See to it!!!

This PW Devo today instantly made me think about a movie I saw recently.

 

The title and actors aren't worth mentioning.  However, there were many lies the world likes to perpetuate wrapped up in the feel-good-ism, tolerance and personal justice themes of this movie.  The world tells us to respect all points of view, no one religion is absolute and it is more important to feel good about doing something than to do what is right, despite how you feel.

 

Don't be deceived, Satan runs rampant on this planet.  Evil is tolerated, emphasized and "made-over" to appear good.

 

Even as we are getting ready to go on our trip to Guatemala, people are getting confused about the primary goal of this trip:

 

To bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to any and everyone we meet in Guatemala.

 

This trip isn't about what we will wear (though we plan to dress in a way that is not distracting).  This trip isn't about how great our craft project will be (though we hope to emphasize the message of the Gospel with our craft).  This trip isn't about all the "tasks" we have to complete before we leave next Sunday.

 

We've all been in such a "task" mode, we've taken our focus off of Jesus and onto ourselves.  I was humbled by a few comments Sara made on Friday night.  She eloquently stated, "God chose our little church out of all the big mega churches in the area to go on this trip and share the Gospel with the Guatemalan people.  Of all the people in our church who could go on this trip, God chose and allowed me to go."

 

Wow.

 

It is all about Jesus.  It is all about bringing Hope and Light into the darkness.  God's plan will be accomplished, with or without us.  It is exciting, however, when God does choose to use us to further His Kingdom.

 

The message is clear.

Our purpose is resolved.

 

Whether you are going to Guatemala, next door, to work, on vacation, traveling with a summer sport league or hanging out with your buddies - if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, your only business is to glorify Jesus and share the Good News with everyone.

 

Yes! It really does matter what someone believes.  Read on to see what Paul had to say to our New Testament brothers & sisters in Christ.

 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

Don't Get Caught Posted: 27 Jun 2009 06:37 PM PDT "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:8) Does it really matter what someone believes? Do we have to get so picky about the specifics? Isn't it enough if someone just believes in the same God we do? Do we have to make a big deal about believing the right things about Jesus? Yes, it matters! Paul's fantastic word picture describes false ideas as traps and those tricked into believing them as captives. That's not inclusive language. Paul is clearly saying some beliefs are right and others are dangerously wrong. The wrong ones are those that don't keep faith in Jesus at the dead center of a person's worldview. Paul refuses to say, "Who knows what the truth is? You believe your thing; I'll believe my thing. We'll both be okay, right?" Nope. He says, "I love you too much not to tell you I think you've been trapped by a nice-sounding lie. Unless you change your mind and put all of your hope in Jesus, you will stay in that prison of false belief. Get out now." Think: Do you ever feel pressured by your culture to not sound so convinced that Jesus is the only hope of being in heaven with the Father forever? How do you respond to that pressure? Is it more loving to pretend not to be certain or to tell the truth as you believe it? Pray: Ask God to help you not to be taken captive by false philosophies that depend on human tradition and the basic principles of the world rather than on Christ. Do: Make a quick list of two or three human philosophies that do not depend on Chris. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

"You + God = A Majority"

Genesis 12:1-8 - (1) Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; (2) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; (3) And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." 

(4) So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (5) Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. (6) Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. (7) The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

(8) Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.

Heard on the radio today, from Alistair Begg:

 

"Faith is a one-way ticket."

 

"One plus God equals a majority."

 

"Hold on lightly to the things we can see and tightly to the things we cannot see."

 

Pastor Begg was teaching on Abram and compared his obedience with that of Moses.  More of us are like Moses than Abram.  Most of us will question the Creator rather than, in faith, obey Him.  Some interesting comments were made...notice how Abram took everything when he left Heran.  As if to indicate his leaving was permanent...he wasn't planning to come back for anything.  Also, Abram pitched a tent (non permanent) and built an altar to the LORD (permanent).

 

Abram was called by God to obey Him and do what He commanded him to do.  Sure, Abram stumbled quite a bit along the way.  But God proved His faithfulness and kept His covenant with Abram, who eventually became Abraham and the patriarch of the Nation of Israel.

 

Read what Hebrews has to say about Abraham,  Hebrews 11:8-10 (8) By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. (9) By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; (10) for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

 

God calls us to salvation.  Like the following PW devo discusses, that is just the beginning of our faith journey with Jesus.

 

This world is NOT our home.  Let loose the trappings of this world and cling tightly to Jesus.
 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

I'm a Christian; Now What? Posted: 25 Jun 2009 01:36 PM PDT "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him." (Colossians 2:6) The idea in this verse is both simple and profound. In delivering to his readers -- and us -- what we need to know about Jesus, Paul answers the question we often ask: I'm a Christian; now what? At least, it's the question we should be asking. Instead, I think a lot of us unconsciously think, "I'm a Christian. Now let me get on with my life." Paul will tell us today and tomorrow that God intends that "getting on with your life" be just as much about Jesus as becoming a Christian was in the first place. My pastor puts it this way: The wedding isn't the end of the relationship; it's only the first day. Becoming a Christian is the start of living in Christ, not just the end of our search for God. If your life isn't all about growing in Christ, it's not all it could be. Think: Why do you think so many Christians see Jesus as the gate to eternal life but not the path through this one? Pray: Ask God to help you to live in Christ just as you received Him. Do: Challenge your youth leader to define what it means to "live in Christ" in 25 words or less. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

They Grabbed My Emotions!!!

