God has a plan

Reinhard Bonnke spoke at my church this weekend.  During his talk, I wrote down just one statement.  Four simple words.   Find out what they were by reading my Examiner.com article…

If I believe God is personally interested in my life, then how I live my life is much more in a state of dependency.

I sometimes forget the very life-impacting point of those four words… God – has – a – plan.  God’s plan for my life is planned in every detail.

God is not surprised by any circumstance that comes into my life.  God – is – NOT – caught – off – guard.  Let that sink in….

God is not caught off guard or surprised just because I am.  That is very reassuring.  It allows me to trust Him more.

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Sacred Perfume

The Altar of Incense

In the set of instructions the Lord is giving Moses and the children of Israel for the Tabernacle, The Lord has them make an altar of incense.  This altar is to be used ONLY for incense, twice a day, perpetually (Ex 30:7-8).  He also is specific about only HIS incense will be burned on it, and only incense is burned on it.  No sacrifices… no other offerings. (Ex 30:9).  Of the Altar of Incense…

Exodus 30:10 “… It is most holy to the Lord.”

I did a search and discovered that this phrase, “most holy” is in the NKJV only 3 times before this verse.  Twice it references that place in the tabernacle where God will reside – the Most Holy (Ex 26:33, 34) – and the only other reference is to the Altar of Burnt Offering where the offerings of atonement are made (Ex 29:37).

This is the first reference I found to the “most holy to the Lord,” and to me it implies that this burning of the incense is very special to God, thus He wants to keep it sacred, set apart, and undiluted and continual… remember twice a day… perpetually…

So what’s the significance of incense?

Interestingly enough, the word “incense” is only in two books of the New Testament – at least in the New King James Version – Luke and Revelation.  Three references in Luke all refer to the act, time or place of burning incense in the temple under the Law. (Luke 1:9, 10, 11)

The next four references are in the book of Revelation.  In three of the four references, incense is associated with and equated with the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 5:8 “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints“

Revelation 8:3-5 “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. “

Just in case it hasn’t hit you yet, you and I – if we are in Christ – are the saints who are praying…

I think God established early- as he was establishing the Tabernacle, His dwelling place -  that our prayers, our earnest and honest communication and communion with Him; our multiple times a day interaction and relationship with Him is sacred, set apart, and special to Him. I’m not talking about religious dronings and chants and repeated phrases over and over.  I’m talking about sitting down and having coffee with your best friend conversation… real, authentic, genuine talking and listening. He doesn’t want it polluted with other relationships or polluted by the religious machine.  He is our Daddy and he wants to spend time with his children.  The very first commandment:

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. “

Exodus 20:5 “… For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, …”

Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Doesn’t that excite you just a little bit, that the God of the Universe is anxiously awaiting some time with you?  That He deems is sacred?  He thinks it is special?  He keeps it holy?  Frankly, it overwhelms me a little bit.

Thank you Daddy that you cherish spending time with me. I’m am so sorry to have let the worries of today cloud and crowd my time with you.  I give you this day, this time to just sit and be with you.  I ask for your grace to strengthen me to make time for this most important relationship, this son with his Daddy.

Running After Papa…

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The Artist

Exodus 26

The Walls of the Tabernacle

It’s interesting as you read Exodus 26 that God has a very specific structure – or architecture, if you like – on HOW the tabernacle was to be built, but yet He left room for the creativity of the individual – the artisan – in places of the construction. For example, God very specifically defines the length, width, type and colors of materials, numbers of panels, connective and mounting procedures for the various walls – as well as how many layers of walls and in what order, but left the interpretation of “with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them.” (Ex 26:2 and Ex 26:31)

We all know that if 3 artists paint the same picture, they will all 3 look very different, because of the natural giftings and interpretation of the artists.

God’s tabernacle was very specifc in design. God’s tabernacle was very specific in structure. God’s tabernacle was very specific in function. But God left the “interface” to the community – how it was viewed and presented – to the creativity He instilled in its artisans.

You are an artist.

