Stephen, the first martyr of the church, died at an early age. Some might look at the way he died and think, What a waste! But in the words of Jim Elliot, another young martyr for the faith, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
What kind of person does God look for to use for His glory? What qualifies a person to be selected by God to be His instrument? Is it a towering intellect or how many PhDs a person has on the wall? Do you have to be physically attractive? Do you need to be a born leader? How about someone who is a little timid? What about the person who isn't the most physically attractive? What about people whom many would classify as ordinary? Is there a place for someone like that?
I would suggest to you there is. Because one of the things that stands out from the pages of Scripture is that God seems to go out of His way to use people whom you'd never imagine He would. And if my life is evidence of anything, it is evidence of that.
So why does God do this? We find the answer in 1 Corinthians 1:27–29:
Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
God is looking for unexpected people to use for His glory. Are you willing to be one of them?
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
DIVINE DISCIPLINE
This may sound strange, but the time to put up your guard as a Christian is when things are going well.
When we are facing times of crisis, we are usually looking to the Lord. When a hardship hits, when a difficulty comes, we say, "God, if you don't come through for me, I am not going to make it." Those are not the times to be extra careful.
The time to be extra careful is when things are going reasonably well, when the bills are paid, when the health is good, and when there is no crisis looming on the horizon—at least that you know of.
Sometimes we can get a little lazy and forget God. It is not that we turn against God. We just forget about Him.
That is exactly what happened with David when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. He had set the scene for his defeat with things he had already done in direct disobedience to God. David had multiple wives and took concubines after he became king (see 2 Samuel 5:13), even though God specifically warned in Deuteronomy 17:17 that a king was never to do this.
David's heart was slowly but surely turning away from God, and he was allowing lust to consume his life.
Perhaps David thought he was above the law. Yet the Bible warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18 NKJV).
Sins we commit today may not have their full impact until much later. In other words, some people are sowing the seeds of sin today and may not see immediate repercussions. So they mistakenly conclude that they won't have to pray a price for what they are doing.
But Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (NKJV).
David's sin with Bathsheba was the outcome of earlier sins that he had committed. He didn't fall suddenly. It was a process, as it is with everyone.
David should have been leading his troops into war, which is what a king in his day would do. But David wasn't in battle; he was in bed.
There is nothing wrong with taking a vacation, but we need to remember there is no rest from the spiritual battle. The devil never takes a day off. The Bible describes him as "a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV).
David was kicking back, lowering his spiritual guard. So when he saw the beautiful Bathsheba, he took immediate action to have her brought into his chambers. As David was driven by his lust, all rational thinking went out the door, along with any regard for the repercussions or his reputation.
The sin was committed. The wrong had been done. Then a little time passed, and Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant.
At that point, David should have said, "I have sinned against God." But David would not come clean. He thought he could cover up what he had done.
But the Bible says, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV). David had not considered one important thing: he had displeased the Lord (see 2 Samuel 11:27).
Despite his extreme wickedness, David was still a believer—a very disobedient one, but a believer nonetheless. And in Psalms 32 and 51, he wrote about the tortured state he was in as a result of the unconfessed sin in his life. For 12 months, he fought the conviction of the Holy Spirit and was not experiencing the presence of God as he had before. He described it as having his strength evaporated.
David's life serves as a reminder that God simply will not allow His children to get away with sin. And as His children, He will tell us what is right and what is wrong.
If we are crossing the line as His sons or daughters, then He will tell us. Hebrews 12:11 says, "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (NKJV).
So if you start to go the wrong way and roadblocks are placed in your path, if conviction kicks in along with guilt, then rejoice. It means that you are a child of God. And God is disciplining you because He loves you.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
When we are facing times of crisis, we are usually looking to the Lord. When a hardship hits, when a difficulty comes, we say, "God, if you don't come through for me, I am not going to make it." Those are not the times to be extra careful.
The time to be extra careful is when things are going reasonably well, when the bills are paid, when the health is good, and when there is no crisis looming on the horizon—at least that you know of.
Sometimes we can get a little lazy and forget God. It is not that we turn against God. We just forget about Him.