Mainstream media plays with our emotions ALL the time.  Whenever I hear the song, "Arms of an Angel" by Sarah McLaughlin...I'll see images of abused pets in my mind.  Frank has to switch the channel, the images bother him so much.  Music is pretty powerful...AND...when you add graphic images, the effect is immediate and permanent.  One reinforces the other.  Which grabs at your heart more?  Abused pets or the fact that last year, 1.7 million children in underdeveloped countries died from diarrheal diseases due to tainted drinking water?  Sitting in your living room, watching TV...you are more inclined to respond to an image of an abused pet (cause you probably have a pet or have a friend who has a pet) than to images of malnourished children from a third world country dying from diarrhea.   We look around our neighborhoods and we see healthy children. Mostly, we've bought into the lie that we, in America, have an obesity epidemic in our children.  So the 1.7 million figure means little to us.

 

Retail conglomerates, marketing experts and ad agencies spend millions, if not billions, of cash on understanding what influences teen buyers and what catches their attention the most.  Manipulation of colors, music and expertly timed imagery guarantees buy in from the coveted teen market.  Generally, they appeal to teens' insecurities - wear this brand and you'll be like the cool people (idea: you'll be acceptable), use this phone and you'll be connected to so many people (idea: you won't be alone), drink this water and you'll be smart (idea: you won't look dumb), dress like this and you will be beautiful/sexy (idea: people will be attracted to you)...and the endless ploys to appeal to insecurities are blatant and subtle.

 

When I was a teen, I recall a Youth Speaker retelling a story of he and his dog to our Youth Group.  For about 10-15 minutes he had us mesmerized with this wonderful relationship he had with his dog.  We were convinced this dog WAS super-dog and his best friend.  We were mesmerized by his story.  We WANTED a dog like that!  We could envision playing frisbee or catch with this dog.  We could feel the warmth of the dog as it laid beside us at night.  We could giggle at the doggy kisses lavished upon us when we came home from school.  We also experienced the gut-wrenching horror of realizing this guy was going to finish his story by telling us the dog was hit and killed by a car.  And then the hook:  if we were so sad for a dog, why aren't we even more traumatized by the hell that waits for our family, friends and loved ones who don't know Christ?  We were all shamed for caring more about a dog than about people.

 

Were you shamed just a little bit?  I apologize, for that was not my intent.

 

The impact of that story stayed with me.  However, the desired result - for all of us to get motivated and earnest about evangelizing our friends was never realized.  Our youth group didn't grow exponentially.  No one suddenly made the decision to become a evangelist, pastor or missionary.  Life pretty much went on the same as usual.

 

This speaker tried to manipulate our emotions.

 

That is what the world tries to do...and is far more effective than this speaker was. Don't believe me?  What consumes your thoughts throughout the day?  If it isn't God, is it some object, person or event?  Objects - clothes, shoes, makeup, cars, toys, games, books, food, etc.  Person - guy, gal, enemy, friend, author, teacher, speaker, athlete, celebrity, band, singer, performer, etc.  Event - facebook, myspace, AIM, twitter, messaging, dance, party, vacation, destination, job, divorce, marriage, breakup, dating, movie, etc.  Think about it...

 

And, though God did create us to be emotional beings, which is pretty fantastic, He didn't want us to be carried away by our emotions.  He doesn't want us to follow our feelings...He wants us to know Truth and follow Jesus.

The world will try to convince you that Jesus isn't enough - Jesus isn't cool - Jesus isn't important.  Or even worse, the world will try to make Jesus another task on your list of things to do, achieve and experience.

 

Paul knew his readers needed to be convinced that all of life comes down to knowing and following Jesus. Nothing more. Nothing less.

 

Are you following your emotions and reacting to the lies of the world or following Jesus?

 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

Fine-Sounding Arguments Posted: 24 Jun 2009 03:20 PM PDT "I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is." (Colossians 2:4-5) A great argument between two skilled debaters can be mesmerizing and disorienting. If it's a subject you're not sure about, you can find yourself agreeing with one debater one minute only to be won over to the other side a few moments later by the other guy. Sometimes, a skilled debater can make it harder to see the truth. Paul knew his readers needed to be convinced that all of life comes down to knowing and following Jesus. Nothing more. Nothing less. Why? Because skilled debaters then and now work against Christians to persuade us that faith in Jesus isn't enough or that following Jesus in obedience to God isn't important. These "fine-sounding arguments" are persuasive to those who are not convinced. Think: Are you convinced that all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom are found in Christ? Are you convinced that faith in Him is enough to give you a right relationship with God and that following His path is the only life worth leading? Pray: Ask God to help you not to be deceived by fine-sounding arguments that distort who Jesus is and/or how much you need Him. Do: Read and think about 2 Timothy 1:12. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Who is the Point of it All?

