Revelation, Boundaries, & Restraint

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. " (Proverbs 29:18, KJV)

 

In baseball, there are two lines running from home base all the way to the fence that marks the end of the field.  One line runs from home base and passes just outside the first base, and the other runs from home base and passes just outside of third base.  Any ball hit in between those lines is a “fair ball” and the batter is to then run the bases with out being put out. Any ball that is outside of those two lines is called a ‘foul ball” and the batter is not to run the bases yet.

The lines give the players some parameters in which to play, some guidelines as it were. When you add the rules for playing baseball to this, the game proceeds fairly smoothly.  For the most part the game is played within the parameters that have been marked out by the aforementioned lines that separate fair from foul.

In football there is a big rectangular box that outlines the playing field, clearly defining the limits within which the game is to be played. Outside the lines you are either out of bounds or out of the end zone. You must play within the box.  Every sport has clearly defined boundaries and a set of rules by which you must play.  Otherwise there would be complete chaos.

If I was going to write the above verse for baseball, it would look something like the following. Where baseball is played without clearly defined boundaries and without a rule book, the players are unrestrained and do whatever they want to causing confusion, frustration, and altercations: the players however who play within the boundaries and keep the rules have a much greater potential of having fun, enjoying the game, and accomplishing something specific.

I am pretty sure we are starting to get a better understanding of this verse (Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.)

I have more to say about this but will save it for the next post. For now, I will finish with sports. Sports have to be played within the established boundaries, (between the lines), and must be played (guided) by the rule book, just as we Christians must live within the boundaries clearly established by Scripture, with them as our guide.

When there’s no vision, the people get out of control, but whoever obeys instruction is happy. (Proverbs 29:18, CEB)

Thinking About Faith

“Do not anxiously look about you …”  (Isaiah 41:10, NASB)

 
Let’s take a few minutes to think about faith. The Bible says that without faith we can’t please God, that it has accompanying action, and that it is what gives substance to and evidence of what we believe. For instance in James 2:17, we find scripture saying:

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

From this verse we can see that true faith has accompanying action that proves its existence. Also, Hebrews 11:1, KJV says:

“ …  faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

True faith gives substance to what we believe causing a resulting action or attitude that is a manifestation of our faith. For instance sitting down in a chair gives evidence that I believe the chair will hold me up, and not collapse when I sit down.

I know I am making faith very simplistic in this, but it really isn’t that complicated of a thing. We use it in the natural realm all the time. It works the same way in the spiritual realm. Faith evidences itself by responding to what we believe, because it gives substance to what we believe, substance that can be trusted and acted upon.

I know of a young lady who moved into a new apartment. Her first evening there she was feeling a bit scared and kept looking out the window to see if she could see anything. Then she prayed and asked God to protect her and her baby in their new home. 

She continued looking out the window and feeling a bit afraid. Then it finally hit her that if she prayed and asked for God for His protection then she needed to   believe that He would do it, and that she needed to quit anxiously looking out her window.

She settled back, quit looking out the window and enjoyed the rest of her evening as God’s peace settled over her and her new apartment

Do The Good

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17, ESV)

Remember when we thought that all we had to do was to not do wrong things?  It seemed so much simpler then, after all, we like to know what is “out” so we can stay away from it and be thought of as good. I mean there is nothing like a good “do not list” that we can adhere to and then feel good about ourselves, if we can manage it. But at some point we find out that it is not enough to not do bad stuff, we must also do good stuff. 

Take for example Ephesians 4:28, NIV:

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Not only is the thief to deal with his sin (stealing), he is to become gainfully employed (thereby dealing with the reason), and he is then to then help others in need so they won’t resort to stealing. This is getting a bit more complicated than a “do list” and “do not list”.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I can see stopping the stealing and getting a job, but then having to give to others so they won’t steal? My old nature does not like that!  But, of course, we are not called to live out of our old nature but out of our new nature.

Ephesians 4:28 tells us we are to deal with our sins, be gainfully employed, helping others and helping them get on the right path. But it is not a list we follow, for we may as well be under the Law if we are going to do “lists”. It is a matter of the heart sensitized to God, the mind renewed by the Word, and living a transformed life that is offered as a living sacrifice to God - lived for Him and His purposes.

We know it is a sin to do wrong things, but the Word also tells us that it is a sin to not do the right things we know to do. It is always in season to be obedient to the Word and the Holy Spirit, and to not do so is wrong.

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”Eph 4:28, NLT

What Were YouThinking...? Part 2

“ … there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes” (Ep 4:23, NLT)

If we are going to act correctly, then we have to think correctly. If self-gratification and self-preservation are at the center of our thinking, we will continue to make wrong decisions, take wrong actions, and say the wrong things. It is about far more than what we think - it goes to how we think, what is at the center of our thinking.  (From What Were You Thinking…? Part 1)

In Ephesians 4 we are told to put off the old man and put on the new man, but sandwiched in between is the admonition to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”  Without our minds being renewed (being made new again by a redefining of what we know as truth and what our set course of action is to be based upon that truth), our motivation will continue to be self-preservation and self-gratification. We will continue to act out of the old man instead of the new man who is constantly being renewed into the image of Christ.

