No U-Turns

I was incredibly excited this morning to wake hearing my alarm clock go off. Rarely do I actually sleep late enough to hear it and I always feel like I’ve gotten away with sleeping in. It goes off at 4:50, so it’s still early, just later than I usually sleep. I thanked the Lord for giving me another day, watching over me in the night and all that extra sleep!

I sat down to write the blog and was dismayed to find my right shoulder joint fussing when I moved the mouse around. Being blessed to be able to use both hands easily, I switched the setting on my mouse to be left handed. I was saying, “Thank you, Jesus” for being able to do that and there it came, the holy tap, tap, tap. I spiritually ‘heard’ the word double-minded.  

While being double-handed is good, double-mindedness is not. In his New Testament letter, the apostle James twice uses the term double-minded (James:1:8; 4:8). Being double-minded is a problem that can damage Christians and can manifest itself in several areas of their lives.

The Greek word translated "double-minded" is dipsuchos, from dis, meaning "twice," and psuche, meaning "mind." James uses it to describe someone who is divided in his interests or loyalties, wavering, uncertain, two-faced, half-hearted. The first area of double-mindedness James addressed concerns how we pray (James:1:5-8). James describes one who is dubious and indecisive in prayer as "a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Doubt and irresoluteness in our communication with God short-circuit our effectiveness in prayer. Before asking God for anything, we should first ask ourselves questions that directly bear on our prayers:

• Is what I am asking according to His will? The apostle John tells us why this is important: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John:5:14).
• Are my attitude and life in tune with the will of God? John stresses the role of obedience: "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John:3:22).
• Are my motives self-centered or God-centered? James says be careful what you pray for: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James:4:3).

If we can answer yes to the first two questions and "God-centered" to the third question, then we should have no problem staying single-minded in prayer. God responds to us according to His mercy and righteousness, not ours.

As I was meditating on ‘double-minded’ for this post I realized it is manifested in our lives many ways. For instance, when reading scripture and/or sharing scripture with someone, you or they respond with, “yes, but…” the acknowledgement of what scripture says is thrown out the window and replaced with rationalization about why it does not apply to the immediate situation you are discussing. I know this is fact because I used to do it when rationalizing my life choices. I claimed to believe the Bible but insisted my circumstances were exempt when it suited me. My mother-in-love simply stated in one such conversation, if I believed the Bible, I must believe the entire Bible, not pick and choose the parts I liked. I was not spiritually mature enough at the time to know I was being double-minded and making U-Turns in my thinking. That was a defining moment in my spiritual life and, consequently, my entire life changed. Basically, she told me to get my ‘but’ out of the way… and I am forever grateful.

We must assimilate God's words and ideals; they must become a part of us; we must keep them in our minds and hearts. "Purify your hearts, you double-minded," counsels the writer of the epistle (James 4:8). We should pray without doubting, read God's Word with great care, fellowship without bias, have faith while consistently keeping God's law, and speak edifying words that inspire friends and brethren to honor God. With single-minded attention to God's will as shown in His Word, we can draw near to God and He will draw near to us.

Fork in the Road

Matthew 15:24-26 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Romans 8:12-13 - Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

Luke 18:29-30 - "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no-one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

Yesterday I talked about how we need momentum to push to breakthroughs in our lives. One cannot happily be a couch potato and expect to become a marathon runner. One must run and run often, building endurance and perseverance when the body and mind says, “No more!” Nor can we wallow on the couch of sin and self-indulgence and expect a spiritual breakthrough in our lives and circumstance.

Sin and self-indulgence will compromise and slow the spiritual momentum required for our break through. But if we nourish the vision and cultivate the habit of pressing on to the higher calling, we’ll be inspired to forsake our sins and focus on the glory and joy of the Lord’s victory.

It occurred to me that sin and self-indulgence are like the two evil step-sisters from the tale of Cinderella. Where you find one, you’ll find the other; both wrapped up in ‘self’ and not caring how it affects others. You can clean and dress them up but they are still ugly, hateful and willing to sacrifice others to satisfy their own needs.

Titus 2:11-15 goes on to say…”For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”

We cannot straddle the fence and live in both worlds – that of one seeking to live out Titus 2, following after Christ’s example and the world of sin and self-indulgence. One brings momentum to a higher spiritual breakthrough and the other leads to death and destruction.

Romans 8:12-13 - Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

That about says it all.

Momentum Required

1 John 2:5-6 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Our driveway here at Hacienda Hill is daunting for those not familiar with it. It is not that our hilltop is so high but that the drive is steep to the ‘flat-landers’ and incredibly rough from a wet winter and spring a few years back. You need familiarity with it to know how to navigate it. It also requires momentum to get to the top. Most try to slowly maneuver their way up and it makes it harder. Seriously, you need to push through the trepidation and get some serious momentum if you are to reach the higher level.