The other day in the truck Frank was playing Country music.  Toby Keith's "I wanna talk about me!" came on and my dad started laughing.  He'd never heard that song.  If you haven't heard it either, here is the chorus from the song:

 

I wanna talk about me
Wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number one
Oh my me my
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see
I like talking about you, you, you, you

usually, but occassionally
I wanna talk about me
I wanna talk about me

Where am I going with this?

 

If our focus is supposed to be on Jesus - why do we waste our time focusing on anything else?  Especially ourselves!  So many of us want to talk about "me."  We want to talk about our feelings and our disappointments.  We want to focus on what we did well and what we didn't do so well.

 

Read on to see what Paul had to say about this kind of behavior: it is pointless.

 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

What We Need Posted: 23 Jun 2009 12:58 PM PDT "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:2-3) Why does Paul struggle for these people he has not met? What do they need so desperately? That's what we'll be discovering for the next several days -- the urgent answer Paul felt compelled to risk his life to make known to them (and to us). The first two items on our needs list are courageous hearts and love-saturated unity with other believers. If our hearts are cowardly, if we are many things instead of one thing together in Christ, then we are missing out. We are missing what it means to belong to God, to be in Christ, to be fully Christian. Paul knows we should be loaded, rich, wealthy, fully funded in our understanding of Jesus. If we don't really know Jesus, we are broke. We are missing the point. We may be believing that He is a piece of our puzzle instead of the picture on the box. He is the final answer. He is the point. All the facts and what to do with them are waiting to be found in Jesus. Think: Would you say that your heart is courageous in Christ? Would you say you have experienced unity with other Christians? Would you say that you are hoping Jesus will solve your problems or that you are hoping to know more of Jesus? Pray: Ask God to help you to be encouraged in heart and united in love. Ask Him to help you to have the full riches of complete understanding to know Christ, the mystery of God. Thank Him that by faith and through His grace you do know Christ. Do: Read and think about Colossians 1:15-20 to know Jesus better. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Not Of This World

Back in 1995 I was blessed with a 17 day trip to France and Italy.  I was caught up in the excitement of so many things: packing for 17 days in a suitcase that only held clothes fo 7 days; currency rate exchanges; a new committed love (Frank); putting together materials for teaching I was going to do; a new deepening romance (Frank); did  I mention a blossoming, wonderfully newly committed relationship with Frank?  I was so torn between going and staying.  I was so caught up in my preparations and romantic life that I was prepared for what hit me when I arrived in Paris, Frances:  the oppressive feeling of spiritual darkness.  Like Jenna (who recently returned from Paris, France), I was enamored with the beautiful cathedrals of Europe.  I distinctly recall each time I passed the threshold of a cathedral.  I was filled with immediate and conflicting feelings of awe and sadness.  These beautiful houses of worship had once been, in many cases, the places of great revival breaking out across Europe.  As I visited them, they were polished, refreshed, retouched and dead.  I could never shake the feeling of waking into a tomb.  The Creator of the universe was not the focus of these cathedrals...rather the earthly artists, sculptors, stain-glass makers and polished marbles were.

 

I also distinctly remember the feeling of coming back to the United States.  Sure, I was "home."  I was eager to see Frank (did I mention we'd just secured that committed relationship thingy?).  But there was something more on the spiritual level that revived me...almost like I had been holding my breath too long and then suddenly gasping in a breath of much needed air!  I could "feel" the spiritual light of home.

 

Never forget, this world lives in darkness.  Every moment is a battle of spiritual warfare.  Although we may "feel" at home in our churches, small groups, Youth groups, ect., remember...that is just a glimpse or "taste" of our eternal home with our Lord Jesus forever!

 

As you go into your weekend, I hope you dwell on this fact if you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

 

Be thankful.

This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
I have a loving mother just up in Gloryland
And I don't expect to stop until I shake her hand
She's waiting now for me in heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh Lord you know...
Just over in Gloryland we'll live eternaly

the saints on every hand are shouting victory
Their songs of sweetest praise drift back from heaven's shore
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh Lord you know...

(Albert E. Brumley)

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

Fearful Strangers Posted: 11 Jun 2009 02:40 PM PDT "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear." (1 Peter 1:17) Have you spent any time in foreign countries? I remember being in Italy once and feeling very "American." After a few days, my wife and I bought some Italian clothes, worked on our accents and a few Italian phrases, and tried to blend in a little. But we couldn't hide; it was obvious we weren't locals. The day after you became a Christian, you woke up in a foreign country. You might not have felt it, and probably nobody could tell, at first. But your citizenship had been transferred to heaven, the kingdom of light. You had become a stranger here. Peter wants us to live like we're from somewhere else. He wants us to stop trying to blend in to our worldly culture. He wants us to stand out, trying harder to honor our King back home than the customs of this land. He wants us to remember that the King is watching, and He is a fair judge of our choices. Think: Do you ever feel like a stranger in your world because of your commitment to God through Jesus? How can that be a good thing? Pray: Ask God to help you live your life here in reverent fear for Him. Do: Listen to how the writer of Hebrews 11:13-16 expresses this same idea. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Sorta Like Playing Dress-Up

Admit it, almost all of us played dress-up when we were younger.  (Ahem...did you put on any kind of a costume for Halloween? Well, there you have it...you were playing dress-up!)  It is pretty funny when we are younger, we try to look older.  As children, we wanted to be adults!  Somehow we thought the magical world of adulthood had mysterious links to superpowers...or something.  And, now many adults, try everything to look younger.  What a waste of time (and money)!