If we want to act (respond) out of the new man and live a transformed life that brings glory to God, we will have to move in our thinking from self-preservation and self-gratification to self-sacrifice.  Romans 1:1-2 says “

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Emphasis mine)

Living a transformed life requires that we must think differently. What we know as truth must be in agreement with the Word of God. We can no longer be the center of our lives and thoughts with everything revolving around us, but God must be at the center. Our decisions must be based upon His will and not how it will affect us and our lives.

We must think His thoughts after Him, and desire that He receive glory in all that we think, say, and do. We must sacrifice our self-life, the old man/nature, for His glory and live out the sacrificed life, the new man/nature, which is constantly being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

The AND Principle

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves”  (Php 2:3-4, NASB)

 Some years ago, I read a book by Charles Swindoll called Laugh Again.  It is on the book of Philippians and is about joy.  In a bible study, we were discussing Php 2:3-4 and I shared that in this book, speaking of these scriptures he gave three principles, something along the lines of:

1.     Never do anything prompted by pride or selfishness

2.     Always consider others as more important than yourself

3.     Don’t only consider your own interests but also the interests of others

Considering these to be really good principles, we thought it would be a good idea to remember them.  Someone suggested switching the first and second principles, thereby making an acrostic with the word AND, which would be an easy to remember, and so that is how the AND Principle came about.

 

1.     Always consider others as more important than yourself

2.     Never do anything prompted by pride or selfishness

3.     Don’t only consider your own interests but also the interests of others

If we would but do these three things, our lives and the lives of those around us would be drastically changed!  It takes a rich relationship with Christ to be able to walk these out, a relationship that takes time and focus, and which must be valued above all else. Of course, if we are so important that we have to be at other places, have the wrong motivation, or are too interested in our own cause, we will never be able to walk the And Principle out.

I believe that this principle, correctly applied, would remove a lot of the stress out of our lives, resulting in us having more joy and God receiving more glory. Now That’s a good thing!

Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (Php 2:3-4, MSG)

Storm Preparation

A Strong Foundation Needed

I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built.  Lk 6:47-48, NLT)

Well, this certainly is not a hard one to figure out.  The problem is, it’s the following through that brings the desired results, not the knowing how.  Like about anything else in life, “know how” without application will get you “no where.”  The wise pay attention to what they hear and act upon it.  The foolish  do not pay attention to what they hear and do not act upon it

“But anyone who listens and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins." (Lk 6:49, NLT)

If we want to have the type of foundation necessary for living the abundant life that Jesus came to give us, here are a few thoughts that will help:

“ … he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.”

(Lk 6:47< NIV)

In the words of Jesus:

Ÿ  Come to Me - We must deliberately seek out Jesus, spending time with Him daily, getting to know Him, getting to know His word, and developing an intimate relationship with Him.

Ÿ  Hear My Words - We must spend time listening for and learning His voice, sitting in His presence, and interacting with and in the Word of God.

Ÿ  Put them into practice - We must believe and do what the Word says.  Not just one time, but over and over, all the time, as a lifestyle.

In this way we will develop a solid foundation that will enable us and our families to stand firm and safely come through the storms of this life.

Squeezing Into Life

From Henry’s Desk

 

“ …Enter through the narrow gate …” (Mt7:13, NIV)

Have you ever considered the Christian life as a series of narrow gates?  You are cruising along, things are going pretty good, and all of a sudden you come to a gate!  Not only do you come to a gate, but the gate is too narrow to get through with all the stuff you are carrying.  And not only that, but it is a one time gate. You can only pass through it once.  You can’t go through it with some of your stuff and then come back and get the rest of it.  This produces a moment of crisis, a moment of decision, a moment pregnant with opportunity for growth.

 You finally make the right decision and go through the narrow gate.  You even find that it is easier traveling on the other side of the gate, having left some of your stuff behind.  Why, it is much nicer on this side than you ever imagined it could be!  And then you come upon another narrow gate.

Why, this gate is even narrower than the last one!  And all the stuff you are now carrying is not going to fit through it!  There is no way to turn around and no way to go around.  It is another moment filled with potential, crisis, and decisions.  There is a little more of a struggle this time.  You even try to drag some of the stuff behind you through the gate, but you can’t get through, so you let go of it.

 My, what a beautiful place you have walked into!  More wonderful than you ever imagined it could be!  And you don’t really miss what you left behind, it is actually much easier to walk without it.  You continue along and suddenly find yourself at another gate, even more narrow than the last one.  You don’t see how you are going to get much through this gate, and it is going to be hard to decide what to leave behind.  But you face the crisis, make the right decision, and take the correct action.  You continue on, finding the journey delightful!

 Onward you go!  And then another even narrower gate.  This time you aren’t even thinking about your stuff.  You don’t even see how you are going to squeeze through it.  You approach the opening, measuring it with your eyes, thinking, there is no way.  You slowly push your body through, scrapping some of your flesh off on the sides of the gate.  Wow, this is starting to be painful.

Finally you are through the gate.  My, how wonderful it is on this side.  Oh sure, there is still a little pain, and some smudges of blood, but you are through the gate and you are loving it!

You actually have a skip to your step now as you continue on.  You are really beginning to enjoy this life!  Up ahead you see another narrow gate …