Mighty Warrior

Count it a JOY, dear one when life gets hard. God is doing something HUGE! He is also proving that you are not a fake.

Be brave, mighty warrior. Your God is with you! When waves are crashing, stand to you feet, Throw your head back and feel the wind of the spirit.

God is painting a masterpiece with multi—colored trials.

Go forth and display divine special effects to the great Glory of God. You can do it!

A challenge from Beth Moore

Paradox of pain

The paradox of pain: sometimes life is agony - however, our loving God is in control. A paradox! Embrace only the first part (life is agony) and you might as well write the epitaph, "Died at 45, buried at 75." Embrace only the second part (God is in control) and deny the agony and your faith may survive, but it will be marked by an inability to truly love God and others with your whole heart. The key to the door of healing and wholeness will be unavailable.

A heart defiled by subtle bitterness at God (for the agaony) that has never been faced or resolved contaminates intimacy with Him. Joy and peace of mind dissipate.

The one I loved is gone. The proverbial shirt was lost in an investment deal. Disease has racked the body. Life is tough - yet, God is in control. Paul challenges us in 2 Corinthians 6:10, “Our hearts ache - yet, we have the joy of the Lord.” Our hearts can ache for the loss, but undergirding the loss is the hope that God is our loving Heavenly PaPa who will work everything to good for the believer.

CS Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscious and shouts at us in our pain. Pain is God’s megaphone to arouse a deaf world.”

Paul tells us in Romans 8:31 “… If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God is whispering, speaking or shouting to each of us here. “My child, I love you. I want you to dig deeper into intimacy with me so you can see my hand at work in your life. The good times and the tough times. Enjoy me. Because you love me, I am working everything that has happened and is happening for your good and my glory. Trust me. I love you.”

And because of that: Psalm 84:5-7 challenges us, “Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains. They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion.”

Remedy for Loneliness

We finished the last post with: “By instinct, we resist change. Change is uncomfortable. But change, we must, if we’re to become healthy through the loss. There is a fairly definable sequence of events that take place in loss and the need for change”
1. Denial, refusing to accept the need for change.

2. Resistance, fighting it tooth and nail. Sometimes I feel like I'm wresting with God and He has me pinned. With a pending divorce, we often cling and become possessive of the partner, driving them further away. In death, the resistance is clouded with shock “this couldn’t have happened to me.” Or if the death was long and painful, resistance is highlighted by the guilt of feeling relieved that the dying process is finished.

3. For the committed Christian, the next phase is usually a turning to God, either with anger (which is usually unconscious) or seeking answers from Him - WHY, and how do you want to use this in my life? May I suggest that being angry with God is very normal but usually denied. Who are we to be angry with a sovereign God? Yet, if we have an intimate relationship with him, the one we love the most we feel can hurt us the worst and that applies to God also."When tragic, unexplainable situations enter our lives, we must be willing to wrestle with our Sovereign, to honestly come to Him with our anger and broken heart. We must also be willing to rest in His wise ability to accomplish His purpose in His way for His kingdom and for us."(author unknown)

With His awesome power, He could have prevented the loss. Like David in the Psalms, face the anger, express it to God, and like David, let it go and dig deeper into trusting Him to be total Resource. Or, in seeking answers from Him, I so often prayed, “God, I’m so lonely. I miss that companionship so deeply. You promise to meet my needs. God, how are you going to be my companion in such a way that I can sense it?”

One of three things usually takes place after this kind of loneliness prayer;
1.He mystically comes along beside and comforts,or:
2. He impresses someone to be “God with skin on” for me and they come along beside; or,
3 there are times he seems to say, “No, I just want you to dig deeper into our relationship and nurture stronger intimacy with me. Trust me by faith that I’ll not only provide but I am preparing you for a new venture.
Denial, resistance, turning to God and then;
4. Begin the process of getting on with the change necessary for a life without your partner. Realize you are empowered by the Creator of the universe, so you can embrace the grief process whole heartedly. Journal your thoughts and feelings daily. Talk about it with a trusted friend who will listen and not be prone to give unasked for advice. Pray aggressively regarding the grief process and the loss. Dig deep into God’s word. Listen to and participate in praise music. Stay busy and productive. Minister to others, yet allow for those quiet times of reflecting and facing the pain.
More tomorrow on the paradox of pain.