I have to believe God has used the Mosaic Tabernacle as a picture for our lives. He has defined a structure, an “architecture” for our lives, but has left the interface to our community to the creativity He instilled in us. This is the beauty of our individual testimonies. No two stories are the same… on purpose! Our job is to weave the tapestry with our story. God’s responsibilty is to use that tapestry to engage others and minister to others.

The Mercy Seat

Exodus 16:34 “You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy.”

I love the way the Hebrew word is translated as the “mercy seat”. In looking up the origin of the word, it means “atonement cover” or “a central place where sins are forgiven.”

The connotation is that it is a separate place, a place specific for the purposes of atonement. Atonement is just a $2 word that means (according to Webster’s) “the reconciliation (to restore to harmony) of God and mankind through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.”

Some of the walls of the tabernacle were made with fibers and woven. Some of the walls were made from animals. Ex 26:7 says to use goat’s hair. It is unclear if that’s the skin of the goat with the hair intact, or if that’s the goat’s hair woven into cloth. But Ex 26:14 is very clear that two other layers are made by the skin of rams dyed red, and the skin of badgers. That implies that there were LOTS of animals killed in order to fashion together coverings for the tents. With the death of those animals, much blood was shed – I suspect that’s one of the reasons the rams skins were dyed red – to remind the Isrealites of the blood that was shed to make the covering.

Back to the “mercy seat”. One of the definitions is “atonement cover”. Are you starting to get draw a connection here? This mercy seat – this atonement cover – was a foreshadowing of what Christ’s blood would do for us… cover our sins. The death of Jesus – the sacrifice of the Lamb of God (John 1:29) – covered our sins and reconciled us back to the Father; back to right standing as Sons and Daughters of the Most High.

The cross is the central place where sins are forgiven (our other definition of the mercy seat.) Only the cross covers the sins of my past, my present and my future in order to reconcile – to restore back to harmony – my life with God. Salvation – willingly yielding control of every part of my life to the lordship of Jesus Christ – is a one-time event. When my submission is authentic, I only need to do this once. However, transformation is an ongoing process. I have, I do, and I will screw up – hopefully it will become fewer and fewer times as I journey. Regardless, when I screw up, it doesn’t take long for Daddy to draw that to my attention and I am quick to repent. This is where I go to the mercy seat again, not for salvation, but to ask forgiveness. Remember, the mercy seat is the central place where sins are forgiven. 1 John 1:9 tells me that God is faithful to forgive me if I ask him and James 5:16 tells me that I can be healed of my sin in the confidence and prayer of another brother in Christ.

The mercy seat in the Mosaic temple was a physical and literal place. It was a place where animals were sacrificed to atone for the sins of individuals, families and the nation. When Christ died for all those sins and so many more, the temple walls were ripped from top to bottom by God himself to signify that the mercy seat was no longer behind the veil. Jesus is the mercy seat. Jesus is in my life. However, I still like visible remembrances. So in my life, I draw on a physical mercy seat – sometimes its over the phone with a brother, sometimes its in my room with my wife, sometimes it’s at a table at the local diner.

How do both these relate?

When I am free from the bondages of sin in my life – because I go to the mercy seat – I am free to be the artistic interface to my community presenting – in my own unique perspective and my own unique testimony – all that God has done,  is doing, and will do IN  me because of the mercy seat!

Running After Papa…

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Breathing

Today I had a great run.

It was a great run for a couple of reasons.  1. Physically, it was a really consistent pace with virtually no stops.  2. God really showed up, or should I say, I really listened well today.

You see, my typical M.O. for running it so watch my pace and try to keep a brisk clip going based on the pace (minutes per mile).  But today I strapped on the heart monitor and decided to run based on a consistent heart rate, paying no attention to how fast I was running other than how fast my heart beat and how hard I was breathing.

I noticed something on the way “back” (I run an “out and back” loop most days) today.  If I focused on my breathing and intentionally inhaled in deeper, through my nose, for three steps and exhaled consistently through my mouth, for 3 steps, I could lower my heartbeat by 5-7 beats per minute.

It was hard to maintain.  It was not natural.  It took effort.  But it worked.

