Standing for Truth

Isaiah 59:15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

I write a blog called Truth in the Morning and the ministry God gave me to do is called Truth in Love World Ministries. He named them; I didn’t, so you can see how the subject of truth is non-negotiable for me. I ran across an article by A.W. Tozer that resounded in my spirit and today I am sharing it. There is a lot of ‘black and white’ in my bottom-line world and it is often not appreciated by others. Once I stepped into the pure light of Christ out of the gray fog in which I lived in the world, there was not a lot of room for gray anymore. It could not stand up to the pure light of His righteousness. Here is what Tozer had to say.

In our culture today there seem to be only two absolutes: (1) that there are no absolutes except that there are no absolutes; and (2) everything must be tolerated since there is no absolute truth. Painful and uncomfortable as it is, we must stand up for truth.

We have developed in recent times a peace-loving, soft-spoken, tame and harmless brand of Christian of whom the world has no fear and for whom it has little respect. We are careful, for instance, never to speak in public against any of the false cults lest we be thought intolerant. We fear to talk against the destructive sins of modern civilization for fear someone will brand us as bigoted and narrow. Little by little we have been forced off the hard earth into a religious cloud-land where we are permitted to wing our harmless way around, like swallows at sundown, saying nothing that might stir the ire of the sons of this world. That Neo-Christianity, which seems for the time to be the most popular (and is certainly the most aggressive), is very careful not to oppose sin. It wins its crowds by amusing them and its converts by hiding from them the full implications of the Christian message. It carries on its projects after the ballyhoo methods of American business. Well might we paraphrase Wordsworth and cry, "Elijah, thou shouldst be living at this hour; America has need of thee." We stand in desperate need of a few men like Elijah who will dare to face up to the brazen sinners who dictate our every way of life. Sin in the full proportions of a revolution or a plague has all but destroyed our civilization while church people have played like children in the marketplace. What has happened to the spirit of the American Christian? Has our gold become dim? Have we lost the spirit of discernment till we can no longer recognize our captors? How much longer will we hide in caves while Ahab and Jezebel continue to pollute the temple and ravage the land? Surely we should give this some serious thought and prayer before it is too late--if indeed it is not too late already.

In an age where we worry more about being politically correct and fear being labeled ‘intolerant’, I am concerned we have strayed to the left of truth and taken our eyes off the pure white light of God’s Word. Light and darkness cannot coexist. There is either one or the other.

I John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Father, give me courage and boldness to lovingly and graciously stand for You in my sphere of influence. May I be Your ambassador.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) And do not be conformed to this world…

When the Bible uses the word world, it is used in the geographic sense referring to the planet or it is in a metaphoric sense, where world refers to everything that does not submit or yield to God’s direct authority.

In Romans 12:2, we’re warned against being conformed to this world. God’s Word is telling us the world, everything that’s not of God, has a way of doing things. There’s a mindset, an agenda, a common standard from which it operates. And we, who are of God, have to guard against conforming to (or taking the shape of… ) the world’s ways.

Matthew 5:43-45 (NKJV) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…”

The world says to hate those who hate you. God says to love those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you. A person who lives this way doesn’t fit into the world’s mold. Jesus also tells us that when we live this way, we establish our identity as God’s children.

But the reverse is true, as well. If we live like the world, we start to blend in and become just like the environment around us. When I first truly gave my life over to Christ’s Lordship, I started feeling less and less at ‘home’ in the world I had previously lived. What was normal operating procedure for me began to feel alien and unnatural. Old friends and even some family said they didn’t know how to deal with the new me. They were comfortable with the ‘old’ me but apparently the new me felt as alien to them as I felt in my old world. Some of those people fell away from my life and I missed them for a time. Today, when I run into them or hear about them, it seems as if nothing has changed in their lives over all the years. It feels like stepping back to a place locked in time. I am thankful not to belong in that place. That’s why the Lord warns us against conforming to this world and calls us to live a life in Him that’s truly out of this world.

My life is neither trouble nor pain free but living in a world which yields and submits to God's direct authority is full of assurance He will never leave nor forsake me if all else do. I wake up each morning in His world which is full of mercy and grace. I know without a doubt he will pick me up no matter how often I fall on my face. I can climb up into His lap, lay my head on His 'shoulder' and He wipes my tears when I face the pain in the physical 'planet' world. One day He will take me 'home' to my real world, the world in which I reside with Him forever. For now, He is just a prayer away, waiting for me to call HOME. 

God’s Discipline Proves His Love

Hebrews 12:1–12 (God’s Discipline Proves His Love) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

Today’s scripture reference is very powerful. I might suggest you read it again, very slowly. Let the meaning soak into your mind and heart. Most people associate the word disciple with punishment. Scripturally, it means so much more. I’ve studied and written on this before but the ‘Holy Tap’ keeps bring it up. You know what that means…it means God is outlining the path He wants me to take with this devotional. This is His devotional anyway, I just offer up my hands and time, which is His to begin with, so basically, considering He gave me the desire and motivation to write, I own none of it. So, ‘discipline’ it is!