 

When you think about God commanding us to be holy, do you panic a little bit?  I think some Christians try to play "dress-up" with holiness.  They look at this service or deed and think, "this is what holy looks like!"  They try it on and struggle to make it fit.  In fact, they struggle so much they eventually lose energy/interest, abandon the "thing" and move on to something else.  Not unlike little children who keep playing dress-up to find the right outfit that makes them "feel" like they look all grown up.  Like children, many of us compare ourselves to each other.  This is normal behavior for children, but not helpful behavior for Christians.

 

Jesus is the only perfect example of holiness.  Not me (oh no, NOT me!).  Not Frank.  Not the pastor, elders or deacons.  Not missionaries.  No other created human being.

 

What exactly does it mean to be holy?  What is holiness any way? 

 

From Easton's - Holiness - In the highest sense belongs to God (Isa_6:3; Rev_15:4), and to Christians as consecrated to God's service, and in so far as they are conformed in all things to the will of God (Rom_6:19, Rom_6:22; Eph_1:4; Tit_1:8; 1Pe_1:15). Personal holiness is a work of gradual development. It is carried on under many hindrances, hence the frequent admonitions to watchfulness, prayer, and perseverance (1Co_1:30; 2Co_7:1; Eph_4:23, Eph_4:24).

 

Personal holiness is a work [with help from the Holy Spirit, I would add] of gradual development.  It takes time.

 

Many of you have heard the story.  When my parents first met Frank, they were less than impressed.  In fact, just the other day my dad was commenting on how wrong he had been about Frank in the beginning of our relationship.  I've always joked about the fact I think my parents love Frank more than me!  And, some of you may think I'm put off by this.  Not at all!  It is exciting to me to see my parents come to know and love the man I saw Frank to be over 15 years ago.

 

This is how God is with us.  He sees and loves who we are in Christ!  He has given us the Holy Spirit to instruct us, convict us of sin and help us in this Christian walk!  And, it takes time.  I used to tell my parents, there is nothing wrong with Frank that time won't mend.  I knew it was the time he spent with them, being him, that would eventually win them over.

 

The same is true for us.  Our holiness is a result of the time we spend focusing on God.  As we spend time with Him in prayer, study of His love letter to us (the Bible) and obeying His commands to us...our gradual growth as a Believer (and the characteristic of holiness) takes place.  The more we get to know and understand God...Jesus...the Holy Spirit...the more we see and understand what Jesus said in John 15: 5, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."  You should check out all of John 15!

 

We cannot be holy on our own.  And, I'm glad.

 On my own ability and strength, personal holiness is a heavy burden!

I'm thankful God provides for me, sustains me and "grows" me to be holy. 

 

Matthew 11:27-30

(27) "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

(28) "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

(29) "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

(30) "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

 

When you are holy, you are not going to think, look, talk, act or perform like the world.  Think about it.  How does the world say to live and how does God say to live?  The world says, "be like everybody esle."  God says, "be holy, because I am holy."

 

Like the PW Devotion writer says, "You are holy.  Be holy."

 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

Are Holy Be Holy Posted: 10 Jun 2009 01:08 PM PDT "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.' " (1 Peter 1:15-16) I think lots of people read this verse and just check out. "I can't be holy. God is holy. He is perfect. He has never done or said a single sinful thing in all of eternity. He doesn't even have sinful thoughts. That's not me. I can't do that." Here's what we miss: That is us. That's the point. God is not saying to us, "Be holy, and then you can be my child." He's saying, "You are my child. Now be holy like me." Still think it's impossible? Listen to these words from Paul in Colossians 1: "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation." In His eyes, you are holy. Now, Peter says, start using His power to live up to who you already are. You won't live perfectly free from sin before you see Him in person, but you can make choices that reflect His holiness in your life today. You are holy. Be holy. Think: Does understanding that God sees you as holy right now motivate you to try harder to live up to your new identity? Where does the power come from to live that way? Pray: Ask God to help you to understand what it means to be holy in your everyday life. Ask Him to help you to be holy in all you do. Do: Ask your pastor or youth pastor or a Christian teacher what it means for a Christian to live a holy life. How do they practice that from day to day? Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Imperishable Beauty

"It is better by silence to yield to our brother, who is, or has been, or may be, our friend, than by angry speaking to yield to the devil, who has been, and is, and ever will be our sworn enemy." —Matthew Henry 

 

Growing up, my mother would always tell me my personality "type" became a sweet & wonderful Christian.  (Still wondering when the "sweet & wonderful" will kick in?)  Lately, I've wondered if maybe my mom desired this for herself.  In reflection, my mom, in her twilight years, was a sweet and wonderful Christian woman…she just didn't realize it.  She loved people.  She loved to talk about the Lord and tried vigorously to search the deeper Truths of the Bible.

 

The following devotional on "Imperishable Beauty" makes me think of my mom.  But, I can also relate to the lack of meekness in my own life over the years.  Have you, like me, confused meekness with weakness?  Would it surprise you to discover Jesus, the strong, rugged carpenter, fully God, fully man, was the ideal example of meekness?

