Delve Into Jesus Devotionals

Ambition

arsindelve — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:52:36 GMT

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do us a favor." "What is your request?" he asked. They replied, "When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left." But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?" "Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!" Then Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen." When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:35-45

God created the world out of nothing, and so long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us. - Martin Luther

Watch a few day-time talk shows and you'll hear mothers complaining about their teenager's lack of ambition. Check out a few dating shows and you'll hear the same complaint from women who can't find men with any ambition. There's no question; it's a quality that's in high demand.

We tend to think of personality characteristics as being entirely positive or negative. It seems obvious that justice is a good quality while impatience is a bad one. However, C.S Lewis warns us that even the most positive traits must be tempered, otherwise they all have the potential for harm. He writes,

"There is none of our impulses which the Moral Law may not sometimes tell us to suppress, and none which it may not sometimes tell us to encourage. It is a mistake to think that some of our impulses - say mother love or patriotism - are good, and others, like sex or the fighting instinct are bad.The most dangerous thing you can do is take any one impulse of your own nature and set it up as the thing you ought to follow at all costs. There is none of them which will not make us into devils if we set it up as an absolute guide."

Ambition is an excellent example of what Lewis is talking about. While ambition is a much sought-after quality in our employees, spouses and children, it's easy to imagine ruthless business tyrants whose unrestrain...

Freedom

arsindelve — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:02:16 GMT

"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:29

"All of my
ambitions, hopes and plans,
I surrender these
into your hands.
For it's only in
your will that I am free"

-Robin Mark, All For Jesus

In the last devotional, we touched briefly on the idea that we are prisoners whom Jesus has come to set free. In this devotional, I'd like to expand on that idea and explore what it really means to be free.

I wondered briefly if we could call freedom the absence of all responsibility, conflict or suffering. I think that's close, but I imagine that a life with no conflict of any kind would be shallow and insignificant and would prohibit any kind of spiritual development. Freedom has more to do with an absence of unfulfilled desires; never having something we want yet which for whatever reason, is always beyond our grasp. I believe this is what William Wallace meant by "freedom" in the movie Braveheart, for he desired more than anything for Scotland to be able to rule itself and be released from English oppression. The liberation of Scotland was his unfulfilled desire, and each cry of 'freedom' reminded all his men what they were fighting and dying for.

Wallace's pursuit of freedom was noble, but most of us are consumed with less righteous desires for pleasure and enjoyment, fame and fortune or status and recognition. Oh, how these unfulfilled desires cause us no end of anxiety and worry. How will we ever find the money for that vacation? I don't want to do this assignment, but I'll fail if I don't! When will they notice me at work and promote me? What can I do to make her love me? I want to have an affair with that co-worker, but I'll lose my family!

This tension is what makes life really difficult and robs us of our peace and joy. The great lie of our age is that peace comes from fulfilling each and every desire at any cost, for we suppose that eventually we will fulfill that final desire and achieve the elusive freedom we so long for. People chase satisfaction with such single-mindedness that they don't seem to notice that every satisfied desire provides only temporary relief, for it is immediately followed by another longing which demands our attention. The net effect is that our lives seem to spin out of control as we try to make sense of all the directions in which we're being pushed and pulled, trying to resolve our responsibilities to our jobs and families while also keeping ourselves entertained and contented. Christians are by no means automatically exempt from this, and it can leave us wondering, "Where is the peace which Christ promised?"

The truth is that peace comes from eli...

The Hero of the Story

arsindelve — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:22:09 GMT

No doubt all history in the last resort must be held by Christians to be a story with a divine plot. - C.S. Lewis

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves - Col 1:13

It's natural for us to see life as an on-going story where we are the central character and the hero. It is our biography, happening in real-time and we have been cast in the starring role.

If we're the hero and the star, where does that leave God in all of this? Well, He's the author, of course, carefully weaving the situations and conditions into a plot which assures a victorious outcome for the hero. Like all good authors, He is making sure the hero overcomes all conflict in the end while the villains get the justice they deserve.

This kind of perspective can lead to some serious disillusionment. If we're the hero, shouldn't we have a better job, fewer problems and more adventure? Shouldn't the story have a more interesting plot than this? Sometimes it feels like we're not living the life we would have chosen for the hero, and that can leave us feeling bitter and disappointed. What kind of author is God, anyway?

If you assumed, as many do, that God is just the author, then we need to make a few small corrections. It's absolutely true that God is the author, and He is indeed weaving the plot to ensure the best outcome for the hero. Yet, God is not just the author, he is also that hero. The story is about Him.

Does this mean we are some small, bit player in the drama? Not at all! We may not be the hero, but we are the next best thing. We are the hero's beloved who has been separated from Him and locked away in a terrible dungeon. This particular chapter of God's story is about how the hero fights and wins many battles in order to rescue His beloved. In the end, they live happily ever after.

So, here we find ourselves nearing the climax of the story. From outside the dungeon walls, God calls to us, "I have come for you. I have endured many trials, won many battles and even lost my only Son in order to rescue you. I have unlocked the doors. Come out now, and let us leave together."

The dungeon we're in is a peculiar one. Many of us do not know we are even in a dungeon, and some don't want to be rescued. Inside the dungeon, we are the hero. Despite the terrible conditions, we are in control and no one can take that away from us. We fail to see that we are the hero of nothing -- an empty, lonely life in a cold and desolate world. Yet, we hesitate to leave the security and eminence of our own story to join ourselves to another where we are not the Hero. And so, God waits patiently outside the walls hoping that we will at last truly desire the unimaginable love which awaits us in His story when we choose to be with Him.