I tend to think of running posture as something that just “happens” naturally.  But today showed me that when I focus on it, I am able to override “natural.”  Physiologically, when I run with my head held high, looking forward, and my shoulders high and tall, then my chest has the best possible opportunity to fully expand allowing more oxygen-rich air to come into my lungs.  As I focus on taking longer, deeper breaths, I get more “good” air in.  I also have to focus on exhaling “bad” air out, intentionally trying to empty my lungs of oxygen depleted air to make room for more O2-rich air. I tend to notice that inhaling is not something I naturally focus on.

As I get tired, I naturally begin to let my shoulders “sag” and my back to slightly hunch over which keeps my lungs from expanding as much and keeps more of the oxygen-depleted air in my lungs.  This results in my heart working harder – to the tune of 5-7 beats a minute – based on today’s run.

If you’ve read my blogs long, you know that I believe most physical observations have a spiritual connotation.

The idea of spiritually breathing is not a new one.  It is simply the practice of Exhaling (Confession) and Inhaling (being filled with the Holy Spirit).

1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive our sins.  This is the process of getting all the “oxygen-depleted” air out of our lungs.  Sin keeps us from staying in step with the Lord and can hamper our walk with the Lord due to fear, or the inability to hear Him clearly.

Paul writes in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  That literally translates to “keep on being filled” indicating that it’s not a one-time event… kinda like breathing in.  Again, this is not something I naturally focus on.  My natural self tends to lean to the “one-time event” versus a continual focus to “keep on being filled.”

Today I had a great run.

Running After Papa…

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The Gift

I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. (Galatians 2:21, NLT)

What is “… the grace of God?”

We hear that word all the time living here in the Bible belt, and most of the time it’s coupled with the word “mercy.” Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy! You get the idea. So what is it?

I’ve tried to teach my children in various life lessons what the difference between grace and mercy is. It goes something like this: “Grace is getting a gift that you absolutely do NOT deserve and mercy is NOT getting the consequences or punishment you ABSOLUTELY deserve.” Simple… but effective….

Grace is an undeserved gift. Mercy is an undeserved pardon.

What then is God’s undeserved gift to us that Paul doesn’t treat as meaningless in Galatians 2:21? It would imply the gift is meaningful.

If I did the search correctly, in the ESV translation, the word “grace” appears only 10 times in the Old Testament. Three different Hebrew words translate to those ten occurrences of “grace.” Eight of the ten times it is the Hebrew word chen (“khane”) meaning “1 favour, grace, charm. 1a favour, grace, elegance. 1b favour, acceptance.”

In the New Testament, the word we translate into the word “grace” is charis and appears 124 times in 116 verses (in the ESV) and means something totally different: “of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.”

I bring this up only to point out that grace, as Paul is defining it, is a post-Christ idea. In fact, except for 3 verses in John 1 (prior to Christ’s birth), the word “grace” doesn’t appear in any of the gospels.  The first occurrence is in the book of Acts, after Christ’s ascension.

For the next couple of chapters, Paul compares the bondage of living under the law with the freedom of living in Christ.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:4-6, NLT)

The gift (the grace of God) is a life of freedom from the bondage of the law; a life free from having to perform; a life free of doing in order to earn God’s favor.

2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. (Galatians 5:2-4, NLT)

The gift (the grace of God) is living life in the power of His Spirit and love.

For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. (Galatians 5:6, NLT)

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13, NLT)

The gift (the grace of God) is a life of transformation into something new.

15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. (Galatians 6:15-16, NLT)

I will not treat the grace of God (the gift) as meaningless….

Running After Papa…

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Blisters (Eph 6:15)

^14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ^15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  (italics added) Ephesians 6:14-15, NKJV

I run.  I have for several years now.  I don’t really run because I like running, although I do enjoy the benefits and the feeling after a good long run.  I started running in order to get some discipline in my life, so I decided to train for a marathon.  Fast forward a few years.  I got really lazy in my training and only did the long runs one year and…. as you might guess… injured my heel which has plagued me with planar fasciitis for over a year.  Fast forward again.  About a year ago, I started changing my running style to take all the impact out of my running by going to more of a “barefoot style” running – simply put, I land on the ball of my foot and then let my heel touch before springing off my foot for the next step.  This style takes a while to build up stamina and strength in your calves as they do A LOT more work.

