What comes into your mind when you think about God?

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Let us live life “without murmuring and arguing, so that we may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, that we may shine like stars in the world.” Philippians 1:15

Can you make a difference “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation?” A recent poll revealed that 72% of Americans feel the country is headed in the wrong direction. If we answer the question based on the poll, then the answer might be no. We can easily become discouraged and feel hopeless trying to make a difference in moving the moral compass.

William Wilberforce probably felt the same way as he battled the beastly horrors of the slave trade industry. Mother Teresa probably felt the same way as she walked the filthy streets of Calcutta caring for the outcasts of society. Missionary Lottie Moon probably felt the same way as she sought to show the love of Jesus in her adopted country of China. Billy Graham probably felt the same way as he stood inviting those to come who wanted to know the freedom that Jesus offered.

A.W. Tozer asked a previous generation a penetrating question that I find still relevant today. Tozer wrote, “were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” We might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man. Were we able to know exactly what our most influential religious leaders think of God today, we might be able with some precision to foretell where the church will stand tomorrow.”

“What comes into your mind when you think about God?” This question helps define the reality of how to make a difference in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Jesus said in Matthew, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart comes evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.” (15:18-19)

Unfortunately, we see the results of Jesus’ words in our culture today. Followers of Jesus seek to impact the world’s culture. How you answer the question helps determine the impact you have on others. Jesus’ words are powerful and true.  In our daily lives, life actions could be life-giving instead of life-taking if time had been taken to answer this simple yet profound question “What comes into your mind when you think about God?”

God your deeds are extraordinary! Who is a protector besides our God? God the deliverer. The great, mighty, and awesome God. He is not the God of the dead but of the living. Sanctified by God’s word and by prayer. For nothing will be impossible with God. I thirst for God. God is our defender forever. For the LORD is a great God. God reigns over the nations. Confidence in God. Be imitators of God. (various scripture verses)

How we answer the question defines much of the course of our spiritual life as well as our natural life. It is heartbreaking when many answers that God is irrelevant or non-existent. How could a good God let this happen? If God is real, why doesn’t He answer my prayers?

Satan has been planting seeds of doubt since the beginning of time. In the book of Job, we read how Job was slandered by the accusation that Job’s thoughts about God were for what he could get for himself.  Satan even challenges God when he says, “Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” (Job 1: 10) Satan goes to confront God and that if He would only, “stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has,” then the reaction of Job about God will be “he will curse you to your face.” (1:11)

However, Job didn’t curse God since he had spent time through the years thinking about God. He didn’t particularly like what was happening to him in life but “in all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.” –Job1:22

What comes to mind when we think about God? The answer will come from what we have allowed being planted in our hearts and souls. “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.” –Psalm 1:1-3

Farmers and gardeners work in the blazing sun planting seeds. At the end of the day when they look out over the cultivated field it might feel like the day was wasted with nothing to show for the hard work. Yet the seeds planted will eventually sprout into a bountiful harvest. The same will be for you as you spend time thinking through your answer to the question.

Peter planted seeds knowing that God is Savior with the declaration, “The Messiah of God.” (Luke 9:18).

Paul planted seeds that revealed the weakness of any culture “for the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”—I Corinthians 1:18

John planted seeds knowing, “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God and God abides in them. I John 4:16

James planted seeds resulting in, “every act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights”—James 1:17

I planted these life-defining seed verses:  God is merciful and gracious…abounding in steadfast love, –Psalm 86:15 Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me—Psalm 69:6 Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great.” –Psalm 70:4 Love the LORD God with all of heart, soul, mind—Matt 22:36-40 The LORD is in your midst…singing over you Zeph 3:17

“From the beginning, God’s desire was that we would exist in an everlasting relationship with him. Sin gets in the way of that relationship, especially laziness that sidelines praise and prayer. May we never be too busy for both.” –Brennan Manning

How will you answer, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” What seeds are you planting to help you think about God?

Father, I confess my often-lazy attitude of being with you, letting sin harbor thoughts that prevent fellowship with you. Restore the joy of prayer and praise that will permeate every fiber of my heart, mind and soul for you that I may shine like stars in the world.

God is great,

 

 

Mountain-moving Praying

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Jesus said to them, Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. —Mark 11:22-24 NET

What mountain do you need to move? Mountain-moving praying is critical these days since we are surrounded by mountains. Over the last few days, stories have dominated the news with the plight of over 3.2 million refugees in Ukraine fleeing the vicious onslaught of Russian troops, tens of thousands of Afghans hiding from the Taliban and record-breaking inflation and gas prices. You can turn off the news but your mountain is still looming in front of you. It might be a mountain of personal tragedy, physical sickness, financial or a multitude of other challenges. Whatever mountain you are facing, it is a mountain that God cares about because He cares for you.

Michael Klassen and Thomas Freiling gave a great illustration about mountain-moving praying in their book, Battle Prayers. The story is about a small congregation in the Appalachians who faced an insurmountable mountain. The congregation had built a new building on land donated by a deceased church member. They had pooled all their resources to build a new building but ten days before the first service, they found out the parking lot was too small. The building inspector said he couldn’t approve the permit unless more parking was added.