Prayer For A Pure Heart

Ryan — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:45:58 GMT

Lord I want to love you with all my heart and depth of soul.
As I delight in you Jesus, please give me the desires of my heart.
My soul yearns, my bleating heart cries out to be a pure heart.
O Lord, to your glory, raise up this stone to be your child.
Wash me in the blood which flowed through your heart to cleanse mine.

Grant me the petition of my heart; Jesus, remove this heart of stone.
Jesus, give me a new heart, put a new spirit in me; be my cornerstone.
Blessed be the pure in heart; for they will see how your blood purifies.

You Lord Jesus have triumphed over sin.
Yours will be the ultimate victory over evil.
Come in; conquer this desperately wicked heart.
Cut me deep with the sharp sword of the Word.
Splay open wide my heart; separate all my sins.

Jesus, I seek your clean heart. Make me a man after your own heart.
Create a clean heart within me; one with open eyes.
Blessed are the pure of heart; permit me to see you with more clarity each day.

From your heart flows springs of life; springs bubbling up in my life.
Hold me under the healing waters of the pool welling up to eternal life.
Raise me, save me through the washing of rebirth and renewal.
Pour out your living water into my heart by the Holy Spirit.
As I course through life, let me leave a wake of your goodness and peace.

Jesus, I want to enter your kingdom, being born of water and the Spirit.
Create in me a clean heart; generously give me your steadfast Spirit.
Blessed are the pure in heart; they will see heaven open and the Spirit descending.

Lord, test my heart in the furnace of affliction, so it may be refined.
My life is a crucible; you be the fire burning off the dross of my will.
May your blaze consume my evil; through your flames, save me from pride.
Purify my heart; distill all iniquities. Spirit right renew my mind.
Make me flow like molten metal; pour me into the mold of your holy heart.

Jesus, I seek your pure heart. Refine me; cast me after your own heart.
Give me a heart of pure gold; malleable and precious in your use.
Blessed be the pure of heart; they will see your glowing power displayed.

Lord Jesus I need a pure heart; let it be a beating sacrifice I can offer you.
Lord, lead me forward from forward, onward to the essence of obedience.
Master, let me honor, fear, and serve you with all sincerity of heart.
Lord, break my spirit; as you overcame the world, prevail over me.
Master, within my heart, bind your commands, as you set my heart free.

Jesus, I seek your pure heart. Write your perfect laws in my heart.
Let the sacrifice of your blood make me a contrite heart, acceptable to you.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they have been set free, free...

Love Our Enemies

arsindelve — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:51:13 GMT

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" Matthew 5:46-47

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

There are so many different types of love, each with many sides and aspects to it. It is one of the many flaws of the English language that we have a single word to describe them all, so I suppose that it's understandable that we often fail to distinguish between that which we feel for our husband or wife, and that which compels us to feed the poor. Where this linguistic limitation has the most impact is where it tricks us into believing that love is a feeling, and worse, one over which we have no control.

It's probably true that we cannot choose whom we love romantically. We fall in love and out of love at the whim of our emotions. Since this is the kind of love with which we are the most familiar (and perhaps the most comfortable), we struggle when we hear Jesus speak of "loving our enemies." A contradiction forms in our mind as we think, "How can I love them? I don't feel a shred of sympathetic emotion for them at all!"

The love of which Jesus speaks is not a feeling in any sense of the word. It is a decision resulting in action. It is a choice you make that has nothing whatsoever to do with how you feel, and quite often, occurs in spite of a feeling to the contrary. This kind of love judges the needs of a person but never the person themselves, and responds according to the gravity of the need, never the character of the person.

Understand that you must absolutely ignore whatever you feel for a person and treat them with as much compassion and kindness as you would show your own mother or child. This is the kind of love that Christ demands -- not a feeling, but rather a spirit of service, selflessness and humility. It is the ability to give to others with no regard to what they can do to repay you, what they feel for you or what you feel for them.

This kind of love is extremely hard. Unlike romantic love, which naturally drives us to do wonderful things for our spouse, loving our enemies goes against what our sinful nature desires us to do. It is far from effortless. Very often, when we stand at the brink of loving our enemies, our sinful nature cries out, "I don't want to do this!" and ...

Healing

arsindelve — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:22:28 GMT

"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn - and I would heal them." John 12:40

A few weeks ago, we wrote a devotional about spiritual warfare with the intention of convincing our readers that none of us can escape the devastating war which has engulfed this world. In this devotional, we want to continue the theme of spiritual warfare by looking at the effect this war has had on each of us, and how we can finally become healed.

There are many certainties about war, and one of the most tragic is that combatants and bystanders alike get wounded, sometimes grievously so. In the case of the war for the Kingdom, you have already been wounded whether you realize it or not.

Often, the severity of your wound is proportional to your determination to serve God and accomplish His will on this earth. If you are a fervent follower of Christ, you can be absolutely certain that the Devil and his forces have taken note of your involvement in this war. Perhaps long before you were actively involved in the conflict, the forces of evil understood how powerful and dangerous you would be and dealt you a serious wound in hopes of taking you out of the fight. If you are serving Christ and resisting the devil, then their wound has not had the desired result, but that does not mean it has not affected you. To at least some extent, that wound has affected the course of your life and has caused suffering and heartache for a very long time.