Last year, I purchased a pair of shoes called Vibram Five Fingers which are basically gloves for your feet with “fingers” for your toes and all.  They have zero support and are basically a sole for your foot so you can run barefoot style without gettting cut up or bruised from rocks and stuff in the road.

I say all that to say this.  Yesterday, I ran too far in my shoes and I got serious blisters on both feet.  I had been running about 2-2.25 miles in the Vibrams and then I would change into my running shoes and run 2 or 3 more miles.  That is my normal M.O.  That is what I do and how I build up endurance.

Yesterday, I tried to run 4 miles in my Vibrams.  This is NOT me.  At 3.3 miles, my feet were so hot (where the blisters are now brilliantly showing themselves) that I took my shoes off and walked the rest of the way home barefoot… in the grass… gingerly.

On the way home, Papa brought to mind Eph 6:15.  The NIV version says “…with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.“ When I asked how this all fit together, He showed me:

Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad.  (I Peter 3:14-17, The Message)

and

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  (Psalms  139:14, NKJV)

What God showed me in that I don’t have to be anyone else.  While I can look to others who are farther along this life of transformation; those I consider spiritual giants; those heroes of the faith;  I am NOT to strive to be like them. God made me to be me.  According to the Ephesians passage, I am to know and understand and live in Truth and Righteousness.  This brings all glory to God.  But I don’t have to wear anyone else’s shoes.  When I do, I get blisters, they rub my feet wrong.  They slow down my pace.   I just have to be me (crucified) in Him.  If I try to be someone else, I am not living the 1 Peter passage.  I won’t “Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why I’m living the way…” I am.  I praise him for make me just like I am.  I am free to be me in Him.  That’s how I’ll be most effective for His purposes and to give him all the glory and praise that He is due.

Running After Papa…

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Overcoming – Updated (Rev 12:11)

How do we overcome the power of sin in our lives?

I was recently listening to “Overcome” by Jon Egan and the Desperation Band on the way home from my son’s Lacrosse game, when I was captured by one of the lyrics at the end of the song.  I’ve sung this song dozens of time, so it wasn’t a new song for me, but this time something clicked.  The repeated lyric is “And we will overcome, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, everyone overcome.”   Revelation 12:11 is the verse that bridge it taken from.

Revelation 12:11 (NKJV) “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

I really began to ask the Lord about it.  So how do we overcome?  What is the significance of this verse?  How does the rubber meet the road and why?  (If you read my blogs very often, you’ll find that’s a very common question I ask…)

1. The blood of the Lamb

First things first… This is the fulfillment of God’s law.  This gives us the LEGAL RIGHT TO OVERCOME.  “Hebrews 9:22 (ESV) “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” When we’ve been washed in the blood of the Lamb, we are forever the possession of God himself.  There is MUCH that could be said here, but that’s for another day…  Here’s the meat of this post…

2. The word of their [our] testimony

This is gives us the POWER TO OVERCOME.  This is where the rubber meets the road.  We’re all familiar with Proverbs 18:21 “²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.“  But for me, in getting to that verse, I’ve glossed over the prior one, verse 20.

Proverbs 18: 20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰ A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. ²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

When those two verses are put together, we’re talking about a whole meal!  What we claim – the words that we speak – is what will fill our stomachs.  This is a very interesting picture as the stomach is essentially where digestion of our physical food begins after we eat.  “You are what you eat,“  is a saying we learned to help us make healthy choices of our meals.  How appropriate! So it is with the words we speak.  When we speak words, we listen to those words, we hear those words, we believe those words – we digest those words.  When we speak words of defeat over our lives, our character, our circumstances, our children, etc., etc., we begin digesting those words.  Those words “satisfy” our stomach and we continue to live in those things we believe.  “You are what you eat,” becomes much more like “You are what you speak.”

It’s time to stop the madness! It’s time to begin confessing the words of life.  Even if it’s not evident yet, speak it.  For example,  “I was unhappy, but God has given me joy and helped me overcome. (Gal 5:22)” or “I was an angry man; but God has given me patience and helped me overcome. (I Cor 13:4)” or “I was afraid and let fear rule my circumstances, but God has given me a spirit of power, love and a sound mind and helped me overcome. (2 Tim 1:7)” Speak what God has or is making you BASED on what HE says about you in his Word – the Bible.