Loneliness - 4

Continuing our examination of loneliness: We naturally run from pain. We try to avoid loneliness. We resist trials, but they are often blessings in disguise: They rip away the flimsy fabric of our self-sufficiency, revealing God's desire to weave in us the immeasurable deeper confidence of “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Trials, like the loss of anything, bring the scum to the top in our lives: selfishness, insecurity, a critical spirit, resentments, pride, jealousy. When we praise God for a trial, we embrace His plan to remove the scum which in turn, refines and beautifies us. When we complain, we resist His plan and stuff the impurities back into our lives. This necessitates yet another trial or more loneliness to accomplish His purpose, delaying the unfolding of His plan for us and our loved ones.

It has been said: "I don't envy those who have never known any pain, physical or spiritual, because I strongly suspect that the capacity for pain and the capacity for joy are equal. Only those who have suffered great pain are able to know equally great joy." Madeleine L'Engle

Again, let me say, When that which I love is gone - through divorce, death or business demise, there are two options: resist it or embrace it. To resist is to fight the change which only increases bitterness and depression. Or embrace it - receive the catastrophy as allowed by God, in a sense, from the hand of God, and cooperate with the changes that must follow.

By instinct, we resist change. Change is uncomfortable. But change, we must, if we’re to become healthy through the loss. There is a fairly definable sequence of events that take place in loss and the need for change.

We'll examine that in tomorrow's post.

Lonliness - 3

In our last post we looked at handling loneliness. First step is digging deeply into intimacy with Abba Papa, our Father, God. Yet, Genesis says, “it is not good for man to be alone.” Scattered throughout the New Testament is the theme of “body life,” believers ministering to each other. Christianity is not designed for the Lone Ranger.

Thus, after itimacy with God comes horizontal relationship – loving your neighbor as yourself. Giving to others. Loving others. Another antidote to loneliness.
After this scenario people really differ in their handling loneliness.

Personally, I found that involvement in some “hands on project” was a nice diversion and is part of the balance I was seeking, post Ann’s death. Building a mini-barn provided great enjoyment and was a result of loneliness motivation. However, we must take care not to escape loneliness or dull our senses, through excesses of any kind and thus lose out on the benefits of loneliness.

Yes, benefits of loneliness, of pain or trials. Going through Ann's notes after her death, I found the following writing: "Don't be afraid of heartbreak. I've learned to welcome it because somehow today's heartache always leads to tomorrow's triumph and you are repaid many times over in joy what you have given in tears."

Charles Spurgeon said “Many people owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.”

Can there be joy in heartache? 2Cor.6:10 says, our hearts ache yet we have the joy of the Lord. James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (patience). Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Consider it pure joy: joy from the Greek dictionary: to be cheerful, calmly happy or well off, to be well, be glad, rejoice, calm delight. New Bible commentary on James 1:2-4: Rejoice, not because the pain is pleasant but because we should have a perspective which looks beyond the present life to eternal reward. The pure joy is not a present happiness, but joy in anticipation of God's future. Rejoice because this testing produces perseverance or patience, an oft mentioned virtue in the Christian life.

This type of maturity is produced by clinging tightly to the faith while in the firey trial. The impurities in one's character will be burned off. The end result will be not just maturity, but completeness, not a single part of a Godlike character will be lacking.
More tomorrow on the value of loneliness.

Lonely - 2

In yesterday’s blog I spoke of God being my companion after I lost my first wife, Ann. However, there was still longing for female companionship.

God addresses that concern in Gen.2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Some interpret that to read: "God looked at man and said 'it is not good', so he created woman. He practiced on man and made a perfect model with woman." My prayer at that point was: “Father, I’m lonely. I don’t want to go out looking for someone to date. In Philippians 4 you promise to meet all my needs. Please meet that deep longing for female companionship.”

Through very unusual circumstances He brought me that companionship through connection with Theresa, a lady I had known 35 years ago. Though a couple thousand miles separated us, we bonded quickly through email and phone conversations. In fact, the bond deepened so quickly that the Lord showed me the relationship had become primary focus, not Him. In my loneliness and neediness, she had become my prop, my crutch. God labeled it idolatry. I was inadvertantly using her to meet my needs. We had to slow it down, to cool the engines, with the reminder that God desires to be the Resource first. “My God shall supply all your needs...”