 

Since Jesus is our perfect example…the following should edify my brothers in Christ as well! =D

 

To give credit, where credit is due, the following is taken directly from:  http://www.truewoman.com/?id=678

 

Imperishable Beauty

Your Purpose posted on 05.18.09 by Kimberly Wagner

Not a hint of meekness existed in my character as a young woman. Sadly, I took pride in my ability to challenge men verbally and delighted in defeating them in debate. I thought this was a sign of strength, but actually I was a weak woman. Early in our friendship, Nancy DeMoss recognized my neediness in this area and gave me the book The Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit by Matthew Henry.

I had always confused the idea of meekness with weakness. I pictured a fragile-hearted, mouse-like woman when I heard this term—not appealing in the least! Then I came across 1 Peter 3:1-6 and its description of a woman with the imperishable beauty of a gentle (or meek) and quiet spirit . . . (the next words took my breath away) . . . "which is precious in the sight of God." Precious!

When I first read those words, I remember thinking, Oh Father, I want to be precious in your sight, but I could never be meek or quiet! However, the strong yearning to be precious in God's sight eventually led me to dig in and do an extensive study of this elusive trait. Here are a few things I learned:

The Greeks described meekness as "power under control." Hmmm . . . I'd never thought of meekness as a "powerful trait" before.

• James 3:13-18—meekness is the opposite of arrogance and self-promotion. Gulp! So, when I'm not practicing meekness, does that mean I'm being arrogant and self-centered?
• Colossians 3:12—meekness characterizes the mature believer, which means the lack of meekness indicates immaturity.
• James 1:21—meekness equals "teachability."
• Ephesians 4:2—meekness shows consideration of others.
• Galatians 6:1—meekness is to be the defining attitude when confronting a brother in sin.
• Philippians 2:1-8—meekness portrays the humility of Christ, who is our ultimate example of meekness.
• 1 Peter 3:13-16—meekness displays constancy and a steady composure. Meekness stands in contrast to the fretful woman's roller coaster ride of emotions.
• 1 Peter 3:8-9—meekness demonstrates gracious restraint. It responds to accusations or criticism with restraint rooted in humility by recognizing that without God's grace, I am capable of far worse than what I am being accused.

"It is better by silence to yield to our brother, who is, or has been, or may be, our friend, than by angry speaking to yield to the devil, who has been, and is, and ever will be our sworn enemy." —Matthew Henry 

Meekness does not mean I never speak, share an opinion, or disagree with my husband or others, but meekness acts under the grace and control of the Spirit of God.

 

Where does God find you in relation to this post today?  

The Matter of Food

God's timing makes me smile!

 

Organic vs. non-organic.

Healthy vs. fast-food (mostly unhealthy).

Cleanse vs. restricted food regimen.

Liquid diet vs. only raw fruits & veggies diet.

 

Where do you stand on all these issues?  I do believe we should be more health conscious when it comes to what we allow to pass into our bodies.  I think the problem starts, however, when we begin to obsess over food.  Like anything else, it gets out of balance and consumes our every waking moment.

 

I've been looking through my mom's recipe collections in an effort to put together a "memory recipe book" for family and friends.  My mom was obsessed with nutrition, diet, weight gain/loss and the dilemma on cooking food that us kids would eat.  I've inherited some of that obsession from my mom.  And, moreso lately as I ponder my 46th year of life and the lack of energy, loss of muscle mass and overall unhealthy "feeling" I have nowadays.

 

My "plan" was to get into better health shape in 2009.  AND...in late December I knew we were going to Guatemala in July and "planned" to walk every morning/night and eat healthier so I'd have more energy, more stamina, lose some unwanted unhealthy fat and regain some wanted muscle tone.  Then life happened.  Moves, sickness, death, visiting family, work deadlines, packing/unpacking, trips, storage units to fill, etc., all competed for my time, energy and attention. Today is June 8...and I have yet to stick to any regimen, diet or exercise plan.

 

I think our Christian lives can be like that too.  We get busy.  We get ritualistic (legalistic). We go through the "motions" of Christianity and let our busy-ness tune out the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Our focus, once again, shifts to all things external and we neglect the heart.

 

I'm not saying being healthy isn't important.  But, when being healthy becomes the most important thing you focus on in your life, at the exclusion of all other things...you get out of balance.  If we obsessed more on our healthy heart relationship with God and less on the outside stuff, we'd regain that balance.

 

I think that is what Jesus is trying to point out in the passages below.

 

Oh Lord! Help me to obsess about You and not about me.

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

Food is Not the Problem Posted: 05 Jun 2009 09:35 AM PDT "Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, 'Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him "unclean" by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him "unclean." ' " (Mark 7:14-15) If you're the kind of person who is careful about what you eat, you might wince at Jesus' words here. Some of us are so concerned with healthy and unhealthy food that we might really feel "unclean" after eating a drive-thru burger or an entire sleeve of Girl Scout cookies in one sitting. But to those who heard this in person, Jesus' words were revolutionary. For them, it wasn't about being fat or feeling gross, it was about being acceptable to God, about becoming spiritually unclean in their community. They had grown up with the idea that eating the wrong foods could change your spiritual status as a person. Jesus demanded a radical shift in His followers' thinking: God cares more about what lives in your heart than what passes through your digestive track. And what lives in our hearts is revealed by our sinful words, actions, thoughts, and attitudes. Sin comes from in there, not from the outside when we forget to wash our hands before having lunch. Think: Our culture puts a huge emphasis on what we eat and don't eat. Do you ever feel guilty about your food choices? Do you think you sometimes care more about healthy eating than whether your heart and mind is right with God? Pray: Thank God that you will not be declared unclean for eating certain foods. Ask Him to help you care more about honoring Him with your heart, mind, and actions than you do about what you eat. Do: Read Colossians 2:20-22. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

The Trap

Many of us do this.  We stop paying attention to God and start paying attention to our "own understanding."