What kind of wounds am I talking about? There is almost no limit to the various ways the wound manifests itself in your life. The symptoms can appear as anger, violence, low self-esteem, depression, addiction, promiscuity or difficulty in maintaining relationships. For many of us, the wound is experienced as a lack of peace and joy that we know should be there, but are inexplicably absent in our lives. However, these are just the symptoms of the wound - they are not the wound itself. The wound itself takes the form of lies that you have believed and accepted as truth. The lie was told to you by the father of lies at a time when you were young and vulnerable. It was whispered in your ear as your first love walked out of your life or your parents divorced and went their separate ways. He might have said, "This is your fault", "You're not good enough", or perhaps, "You're not lovable."

Since the time you first believed the lie, things have never been the same in your life. For as long as you carry this wound, you are not able to be the warrior for Christ that He intended you to be. You might be fierce, faithful and powerful in this war, but your wound is keeping you from being complete. It has robbed you o...

A Conversation in Scripture

Ryan — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:09:35 GMT

Love chose you before the creation of the world to be holy. You were predestined to be adopted as a son through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:5)

Before I was born you knew me? You designed me in the womb to be yours? (Isaiah 49:1;5)

How gladly would I treat you like a son and give you the most beautiful inheritance. I thought you could call me Father and never turn away from me. (Jeremiah 3:19)

Hold that thought while I flirt with other gods. They are the adrenaline that buzzes my brain; the beat that rocks my body. It's no use; I love those gods, and I must chase them. (Jeremiah 2:25)

What fault did you find in me, that you would stray so far from me? (Jeremiah 2:5)

The pride of my heart has rocketed me so high; who could crash me down to earth? (Obadiah 1:3)

I will make you my everlasting pride and joy. (Isaiah 60:15)

While yet young, I ran away into the world to grab my share of the sensual gusto. (Luke 15:13)

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

My feet rushed into lust; my hands were swift to shed innocent blood. Ruin and destruction marked my way. (Isaiah 59:7)

I am the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

Being so busy with evil, I became hungry but remained empty; my thirst could not be quenched. (Isaiah 32:6)

I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry; he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

Too late I learned false gods speak deceit. Therefore I wandered, lost like a sheep, confused for lack of a shepherd. (Zechariah 10:2)

The Lamb will be your shepherd; and will lead you to springs of livin...

World at War

arsindelve — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:42:44 GMT
"Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring - those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. " Rev 12:17

"Enemy occupied territory that is what this world is." - C.S. Lewis

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist." - The Usual Suspects.

Western Christianity is, to some extent, a religion with a bit of an identity crisis. There are aspects of Jesus' teaching which have universal appeal and make for an easy sell. Who doesn't want more peace and love in their life? At the same time, there are elements of Christianity which are less pleasant and so we may have a tendency to hide them in the closet and focus on areas where we are more comfortable. We don't want to even think about spiritual warfare, much less do anything about it. Maybe if we pretend it is isn't real, it won't affect us.

That strategy rarely works. Few combatants in war ever wanted to fight but they could not shake off the conflict once it consumed them. Once the shooting starts, all you can do is choose sides. As Aragorn tells King Théoden in The Two Towers, "Whether you would risk it or not, open war is upon you."

There is a war raging all around you at this very moment. Those who oppose God are locked in fierce combat with those who remain ever loyal. We know that God and the forces of good triumph in the end, but that day has not yet come. In the meantime, no one is invulnerable to the effects of this war. We are all casualties and have all been tormented by the evil one's forces.

It would be a mistake to attribute every bad decision or selfish act to the influence of the forces of evil, but worse still would be a steadfast refusal to acknowledge their existence. As you grow in intimacy with God and succeed in doing His work on earth, the more Satan and his forces will rally against you. If you are oblivious to this opposition or its source, you will be ill-equipped to handle it.

The most common tactic the devil will use to torment us is to tell us lies and deceive us. Frequently, we will get the message that we are worthless or that our efforts to serve God are in vain. At its worst, it can sometimes leave you wondering if God even exists at all.

"You're not good enough to pull this off."

"You're nothing but a filthy sinner."

"You're wasting your time."

When you hear that denigrating voice, you must make no agreements with it! You must never allow that voice to lead you down the path of hopelessness and despair. Don't give your tormentor a foothold by thinking, "...maybe I am wasting my time." Recognize it for what it is and demand it to flee.

There is more to spiritual warfar...

Humility and Thankfulness

arsindelve — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:10:53 GMT
Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income. "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner. I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

As I have meditated on these two qualities in the past week, it's become clear just how strongly they are linked. We cannot exhibit one without also exhibiting the other. As we grow in one, we grow in the other and where we fail in one, we fail in the other.

At the center of these two qualities, pulling them together, lies our sense of entitlement. In order to be truly thankful and humble, we must resist our natural tendency to exaggerate what we deserve, particularly in the area of material possessions. For example, if we are not truly grateful for the beautiful home God has given us, our pride roars when we look at what other people around us have been able to afford. Likewise, if we do not have our pride in check, we will not feel particularly grateful for our job when a co-worker is promoted ahead of us.