The pastor responded, “we have no more room to expand. Every square inch of land is utilized except for this hill that stands directly behind the church. Our people just don’t have the money to level this hill and then have it paved. “The inspector replied sorry but there wasn’t anything he could do.

The pastor explained the situation to the church on Sunday. “Tonight, there’s going to be a special prayer service. We’re going to ask God to remove this mountain behind our church and somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted in time for the dedication service next week. But I only want people with mountain-moving faith to come.”

Twenty-four of the church’s 300 members came to pray that night. At 10:00 the pastor said “Amen”. “We’ll open next Sunday as scheduled. God has never let us down before, and I believe he will be faithful this time as well.”

“Monday morning as he was working in his study, the pastor heard a loud knock at his door…The door opened and in walked a rough-looking construction foreman who removed his hard hat as he entered.

Excuse me, Reverend. I’m from a construction company over in the next county. We’re building a new shopping mall and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind your church? We’ll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We’re at a standstill until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly.

The next Sunday the church was dedicated as originally planned. There were far more members with mountain-moving faith on opening Sunday than there had been the previous week!”

Klassen and Freiling didn’t reference the name of the church or location, so it may simply be a great urban folklore. If the story is true you may be thinking the church should have done a better job of knowing the building codes before building.

Folklore or poor planning, either way, the story reminds us of how often we get into situations that force us to turn to God. We know some of our mountains are due to our own making but many have been created outside of our control.  Regardless of how the situation happens, we still face an insurmountable mountain.

God is not a short-order cook waiting to prepare whatever we ask. Mountain-moving praying comes out of a deep, intimate and consistent relationship with God. Richard Foster says, “for those explorers in the frontiers of faith, prayer was no little habit tacked on to the periphery of their lives; it was their lives. It was the most serious work of their most productive years. Prayer—nothing draws us closer to the heart of God.”

Through the course of my spiritual journey, I was never excited about the reason for needing mountain-moving prayers but I am thankful God walked with me. God has taken my mountains or what I thought was a mountain and made a parking lot out of it, though seldom how I thought the parking lot would look!

E.M. Bounds understood the importance of mountain-moving prayer as he wrote, “The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil everywhere…. God shapes the world by prayer.”

I don’t know if you are at the bottom of a mountain looking up not knowing how you will climb it, or at the top looking down rejoicing in how God has answered your prayer, or if you are still climbing. One thing I am confident of, God is with you as you face the mountain.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Psalm 121:1-3

God is great

 

Ask for the Ancient Paths

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Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it.” Jeremiah 6:16

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about taking a few dirt roads in life. One finds that when driving on dirt roads there are a lot of crossroads. Now, if you are familiar with the upcoming crossroad, you will know which way to turn. However, since very few of the crossroads on dirt roads have sign markers, unfamiliar roads can create some anxiety. You question what direction to go, knowing if you take the wrong turn, you could end up lost.

Imagine you are approaching a spiritual crossroad; not a crossroad about a decision on which job to take, where to live, or any other life question. You find yourself burned out, weary and overwhelmed, needing to care for yourself. Does this crossroad turn toward God or the other direction that will take you far from Him?

If you “ask for the ancient paths” as Jeremiah wrote, you will find yourself on God’s way. This path will go through green pastures as well as dark valleys. On the ancient paths, you will always be assured of God’s companionship for the journey. The other turn is what the world offers. Yes, it can look very attractive and inviting at first but it ends with emptiness and hopelessness. It is a road that may take you where you never intended to go.

Soul care may be a concept new to many but it is as old as the ancient paths. Jesus recognized everyone will eventually get to some crossroads where life is difficult and you find yourself attempting to try this method or that technique simply to find hope, encouragement and rest. What is Soul Care? The best definition I have found is “an adventure of learning to care for your soul for the sake of others.”

Foundationally your soul is all of you; your identity, passions and oneness with God.  David Hansen has a great illustration of the soul. He writes, “the soul is more like a river than a street, more like a forest than a city, more like a wild trout than a laboratory rat.” Hansen’s definition is the imagery of freedom and joy.

So then, what is a person worth? Normally you think in terms of your bank accounts, the size of your home, the type of car you drive, or career accomplishments. However, if you define value in physical terms, 99% of a human being is composed of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus – valued at about $100, depending upon inflation. All of this is worthless unless you remember that the body is simply an address for the soul to reside.

Jesus redefined dignity to those he encountered. The dignity of the soul is found because you are created in the image of God (Gen 1:27), valued to the point of every hair being counted (Matthew 10:30) and so loved that he gave up His only Son (John 3:16).

“When human beings are devalued, everything in society turns sour. Women are humiliated and children despised. The sick are regarded as a nuisance and the elderly as a burden. Ethnic minorities are discriminated against. The poor are oppressed and denied social justice…labor is exploited in the mines and factories. There is no freedom, no dignity, no carefree joy. Human life seems not worth living because it is scarcely human any longer…people matter…because every man, woman, and child has worth and significance as a human being made in God’s image and likeness.” –John Stott

To care for your soul for the sake of others requires time-space–community. Jesus knew the need for time-space-community and lived it. He took time to be with the Father daily, found time to be silent, and got away from the crowd in solitude.

