable us to live a life that is holy and acceptable unto God.

So, how are your relationships?  Are you allowing your relationships to grow in depth and purity as you center them around the core of a vibrant relationship with God?  Do you live submissively in relationship with people in a way that shows you value them and their needs above yourself and your desires?  I pray that you and I would pursue God faithfully and be found “pure in HEART” because we have paid attention to purity in our Humor, Eyes, Attitude, Relationships, and Teaching!

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Where’s The FIRE? (Part 4: Energy)

This is part 4 of a 4 part series entitled, “Where’s The FIRE?”

Part four of this series brings us to a useful aspect of Fire — Energy!  When brought together in proper balance, the three components we’ve addressed so far — Fuel, Ignition, and Respect, can be used to bring about a life-changing Energy!  It is the energy of a fire that warms us and purifies that which passes through it.  When the fuel and ignition source are used with respect, the energy that fire releases can be used with direction and purpose.

It was the combination of the Word of God ignited by the Holy Spirit and used with respect for all mankind that unleashed an energy in the life of the apostles and early church that turned the world upside down!  Paul states that he was not ashamed of the gospel — the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — because it is the power, or energy, of God that brings about salvation! 

Is your life in Christ filled with energy?  Do you really believe that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength?  Is that “all things” according to His will and desire or “all things” according to what you want?  Some times we want the energy of being on fire for God that the early church displayed but we really don’t want the fuel of God’s Word to be that dominant in our life.  We like victory if we’re in charge and we get the credit but we’re not so sure about allowing God’s Spirit to actively live and work in our life each and every moment we live.  We stand for truth, and rightly so, but when it comes to others we desperately want the Jesus who overturned the money tables more than we want the Jesus who says in love, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

I pray that you and I would experience the energy that comes from the fire of God in our life!  May our consistent time in the Word of God fuel us to face whatever comes our way.  May our quiet time of seeking God and listening to His Spirit ignite the Word in our life so that it is living and active.  May our reverence of God give us a respect for people and a respect for the fire of God so that we would not bring damage to ourself or others.  May the energy that we receive from pursuing God in this way be used to change us into the image and actions of Jesus so that our life would be one that turns the world upside down as we lift up Jesus and He draws those that watch us to Himself.

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Where’s The FIRE? (Part 3: Respect)

This is part 3 of a 4 part series entitled, “Where’s The FIRE?”

Have you ever been so focused on doing something, or getting somewhere, so quickly that someone asks, “Where’s the fire?”  Perhaps you’ve done something so well that you hear the comment, “Wow!  You’re really on fire!”  Or maybe you’ve heard it said about you, or someone else, “They’re really on fire for God!” 

As I thought about each of these, and other similar phrases, I began to wonder what is at the heart of being on fire metaphorically.  What elements are needed to reach the point of “being on fire”, particularly in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  Perhaps looking at some elements of a campfire can help us start, or rekindle, a relationship with God that is truly on FIRE!

In the first post of this series I wrote about the Fuel needed for a life “on FIRE” and the second post covered the Ignition source necessary.  Now we turn our attention to an important, but often overlooked, part of a campfire — and of being “on FIRE” — Respect!  A campfire can be a beautiful, warming, even a calming and peaceful thing to watch and experience.  It is a great tool to aid in relaxing, reflecting on the day, and even cooking the day’s meal!  Without the proper respect, however, the same campfire can quickly take a destructive and deadly turn.  Many fires ranging from the small grass fires to the massive wildfires can be traced back to a simple phrase, “I didn’t think it would spread — I thought I had it under control”.  A lack of respect for the conditions, purpose, and need for the fire can allow a small blaze to rapidly spread out of, and beyond, control.

So, what role does Respect have in our being “on FIRE” for God?  My first thought goes to how do we use the burning combination of God’s Word and His Spirit?  We need to have a respect for the power represented through the name of Jesus!  Throughout the Bible there were people who thought they could play with fire — literally and figuratively — and get away with it.  People thought they could manipulate the power of God for their own glory and benefit only to be “burned” in the end.  Without respect, or reverence, for God it is far too easy to attempt to put ourself into a position that only belongs to God.

We also must understand and respect the specific purpose of the fire we represent and any point and time.  Once the Word of God is ignited in our life, how we use it can bring healing and warmth to a person or harm and devastation.  We are told to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.  That verse goes on to tell us to do so with “gentleness and respect”.  Many times we need to evaluate the situation before us and determine just how big of a fire is needed!  When I build a campfire at camp, I’m always assessing the surroundings, the weather conditions, the purpose of the fire, and other elements to determine where to build the fire and how much fuel to use so that the fire meets its purpose and is useful.