That is exactly what happened with David when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. He had set the scene for his defeat with things he had already done in direct disobedience to God. David had multiple wives and took concubines after he became king (see 2 Samuel 5:13), even though God specifically warned in Deuteronomy 17:17 that a king was never to do this.
David's heart was slowly but surely turning away from God, and he was allowing lust to consume his life.
Perhaps David thought he was above the law. Yet the Bible warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18 NKJV).
Sins we commit today may not have their full impact until much later. In other words, some people are sowing the seeds of sin today and may not see immediate repercussions. So they mistakenly conclude that they won't have to pray a price for what they are doing.
But Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (NKJV).
David's sin with Bathsheba was the outcome of earlier sins that he had committed. He didn't fall suddenly. It was a process, as it is with everyone.
David should have been leading his troops into war, which is what a king in his day would do. But David wasn't in battle; he was in bed.
There is nothing wrong with taking a vacation, but we need to remember there is no rest from the spiritual battle. The devil never takes a day off. The Bible describes him as "a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV).
David was kicking back, lowering his spiritual guard. So when he saw the beautiful Bathsheba, he took immediate action to have her brought into his chambers. As David was driven by his lust, all rational thinking went out the door, along with any regard for the repercussions or his reputation.
The sin was committed. The wrong had been done. Then a little time passed, and Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant.
At that point, David should have said, "I have sinned against God." But David would not come clean. He thought he could cover up what he had done.
But the Bible says, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV). David had not considered one important thing: he had displeased the Lord (see 2 Samuel 11:27).
Despite his extreme wickedness, David was still a believer—a very disobedient one, but a believer nonetheless. And in Psalms 32 and 51, he wrote about the tortured state he was in as a result of the unconfessed sin in his life. For 12 months, he fought the conviction of the Holy Spirit and was not experiencing the presence of God as he had before. He described it as having his strength evaporated.
David's life serves as a reminder that God simply will not allow His children to get away with sin. And as His children, He will tell us what is right and what is wrong.
If we are crossing the line as His sons or daughters, then He will tell us. Hebrews 12:11 says, "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (NKJV).
So if you start to go the wrong way and roadblocks are placed in your path, if conviction kicks in along with guilt, then rejoice. It means that you are a child of God. And God is disciplining you because He loves you.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A FULL LIFE
Today people are thinking about what to do to prolong their lives, whetherit is through stem cell research, cloning, cryonics, or the latest potionor lotion. I find myself laughing at some of the things I see advertisedwith the implication they will help me live longer. I realize that peoplecan eat all the tofu and wheat germ they want, but their lives will endwhen they are going to end.Yet some people become obsessed with the concept of living longer.According to a LIFE magazine cover story, there are some scientists whosuggest that we can and will stop aging. But the article went on to askwhether we would really want to stop aging.
In other words, do we reallywant to live forever? I guess it comes down to what kind of life you areliving. Medical science can seek to add years to your life, but only Godcan add life to your years and give you a life that is worth living.Our objective as Christians should not be to merely live long lives; ourobjective should be to live full lives, meaningful lives, and purposefullives.Jim Eliot is one example of a Christian who did this. As a young man, hefelt God was calling him to take the gospel to a tribe in Ecuador thenknown as the Auca. Tragically, Jim was martyred along with four othermissionaries in their attempt to share the gospel. Jim once wrote in hisjournal,
"I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus."That is a good thought: Life is not a matter of years; it is a matter of what we do with them. What are you doing with the years God has given you?
In other words, do we reallywant to live forever? I guess it comes down to what kind of life you areliving. Medical science can seek to add years to your life, but only Godcan add life to your years and give you a life that is worth living.Our objective as Christians should not be to merely live long lives; ourobjective should be to live full lives, meaningful lives, and purposefullives.Jim Eliot is one example of a Christian who did this. As a young man, hefelt God was calling him to take the gospel to a tribe in Ecuador thenknown as the Auca. Tragically, Jim was martyred along with four othermissionaries in their attempt to share the gospel. Jim once wrote in hisjournal,
"I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus."That is a good thought: Life is not a matter of years; it is a matter of what we do with them. What are you doing with the years God has given you?