Hear me… I am NOT advocating a “name it and claim it” theology.  God is NOT a Genie, but there is a “working out” of our salvation.  There is a process of transformation and I believe renewing our mind with the Word of God and what God says about us is part of that process.

The word of your testimony is what breaks the power of sin in your life, but only if you’ve been bought by the blood of the Lamb.

3. They died to themselves

“… and they did not loves their lives to the death,” is how Rev 12:11 ends.  This is the MEASURE OF OVERCOMING!

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

I find this to be the most difficult verse in the Bible to really live out.  My wants, my desires, my needs, my expectations, my rights… and the list goes on.  If I’m offended, my flesh is probably alive.  If I am angry, my flesh is probably alive.  If I feel slighted, cheated, short changed, cut off, hindered, delayed or detained, my flesh is probably alive.

Only when I am fully dead to me, can I be fully alive in Christ.

THIS is overcoming defined!

So here are three questions for today’s take-away:

1.  Are you legally God’s? This is critical and the first thing and most important thing.  All eternity rides on the answer to this one.  Without #1, you can’t do #2.

2. What is God helping you overcome in your life? Speak it OUT LOUD! verbalize it!  Hear yourself say it audibly!

3.  What part of you do you need to die to? This IS the victory!

If you want to discuss the answer to any of these questions, email me at shoe@runningafterpapa.com.

Running After Papa…

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The God Express Button

We have a very complex microwave. There are tons of different settings to cook almost anything you can imagine. It has the ability to brown and bake using light while cooking the inside with microwaves. It can cook a batch of chocolate chip cookies in 7 minutes. That 3-5 whole minutes faster than the oven! It can cook biscuit in 6 minute. Whatever you want to cook, it can cook and it can do it faster than the convection oven (which is faster than a conventional oven).

However, our microwave has two buttons that are used the most… far beyond any other buttons. THE single most used button on the microwave is the “Microwave Express” button. This button turns the microwave on for 30 seconds. If you touch it while the microwave is on, it adds another 30 seconds. So, if I want to cook something for 1 and 1/2 minutes, it’s 3 touches of the button.

The second most used button is the one just above it that turns the light on in the microwave, so I can see my food being nuclearized, because I just HAVE to see my coffee get reheated!

I’ve noticed that I’m just that same way with Father. I want to push the “God Express” button in various areas of my life:

Prayer

How many times have I sent up A SINGLE prayer… a.k.a. the “flare prayer” to God? “OK Lord, I’ve pushed my God Express button, answer this prayer please…”

Ezra 10:1 Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly.

Neh 1:4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

When Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray… (Matt 26:36-46) Jesus prayed for an hour the first time…

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

He went on to pray for two more sessions.

Col 1:3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

1 Thess 5:18 Pray without ceasing

I’m not advocating that there are not appropriate times for quick prayers to the Lord for wisdom, for an immediate situation, whatever… but if that’s the ONLY kind of prayer I’m offering and I’m expecting immediate results, then I’m treating God more like a Genie in a Bottle than I am the Creator of the Universe.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, immediately after pushing my God Express button, I push the ‘light’ button, because I want to “see” what He’s going to do about it and how He’s going to handle it.

Transformation

To often I find myself with this same attitude in my own personal growth and transformation. “Gee, that was a great lesson Dad! I’m so glad I journaled that,” never to look at it again or continue working on, studying, or chewing on it.

Phil 2:12-13 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure

“Work out” my salvation? “Work out?” That would imply that when I stop, I get weaker and less “in shape.” Wow. Great picture and application. My spiritual walk needs to be exercised and strengthened daily. There is no express button for instant muscles or instant fitness. It is a daily, continual, diligent exercise and regiment. So is my transformation. Again, I’m not advocating a religious formula or legalistic “do & don’t” list. It’s an attitude of the heart. It’s a process of discipleship based in a real, living, vibrant relationship with Jesus.