The Bible is full of reminders that inflated pride and a lack of appreciation inhibit intimacy with God. Psalm 10:4, says, "In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."

Yet pride, arrogance, greed and selfishness are rampant today. Our culture has conditioned us to look out for ourselves and fight for what we're entitled to. More emphasis is placed on self-fulfillment than morality and our children are taught that it's more important to feel good than to do good. Clearly, we do not live in an environment conducive to humility and gratefulness. What can we do?

Notice carefully what James tells us. His command is to, ...

Almighty God

arsindelve — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:10:01 GMT
I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Isa 6:1-5

God is wonderfully complex and can never be fully defined by any single thought or idea. He has many natures and many sides which are all very different and all equally valid. For example, one of the most cherished images we have of Jesus is that of an accessible and compassionate friend and companion. Without a doubt, Jesus fulfills that role for his faithful. Yet at the same time, consider the image of Christ we get from the Book of Revelation.

"His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were bright like flames of fire. His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance." Rev 1:14-16.

The contrast is startling. Jesus is kind and loving, but He is also a fierce warrior. The Father is likewise loving and merciful, yet this very same God declares, "I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey me." Micah 5:15.

We can be certain that any descriptive term we use for God, in isolation, will fall well short of elucidating all that He is. The best we can do is to continually appreciate and accept all his many qualities, without neglecting those we may not understand.

Last year, in another devotional entitled, "Human God", we emphasized Jesus' human qualities and invited you to remember that His physical and emotional suffering on the cross were very real. Jesus was not merely God in human form. He was fully man, and during the time of His crucifixion, He was horrifically tortured and completely alone.

In this devotional, we want to take you to the other side of the spectrum and look at another aspect of God's nature which may be equally overlooked. If we are guilty of overlooking the fact that Jesus became a man, then perhaps we are sometimes guilty of failing to remember His awesome power, His supremacy and His...

Eyes on the Prize

arsindelve — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:17:20 GMT
"So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That's why I work and struggle so hard" Col 1:28-29

"I dunno know when it's a ministry and when it's a show" - Newsboys

I always aspire to write devotionals which appeal to everyone, but today I feel called to write for a special audience. Though I hope everyone can find something to take away from this devotional, my message is intended for my brothers and sisters in full-time Christian ministry.

It's hard enough to be a devoted Christian in today's complex, turbulent world. If we're not vigilant, the cares of the world creep in with so much pressure that we remove Jesus from his rightful place as the Lord of our life. It takes tremendous faith, dedication and obedience to make sure we keep our relationship with Jesus as the highest priority in our lives, right where it belongs.

All of this becomes amplified to an unbelievable extreme when we are among those called to serve God in full-time ministry. Suddenly, we feel responsible for the welfare and salvation of all those trusted to our care. The responsibilities are enormous. And in response, we plunge into our work with selfless abandon, offering everything we have to give.

But then, if we are not careful, a shift begins to happen. We begin to measure the effectiveness of our ministry in the only way we know how. Since we cannot be certain how many lives we have helped to change or souls we have helped lead to Christ, we start to examine book reviews, concert ticket sales, web site visitors or church attendance.

Suddenly, and often without warning, those measurements become the end rather than the means. Instead of seeing ourselves as being in the service of the Lord, we risk seeing ourselves as authors, public speakers, counselors or musicians who simply happen to have chosen a Christian message rather than secular one. We are no longer laboring for the Gospel, we are laboring for our own accomplishments and accolades. God was part of the picture when we began our ministry, but now we've got work to do, and that work doesn't always appear to have anything to do with God at all.

It's not my intention to disparage anyone; this is an area we struggle with daily at Delve Christian Ministries. It can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. What we do, from one perspective, is create and operate web sites. What we do, from a much broader and more important perspective, is lead people to Christ. As soon as we forget the latter, the former becomes irrelevant.

Keeping that perspective is difficult, and the single most important decision you need to make is to not allow yourself to own your m...

Listening To God

arsindelve — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:02:23 GMT
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

One of the concepts we've tried to emphasize in the last few devotionals is the idea that our relationship with Jesus has much in common with our relationships with friends and family. When we demonstrate effort and commitment in our relationships, they flourish. When neglected or abandoned, they suffer and decline.

Last week's devotional talked about the difficulty many of us have with attentive listening, so with that in mind, let's look at how we can apply everything from that devotional to our relationship with Jesus.

Does God talk to us? Can we actually perceive God communicating with us? Absolutely! God does not typically speak in an audible voice, but he most certainly is speaking with us. The voice of God whispers directly into our heart and soul, guiding us, counseling us and comforting us. But are we listening, or are we too busy talking? God will not scream at us to pay attention, so if we are too preoccupied with our own thoughts, His gentle voice will be drowned out.

Our prayer time must consist of listening as well as speaking. We need to attentively reach for that small voice and eagerly let it guide us. In quiet prayer, ask God to reveal his will and then listen patiently for His response. The more often you do this, the easier it will become.

However, if you fail to do this, you will miss out on the advice and direction God is offering. Worse still, your relationship will suffer, just as a marriage suffers when one partner simply refuses to listen.

This deterioration of our relationship with God is a steep downward slope. If you consistently fail to pay attention to what God is telling you, it will get progressively harder to make out his will against the background noise of your own desires. It may become so difficult that you will no longer believe that God even speaks at all.

