Seeking God

It's built into our beings to long for God, our Father. Often we don't realize for years that He is what we're looking for. We think we're looking for satisfying relationships, jobs, success. What we're really seeking is the heart of God.

For the past couple of months I've been reading a Psalm per day. It's amazing how God works to tie things together. This morning I was praying and seeking Him, and was reminded of Jesus' words, "you are not far from the kingdom of God." I thought - that's what I really want, is to walk daily in the kingdom of God. Looking up the phrase in searchgodsword.org, I realized it's part of Mark 12 (same chapter as my life verse!). Here's what I read:

One of the teachers of the law came and found them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

"Well said, Teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12:28-34)

To be near the kingdom of God - what could be better? So I am reminded that I am to love HIM with all I've got, seeking Him continually, loving my neighbor more than myself. Not much self focus there, is there? My love focus is to be upward and outward bound, not self-wrapped.

In fact, this dovetails beautifully with today's Psalm: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. (Ps 67:1-2). The psalmist prayed for God's blessing and the shining of His face upon him SO THAT God's ways would be known on earth and salvation known among all nations. Sounds a lot like being near the kingdom of God, doesn't it. What an awesome God we serve!

Prayer Warrior

Epaphras

1. Dear, fellow servant with Paul
2. Faithful ministry of Christ
3. Evangelist to Colossae and Laodicea
4. Fruitbearer for Jesus
5. Pray-er extraordinaire - He is always wrestling in prayer for you (Colossians), that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully ssured. (Col 4:12)


Mentioned only three times in Scripture: Colossians 1:7; 4:12; Philemon 1:23

But what an awesome example of a prayer warrior!
First, he told them about Christ.
Second, he told others of their faith.
Third, he prayed for them with an intensity as though in contest (he was!). The word wrestling (NIV) is alo translated laboring (NAS). It literally means agonizomai - looks like agonizing - and can be defined as (1) to enter a contest; contend in gymnastic games; (2)to content with adversaries, right; (3) endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive to obtain something.

God, remind me to pray for others with Epaphras-like zeal. To pray for them with intensity, contesting the enemy's power over them and claiming Your victory in their lives.

Live with a light heart!

My small group is doing a Precept study titled Kinsman-Redeemer. One of the responsibilities of the Kinsman-Redeemer is to marry his brother’s childless widow and father children for her -- providing heirs for his brother. Jesus is that husband to the church. We are the bride of Christ.

I looked up Scriptures on Bride/Bridegroom and found the following.

Isaiah 62
1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah, [a] (means my delight is in her)
and your land Beulah [b] ; (means married)
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons [c] (builder) marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

Revelation 19:7
7Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

Revelation 21:1-4
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Revelation 21:1-4
9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Revelation 22:12-17
12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.


I’m confident that it is no coincidence that, after reading these Scriptures, I picked up at my previous stopping point in Jan Winebrenner’s book Intimate Faith. The topic at that point is Women of Celebration, and the author is referencing the Proverbs 31 woman, specifically 31:25, She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. I read:

It is a less-than-cordial world we face every morning. Obstacles to joy erupt at every turn. The discipline of celebration calls all of us to lighthearted living in spite of personal circumstances, national or international fears and uncertainties. As Christ’s beloved, we are always enfolded in his arms. His resources are always open to us; his power is always at work on our behalf. Our safety, in the present, as well as in the future, lies in his abiding love.

John Piper wrote:
God’s heart is not divided toward you. If you belong to Christ by faith, then everything God could possibly give you for your good he has signed over to your account in Christ. You hear the same answer at every point: Is this promise in my account? Yes. Is this blessing in my account? Yes. Yes. Yes. All the promises of God are Yes in Christ. Christ is God’s Yes to all future grace. (from Future Grace)

If we have Christ, we have God’s “Yes.” We have his assurance that he will be sufficient for whatever awaits us – today, next week, and next year. We can live free of paralyzing fear and heart-dragging pessimism because Jesus holds our lives in tender hands. His presence is our joy and our confidence. In spite of uncertainties and chaos and catastrophe, we can live among our friends and family with humor and playfulness because we have confidence in “future grace.”

As the beloved bride of Christ, we can know that all of our tomorrows are secure. We don’t have any reason for dread. We are held in the arms of one whose greatest jo is to lavish his love on us. We have good reason to smile today, and to laugh outright as we joyfully contemplate God’s care for us in the days to come.