A healthy tension is felt here. On the one hand, God wants to meet our deep longings and He will never forsake us. He is always with us even “in our own home.” Yet, on the other hand, He has created us for human relationship - for companionship. “It is not good for man to be alone.” Romans 12:5b says "So we belong to each other and each needs all the others." How is this "need" tension resolved? How to handle loneliness?

We’ll look more at this on Monday’s post.

Death Produced Loneliness

An old friend, Fred Crowell, came to town this week, working with his Northwest Basketball Camps We had been partners and buddies for many years. We reminised including talking about the joy of our marriages. He complimented Theresa as a great woman for me, along with my first wife Ann who died in 1999.
It brought back the memories of the grief process after Ann’s death. I share it with you as an example of how loss can be turned to gain. The following is from my journal late 1999.

As the months ensued, initial grief was followed by a deep hunger for companionship.
I became very lonely in the home. To give you an idea of what it was like. What do you do when a telephone soliciter calls? You either ask for his phone number so you can call him back during his dinner time; or, you quickly say “no thanks”; or, if you’re feeling real spiritual, you say “I’ll give you a minute of my time if you give me a minute of yours” and you share the 4 spiritual laws with them. Well, I have taken each of those approaches at different times. However, here I found myself engaging in conversation , asking about their life - with a telemarketer. Now, that is lonely! Like the spinster who received a phone call. The male voice on the other end of the line said, “Will you arry me?” To which she replied, “Yes. ---- What is your name?” That is lonely!

Outside of the home there was great companionship with the college students and colleagues with whom I worked. I spent very little time in the home. Working 14 hours a day, six days a week helped anesthetize the pain. I didn’t want to go home. Home was more than the street address where I lived. What makes home is who lives there. Ann was gone. It wasn’t home anymore without Ann. Isolation bounced off the walls shouting “you’re all alone. You will always be all alone.” I desired to listen to that voice as little as possible.

A busy schedule working long hours a day was part of my therapy. However, God began to nudge me toward Himself for His spiritual therapy. A verse I had read hundreds of times took on new meaning: John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. "

God was concerned about my loneliness. My daily Bible reading took on new meaning as I pondered the thoughts, “I’m actually communicating, developing companionship, with God and Jesus and they are right here in my own home.” A deepening intimacy with Them ensued.
Like the teacher who read to her children's SS class the text 'my yoke is easy." She asked the class what that meant. A boy said a yoke is something they put on the necks of animals. Then the teacher asked, what is the yoke God puts on us? To which a little girl said, "It is God putting His arms around our necks."
Deepening intimacy with Abba PaPa ... in my own home. Ann can’t be replaced. She is in heaven. But God is becoming, as it were, a wife, a companion to me. My gain.

A Commission

Beth Moore commissioned the women of Omaha last month, the following which is based on Philippians 4:4-13. A commission to which we all can be challenged.

Beloved, in the Name of Jesus, I commission you to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Stop worrying about everything! Dump you anxiety and start praying like mad. Start thinking about what you’re thinking about! Start feeding your spirit and stop feeding your flesh. Never forget the true Secret: Christ in you, the Hope of Glory! You, dear one, have the supernatural CAN DO! Now, believe God and turn your CAN DO into WILL DO! You are NOT a wimp. You are a warrior. In the Name and Power of Christ Go out there and act like one.

Two Angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die. "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it." "Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you live by faith in Christ, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later...

Romans 8:28-29 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

“All things work together for good,” has some conditions.

1. Love God. How is loving God measured? John 15:10 indicates that loving God is measured by our obedience to His Word.

2. “Called according to His purpose.” His purpose is found in the following verse, “be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” Thus we can say, “everything that happened to me in the past, everything that is and will be happening to me – the good, the bad, the ugly – is being used by God for my good as I love and obey Him. Through it all I am being conformed to the image of Jesus.

And why is being conformed to the image of Jesus so great? Being more like Jesus means more peace, joy, contentment, fulfillment, loving power, hope, patience, kindness, goodness, self control and on and on! Praise the Lord!

Adapted from a circulating e-mail.

Queen Esther

Esther, a book of the Bible, describes a woman that is a classic example of “gain through loss”. The potential loss was her life. The gain was the salvation of her people. Os Hillman describes it well.

Esther was a woman who lived for a cause greater than herself. God used this woman to save the entire Jewish people from extermination. However, before God could use her, she had to come to a place of death in herself. It was not an easy decision. Her uncle Mordecai was the instrument God used to challenge her to measure up to the task.

Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:13b-14)

Mordecai was telling it straight. For her to speak up meant great risks if the king did not receive her. It was automatic death if the king did not extend his scepter, which meant acceptance of her approach to the throne. It was also a time to realize that God may have brought her to this place and time for this specific purpose. However, if she did not respond in faith, God would use another instrument to deliver the people. What would she do?

Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish (Esther 4:16).

On the third day of the fast she came and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. She was like Jesus who stood in the inner court of Heaven on that third, resurrection day. She gave up her life, but God raised it up on that day and delivered an entire people from destruction because of one woman's willingness to give up her life for a greater cause.

God has called each of us to a purpose greater than ourselves. Know that it will require death before life can be given to this purpose. It must be His life that lives, not ours.

Pride, Dependency Wrap - 8

IN summary of our last week’s study of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, we’ve observed that our “thorn” can keep us from becoming conceited. So healthy and not quick to get rid of because conceit encourages us to operate in the power of self, rather than living in God’s empowerment. So Paul says we are to glory in our adversity that causes weakness, because God’s strength is revealed in our weakness. Peterson captures the theme well in his rendition called “The Message.”

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over. And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become

The ultimate example, besides that of Christ, of “gain through loss.”

Pride Prevention - God Dependency -7

Our last post challenged us to boast and glory in our adversity. Paul’s got to be kidding. Accepting it? Possibly. Boasting in it? That needs further explanation.

The reply Paul received for thorn removal was undoubtedly not the one he was hoping for: He (God) said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you" (v. 9). The first thing to observe is that Paul's request was not granted. The adversity was not taken away. Instead he was provided the grace to tolerate it. This grace, denoting divine power, is sufficient for him. Adequate enough to not only bear the thorn but to see the value of it.

The value? God's grace is sufficient because his power is made perfect in weakness (v. 9). “Where human strength abounds, the effects of divine power may be overlooked. But where human strength fails, the power is clearly seen to be God's.” Jesus told His followers, “When I go to the Father, you’ll do greater things than I do,” (not in our own strength-but God’s.

Barclay’s Commentary gives us some insight here. Paul's statement is a rather startling one: God's power neither displaces weakness nor overcomes it. On the contrary, it comes to its full strength in it. At issue is how God manifests his power. Paul's opponents claimed that it is best seen in visions, ecstasies and the working of signs and wonders (2 Cor.12:1, 12). Paul, on the other hand, maintained that God's power is most effectively made known in and through weakness. Indeed, God's power is made perfect in weakness. Not that we are to cherish our infirmities. That would be labeled masochism. Weakness of itself will perfect nothing. But when the human vessel is weak, the divine power is especially evident, and the weakness proves to be a great commercial for God.

So far from hindering the gospel, Paul's thorn actually served to advance it. This is why he aims to boast only in his weaknesses (11:30; 12:5). Paul not only has accepted his weaknesses and learned to live with them, but he also takes pleasure in them. Why? Because these very weaknesses afford the opportunity for the power of Christ to rest on him (v. 9). This is why Paul can go on to say, "I am content with my weaknesses" I delight in them (NIV).

James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5 corroborate this mind set. Rejoice and cooperate with God in tough times because one of the blessings of adversity is the realization that character growth is taking place…”making us strong and complete, ready for anything.”

Paul concludes with for when I am weak, then I am strong (v. 10). But what does it mean? How can one be weak and strong at the same time. We often think that without human strength we are destined to fail and without personal courage we are bound to falter. Yet good as these are, such qualities tend to push us to self-sufficiency and away from God-dependency. Samson was superlatively endowed with strength, but in the end this very strength brought about his destruction (Judges 15:16; 16:18-30. And the Bible describes how He uses weak instruments to accomplish His purposes. Recall Moses’s rod (Exodus 4:12); a jawbone-Judges 15:5 stones – 1 Samuel 17:40; Burning bush-Exodus 3:2-5; Balaam’s jackass-Numbers 22:28-30. Zechariah 4:6 wraps it ups neatly: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

Have you identified your thorn – your personal adversity? Do you sense the value of the thorn? Are you and I boasting and glorying in the thorn? What a strengthening to our minds and spirits as we follow this Biblical principle.
Man! Do I have a way to go. I am grateful for the power of the Holy Spirit within, to do in me and through me what I’m incapable of doing myself.