Let me close with a powerful example from Erwin Raphael McManus. His son Aaron had run into trouble at camp and was preparing to leave. In a final effort to convince him to stay, Erwin had the following conversation.

I asked him a simple question: "Aaron, is there any voice inside you telling you what you should do?"

He paused and then responded, "Yes."

"What's the voice telling you?"

"That I should stay and work it out."

I asked him, "Can you identify that voice?"

He immediately said, "Yes, It's God."

It was the moment I had waited for. I didn't expect it to come under those circumstances. Nevertheless, it was there. I turned to Aaron and said, "Aaron, do you realize what just happened? You just heard the v...

Listening To Each Other

arsindelve — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:05:20 GMT
For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another." Gal 5:13-14

I overheard a conversation yesterday at lunch which began when a young woman noticed one of her co-workers looking downcast. She sat beside him at the lunch table and asked him if he wanted to discuss what was bothering him. He began to talk about the recent trouble he was having relating to his daughter, and it was obvious from his tone and his expression that this was a serious matter which was weighing heavily on him. He had barely begun to explain the essence of the problem when the young woman interrupted, exclaiming, "I know exactly what you mean! My daughter..." And just like that, the conversation shifted as she went on for several minutes describing her own situation. When she finally paused to take a bite of her meal, the man got up and walked away dejectedly. Without missing a beat, she turned to the next person at the table and continued talking about her daughter. I had a pretty strong reaction at the time. I remember thinking, "you don't care about his situation! You just wanted an excuse to start talking!"

It's easy to be critical of this young woman, but realistically, this kind of thing goes on all the time. I have done it to my wife and she has done it to me. I have seen pastors do it on many occasions. Few of us are immune. We are rarely listening; usually, we are just waiting impatiently for our turn to talk. We nod and agree in all the right places, but really we are pondering the next thing we are about to say.

It's a shame that so many of us are guilty of this offense, and it speaks volumes about how most people really feel about themselves and those around them. If you struggle with this as much as I do, then it ought to be very humbling when you realize just how difficult and rare it is to have a conversation with someone during which you are far more interested in what they are saying than what you are about to say. It's hard to clear our mind, offer our undivided attention and just listen.

If we dig deeper, we will discover that our egocentric conversations are just a symptom of a deeper problem, the most obvious and common of a whole litany of ways in which we fail to really love our neighbor. I could just as easily point to any of a long list of ways we fail to keep this commandment. I chose this one because it is so subtle and pervasive that for the most part, we've simply stopped noticing that we've stopped listening. I'm sure if you were to ask the young woman at the lunch table, she wouldn't have any idea that she had done anything wrong.

The next time you're speaking to someone, especially if they are hurting, mak...

Adulterous Hearts

arsindelve — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:36:34 GMT
"...how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices." Eze 6:9

She sits quietly on the living room couch, her glance alternating between the clock over the fireplace where the seconds grind away, and the front window where she will see the headlights turn in the driveway when he finally comes home. He may not come home; it would not be the first time. He has not called, so she is not certain where he is or when he might come home. She has an idea where he might be since there are only a few possibilities. He may be at the bar, the race track or the casino, or he might just be working late. Most likely, though, he is in the arms of another woman at this very moment; again, it would not be the first time.

He has neglected to come home more often than she can remember, and though he makes excuses every time, she understands the bitter truth that she is far from the most important thing in his life. He will not say it, of course, but whatever has kept him from coming home has occupied his full attention while thoughts of his wife have not even crossed his mind.

Her heart aches deep inside her as it does every time he does this. It feels as though her heart will burst from the sting of this betrayal. Her pain and disappointment are immense.

Yet, she will forgive him no matter where he's been and what he's done. She will do this despite the fact that she herself has never been anything but the perfect wife. She has honored the commitment they made with every ounce of her being and with complete commitment and devotion. Despite his years of gambling, drinking and philandering, she would never leave him no matter what his indiscretions may be. She loves him more than he could ever comprehend.

It's difficult to read this parable and not feel some powerful emotions about what this woman has had to endure. However, it's not simply a story about a husband and wife. It's a story about God and his people.

I would ask you now to go back and re-read the parable and as you do, understand that each of us are the wandering, unfaithful husband and God is the loving, devoted wife.

As you consider the emotions which this parable evokes, I want to challenge you to change how you think about sin. We have a tendency to think of sin in terms of mistakes, weaknesses or even personality quirks, but it is considerably more serious. Every sin that we commit breaks that covenant we have with God. We were created to place him first above all else and when we sin, we are laying something else in that sacred spot reserved for Him alone. It is much more serious than a mistake or a slip-up. We...

Asking God For Help Part 3

arsindelve — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:07:53 GMT
In part one of this series, we looked at the importance and necessity of asking God for help. In part two, we examined the significance of taking an active role in solving those elements of our problems which are under our control, even as we lean on God for help in those areas which are not. Finally, today we will look at the role anxiety plays in letting us know when we have failed to do either of these two things. As Christians, whenever we find ourselves worrying about the outcome of conflict or crisis, it's an indication that there is something we have failed to do, or something we need to stop doing.

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand." Phil 4:6-7

What kind of peace is Paul talking about? He is not talking about an absence of conflict, since conflict will unfortunately forever be a part of our lives on this earth. Paul is talking about a lack of anxiety in the face of conflict. He is promising that if we truly give our concerns to God, then we will never have to worry about the outcome.