Respect is the element that keeps you from “torching” someone with your use of God’s Word!  I pray that as you and I live in the power of the Word through the Spirit of God that we would do so with a reverence for God and a respect for the people around us!

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Where’s The FIRE? (Part 2: Ignition)

This is part 2 of a 4 part series entitled, “Where’s The FIRE?”

Have you ever been so focused on doing something, or getting somewhere, so quickly that someone asks, “Where’s the fire?”  Perhaps you’ve done something so well that you hear the comment, “Wow!  You’re really on fire!”  Or maybe you’ve heard it said about you, or someone else, “They’re really on fire for God!” 

As I thought about each of these, and other similar phrases, I began to wonder what is at the heart of being on fire metaphorically.  What elements are needed to reach the point of “being on fire”, particularly in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  Perhaps looking at some elements of a campfire can help us start, or rekindle, a relationship with God that is truly on FIRE!

So, if you’ve read the first post in this series, what’s the next question?  If the fuel source is plentiful and readily available, why aren’t more of us on fire for God?  Sometimes it is because we don’t make use of the fuel available to us.  It’s like many of the fallen trees at camp.  They’re out in the woods — I know they are there yet I’ve not taken the time to take ownership of them by cutting and splitting them and adding them to the “storehouse” of available fuel.  How often do I inventory the “spiritual woodpile” and realize I need to do some serious work of bringing into my mind the fuel of God’s Word?  Am I disciplined enough to spend the time in prayer and fasting for the sole purpose of knowing God and His will?  While all of this needs done, I believe that for many Christians the problem isn’t as much in the collecting of the fuel as it is in the igniting of the fire!

I can collect, stack, and store as much fuel as I want but until something ignites it, it simply remains fuel and never becomes a fire.  There were many in the days of Jesus — religious leaders, in fact — who were amply supplied in fuel and even experts in its storage.  Yet their fuel never caught fire.  In their hands, God’s Word simply remained a bunch of sticks that they used to beat the people with.  They never allowed the breath of God to ignite the fuel so that God’s Word would bring warmth and healing to all people. 

A big part of ignition requires the presence of both fuel components.  With a campfire, the obvious fuel is the wood.  However, without the additional fuel of oxygen obtained from the air, there is no campfire!  The religious leaders had an overflowing supply of the solid fuel of God’s Word but they seemed to be completely lacking in obtaining the “oxygen” component of God’s will through prayer and fasting.  As I consider my fuel supply, am I balanced in both collecting the word of God in my mind and life and in pursuing God’s will through prayer and fasting?

So, if my fuel supply is adequate and balanced, why am I still not on fire for God like I ought to be?  What was it that ignited the fire of the early disciples so that they gained the reputation of “turning the world upside down”?  I believe that the ignition of our fuel supply is done by and through the Holy Spirit — the breath of God given to each believer as God’s indwelling presence.  Many times we are not on fire for God because we have quenched the ignition source of his Spirit in our life.  It is God’s Spirit that empowers the fuel — the Word that dwells so richly within us.  It is His Spirit that counsels and instructs us in His will — His good and perfect will.  At some level we become so afraid of God being in charge that we never allow the ignition source to be anywhere near the fuel we have been collecting.

To be on fire for God we must walk by the Spirit even as He is in the Spirit.  We must let the consuming fire of our God ignite His Word and will in our life so that His fire is seen in us.

I pray that you and I will not simply store up the fuel of God’s Word and His will but that we will allow His Spirit to ignite that fuel so that His fire will burn brightly in each of us.

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Where’s The FIRE? (Part 1: Fuel)

Have you ever been so focused on doing something, or getting somewhere, so quickly that someone asks, “Where’s the fire?”  Perhaps you’ve done something so well that you hear the comment, “Wow!  You’re really on fire!”  Or maybe you’ve heard it said about you, or someone else, “They’re really on fire for God!” 

As I thought about each of these, and other similar phrases, I began to wonder what is at the heart of being on fire metaphorically.  What elements are needed to reach the point of “being on fire”, particularly in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  Perhaps looking at some elements of a campfire can help us start, or rekindle, a relationship with God that is truly on FIRE!