Pride prevention - God Dependency -6

In yesterday’s post, we examined Paul’s “thorn.” Today we scrutinize handling our particular thorn. A prescription for thorn removal.
Four steps or phases seem to be appropriate.

Step1. persistent prayer –Paul prayed “three” times to have his thorn removed by God. Persistent prayer is addressed in Matthew.7:7 – ask, seek, knock, the door will open; in Ephesains.6:18 – plead with God; in 1 Thessalonians.5:17 – pray without ceasing. The “three times” mentioned here might mean a figurative “keep praying until you get an answer,” and the answer to prayer could possibly be “no” as with Paul’s thorn or Christ’s request in the Garden, “take this cup from me....”

Step 2. Address the possible source. Persistent prayer continues, asking God for clarity into the source of the thorn. If it’s God’s discipline or an issue caused/allowed by Him – accept it. If the thorn is a result of your bad choices – if possible, make correction. If the possible source is satan, resist him (and he will flee), unless God’s objective is to use the devil’s schemes for our good, the good of others and for God’s glory. If so, then satan continues to hang around. Resisting or rebuking him is futile- a waste of energy.

Step 3. If the thorn is correctable, seek help – medical, counseling, remediation of any kind to correct the problem.

Step 4. If the thorn persists, boast, glory in the adversity because our affliction is never pointless. Why boast and glory in the thorn?
* Nips self reliance in the bud leading to greater dependence on God's resources;
* less likely to live in pride;
* less ego-driven agenda;
* more likely to embody God’s power – Eph.3:20, 2 Cor.9:8
* Trust God for His abundant blessings, Mal.3:10;
* Phil.4:19 – can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

In summary, a thorn can function as:
* a deterrent to sin,
* a testing to strengthen or
* as a disciplining to correct.

Let’s look at the seeming impossible "boasting and glorying in adversity" more in depth in tomorrow’s post.

Sources of "Thorns"

The past three posts have explored pride, humility and the thorn as referred to in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Today we’ll look further at satan’s role in our lives plus glance at other possible sources for our thorn.
A glance at satan: his first appearance in Scripture is Genesis 3 where he craftily leads Eve from her God-focus to a self indulgence.

We view him in the book of Job, where he takes everything from Job except his life. (We learn there though that satan is on the end of God’s leash. God allowed satan to destroy only up to a point. Satan’s involvement in the Christian’s life has to have God’s approval.)

The next big exposure was satan’s temptation of Christ as seen in Mathew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. It’s as if God was saying to satan, “Here’s My Man. Have at Him. I’m actually leading Him into a place of temptation. Get a taste of what your competition is like. You’re powerful, but you’re no match for the Messiah.” And, of course, we see that Christ not only won that three-pronged temptation battle, but ultimately Colossians 2:15 tells us that “having disarmed the powers and authorities,(satan) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan, powerful, but a defeated foe, as we walk intimately with the Father.

Back to 2 Cor.12: Here he is portrayed as God's instrument in preparing Paul for effective service. This is not to say that he becomes a willing instrument for good. Satan intends the thorn for Paul's destruction. But God, who has ultimate control over the situation, intends it for Paul's good.

Satan is not the only source for a thorn. You and I can be also. Our own bad choices can lead to severe prickly thorns. For example, a client I once counseled presented with a very confused mind. This definitely affected his work. He was a medical doctor. His mental confusion thorn was a result of heavy pornographic indulgence. Porn addiction definitely affects the brain. Our unwise choices can lead to a self-induced thorn. Psalm one and Galatians five describe this phenomenon.
God could be the source of a thorn- for discipline’s sake. Hebrews 12 speaks to that issue. In John 9 we read of the man born blind – either caused or allowed by God, “That the works of God might be displayed in him.”
James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5 implores us to observe life’s challenges, which could be seen as a thorn, as character building exercises.

Do you have a thorn? Mine is stuttering, Parkinson’s Disease and a relational issue. What is your thorn? What is the source of your thorn? It may be satan. Could be God. We live in a fallen world. As the bumper sticker proclaims, “Manure happens” – to the godly and the ungodly. The thorn source might just be a result of life’s circumstances (getting hit by a drunk driver.) Or, the thorn may be a result of our own bad choices.