We may have apprehension about physical or emotional suffering on the horizon; this is perfectly natural. Once again, let us turn to the example of Jesus in the Garden, (Matthew 26:38-39) and take note of the fact that Jesus is troubled by the knowledge of the suffering that he will soon endure, but not the outcome. Jesus knows beyond any doubt that His father in heaven is in charge and that victory over death is assured. We must follow Jesus' example and never forget that God's amazing plan for you will not be circumvented.

How, then, can we possibly have anxiety when such a powerful, loving God is in charge, and what does it mean when we just can't stop worrying about how things are going to turn out?

1) You have not fully trusted God with the outcome.

In the face of conflict, it's normal for us to say a quick prayer asking God for help, but this is not the same as lifting the problem up to God and trusting him with it. Too often, we conclude our prayer and then immediate resume fretting about how we will ever resolve the situation. If the problem keeps you up at nights or occupies your mind constantly, then you have not allowed God to truly be in charge. You are still trying to solve the problem. Only after we allow God to be in charge will the peace which Paul describes begin to flow into us. If we do not have that peace, then we are still trying to be in control.

2) You have not done your part to solve the problem.

When trouble comes, what often seems like unease about the outcome ...

Asking God For Help Part 2

arsindelve — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:42:14 GMT
This is a very well-known Bible story; in fact it's one of the few miracles which is recorded in all four Gospels (see also Luke 9:12, Mark 6:26, Matthew 14:16). However, John's account is slightly longer and contains a detail which is not found in the others. See if you can pick it out.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "It would take almost a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." (John 6:5-15)

As I play this scene out in my mind, I imagine the apostles making their way through the crowd calling out anyone who might have a scrap of food to offer. Their desperation and their desire to please the Lord would have been written on their faces and evident in their voice.

In the midst of all of this, a boy comes forward and selflessly offers all that he has. From this simple offering, Jesus performs his miracle.

There are many ways Jesus could have solved this problem. He could have rained bread from Heaven, or he could have waved his hands and filled their stomachs. Instead, he took what was freely offered and turned it into something miraculous.

This pattern is repeated time and time again in our own lives. There are many ways God can help us during our times of need, but the most common pattern is for God to take what we offer and turn it into something greater than we can do on our own.

In conjunction with asking God for help, we need to ensure that we do the part that we can do. If we've lost our job, then we need to start working on our resume right away. If we have an exam coming...

Asking God For Help Part 1

arsindelve — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:47:44 GMT
"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:6-7)

I think we sometimes miss the point of petitioning God. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking God for things we need or even things we want. The important thing to keep in mind is that actually getting the thing we're asking for is the least important part of the whole process.

This seems counterintuitive. Why ask for something if you don't care if you get it? I'm not saying you should not care about the issue which is troubling you; I'm saying you should not be concerned with the exact outcome. We need to trust God to solve the problem His way.

Suppose you're having trouble making ends meet and you're not sure how you will pay this month's bills. You may ask God to send you some extra money. You may ask God to help you find a better paying job. In all likelihood, God is not going to do either of those things, though it's certainly possible. The point is that it really doesn't matter how God decides to solve the problem. By asking God for help, you have admitted that you need Him, and that is what really matters. How God decides to deal with the issue is immaterial, but rest assured He will intervene in the best way possible.

God does not want you to depend on a particular solution; he wants you to depend on Him.

Asking for God's help in all situations is a very important part of our relationship with Him. When you ask for God to help, you are indirectly saying that you trust him and that you need him. You are admitting your weakness and acknowledging His strength. You are submitting and surrendering to Him.

But what are we saying to God if we never ask for His help? We are saying we don't need him. We are sending the message that we have no need of His blessing or protection and we want to go it alone.

Another reason to ask for God's help is not to seek a specific outcome, but rather to receive his comfort, support and peace. God may not provide a direct resolution to every difficulty in our lives, but he will comfort us. When you seek God during times of trouble, large or small, you are saying, "God, be with me during this time. Let my thoughts be with you and let me feel your presence."

Fail to bring your cares to God, and you are not only saying, "I don't need you" but also, "I don't want you around right now. I'm busy dealing with this problem."

As is so often the case, Jesus provides us with the example.

Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, Sit here while I go on ahead to pray. He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep...

Human God

arsindelve — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:12:52 GMT
I have fond memories of the 1985 movie, D.A.R.Y.L. I was 9 years old when it came out, about the same age as the title character. Daryl is an android, one so sophisticated that no one would have the slightest idea if not for his exceptional abilities. But after having escaped from a top secret government lab, Daryl wants nothing more than to fit in with his adopted family. He tries to do all the same things boys his age do so as not to arouse suspicion, but if you were Daryl's adopted family, knowing that he was a machine covered in human flesh, could you love him as deeply as your own children? If he became adept at acting like other boys his age, could you forget he was little more than a computer wearing a human mask? If you hurt his feelings by saying something mean or thoughtless, could you shrug it off? If he fell and scraped his knee, would you feel sorry for him?

Many of us are guilty of seeing Jesus this way. We have no trouble remembering that Jesus was God, but we minimize and overlook the fact that He was also fully human. Jesus was not just God in a human mask, nor was He merely a spirit indwelling a human body. Jesus Christ was as fully human as you are.