Momentum is simply the force or speed of movement that carries an object to its final destination. If you want to break through, you need to have a certain amount of momentum. In order for a rocket to blast into space, it needs tremendous momentum to break the gravitational barrier – but with the enormous power of jet engines and rocket fuel the ship is propelled faster and faster till it breaks free of the earth’s gravitational pull.

As Christians, our challenge is gaining the spiritual momentum to break through. It requires real power. Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner once remarked that the Lord requires “muscular Christians”. Believers who are serious in their faith-walk are people who stand steadfastly against difficult obstacles, and who pray with great fervency and devotion for the causes of their Lord. This produces spiritual power for significant breakthroughs in the spirit realm.

The most ferocious battle, requiring the greatest momentum and perseverance (just like the rocket blast into outer space), will occur just before the breakthrough to victory.

We regain momentum in our spiritual life through repentance toward God, and steadfast perseverance in the specific vision and call He has given us. We need to ramp up our prayer life and exercise our spiritual regimen when we feel our momentum slipping. We need to flex our spiritual muscles and push through. There is a great victory waiting for us from His heavenly realm and we’ll see it manifested right here on Earth when we accept nothing less than breakthrough.

True Treasures

Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

We were blessed to spend some time with one of our younger grandbabies yesterday while out of town on business. Isaiah is two and a half years old and so full of life and curiosity! He is an open vessel which will take in any and everything around him — like an empty treasure chest. He’s parents and those that love him have the opportunity to fill him with all the treasures of the Lord. If we don’t fill it with good things now, he will later seek to fill his empty chest with the treasures of the world. But if we are faithful to fill his treasure chest with holiness, righteousness, joy, peace and all the good things of the Lord, he’ll not only be full but he will later know what is of real value in his life. This is our challenge as parents and grandparents.

As believers, we all share this challenge — to train and disciple the young –whether they are children, new believers in the Lord or those yet to know Him. They are each empty treasure chests, just waiting to be filled with God’s goodness, and we have a responsibility to help fill them. Just as the disciples in Jesus’ day left all that they had to go and make disciples of men, so should we make ourselves available to train up and teach those new open vessels God brings our way.

As I pondered this, it occurred to me we have the precious treasure of time measured out in daily increments. Each day we can add to or take away from our ‘bounty’ of time. There are the non-negotiable issues of caring for our family that require pieces of our treasured time. God addresses the caring of our families, our work, but how are we adding to or taking away from our personal treasure chest? Are we filling it with pursuits of personal gain, hobbies, sleep, sports, TV, or internet? Are we an open vessel in which God can pour more of His will, His desires for us or have we filled our chest with worldly pursuits of our own till there is no more room or time? We can even get so busy in doing ‘good’ things we forget to leave room for God’s ‘best’ things.  

But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

Salvation and His righteousness are treasures indeed! They are not, however, treasures we keep tucked away in our personal treasure chest. They are treasures we are to share; treasures we are commissioned by Jesus to take to the ends of the earth. Treasures that multiply when shared.

As we step out in building a mission team, we often hear how people do not think they have the time to go and spread that treasure. This isn’t new, Jesus talked about it:

Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.

I want to remain an open vessel with ample room for God to pour in all He wants me to have. I want my treasure of salvation and His righteousness to pour out on all in which I come in contact. I want to share my bounty and see it multiply. I need to de-clutter my time treasure chest of my earthly things and lift my eyes to the heavens in anticipation. I can not share what I do not possess.

Plan on It!

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

A king was seated in a garden, and one of his counselors was speaking of the wonderful works of God. “Show me a sign,” said the king, “and I will believe.” “Here are four acorns,” said the counselor, “will you, Majesty, plant them in the ground, and then stoop down for a moment and look into this clear pool of water?” The king did so, “Now,” said the other, “look up.” The king looked up and saw four oak-trees where he had planted the acorns. “Wonderful!” he exclaimed, “This is indeed the work of God.” “How long were you looking into the water?” asked the counselor. “Only a second,” said the king. “Eighty years have passed as a second,” said the other. The king looked at his garments; they were threadbare. He looked at his reflection in the water; he had become an old man. “There is no miracle here, then,” he said angrily. “Yes,” said the other, “it is God’s work, whether he did it in one second or in eighty years.

Some of us are in need of answers today. We’ve been crying out for the Lord and feel like He’s not listening. But He is! And He has a plan far greater than any of us could ask or think.

Sometimes we get an answer that is not what we hoped so we choose not to recognize it as the answer and we wait for our ‘real’ answer to show up. I used to have one of those magnets you put on the fridge that said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making plans.” I think we make plans, we think they’re good plans and we do not recognize anything different from those plans as God’s answer. Perhaps that little magnet would have been more accurate had it said, “God’s will is what happens to you while you’re busy making plans.” We can and do thwart His plan for us with that pesky free will of ours but if we wait on the Lord, trusting in Him with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, we open the door for His perfect will, His plan for us to come.

Be encouraged! Let’s choose to trust that God has great plans for us in the making, regardless of whether we can see them right now. His timing is PERFECT!