No matter the source, how to handle a thorn is observed in tomorrow’s post.

Pride Prevention - God Dependency part 3

The last two posts indicated the ramifications of pride and the benefits of humility, all in the context of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Today we examine pride prevention.
Paul states that to prevent conceit, a thorn was given him. What is a thorn?
The Greek word for thorn is skolops. It denoted something pointed and was used of everything from a stake or thorn to a surgical instrument or the point of a fishhook. Have you ever had a severe sliver? Painful! Even if it was but a tiny shard in your little finger, expediency was the mode to get that sucker out of there. What was Paul’s thorn? We don’t know.
Paul's mention of a thorn in my flesh is commonly taken to be three different speculations:
1. a physical problem (a speech impediment, an ophthalmic malady, attacks of migraine)
2. the thorn could be emotional (periodic depressions, inability to reach his own people)
3. the list can legitimately be expanded to include such possibilities as persecution, troublesome people, spiritual snares and carnal temptations.
Certain options are likelier than others. One option is to identify the skolops with troublesome Jews. A troublesome person today is commonly referred to as a "pain in the neck." So Paul could be speaking metaphorically of the Jews who constantly dogged his steps and hindered his ministry.
A recurring physical ailment is a possibility. Bad eyes. Galatians 4:14 ("my illness was a trial to you") and 4:15 ("you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me") lend support to some sort of eye problem. In fact, Paul closes his letter to the Galatians with "See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand" (6:11) Could Paul’s thorn be some sort of eye disability?
Aren’t you glad that his thorn isn’t identified? We can all relate to this passage with our own particular thorn.
Whatever the skolops was, the net effect for Paul was torment (v. 7). The present tense suggests frequent bouts. Paul's thorn was not an isolated episode. It repeatedly came back to plague him—like the neighborhood bully who lurks each day, hidden, ready to pounce on his next victim.
What was the source of Paul’s thorn? Paul calls his skolops a messenger of Satan. What is satan’s role in our lives?
John 10:10a: “He comes to steal, kill and destroy.” 1 Pet.5:8 “watch out for attacks from satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.”
(Elsewhere in 2 Corinthians Satan plays a fairly prominent role. He schemes against the church (2:11), is called the god of this age (4:4), is able to masquerade as an angel of light (11:14) and uses his servants to great effect in the church (11:15).
Two extremes seem to highlight the church’s perception of satan. One looks for a demon behind every bush and the focus is rebuking the devil. They become so demonic sensitive that they lose sight of the overall challenge and blessings found in Scripture. The other extreme is not being aware at all of satan’s influence and his prowess-induced strife is not addressed. A healthy balance is appropriate.
Tomorrow we’ll look more at the possible sources for our thorn - satan, plus.

Humility

Yesterday’s post contrasted self-centered, destructive pride with a healthy, appropriate pride. In contrast to self-centered pride, what are God’s thoughts on humility?
¯ Isa.66:2 God esteems the humble;
¯ Isa.57:14,15 – God lives with the humble and revives their hearts;
¯ James 4:6,10 – God gives grace to the humble and lifts them up.
¯ 2 Chron.7:14-brings healing to a country;
¯ Ps.25:9 – the humble are taught by God.

Humility is not something we have, until humbling ourselves is something we do.

How do we humble ourselves?
*Ask God to reveal destructive pride. Repent.
*Take the lower position

What is your pride Achilles heel? About what do you boast? Position, power, economic status, intelligence, a skill? The worst pride is spiritual pride – that is the pride that got satan kicked out of heaven. In my youth, perfect attendance for Sunday school was rewarded with a button that declared perfect attendance for a year. It was an attractive piece of metal that one wore proudly. Some of the older people had a long chain of these medals that they wore proudly. Very proudly!

I don’t perceive myself as an arrogant, cocky person but I have to keep check on spiritual pride. I love the Bible. It is God’s guideline for successful living and dying. I study it daily. I memorize it. Scripture was my main “textbook” for my counseling practice. Know and honor the Word = success. Violate it = dysfunction. What I have to watch for is that subtle drawing attention to myself with, “I’ve got God’s answers.”