There was time in His life when he could not read or write; someone had to teach him how. We can imagine that at some point during his childhood, he fell and scraped his knee and Mary carefully tended to his wounds. For nearly a decade before his ministry began, Jesus lived with his family and earned a living. He got angry, experienced disappointment and sometimes cried. He felt joy and love. He was tempted.

However, it is when we think about his death that we must not fail to remember Jesus' humanity. As we think about the extraordinary suffering that he endured during his final days, we must not trivialize his anguish by appealing to the fact that he was God. Jesus was not granted any supernatural protection, emotionally or physically, from the torture he endured. He felt every blow of the beatings. He felt the nails pierce his flesh.

Perhaps worse still was the anticipation of what he was about to endure. Jesus was completely aware of the fate which awaited him and this knowledge filled him with anxiety.

He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me." He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine." Matthew 26:38-39

From his prayer in the garden, we know that Jesus is experiencing the most powerful human emotions imaginable. In this way, we fully see his humanity; that Jesus is extremely appreh...

The Path To Passion

arsindelve — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:38:20 GMT

And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. If someone says, I belong to God, but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. But those who obey God's word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did. 1 John 2:3-6

There's something really special about Christians who become born-again in their adult years. Almost all the men and women I know who endured a childhood and adolescence without Jesus but have recently accepted Him, now seem to love Jesus with such fiery passion. The moment when they accept Jesus becomes a catalyst for change in their life, and nothing seems the same afterwards. These people shine with love for Jesus, and they are such a joy to be around.

I'm not a very emotional person and this extends to my relationship with Jesus. I have always been an intellectual Christian, which is to say that I believe in Jesus Christ because it makes sense. When I weigh the facts and the evidence, the logical conclusion I reach is that Jesus was who He said He was, and that conclusion demands a response. And so, I worship Jesus because that is the logical thing to do. But that is not the same thing as loving Jesus, and that has been a very difficult path for me to follow.

Years ago, I attended a very powerful youth retreat. At the conclusion of the evening's service, the pastor gave an impassioned plea for all of us young men to commit to God. He implored us to reach deep within ourselves, find the empty void and invite Christ to come and fill it up. The room became awash with emotion, and soon two dozen young men were weeping, falling to their knees and crying out to God. Yet, I felt nothing. I wanted to feel something - anything - but I was empty inside. I was concerned and wondered, "what is wrong with me?" It was not long after that I walked away from Christianity, and it took me ten wasted years to come back.

I made the same mistake many people do. I assumed that passion for Jesus is something that just happens once we decide to make Him Lord. And for some, it does, but many others don't automatically have the same emotional response. It depends on your reasons for coming to Christ. If you come to Him from a place of desperate emotional need, he responds on that level, and there may still be work that must be done to understand Him on an intellectual level. If, however, you come to Christ on an intellectual level as I did, there is work to be done in order to connect with him emotionally.

What work am I talking about? It's obedience.

It may seem that obedience to God is the result of our passion for Him, but in reality, the opposite is true. Your passion f...

Pray Without Ceasing

arsindelve — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:36:14 GMT

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thess 5:17

For those of us who have been lucky enough to be in love with someone very special, we can recall what it was like during the few weeks after we first met. It's impossible to be with that person every moment of every day, but they are still in our thoughts, day and night. That special person influences our life, even when they are not around. We find our mind drifting even while we are work, wondering what they are doing at that moment. We imagine what our next moments together will be like. We dream of ways to surprise them or make them happy, and we can't wait to see them again and make them smile. We store up in our minds all the things we will tell them when we see them, and can't wait to hear what they were up to while we were apart. When we have joy, we wish they were there to share it, and when we have difficulty, we wish they were there to help us through. It seems like they are all we can think about, but it's wonderful and amazing!

Hold this picture in your mind of just how much that person occupied your attention. It was as if we carried that person with us everywhere we went, keeping them in our minds with every passing moment. They were all we wanted and all we desired. Everything else that happened in our life was just a distraction, keeping us from what we really wanted.

Now, you have an idea what Paul is talking about. We cannot pray every second of every day any more than we could have been with that person every moment. But it is possible to love Jesus Christ so much that we carry Him with us wherever we go, just as we did with that true love. In this context, Paul is not talking about prayer as an action, he is talking about it as an attitude. It is an attitude that places Jesus above everything else in our life. Even as we work, spend time with friends or relax at home, He is ever present with us.

Unlike our earthly loves, which start out like a flame but often fade over time, our love for Jesus starts small but will grow into a wild fire if we allow it. For that to happen, we need to nurture our relationship by remembering Him in everything we do. Let Jesus occupy your heart and mind every moment you are awake. If you adopt this unceasing attitude of prayerfulness which Paul describes, your love for Christ and the joy you gain will eclipse anything you have ever known before.

What Are You Afraid Of?

arsindelve — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:06:19 GMT

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son (Genesis 22:9-10)

Late last year, my father and I sat in a hotel room following a men's conference in Toronto. Though he had given his life to Christ months earlier, he was still struggling with what it means to put Jesus first in his life and to surrender himself completely to Christ. "Let me ask you this," I said. "Would you trust Jesus enough to let him take Mom from you, if that was required of you in order to follow him?" He pondered their thirty-eight years of marriage and all that she means to him, then finally replied, "I don't know."