What an awesome God we serve! He is so loving, so kind, and so ready to speak to those who seek Him with all their heart.

Live life with a light heart. That’s a Healthy Habit.

Who's in your flock?

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. (Acts 20:28)

Paul shared this with the elders of the church in Ephesus as he prepared to leave them for what he knew would be the last time. Paul had poured out his life and his heart to these beloved leaders, and he wanted to leave them with specific words of encouragement, and assignment.

- Keep watch over yourselves
- Keep watch over the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.
- Be shepherds of the church of God - the church He bought with His own blood.

We know that 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 Tim 3:16-17) Knowing that, how can we apply Paul's words recorded in Acts 20?

Keep watch over yourselves...
As a believer and a Jesus follower, I have a responsibility to watch over myself. I have a responsibility to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live a self-conrolled, upright, and godly life in this present age, while I wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for me to redeem me from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

This "watching over yourself" doesn't by any means require a joyless, tightly wrapped, prudish life. Quite the opposite - there is joy unspeakable in living the self-controlled, upright, and godly life for the glory of Jesus. There is unimaginable joy in surrendering in complete obedience to my Lord - my Saviour - my Jesus.

Keeping watch requires more than behavioral disciplines. What are my attitudes? What are my unspoken longings? What is my heart's desire? What words come out of my mouth? What do my eyes speak even when my mouth is silent? What do my hands and feet say? My wallet?

Watch over your flock...
As a Christian, you have a flock, appointed to you by the Holy Spirit. Read that again: You have a flock. That flock has been appointed to you by the Holy Spirit. And that flock was paid for - redeemed - by the blood of Jesus.

It doesn't matter whether you hold a "leadership position" in your church. It doesn't matter whether you have an official role as teacher, small group leader, small group coach, pastor, ministry leader, etc. If you are in an "official" leadership role, the responsibility is even more pronounced. But every Christian has a flock. Who is in your flock? Your children? Your co-workers? Your friends and neighbors?

Pray on this and ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of who is in your flock. Doesn't it just awe you beyond words that the God of the universe not only knows you by name, but appointed others unto your care? What will you do with that? I pray that you will shepherd them as carefully as you would hold the most precious, delicate jewel!

Be shepherds of the church of God...
The church is the community of Christ-followers. Shepherds watch their sheep. They guard their sheep. They guide them back to safety when they're wandering away. Shepherds love their sheep. The sheep know and love their shepherd. Jesus used shepherds and sheep to demonstrate responsibility and relationship. Although in the United States in 2008 we are not as familiar with a shepherd's daily life and duties, it is not difficult to understand this principle if we spend just a little effort researching the life of a shepherd in Biblical days.

So what does a 2008 shepherd look like? Like a small group leader. Like a mentor. Like a trusted friend. Like a family member. Like me. Like you. Shepherd the church Christ paid for with His blood. It wasn't a cheap purchase - it wasn't "on sale" He paid full price for you. He paid full price for me. Shepherd His purchase!

So honor God with all you've got. Watch yourself. Watch your flock. Shepherd the church. Those are Healthy Habits!

Tell them about Me

You will be accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me. And the Good News must first be preached to every nation. But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Mark 13:11

Jesus had been in the Temple with his disciples, and on the way out one of His disciples commented, "Teacher, look at these tremendous buildings! Look at the massive stones in the walls!" Jesus replied, "These magnificent buildings will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another."

Later, as Jesus was talking with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, four of His disciples came to Him privately and asked him when the destruction of the buildings would take place, and how they would know that the destruction was near. What they heard would be enough to frighten the strongest man. They heard about wars, earthquakes, famines, personal arrests and trials in court, about fathers betraying their children, brothers betraying their brothers, and being hated because of their allegiance to Him.

My focus this morning was on just one verse in that section - Mark 13:11. Don't worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit."

When we are accused, or when we're in a tight spot, our normal response is to craft the most compelling argument we can think of that will justify our actions, or get us out of a tough spot. Jesus tells His disciples to do just the opposite. "Don't worry about what to say in your defense." You're standing in a courtroom, accused of crimes that can bring penalty of death. And you're not to worry about what to say. How do you prepare for that?!


Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

This is big. One little verse in the middle of the 13th chapter of Mark. But it's huge!