I recall a specific prideful experience. Between sessions of a workshop, I was asked to counsel with a woman who had trouble seeing. The problem was her eyes were closed. Have you tried to see with your eyes closed? Doesn’t work. Medical doctors could find no organic cause. In chatting with her, the still, quiet Voice within said, “she’s not wanting to face her sinful resentment. That’s why her eyes are closed.” We probed that area and sure enough, big time anger to her doctor husband who had time for patients but none for her. Desiring to walk closely with God, she repented and began the forgiving process right then. Her eyes opened. So exciting!

I entered the speaker’s podium, pumped. Nothing wrong with that, except I’m afraid that I was taking the glory because out of the blue, the same quiet Voice whispered in my ear, “I share my glory with no man.” I quickly repented and continued speaking. I later found that verse in Isaiah 42. Spiritual pride – ugly, taking God’s credit.

Or for some it is spiritual pride comes in the form of doctrine. “I’m of Calvin. I’m of Wesley. I’m a Nazarene (as I look down upon you being ___. Lest I haven’t pushed any of your pride buttons, let Nancy DeMoss, in her pamphlet “The Heart That God Revives,” expose some pride. She writes a list, comparing proud people with healthy “broken” people.

For example:

proud people focus on the failures of others. Broken people feel overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need.

Proud people have to prove they are right. Broken people are willing to yield the right to be right.

Proud people have a drive to be successful. Broken people are motivated to be faithful and to make others a success.

DeMoss has a list of 30 such contrasts. My shoes were all scuffed as she stepped all over my toes.
I’m wondering if pride is not an issue that we’ll need to be sensitive to the rest of our lives. Like Paul, in what area will you need to watch for pride? Where is your pride Achilles heel?

Monday, we’ll examine the pride deterrent – a thorn.

Pride Prevention – God Dependency

I’ve been so intrigued by the Biblical passage of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, that I’ve perused it, studying it deeply the past three weeks. Loss and gain stand out dramatically. Let’s have some fun with it the next few days.

Pride Prevention – God Dependency

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor.12:7-10

“To keep me from becoming conceited.” The previous verses in 2 Corinthians 12, describe the great revelations Paul experienced which could have resulted in a prideful spirit. What is wrong with being conceited? Is a conceited pride destructive? ________
What are your thoughts?

* Self focus obstructs loving and serving others;
* false sense of self sufficiency and not focusing on and depending on God;
* leads to idolatry –self as god;
* pride doesn’t look back and learn from the past;
* pride doesn’t like to be told what to do – rebellious;
* pride doesn’t face problems, sins, weaknesses.

What does God think about pride? _______
¯ Isa.25:11 and Prov.8:13 – God hates it,
¯ Prov. 11:2- it brings disgrace,
¯ Prov. 13:10-it breeds quarrels,
¯ Prov.16:18-goes before destruction,
¯ Prov. 29:23-pride ends in a fall.
One interpretation of Isa.14:12-14 is Lucifer in his pride was kicked out of heaven along with 1/3 of the angels. Pride is serious business.

Is there a good pride – a healthy pride? _______ your thoughts
Part of Webster’s definition of pride is, “self respect and elation or satisfaction over one’s achievements or possessions.”
Self respect. Is that okay? ________

If I perceive my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit as described in 1 Corinthians 6, there seems to be a healthy pride in caring for it – exercise, diet, and care of the mind, emotions and spirit. But it is not “Hey world, look at me.” It is not for attention-getting. Rather, “I’m created in the image of God. The Godhead lives within me. I respect and care for my well-being.”

“Elation or satisfaction over one’s achievements or possessions.” Is there anything wrong with that definition of pride?______
I think the key is whether or not the achievement or possession is designed to draw attention to oneself. Healthy pride says, “Self! You did a good job on that project.” Elation or satisfaction is a healthy response.

Tomorrow’s post will begin with God’s thoughts on humility.

From Rejection to Commander

Picture the scene: your name is Jephtha. You are a product of your father’s sexual encounter with a prostitute. You’re a social outcast. Your father marries and produces sons with his wife. These boys grow up and in the process, kick you out of the home. You have no inheritance.

Or, maybe you are today’s person, a child of an alcoholic. An orphan. You are the product of some childhood disaster. Is this the end of your world? Is this total loss or is there a possible gain. Jephtha, in Judges chapter 11, can be a model for us.

Jephtha took this family trauma, his rejection, and used it to become a hardened warrior – one whose reputation was such that his own countrymen, the people who had rejected him, came to him and asked him to lead their army. What would have been your response to the request? I think I would have enjoyed some juicy form of revenge first – then accepted the military call.