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with
the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake
I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage,
so that I could gain Christ. Philippians 3:8
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Friday, September 11, 2009
CHOOSE WELL
A French proverb says, "Forty is the old age of youth and fifty is the youth of old age." So according to the French, I am still a young person, relatively speaking.
However, my wife and I went to a movie theater the other day, where I noticed they give discounts to seniors. So I asked for one regular and one senior admission, expecting to be questioned about it. But without any hesitation, the young employee just gave me my ticket.
I am at a point in my life called "middle age," which I wouldn't mind so much if I only knew a few more 100-year-olds. When you are middle-aged, you begin to wonder who put the quicksand in the hourglass of time, because your days, months, and years go by so quickly.
So let me ask you, what story is your life telling? My story is a simple one: God can take a mess of a life with the deck stacked against it and redeem it. That is my story. What is yours? We all have a story to tell. And we all need to take stock of our lives and ask, "What is my life all about? What is the legacy that I will leave? How will I be remembered?"
It is really important to not only think of this as you are getting older, but it is also crucial to think about when you are young, because that is when you are charting the course your life will take. That is when you are developing habits and making decisions like the career path you will follow and the person you will marry.
You will decide the evening of your life by the morning of it, or the end by the beginning. So make the right choices.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
However, my wife and I went to a movie theater the other day, where I noticed they give discounts to seniors. So I asked for one regular and one senior admission, expecting to be questioned about it. But without any hesitation, the young employee just gave me my ticket.
I am at a point in my life called "middle age," which I wouldn't mind so much if I only knew a few more 100-year-olds. When you are middle-aged, you begin to wonder who put the quicksand in the hourglass of time, because your days, months, and years go by so quickly.
So let me ask you, what story is your life telling? My story is a simple one: God can take a mess of a life with the deck stacked against it and redeem it. That is my story. What is yours? We all have a story to tell. And we all need to take stock of our lives and ask, "What is my life all about? What is the legacy that I will leave? How will I be remembered?"
It is really important to not only think of this as you are getting older, but it is also crucial to think about when you are young, because that is when you are charting the course your life will take. That is when you are developing habits and making decisions like the career path you will follow and the person you will marry.
You will decide the evening of your life by the morning of it, or the end by the beginning. So make the right choices.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
God's Sufficient Grace
I'm not much of an "original language" teacher. But once in a while in my study of a passage, I am rocked by some nuance of meaning I learn from the Bible's original language. I love the Greek word order of 2 Corinthians 12:9: "Sufficient for you is the grace of Me." That is an incredible promise! Sufficient for you is the grace of Me.
Think for a moment about the place where you meet with God. Your regular place. Is it a chair in your bedroom? Or at the kitchen table? Or as a father of five small children told me this week, is it the backseat of your car in the garage?
I can picture the place where I met with God years ago in my dorm room at college; I can picture where I met with God in the apartment where we lived in seminary; I can picture the little blue love seat that I used to sit on in our first house. I can picture my chair back at home right now where I meet with the Lord every day.
I find myself wondering, how many times have I gotten up from that place and left God's sufficient grace there? The Lord was there with me - holding out to me the grace for the trial I was going to face that day even as my mind was drifting off to my own plan. How many days did I run down the hall and off to my car and out to a busy day and leave Him sitting there with His sufficient grace?
"Sufficient for today is the grace of Me," God says. If I'm going to live by that sufficient grace, I'm not going to catch it falling from the sky as I run to my next appointment. I've got to go to the fountain and drink deeply. He is the One who quenches my thirst. He is the One who fills up what's missing. He is the One who satisfies my deepest longings. He is the One who brings and sustains a continuous revival in my life.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Think for a moment about the place where you meet with God. Your regular place. Is it a chair in your bedroom? Or at the kitchen table? Or as a father of five small children told me this week, is it the backseat of your car in the garage?
I can picture the place where I met with God years ago in my dorm room at college; I can picture where I met with God in the apartment where we lived in seminary; I can picture the little blue love seat that I used to sit on in our first house. I can picture my chair back at home right now where I meet with the Lord every day.
I find myself wondering, how many times have I gotten up from that place and left God's sufficient grace there? The Lord was there with me - holding out to me the grace for the trial I was going to face that day even as my mind was drifting off to my own plan. How many days did I run down the hall and off to my car and out to a busy day and leave Him sitting there with His sufficient grace?