Jesus understood the foundations needed for life when facing a spiritual crossroad. Jesus gave us the priority in which to live. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:37-39

Soul care doesn’t happen overnight. It will require time with God where you can be alone and listening. Soul care will require setting aside a place that becomes your sacred place of worship and reflection. We need the same passion for God that Brother Lawrence wrote about in The Practice of the Presence of God, “It helps little to pray if I do not know the God to whom I pray.”

As you care for your soul, it allows you to care for others, nurture others, become a trusted listener and pray deeply. Soul care is a rhythm where “as we comfort and teach and encourage, we will be comforted, taught and encouraged in turn.” (unknown author)

As you care for yourself and others, you will begin to impact a messy and out-of-control world. “Learn this great lesson: as the sun on a cold day shines on us and imparts its warmth, believe that the living God will work in you with His love and almighty power. God will reveal Himself as life and light and joy and strength to the soul who waits upon Him.”—Andrew Murray

Jesus offers an invitation to you to walk the ancient paths. Care for your soul, for the sake of others. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” –Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

God is great,

Jesus wept

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Jesus wept. – John 11:35

A little kiss, a little coffee
A little moment to pray
Our Sunday mornings always started that way
Make up in the mirror
Humming a gospel song
When I came down the stairs I knew that something was wrong

He was lying on the floor
He was in a better place
And I could tell for sure by that sweet look on his face

He saw Jesus. He saw Jesus
And He took his breath away

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/k/kathieleegiffordlyrics/hesawjesuslyrics.html

Kathie Lee Gifford in her song, He Saw Jesus captures a beautiful image of her husband’s death. “He saw Jesus. He saw Jesus and He took his breath away.” This is a powerful reminder that there may only be a moment between our earthly body and our heavenly home. We are no longer confined to the limitations of one’s body but free to experience life with Jesus.

As I write this week’s devotional blog it is in the context of my father-in-law’s death and all the preparations for his funeral. James Westmoreland could sing that song as well – if he could sing! When he saw Jesus, he got so excited that Jesus took his breath away.

For me, one of the most moving verses in the Bible is found in John 11:35. Granted, it is not a lengthy discourse on some theological issue nor a verse confronting division between his disciples nor a verse teaching the masses some great spiritual lesson. Actually, maybe it does teach a powerful lesson about life! The King James Version translation of verse 35 uses two words, “Jesus wept”. This little two-word verse paints a beautiful portrait of Jesus.

“Jesus wept.” It is in this two-word verse we encounter the tender and raw emotions of Jesus as he stands at the foot of his friend Lazarus’ gravesite.  Jesus doesn’t rebuke those around him for weeping but can weep with a hope they didn’t have.

Jesus will never minimize our feelings or emotions. He knows about our grief and he stays with us in the midst of it. Matthew Kelly in his book, Life is Messy writes, “Feelings are visitors of the heart. Welcome them. Each feeling comes to teach you something very specific. Be hospitable to these guests. They are only passing through. Unless you ignore them. This detains them unnecessarily. You cannot get them to leave by ignoring them, avoiding them, or pretending they don’t exist. They will stay until you attend to them. And when it comes time for them to leave, thank them for visiting.”

I can only speculate when Robert Estienne in the 1500s developed the verse numbering system for the Bible that he decided this verse simply couldn’t be combined with the other surrounding verses.  Even as “Jesus wept” he didn’t weep like those around him because they were weeping out of hopelessness, tradition and despair.  “Jesus wept” because of his great love for those around him. “Jesus wept” since death was never part of God’s original creation plan.

Jesus uses this heart-wrenching moment to share the great truth that brings hope for eternity. It is a truth for those dying and those standing at the edge of the grave. Jesus challenged the darkness of death with the light of hope in John 11:25-26 when he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” After he makes the statement, he goes on to ask Martha a question that is still relevant for each of us living today. “Do you believe this?”  It is a question that if we answer yes, allows us to live our life knowing Jesus loves us, cares for us, died for us and gives us hope for eternity.

My father-in-law lived his 91 years of life fully committed and believing the truth of verse 25. It was in this hope of resurrection that he preached through the years the simple but life-changing news of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

In the sweet innocent and trusting of children, his 8-year-old great-granddaughter was talking with her Mother about death. One of her questions was about who would be the first to meet Granddad in heaven after Jesus. Her mother asked her, who do you think? Hattie said,” I think it will be his mama.”

Hattie is learning that heaven is real, a place of great joy and love. We weep at the death of our loved ones, but because Jesus told us he is “the resurrection and life” we are never like those without hope. “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” I Thessalonians 4:13 NLT

Is your perception of the future determined by the certainty of your death or by your faith in Jesus? Is your life determined by the ability to make life happen or by the power of Jesus’ presence within you to give you life? I hope you listen to Kathie Lee Gifford’s song and find the words a gentle reminder that seeing Jesus will be so exciting that He will take your breath away. What will you do with Jesus’ hope-filled but definitive statement that he is the resurrection and the life?

God is great