Guess what? The God Express Button and the Light button aren’t connected… in fact, they don’t even exist. They are stickers that I have put on and a deception that I have believed.

Yes, Father lets us “see” our own progress sometimes. He is a good dad. He encourages us along the way. But He wants me to grow. He wants me to learn patience.

Prov 19:11 A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

Prov 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

Eccles 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

Isa 7:13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?

Rom 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

Rom 9:22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?

2 Cor 6:6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Col 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully

Col 3:12 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully

1 Tim 1:16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Also see 2 Tim 3:10, 2 Tim 4:2, Heb 6:12, James 5:10, 2 Pet 3:15

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Orienteering – Map and Compass

A few weeks ago I took my son on one of his favorite Cub Scout events. It’s called Cub-O. It’s an all-day outdoor, orienteering event where the Cub Scouts learn to read and follow maps with a compass to various “flags” all over the Scout Camp. Each “flag” is worth a some point level (5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40) and the object is to get as many points as you can in the 2-hour competition window.

As I said, this is on of my son’s favorite events and this was our third or fourth year to go. However, on this particular event, Papa dropped a little manna my way and I’ve been chewing on it for a few weeks, letting it marinade and watching as Daddy gave me a small piece of the puzzle, a little at a time. It wasn’t until 2 weeks later that I had, what I thought was a semi-complete thought pattern / and spiritual lesson. Saying that, know this is a work in progress. We will see how Papa adds to it as time goes on. I was able to give this as a devotional to a group of close friends and was encouraged to share it on my blog… so here goes.

Let’s start with some definitions:

MAP – Webster defines a map as a “…representation of a flat surface” … it is also defined as “… to plan in detail.” These are both very good and pertinent definitions. Basically the Map at Cub-O was a representation of Sid Richardson Scout Camp at Lake Bridgeport. It showed elevation changes, trees, valleys, rivers, power lines, clear paths, obstacles, etc. Maps are drawn in relation to a fixed point – in this case Magnetic North. So there are magnetic north lines that run all the way the length of the map, for references. A map will also, if you know how to read it, tell you where you are, where you want to be, how to get there and what you might encounter (good and bad) along the way – depending on the route you take.

COMPASS – Webster defines a compass as “… an instrument that indicates direction.” The compass, when used correctly, marks the direction we are to take to get to the destination we are seeking. The compass is used to help up get from where we are to ANYWERE on the map.

ORIENT – Webster defines orient (by the way, this is a verb) as “… to set or arrange in any determinant position, especially in relation to the points of a compass” and also as “… to set right by adjusting to facts and principles.” To orient oneself is to adjust the direction by which I am heading based on my compass reading.

OK. So, in case you don’t know how this works in real-life, let me briefly describe what they teach the boys at Cub-O.

1. Open the MAP where you can read it.
2. Identify where you are – this is not always as easy as it seems. There are no “YOU ARE HERE” dots like at the mall or the zoo! This is done by looking at the surroundings around you and finding those same things on the map.
3. Locate your destination, at Cub-O it’s the next “flag” on your plan.
4. ORIENT the COMPASS to the MAP. This is done by aligning the magnetic north lines of the MAP with the “guide” lines in the COMPASS dial. This makes sure that your map and compass are aligned properly and that the “north” point of the compass point is pointing north.
5. Once you’ve ORIENTED the compass to the map, then you ORIENT your body with the COMPASS. This means you hold the COMPASS flat and keep the “north” point of the dial in the “north” marking (on my compass it’s the red side of the dial in the red markings).
6. Walk in the direction of the arrows on the compass. As long as you keep the COMPASS aligned, you will walk in a straight line to your next destination.
7. Continually monitor your surroundings, the obstacles, the trees, the grassy parts, the elevations changes so that you can see you are or are not on track.

Hopefully that’s clear as mud, but the spiritual application is much easier to see…

The MAP

Let’s start with the MAP. Doesn’t that sound a lot like the WORD of God… the Bible… the WRITTEN WORD (Logos) of God? Isn’t God’s word written in relation to a “fixed point” i.e. Jesus? Doesn’t the Bible tell you where you are, where you want to be, how to get there and what kind of obstacles or blessings you may encounter along the way – depending on the choices you make? Isn’t the Word of God what we use “… to plan in detail” what God is calling us to be?