As Christians, we WILL be tried. We wil be questioned and sentenced, whether in a court of law, or a court of peers. We must prepare for a day when someone accuses us of being a Christ follower. It may be a 1:1 trial - a friend, co-worker or family member accuses you of being weird because you don't do the things you used to do anymore. Or they ask you why you appear to live at peace. Or they ask you to do something that you know is not God's best for your life.

How do you get ready for that?
Don't worry about what to say in your defense. It's not really you who is on trial anyway - it's Jesus!
Say only what God tells you to. Better practice listening for what God says. Stop defending yourself and listen to Him. What does He whisper? What does His Word shout? What does God speak into your very soul as you wait upon Him in the early hours of the morning?
Then you will know it is not you who is speaking, but the Holy Spirit. No matter how eloquent our words may be, no matter how clear our diction, and how well crafted our message, without the Holy Spirit our words will be powerless. When He speaks, the words have power. They penetrate the target. They achieve God's goal.

It's not too soon to practice these three steps. Don't worry about your own defense. Listen for what God is speaking to you, so that you will be ready to speak only what God tells you to. Listen for the Holy Spirit's speaking - stop listening for the sound of your own voice.

Intentionally listen for God's voice. That's a Healthy Habit.

Lord, have mercy!

Lord, have mercy! What does that bring to mind these days? Probably a little shaking of the head, a little "what was I thinking?!" chuckle. It's probably not a true cry for God's mercy. But oh, what if it were!

I read today Mark 10:46-52, the familiar story of the blind beggar Bartimeaus, whom Jesus healed on the way between Jericho and Jerusalem.

You know the story. A blind beggar sits on the side of the road. He hears commotion. He's heard about Jesus and the miraculous healings Jesus has performed in the area. He wants some of that. He thinks, "What do I have to lose? I'll cry out. He probably won't hear. But I'll give it a shot anyway. And if Jesus doesn't hear me the first time, I'll yell a little louder."

And so he does. The beggar cries out,

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted ouder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Wow! Jesus heard Bartimaeus cry out - in the middle of a crowd. How cool was that?!

Bartimaeus knew exactly what he needed - his eyesight! So when Jesus asked, "what do you want me to do for you?" there was no hesitation.

And Jesus's response: Your faith has made you well - and he was healed.

Did Bartimaeus run off in his own direction, doing his own thing? No, he "followed Jesus down the road."

So what can we learn from this story? It's way more than another story about a miracle Jesus performed. It's way more than prayer for healing answered. It applies to me. Personally.

I'm not blind - or so I think. But at times I AM blind; there are shadows in the corners of my attitude. I may not see the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the alone, the lady who feels unlovely.

I'm not a beggar - but I MUST be! I must cry out to Jesus daily for His mercy. For His vision. For His touch.

Brings new meaning to, "Lord, have mercy!" Today, Lord, have mercy on me. I want to see!

Pray daily for God's vision: that's a Healthy Habit!

White flags

The world's view of success is that the more money, the bigger house, the fancier car, the more credentials you have, the more exciting your vacations and travel, the more successful you must be. That is the lie Satan would have you believe. Get more, be happier. Control more, be happier.

But Jesus says that your soul is the most important thing to be concerned about. Jesus is very clear about this: "...how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?"

It's not that acquiring the world is in itself a bad thing. But if you gain the world but lose your soul in the process, you have lost everything.

So how do you gain, but not lose your soul? Again, Jesus is clear: "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life."

Surrender. Surrender your personal, selfish ambition - gain for the sake of having more, being more, flaunting more.

Surrender your plans. Look for His plans. His people.

Surender your path. Follow His path. How do you know the way? (Thomas asked the same thing!) Look for the path Jesus walked. Look for the path laid out in God's Word. Love the Lord with all your heart. Love others as yourself. Serve Him with all that you've got.

Surrender all that you have. It's not really yours anyway! All that we have comes from the Lord. If we think that we own anything, we are blind to the fact that it all belongs to Him.

So wave the white flag of surrender. Though it goes against all the world's descriptions of power and victory, only the flag of surrender to Jesus will truly gain you power, victory, joy, rest, peace, and everlasting life for your soul.

Nothing but surrender to Jesus will satisfy your soul. And, as Jesus said, what is more important than your soul?

Surrender to Jesus. That's a Healthy Habit.

(from Mark 8: 34-38)