I empathize with my father as surely as I empathize with Abraham, whose test of faith has become the example for us all. The question for most of us, including my father, is academic since few people ever have to make such a dramatic choice. However, it's a useful test of the depth of our trust in Christ to ask, "What would I give up to follow Him?"

If we will be honest, there is something which each of us fears losing so much that it strains the limits of our faith to contemplate trusting it to God. Our life is perhaps the least of these, for surely there are worse fates than dying. Perhaps it is losing our wife, husband or child. Perhaps it is losing our freedom, our health or our mind.

As I began to take this inventory for myself in my twenties, I came across one thing which I could never permit God to take from me and which I could not offer in sacrifice. It was my mind. I justified this by saying that if I lost my sanity or my ability to perceive the world around me, how could I serve Christ? How would I even know who He was? If that were the case, would I be lost forever? Does my salvation rest upon my ability to understand it? I concluded that I could stand any manner of pain and torture so long as I had clarity of mind, but I told God in no uncertain terms that my conscious mind was off limits.

Years later, I came to the conclusion which must have preceded Abraham's reluctant decision to sacrifice His son, and which every Christian must reach before they can sacrifice the last remaining sacred treasure they have been withholding. I thought, "God, if you take this from me, it's part of your amazing plan and I can trust you." It was part of the realization that if God is going to take something from me, He will remain faithful to me and see me through it. He will give me whatever strength, faith and endurance I require to make it through the loss. This is the promise Jesus gives to all who place their faith in Him.

I don't know how God would sustain me if I h...

Genuine Christianity

arsindelve — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:02:21 GMT

We're all looking for a genuine faith in Christ. None of us want to be a fake or someone who is a Christian in name only. We want to really live for Christ and be worthy of being called a follower of Christ. But how can we know that our faith is real? There are some very important clues in 1st John. Let's look at three indicators of our overall spiritual health.

1) A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

"This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:2-3)

The "life" John is referring to is Jesus Christ in the flesh. We need to remember that Jesus is so much more than a man who lived and died 2,000 years ago. Jesus is alive today and to rightly be called a follower of Christ, we need to know him. We need a relationship with Him and to do that, we need to spend time with Jesus in prayer. Open your heart to Him and really listen to what he wants to tell you. Study his words in the scripture and understand his teaching. To be a true follower of Jesus, you need to be able to declare, "I know the Lord personally, and He knows me."

Part of having a relationship with Jesus is not being ashamed of Him. Don't be afraid of letting people know where you stand! Don't hide your Bible under the night stand and don't be afraid to let people see you praying or worshiping. If you're ashamed of Jesus, then you can be certain your relationship is in trouble.

2) Despise Sin and Wickedness.

"God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth." (1 John 1:5-6)

We all make mistakes and sin. The mark of a true Christian is that when we sin, we seek forgiveness and then actively look for ways to make sure we do not commit that sin again. We hate that we have sinned, we despise our sinful nature and we want to do whatever we have to in order to prevent it from happening again. If you have ongoing sin in your life and do not look for ways to eliminate it, or worse, justify it and have no remorse, then you are not walking in the light.

It's so tempting to permit sin in our lives, especially when our friends and coworkers have such completely different standards. We are told that swearing, drunkenness, lying, cheating and sexual immortality are perfectly fine these days. They are not. If we truly want to be followers of Christ, we need to live up to a higher standard.

Here's a simple rule to help guide...

You Never Thoroughly Intended It

arsindelve — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:17:29 GMT

I read quite a lot, both for pleasure and for my theological studies. Every so often, I read something that stops me dead in my tracks and affects me so deeply that I have to put the book down and consider what I've just read. No author has done that as powerfully and frequently as C.S. Lewis. Today, I want to share one of those moments with you and explore how we can apply it to our relationship with Jesus. (In fairness, these are not his own words - Lewis was quoting William Law). He wrote:

If you will stop here and ask yourselves why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it.

If we consider Christianity to be a life-long journey, then surely the destination is a perfect and complete union with Christ. We begin the journey by not knowing Christ at all and it is complete when we have surrendered to Christ so fully and completely that nothing of ourselves remains.

If we stop to take a look at the things which prevent us from reaching that goal, it will appear that there are hundreds of little things on the journey which block our way. Work, friends, community and family responsibilities all present obstacles. We're so busy!

The truth that Lewis brings to our attention is that there are not many reasons, but rather one simple reason which underlies it all. If you don't have the kind of passion and intimacy in your relationship with Christ that you should then you don't fully intend to. You see, the quality of your relationship with Christ is all in your hands and no one else's. This is not like a marriage where both husband and wife must work to achieve closeness. Christ is and has always been completely accessible and available. He waits patiently for us to take each next step toward Him. You either take the steps or you don't.

Every reason you can imagine for why you have not taken the next step on the journey can be distilled down to one simple fact - you don't want to. There is no secret or magic formula here. It's simple. We come closer to Christ by spending time with Him, reading His word, serving Him and praying. None of us are being physically prevented or restrained from doing these things and so the choice to do them or not to do them is ours alone.

Yet, we do other things instead. We watch TV, put in a little overtime at work, visit with friends or any other myriad of things that are more important to us at that given moment. It's a given that there are things we must do to survive such as eating and working in order to make money to pay for our food and shelter. Jesus understands this. Yet, there is so much that we do not need to do. All that time we could be working on our relationship with Jesus. But we don't.

I'm busy! I have work to do! I'm tired! Wrap the excuse any w...