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:7-8, NIV)

“”I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. “Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,” (1 Kings 2:2-3, NASB95)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)

These passages reference the WRITTEN word of God, the MAP, per se. What is the result? “Then you will be prosperous and successful” and “…that you may succeed in all you do and wherever you turn.”

The COMPASS

Now, let’s turn to the COMPASS. This was one of the missing “pieces of the puzzle” as God began to reveal this word in me. As I sought His wisdom and what he was saying, He showed me that the compass, in spiritual context, is the SPOKEN WORD.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11, NASB95)

The Hebrew word for “word” in verse 11 is dabar and means 1. statement, what is said, word, saying, message, communication.2. speaking,

If the compass is the spoken word, then where are those spoken words coming from? Jesus tells us where all spoken words come from.

“Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” (John 8:43-47, NLT)

If, according to our definition, a compass is “… an instrument that indicates direction,” then those spoken words (either by a person, or the thoughts within our head) are one of two things. According to Jesus, all spoken words are either TRUTH or LIES.

So how do we discern those words we hear to be truth (from God) or lies (from the enemy)?

ORIENT The Map

Reviewing our definition of ORIENT is to “… to set right by adjusting to facts and principles.” Can we agree that “facts & principles” represent TRUTH?

This is where it gets really interesting, because 2 Cor 10:1-6 tells me that it’s not at all easy out there.

“The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6, The Message)

This is a powerful verse! Not only does it say that we could have two conflicting points of reference / direction, but it also tells us exactly what the final destination is! “…building lives of obedience into maturity.”

So the first step we take is to orient the SPOKEN WORD (COMPASS) to the WRITTEN WORD (MAP) – sound familiar? – Does the word I am hearing align with the truth of the Scripture? This is critical because if it doesn’t, then we’ll be working with a broken compass and heading in EXACTLY OPPOSITE of where we want to go. This is why Paul said in 2 Corinthians that we are to be “… taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Cor 10:5-6 NASB) because Jesus said there is an enemy whose sole purpose is to “…kill, steal, and destroy…”
(John 10:10) all that God has laid up for us. So we first “…set right by adjusting to facts and principles” the spoken word against the written word (the truth).

ORIENT Your Self

Now that I’ve taken every word (thought) captive to determine it’s truth, now comes the really hard part! The second part of orienteering is to orient my self (my body) to that spoken word, to that truth that will lead me into maturity. What does that look like? James has a idea….

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)

Persevere… Embrace trails with joy… OUCH!

I want to review a verse we mentioned earlier….

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11, NASB95)

I was really bothered by the last half (all of verse 11) and I asked the Lord “what does that mean?” Here was his reply ( I have to thank my friend Michael for helping me decipher the word spoken to me (he helped me orient the compass to the map!)

“Bryan, Although I can be, I’m not always going to be the loudest voice in the room. I’m not going to speak intimate and personal things into you until you are in a position to receive them and hear me. (I have to orient myself to the compass) I have said in my Word, my spoken word will not return void, so if you are not listening, then I cannot speak into you. I do not change and I cannot go against my written word. When you are aligned and in a position to hear me, then I will speak those truths that move you into a life of obedience into maturity. Because My word cannot return void and cannot return without accomplishing what I desire, then I have to know you are going to hear and receive My word.”

Can I just say WOW! That has put a whole new perspective on my time with Him.

Daddy, I am awed by YOU! I cannot ever get over how much you pursue and how much you love me. To know that you are always watching, waiting to see when I am going to be in a position to hear you and receive Your words of life. I am overwhelmed with your goodness and your continual mercy towards me. Help me Father to listen intently. Help me to align those words I hear with the truth of the Scripture and then align myself with your truth. Help me keep my account short with you so that nothing hinders my communication and relationship with you. Draw me close to you because you’ve promised in your Word that if I draw near to You, you will draw near to me. Meet me in the daylight and meet me after sundown. Thank you for loving me enough to speak into me and to know my every thought, need, want and desire. I submit my self to you and your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Running After Papa…

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