"Sufficient for today is the grace of Me," God says. If I'm going to live by that sufficient grace, I'm not going to catch it falling from the sky as I run to my next appointment. I've got to go to the fountain and drink deeply. He is the One who quenches my thirst. He is the One who fills up what's missing. He is the One who satisfies my deepest longings. He is the One who brings and sustains a continuous revival in my life.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Reprogramming Our Thinking
But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through.
Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. Eph.4: 20-24 (MSG)
We are the product of our thinking, so it is important that we choose carefully where to focus our mental energy. We can cling to our old flesh patterns and consequently find ourselves tripping over impulses and attitudes like bitterness, pride, and discontent. The wise alternative is to reprogram our thinking to match that of Jesus Christ.
Our current thought processes—such as the way we view ourselves and others, and how we approach problems—have been programmed by authority figures, church, friends, and even enemies. We can select some of our mind’s influences (e.g., the media) but not all (e.g., our parents). Yet we can choose what input will shape our mind by believing and dwelling on that material.
Reprogramming the mind is a matter of choosing to believe and meditate upon God’s truth. When you receive Jesus Christ as Savior, your mind is renewed with a capacity for godly thought. It might not seem different at first. But the longer you live the Christian life and apply biblical principles, the more you’ll find old habits and modes of thinking will be choked out. However, anytime you yield to temptation, you allow old thought patterns an opportunity to rise up and dominate first your mind, and then your mouth and hands.
The way to strangle fleshly thoughts and attitudes is to pour Scripture into the mind regularly and frequently (Ps. 119:11). When we allow our thinking to be directed by the thoughts of God—which is what the Bible is made of—we will think, speak, and act according to His will.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. Eph.4: 20-24 (MSG)
We are the product of our thinking, so it is important that we choose carefully where to focus our mental energy. We can cling to our old flesh patterns and consequently find ourselves tripping over impulses and attitudes like bitterness, pride, and discontent. The wise alternative is to reprogram our thinking to match that of Jesus Christ.
Our current thought processes—such as the way we view ourselves and others, and how we approach problems—have been programmed by authority figures, church, friends, and even enemies. We can select some of our mind’s influences (e.g., the media) but not all (e.g., our parents). Yet we can choose what input will shape our mind by believing and dwelling on that material.
Reprogramming the mind is a matter of choosing to believe and meditate upon God’s truth. When you receive Jesus Christ as Savior, your mind is renewed with a capacity for godly thought. It might not seem different at first. But the longer you live the Christian life and apply biblical principles, the more you’ll find old habits and modes of thinking will be choked out. However, anytime you yield to temptation, you allow old thought patterns an opportunity to rise up and dominate first your mind, and then your mouth and hands.
The way to strangle fleshly thoughts and attitudes is to pour Scripture into the mind regularly and frequently (Ps. 119:11). When we allow our thinking to be directed by the thoughts of God—which is what the Bible is made of—we will think, speak, and act according to His will.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sinning Against the Spirit
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption."
— Ephesians 4:30
— Ephesians 4:30
Sometimes we may think of the Holy Spirit as being more of an "it" than a Him. But Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit is God, and He can be specifically sinned against.One way a believer can sin against the Holy Spirit is by grieving Him. Ephesians 4:30 says,
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." The word "grieve" means "to make sad or sorrowful." And when we allow bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, or slander to be a part of our lives, then we are bringing sorrow to the Holy Spirit.We can also sin against the Holy Spirit by quenching Him. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
The word "quench" conveys the idea of extinguishing a fire. It is possible for us to seek to extinguish or quench the work the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives. And when God wants to work but finds unbelief, it hinders the work He wants to do, because God works through faith in our lives when we believe Him.Are you harboring a grudge against someone right now? Have you been slandering someone or even passing on information that you have heard and yet don't even know if it is really true? Have you been flying into fits of rage? Have you been saying, "Well, God could never use a person like me," or "God would never answer my prayers"? According to Scripture, that is grieving the Holy Spirit. So if you are grieving the Holy Spirit today, it's time to stop. It's time to come clean.
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
DAWN
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