You’ve heard me say before, “If you discipline yourself (exercising self-disciple), no one else will have to.” This is a true statement as far as living a lawful, considerate and moderate life. This is the stuff we can do in our physical lives. When it comes to our spiritual life, God doesn’t stop there. His discipline extends to every area of our lives and is for our greater good. This is our Heavenly Father loving His children enough to mold and shape them into His righteousness. We have no righteousness of our own, no amount of good works or clean living can make the difference. It is the sculpting, maturing discipline of our loving Father and the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us that count.

After the holidays, we will start a study on Divine Discipline. I think it’s a good way to kick off the new year. Don’t let the title scare you away. I realize discipline isn’t always a popular topic and there will be those that choose to skip reading it altogether. That’s a shame, who knows what God will reveal through that study. I, for one, am anxious to see where He takes it.

…But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

Drawing the Line

Boundaries. Fences. Partitions. They perform a vital role in our lives. I have the benefit of working in an office I decorated and created to please and reflect me. It is a space in which I feel comfortable, relaxed and productive. You can tell a lot about me by visiting my work space. It is drenched in warm, spicy colors which tickle my creativity and yet soothes the savage beast within in the evenings as the golden walls glow in lamp light.

Besides defining us, walls keep others out of our space when needed. I can close the door to my office. Workers can position their desks in such a way as to suggest, "Knock before you enter." Walls are very important boundaries, much like fences around yards define personal space and protect turf.

Personal boundaries are much like walls and fences. Personal preferences, feelings and thoughts are all examples of boundaries.

We should not be surprised that boundaries are an important topic since they were ordained by God. God established the universe with a certain order and specific boundaries. We read, in the story of creation, that "the earth was formless and empty; darkness was over the face of the deep." (Genesis 1: 2) Then something wonderful happened. God created — and He used boundaries to create. "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." (Genesis 1: 6) God took out His giant color crayon and made definitions between the land, water and heavens.

God created and created. Different animals, different plants and vegetation, different celestial bodies. Then He created His masterpiece. He created man, and ultimately someone quite different from man — woman.

God created natural boundaries between the land and the water so the earth could function in a manner that supports life. We need to follow His example and establish emotional, spiritual and physical boundaries so our lives can function in a healthy way. These relationship boundaries determine what things are and are not our responsibility. Failing to understanding this principle — what is and what is not our responsibility and living accordingly — is a critical mistake many people make. Allow me to illustrate.

Healthy boundaries help you:
• Know what you think
• Be able to say yes to good things and no to bad things
• Know how to make healthy decisions
• Know how our thoughts are different from others' points of view
• Take responsibility for our actions, and not the actions of others
• Know how to set limits on others' intrusions into our lives
• Respect others' ability to say yes and no, and honor their decisions

I know that all sounds simple but it is not at all easy when you do not have established boundaries for your life. Life is like the waves hitting the beach. Sometimes is rolls along gently and you can depend on it. Other times, it comes crashing in fierce and destructive. For such times, bulkheads are built to protect the land, homes and people. The boundaries are placed to keep the destructive waves at bay as much as possible. Such are the boundaries we need for our lives.

Spiritually, we need to know what we KNOW of the role Jesus has in our lives or we are subject to the whim and waves of every new ‘fad faith’ that comes along. Without spiritual boundaries, we can be swept away by the pressures and sins of human nature.

Emotionally, our boundaries are the ‘good fences that make good neighbors’. There will always be those that tell you what you ‘should’ think, feel and/or do and heaven help you if you’re not confident in your emotional boundaries, because these people, even though some may be well intentioned, can be relentless and dogged in their pursuit of ‘helping’ you with their insight and wisdom they assume you don’t have without benefit of help. Established boundaries in your personal life are essential when you’re surrounded by such ‘helpful’ people.

A lesson I learned the hard way is that if you do not have established boundaries in your relationships, you will find no shortage of people drawing them for you. It may feel counter-Christian to put your boundaries before others’ but, Friends, Jesus had boundaries. He spent much time of being accessible to those around Him but He also knew when to retreat behind the boundary walls to renew, restore and get up close and personal with The Father alone. There was time He spent with just His inner circle, too. Another boundary. We need not feel selfish in establishing boundaries.   

He is the Messiah

Luke 2:11-14 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The words in today’s scripture are powerful and world changing! In my mind’s eye I try to picture what ‘a great company of the heavenly host’ would look like but it is beyond my comprehension. All I know is that I want to be counted among those praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace to those on whom His favor rests!”

Merry Christmas, Friends. May your time be filled with thoughts of Jesus and warm, loving time with family and friends. See you here next week. Until then, know you are loved.