Not so with Jephtha. He gave them a little tough confrontation, accepted the position, assumed the position of military commander and was empowered by God to great victory.

Was your childhood brutal or harsh? Is it making you bitter or better? Have you allowed God to turn your loss into gain? Your childhood could be as spring practice is to a football player – tough work for a few weeks - no glory. No newspaper clippings. All in preparation for the autumn’s real season.

The next few blog posts will center on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, which has really intrigued me lately. Thorn in the flesh. Glorying in weakness. Walk with me through that passage beginning in tomorrow’s blog.

Loss of Direction

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will fear not, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton

In God's Presence - part 2

In our last blog we examined two results of Christ's loss of life on the cross: forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him; and, living empowered by the Holy Spirit. We continue today with the third "gain" from Christ's loss.

3. Even lesser publicity is given to this point: The cross provided God great joy because of the subsequent access to Himself it provided for the believer in Christ. Upon Christ’s death, the temple veil (that piece of cloth that separated man from God’s holy presence) was ripped apart from top to bottom. For two thousand years not only has man been able to enter into God’s presence, but God could reach out to man (prevenient grace.)

As David Wilkerson so aptly describes: “you cannot come into joy and peace – indeed, you cannot know how to serve the Lord – until you see His delight in your deliverance…until you see the joy of His heart over his communion with you…until you see that every wall has been removed at the cross…until you know that everything of your past has been judged and wiped away.

God says, ‘I want you to move on into the fullness that awaits you in my presence.’

“In His presence” has two exciting dynamics. Psalm 16:11 describes one: You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. In God’s presence is fullness of joy. Why? Because no matter the circumstances, we know that everything that comes our way has to have God’s permission – even the greatest adversity will be used for our good, the good of others and for His glory.

The second dynamic of being “in His presence,” is to realize how excited God is to have us in communion with Him. Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

God delights in me – so much so that He exuberantly sings over me. Can you beat that?

Dennis Jernigan’s personal translation of Zephaniah 3:17 reads:
The eternal self-existent God,
Your God who is three in one,
He who dwells in the center of your being,
Is a powerful valiant Warrior.
He has come to set you free,
To keep you safe and to bring you victory.
He is cheered, and He beams with exceeding joy
And takes pleasure in your presence.
He has engraved a place for Himself in you,
And there He quietly rests
In His love and affection for you.
He cannot contain Himself at the thought of you,
and with the greatest of joy
Spins around wildly in anticipation over you.
He has placed you above all other creations
And in the highest place in His priorities.
In fact, He shouts and sings in triumph,
Joyfully proclaiming the gladness
Of His heart in a song of rejoicing,
All because of you.

Christ’s loss of life brings great gain to the follower of Christ.
1. Forgiveness of sin and life spent eternally with Him.
2. Being in Christ empowers the Believer with His resources.
3. There is joy in His presence and He is excited about you, about me!
How can anyone turn down such gain?

In God's Presence - part one

This blog emphasizes the value of going through tough times, how to handle these challenges and focusing on the results – the benefits of the experience. This attitude toward life could be perceived as an exercise in masochism, the enjoyment of pain. Not!

Living includes adversity. How we handle suffering’s stress determines our outlook on life – either frustration, self pity, anger and cynicism; or, “whatever my lot in life, I’ll build on it.” I’ll be diligent to process any pain appropriately, then my focus is the gain through the loss – the benefits.

I’ve mentioned my stuttering in a previous blog series. I don’t like the inability to have fluent speech. But having worked through the frustrations of stuttering (an ongoing process), I endeavor to focus on the gain, reiterated in the previous series.

Today, let’s examine the ultimate loss, Christ’s life on the cross. The loss of His life brought those who walk in faith three “gains.” Let me elaborate.

1. The death of Christ provided for our forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Him. John 3: 16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Forgiveness and eternal life is the point most emphasized by Christianity. But there is more. Another gain.

2. Christ was not the only person who died on His cross. The follower of Christ died there also. Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The “old man”, the person I was before becoming a Christian died. There is now a “new man” who is permeated with the Holy Spirit, who can live empowered supernaturally. Ephesians 3: 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… This concept is not mentioned as much from today’s pulpits as the first point listed above. But there is even more. More gain. That will be demonstrated in our next blog Monday.