 

We exchange the Truth, "God has absolute authority, sovereignty over me," for a lie, "I know best how to be happy, succeed in life, pick out a life partner," etc.  We only fit God in to our lives when it is convenient and works with our lifestyle.  This kind of "God" becomes okay with pursuing the things of this world.  After all, "God wants me to be happy, right?"  Wrong.  God wants you to be holy.  God wants you to remember its all about Him and not about you, at all.  Happiness is not our motivation, pleasing God in all we do is.

 

Proverbers 3 reminds us, (Proverbs 3:1-8) My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; (2) for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. (3) Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. (4) So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. (5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (7) Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. (8) It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

 

At best, we play a game about living the Christian life.  We focus on looking good for each other and measure our "spiritual" growth based on others.  We've bought the lie.  The only perfect example we can compare ourselves to is Jesus Christ. 

Are you living out Proverbs 3:5-6 in your life or have you bought into the lie that you are in control and know best how to plan your future? 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

Good Reasons to Disobey God? Posted: 04 Jun 2009 01:56 PM PDT "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother.' . . ." "But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition." (Mark 7:9-13) I wonder if the Pharisees regretted bringing up the issue of Jesus' disciples not following the "traditions" by washing their hands before they ate. Jesus turned their own smug question against them, demonstrating here how they had elevated good intentions into traditions with the force of Law -- and ended up missing God's heart by a mile. Even if we don't think of ourselves as legalists, we're all capable of hiding behind "the good" to keep from doing what God really wants for us. We can use the good idea of protecting our character by not associating with people of low character to avoid ever having to make relationships with unbelievers and tell them about Jesus. And we can do the same in reverse, using the good idea of evangelism as an excuse to lower our standards for personal holiness. That's just one example. It takes brutal self-honesty to avoid falling in line with the Pharisees by using "good" rules to serve ourselves instead of God. Think: Can you think of other ways in which we use good-sounding, well-intentioned, man-made rules to avoid doing what God really wants for us, to avoid obeying Him, even? Pray: Ask God to give you the courage to be brutally honest with yourself about your real motives for doing "good" things. Ask Him to help you to never come up with good reasons to disobey Him. Do: Notice this week what reasons people in your life (or in your media consumption) give for doing wrong things. How often do they point to their good intentions? Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Deep Cleaning

My mom was pretty much a clean "freak" when I was growing up.  She was always "on" us about picking up after ourselves, rinsing off and putting away our dirty dishes (into the dishwasher), and staying on top of our chores.  Once a month, we did the "deep" clean Saturday.  Deep cleaning Saturdays involved getting up early (before 8 a.m.!), pulling all the furniture away from the walls, cushions off chairs, couches, loveseats, and picking up rugs.  We washed baseboards, trim over doorways, windows, window sills, vacuumed under couches, chairs, etc., vacuumed the cushions and even turned over upholstered sitting devices and vacuumed all the not normally seen places.

 

One time, I took it upon myself to convince my cousin Beverly to help me do all the "deep cleaning" on a Friday afternoon.  Fridays were always our "major" chore days.  We'd get home from school around 2:30 p.m. and have until 6:00 p.m. to get all of our chores done before Hurricane Aunt Lena (my mom) came home.  We had a WHOPPING 3 1/2 hours to do what literally took us about 20-30 minutes (when done correctly).  The deep cleaning Saturdays usually took about 4 hours.  But, if we'd jumped right out of bed and starting working and NOT complaining...we could've been finished in about 2 hours. 

 

My logic dictated we could do this labor intensive "deep cleaning" on a Friday...surprise my mom...garner her adulation and be able to SLEEP in on Saturday morning.  Made sense, right?  Though I generally liked to please my mom, my motivation was all selfishness.

 

There were a few kinks in my plan.  I failed to mention my cousin and I could get the giggles at the mere thought of something funny.  Have you ever tried working hard when you are laughing harder?  Really good belly laughs, sustained over a period of 2-5 minutes, have all kind of wonderful medicinal benefits...but the downside is you get kinda weak.  Also you want to sit down a lot and "recover" from your fits of laughing.  Sometimes we'd laugh so hard our stomachs would hurt!  We'd beg each other to stop being funny. Seriously!  The more we begged to stop...the more we'd laugh.  We were hopeless once we started laughing.  And, we'd get so silly from laughing that just looking at each other would erupt into more silly laughter, begging, and sitting on the floor recovering.  It was a vicious cycle.