When I think about building a campfire, one of the first questions that must be answered is, “Where’s the Fuel?”.  There is no fire without some type of fuel source.  A typical campfire uses wood as its fuel source.  When the fuel is gone, the fire no longer exists.  The same is true if we want to be on fire for Jesus.  We must ask the basic question, “Where, or what, is the fuel?”  What is the next question?  My next question would be, “where, or what, was the fuel that Jesus used for his ministry on earth and in his relationship with his father? 

When Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread, Jesus responded, “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  When the disciples try to get Jesus to eat food that they’ve brought Jesus replies, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  Another time when Jesus casts out a demon that the disciples couldn’t they want to know his secret and he replies, “This type only comes out by prayer and fasting.”

Was Jesus “on fire” for God?  I would say, “Absolutely yes!”  So, what was his fuel?  What kept his fire for God burning?  I would say that even a casual reading and study of the life of Jesus would reveal his fuel was the word and will of God revealed to him through times of prayer and fasting!   He was fluent in knowing and understanding scripture in ways that amazed those who listened to him.  He was constant in his pursuit of not only knowing, but in doing the will of God.  He was consistent in seeking and finding time alone with God.

So, the answer to where’s the fire in your life begins with the question, “Where’s the Fuel?”.  To be on fire for God requires the correct fuel.  The early disciples gained the reputation of “turning the world upside down” because their fire was fueled by the same fuel that empowered Jesus.  They devoted themselves to the fuel of “the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  We live in a time that is in desperate need of a sweeping revival fire to turn the world upside down.  Could it be that the necessary revival has stalled out because the fire in you and I has gone out because of a lack of fuel?  May you and I examine our fuel supply, and source, as we seek to live for God

I pray that we would stock up on the fuel of God’s word and will through intentional times of prayer and fasting so that our fire for Jesus would burn brightly for all to see!

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1 Samuel: Lesson 19 — A Helpful Tune

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 19 (A Helpful Tune)
1 Samuel 16:14-23

The Text:

  1. What change takes place in Saul?  Why?
     
  2. What conclusion does Saul’s attendants come to?  How do they propose helping the situation?  What is Saul’s response?
     
  3. How is David described by Saul’s servants?  What does Saul do with this information?
     
  4. What is Jesse’s response to Saul’s request?  Why would he do this?   
     
  5. How well does Saul get along with David when he finally arrives?  What role is David given in addition to his music playing?  How is his music helpful to Saul?  Is this relationship helpful to David also?  (What did David know that Saul didn’t know?)

       

The Application:

  1. Does the “Spirit of the LORD” leave people today?  Why/Why not?  Does God send an evil, or harmful, spirit to people today?  Why/Why not? 
     
  2. Have you ever concluded that a harmful spirit was tormenting someone?  What can/did you do about it?  What things might help a person who needs a change of spirit?     
     
  3. How would someone describe you?  Would they focus on your abilities, training, character, looks, etc or on your relationship with God . . . Or both?      
      
  4. How do you respond when someone requests something from you that can help them?  Does it change your response if you see helping them as a privilege rather than a responsibility?  
     
  5. How meaningful to you are people who can lift your spirit?  When you feel a change in your spirit, what things can restore you to a better spirit?  Who knows that?  Who do you know that you can be a part of restoring their spirit?  How has God used the unexpected in your past to prepare you for the present?  What might that tell you about the unexpected you face now?

       

Next week: 1 Samuel 17:1-58
A Boy To Do A Man’s Job

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What Is It Worth?

What Is “It” Worth?

We have many ways of determining the worth, or value, or something.  We may look at how much something costs, how much someone would give us for it, or even how much it means to us.  Physical items often seem fairly easy to determine their worth, even when that value varies somewhat depending on who is looking at it.

Non-tangible items, particularly relationships, may be much harder to place a value on.  When trying to determine the true worth of a relationship, we must honestly ask a hard question: “How much effort am I putting into this relationship?”. 

While this is true in our relationships with people, it is a critical question in evaluating how much value we place on our relationship with Jesus.  Most Christians would say they desire a growing and vibrant relationship with Jesus.  Yet many times, we expect it to exist simply because we want it.  The idea of putting work and effort into it never crosses our mind or we decide we’re too busy to invest any significant time or energy into developing that relationship.

Prayer, Bible reading, Scripture memorization, Bible study, Listening to God, and other spiritual disciplines takes time and effort.  Our desire for a passionate relationship with Jesus ought to draw us to do whatever it takes to know God personally. 

What is it worth to you?  How much are you investing in it?  Jesus desires this relationship so much that He gave His life to make it possible.