 

Another issue I didn't account for in my brilliance - I was 5'6" and my cousin was 4"6 to 4"7 (on a good day). She was a petite thing. I was a healthy 125-135 lbs. and Beverly was a size Zero...weighing 90-95 lbs. wet!  We encountered a few physics issues when trying to lift couches, etc.  Everything was made worse by the laughter. (I'm even giggling now JUST thinking about it!).

 

You're probably thinking we didn't get the job done.  But we did!  The thought of sleeping in was a huge motivator to us.

 

My mom was pretty impressed when she got home!  She was very surprised, thankful and happy with us.  Yeah!  We got to sleep in on Saturday.  Well...until my mom and dad started inspecting, more closely, our handiwork at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.  I did mention the physics problem, right?  We didn't move the furniture.  Beverly, being height challenged, couldn't reach the same door trims I could, but she did her best...I swear!

 

Even if I had worn ear-plugs when I slept back then, I'm sure I would've still heard that distinctive, commanding "Mar-Y-Eeee-lizabeth" my mom would yell in her slightly high pitched, southern drawl.  Summoned from a deep sleep in such a way causes one's heart to race and body to break out into a cold sweat.  My cousin had perfected the "flight or fight" reaction and was already at my bedside, shaking me to wake up while pushing me out of bed.  You have to imagine this all happening within nano seconds.  It was alarming and confusing, to say the least.

 

(Side fact here.  I am not a morning person.  I do best around 10:00 a.m....but ONLY after I've had time to sit and stare at nothing and sip on a delicious cup of coffee [for at least 15-20 minutes].  How could my dad NOT remember this?  Personally, morning is a rude event to me. All you morning people out there, hooray for you [I murmur sarcastically under my breath].  You are all sick and need to be psychoanalyzed for your enthusiasm with mornings. There has to be a gene deficiency within you morning loving people.  Science just hasn't received enough funding to research this critical mutation in your genetic code. Ah, but I digress....)
 

My mom, the she-hurricane who doth summon me from my bedchamber, was still saying my name in a repetitive, increasingly higher octave yell (a tad lik the repeated plunking of a C-minor key on an out of tune piano).  I was confused, befuddled and a tad upset my much earned sleeping in reward was being interrupted!  Stumbling into the living room, with my cousin cowering behind me (pushing me forward in a really annoying manner), I stutter stepped into the presence of she-who-gave-birth-to-ME-the-brilliant-child and plopped down on her favorite couch (which isn't really a good idea...no matter how justifiable you think you are in being annoyed).

 

All my dad had to do was push to one side the loveseat.  The baseboard, leading up to the loveseat was pristine clean; however, the part hidden by the loveseat was distinctly grey, dusty and filthy.  The jig was up.  We were confronted with our inadequate attempt to duplicate the "deep cleaning" my mom required once a month.

 

Many religious people live their lives this way.  It's called window-dressing.  We look pretty good at a glance, but with closer inspection, the reality is our hearts are empty, sick, ill-tended.  Much like the hidden spaces and out of reach places in my home growing up.  If we can't see it, we think it doesn't matter.  But, God sees our hearts: 1 Samuel 16:7b - For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."

 

Is your life a reflection of what man sees or what God sees?

 

Read on to see what Jesus had to say to the "man-pleasers" of His day.

 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

Clean Hands Empty Hearts Posted: 03 Jun 2009 02:07 PM PDT "He replied, 'Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ' "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.' " (Mark 7:6-7) To catch up: The Pharisees, threatened by Jesus' power and popularity as a rabbi, try to bring Him down to their size by pointing out that His disciples are breaking an important "tradition" about hand-washing. Jesus cannot be diminished and responds with this quote from Isaiah to their ancestors. Two big things to notice: Jesus' point is NOT that it doesn't matter if we obey God. Jesus obeyed the Law. This issue was about a man-made rule that had been given the weight of God's own commands. In fact, these "bonus rules" not given by God had become more important than what God actually said. The larger point Jesus makes here is that we can keep following the rules long after we've stopped following God. Our worship of Him is not about everything we do together on Sunday morning; it's about Him. We obey Him because He is God, not because we are good. Think: Have you ever caught yourself honoring God with your lips even though your heart was far from Him? Why does that happen? How can we keep it from happening? Pray: Ask God to help you to be real in your worship of Him. Ask Him to help you to avoid making your worship and obedience more about you than Him. Do: Next time you actively participate in singing praise and worship songs to God with a group of people, get ready ahead of time by moving closer to God in your heart. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness???

In case you aren't sure, the statement above is not found anywhere in the Bible.

In fact, there are numerous "sayings," "rules" and "regulations" not found ANYwhere in the Bible. The biggest problem with "Christianity" today is the focus has been taken off of Jesus and retrained onto a great speaker, author, movement or train of thought. The next, almost equally big, problem is the focus becomes all about me.

When the focus turns to "me" instead of Jesus, the shift dictates man-made rules and ideas on how to be religious. Which is the problem the Pharisees had. God laid out in the Old Testament how He wanted His people to be holy. The Jewish leaders and teachers in Jesus' day added more rules and requirements to achieve that "holiness." They missed the boat entirely.

I grew up attending church for most of my life. I used to think I was born in church! Not until I went off to college in the early 80's did I begin to realize the Christian life was about a relationship with God through Jesus. Like the Pharisees, the kinds of churches we attended in my youth made up all these lists of don'ts for us to adhere to proving our religiousness.

Don't wear pants (women need to dress like women and not men).

Don't go to movies (when Jesus returns, do you want Him to find you sitting in that R-Rated movie?).

Don't play cards (cause all card games lead to gambling addiction - even Old Maid!).

Don't go to dances (cause all that close body contact leads to sinful thoughts and you'll get pregnant).

Don't wear makeup (cause beauty is deceitful and shows our vanity).

Don't listen to rock-n-roll music (cause all non-hymn music is devil music and there are all these hidden messages polluting our minds).

Don't wear two-piece bathing suits (cause it causes guys to lust).

Don't ever miss church on Sunday and cut your vacations short to be back in time for church on Sunday (cause sinners play on the Lord's day).

Don't hold hands, hug or kiss a boy (cause you'll get pregnant...or some variation thereof).

Don't get your ears pierced (cause God told us not to in the Old Testament).

Don't read any other translation of the Bible other than the King James Version (cause everything else is heresy).

...and those are just the highlights of the list. When I went off to college, the list looked more like this:

Do love Jesus with all your heart, mind, soul and strength (thoughts, words, deeds and actions).

Do spend time getting to know God more deeply through prayer, personal Bible study and fellowship with other believers.

Do live out your faith in Jesus in every area of your life.

Do abide in Christ. Rest in Him. Wait. Be still.

It was a pretty refreshing time for me, spiritually. Instead of the burden of legalistic checklists, the emphasis was on your relationship with Christ and how that relationship translates into being IN the world but not OF the world.

This was also an uncomfortable time for me as well. I found my faith was based on a checklist and not the absolute Truth of God's Word. As I dug into God's Word...I found some of the basis for the legalistic checklists I mentioned above. But, the problem with legalism is it focuses on the external and not the internal heart condition. I also learned that just because we were "free" to do something, did not necessarily mean we should do it.

Legalism misses the whole point. The point of the Law was to show our need for a Saviour. We can never be "good enough" on our own. All the external "goodness" we demonstrate means absolutely nothing if we have an unchanged heart.

The next couple of PW devotions will take a look at how Jesus demonstrated the futility of the Pharisees' legalism.

I remember one Ladies' Retreat I went on a few years ago. Sharon Zamora had two mugs displayed on a table for all of us to see. One mug was caked on the outside with filth, mud, dirt, etc. The other mug was pristinely clean. "Which mug would you drink from?" she asked us. Of course, we all picked the pristinely clean mug. Then she tipped the mugs over for us to see inside. The dirty mug was pristinely clean inside and the clean-looking mug was moldy, filthy, and dirty inside.

Only Jesus can clean us up on the inside.

That's why we need Jesus. Until He comes into our hearts and changes us from the inside out...we are not fit to enter the Kingdom of God.

Legalism is all about our control.

True God-followers know they are not in control, God is.

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

---

Why Not Wash? Posted: 02 Jun 2009 03:12 PM PDT "So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, 'Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with "unclean" hands?' " (Mark 7:5) If you read the first 5 verses of Mark 7 from our cultural perspective of "CSI" and swine flu, you might at first glance agree with the Pharisees. Why didn't Jesus' disciples wash their hands before they ate? Gross. But this is bigger than a little bacteria on your baloney. This was a showdown between the Pharisees and Jesus over their requirement that people obey all the rules of "tradition." These were a list of man-made rules added on top of God's Law. The Pharisees used them to measure holiness -- and to give themselves power over people. We'll see over the next few days that Jesus used their criticism as an opportunity to point out their hypocrisy. The Pharisees has made the rules the point of their whole religion and lost their focus on God in the process. Think: We live in a different time and place. Do you think we still tend to put too much emphasis on man-made rules -- or do we more often put too little emphasis on obeying God's direction for our lives? Pray: Thank God for Jesus' courage to stand up to the legalism of the Pharisees. Ask Him to help you never to make following human rules the point of your relationship with Him. Do: Make a quick list of a few man-made rules that are sometimes attached to following Jesus? Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Looking for Flaws Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:32 AM PDT "The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were 'unclean,' that is, unwashed." (Mark 7:1-2) This week, we're going to try to learn some things from a quick conversation between Jesus and some Pharisees. The Pharisees were starting to get tired of everyone talking about how great this new rabbi Jesus was. But after the miracles people had seen Him do, how could they not talk? You would think the Jewish religious leaders would be excited about a rabbi that could do such powerful things, right? I mean, people were saying that Jesus could heal anyone of anything, that He could cast out demons without even breaking a sweat, that He could feed a stadium full of people with a sack lunch. Instead, the Pharisees seem to have felt threatened. They did what some of your friends do when they feel insecure; they started to look for things about Jesus to criticize, to show that He was not that big of a deal But Jesus pulled the curtain and showed everyone what was in their hearts. Think: Have you ever heard someone mock Jesus or the idea of Jesus? Do you think sometimes people do that because they're a little worried He might really be God? Pray: Ask God to help you to learn this week both from Jesus' words and the Pharisee's negative example. Do: Read Mark 5 to hear some of the reasons Jesus was becoming so well known. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!