Heart of Worship

Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

The apostle Paul is teaching the new believers in Ephesus how to conduct themselves in a new, redeemed way. Christ has brought light into the world and is shining it into the hearts and lives of His followers. All that has been done according to the former conduct is now exposed and dealt with by the blood of Jesus and thus the new believers are to walk worthy of the sacrifice of Christ. To do anything according to the old nature of man is sin, for the follower of Christ is a new creation, empowered by the Spirit of God. That new nature of the reborn believer manifests itself in ways that glorify and bless God. In this section of the letter to the Ephesian church Paul has already addressed the attention (vs.15), the attributes (vs.16), the attitude (vs.17), and the aspirations (vs.18) of the new man in Christ. In this verse he now turns his attention to the utterances of the Christian.
As a new creation in Christ, part of the challenge we face every day is to walk and act in accordance with our new nature. God has finished His redemptive work for us, but He is currently involved in the sanctifying work in us through the Holy Spirit. He has given us a new heart, a new nature, and calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Therefore, a renewal process is happening in each one of us that will take the rest of our lives to reach perfection. Part of this renewal in us involves our speech. Just like the missionary who moves to a new country and has to learn the language and habits of a new culture, so we have to learn afresh the idiosyncrasies and language of the culture of God. We are no longer of the household of man, but are children of God, who have to conduct themselves accordingly, both in behavior and speech. Paul shows us here what this new language looks like that is spoken in the kingdom of God. God wants us to speak to one another in three particular ways: in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Psalms speak of the old verses penned by David and others in the Old Testament times. They are generally an individual's expression of praise and worship directed to the Almighty God. Hymns are songs sung by the body of Christ with the purpose of unification through corporate praise and worship. Spiritual songs indicate an expression of praise and worship about any part of the Christian life. The common factor in these is an attitude of praise and worship. Where does this attitude come from? A heart overflowing with worship for our Creator. A heart that is "singing and making melody to the Lord." Whenever we are opening our mouths, the results should be constant outflow of the Spirit filled heart. Mat 12 :34 tells us that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." As we address each other, our words should reflect the Word of God and encourage the listener immediately to praise and worship our God. The focus thus has to be on the attitude of our hearts, in order for our words to be pleasing to God and each other.

Application
I want to have a heart that is constantly rejoicing in the works of God in my life. For that I need to get my eyes off of myself and onto Jesus. Anything else pales in comparison to the wonderful act of redemption by Him on my behalf. Therefore today I will read again the "Resurrection" chapter in "The Story of Jesus" book and ask God to help me to keep this lesson fresh on my mind.

Dissipation vs. Generation

Ephesians 5:18 "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit."

The believers in Ephesus are taught by the apostle Paul to leave the old man behind and start walking in the newness of life that is found in Christ. He exhorts them to disregard the lusts of the flesh and reminds them that Jesus is light and reveals all the secrets and hidden places that exist in the hearts and lives of man. Those hidden and unreported sins always lead to destruction. The old man is a physical being, constantly driven by physical desires, whereas the new man in Christ is spiritual, motivated by the commands and laws of God.
The city of Ephesus was known in the world as a city given over to a lifestyle of physical pleasure and carnal desires. They worshipped deities such as Diana, the goddess of fertility and sexuality, and Bacchus, the god of wine and physical ecstasy. The followers of these gods would regularly "worship" with drunken orgies and please their gods by living an epicurean lifestyle. Against this background Paul warns the new believers of the Way to leave the old life behind and focus on living in a way that would please God and benefit our bodies.
We all have a choice how to live every day of our lives. We can either fulfill the lusts of the flesh and fill ourselves will all manner of substances that might give us a temporary sense of pleasure and relief from the worries and stresses of the world, or we can allow God to fill us with His Holy Spirit, which will bring His peace and joy into our lives. The result of trying to live for the flesh will always result in dissipation. In science, dissipation describes an irreversible process that increases the state of entropy in the system it is working in. In other words, a higher state of disorder is introduced through a process that cannot be undone. Such is a life given over to physical pleasures. Whether it is a failed marriage ruined by unbridled lust, a ruined career due to alcoholism, or a drug induced insanity ruling every aspect of one's life, going after the things of the flesh will always result in irreversible consequences that we will regret when we are faced with them.
Not so with God. The opposite of dissipation is generation. Instead of increased chaos, God generates in our lives power and a sense of peace through His Spirit. Paul tells us to "be filled", or rather,  "to be being filled" with the Spirit of God, not wine. Contrary to physical stimulants, the Spirit will work in us to grow and mature us into a man or woman of God. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us at the point of salvation, yet due to our sin nature, we need to daily surrender our desires and receive a fresh filling of the power of God. We are creatures with free will and God will not force Himself on us. Each day, we need to chose God and align our lives with His eternal purposes and He will be faithful to provide the power and gifts needed to live each day victoriously. There may be temporary setbacks due to our weaknesses and selfish thinking, but God is always ready to restore us through His Spirit, if we choose to turn our faces to Him and ask for His Spirit to lead us. Each day is a new start and a new opportunity to allow God to sit on the throne of our lives which always leads to a life full of purpose, joy, love, fulfillment, and order. Instead of dissipation we will experience a state of completeness and fullness of life.

Application
I have experienced the pain and destructive power of a life given over to fleshly desires and do not ever want to go back to that kind of life. Thus today I will resolve to start every day by asking God to let His will be done in my life, not mine.

Redeeming the TIme

Ephesians 5:16 "redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

In the letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul is reminding the church that they are no longer children of darkness, but are new creations in Christ, children of the light. They are to walk in the light, which is Christ, and not according to the former conducts. The light reveals all secrets and hidden sins in the lives of the believers and they were exhorted to conduct themselves in all truthfulness and sincerity of heart. Paul encourages the church to "wake up and arise"and live in the newness of life that has been granted to them by Christ.
In this section of the chapter Paul explains what it looks like to live a life in the light of Christ. He gives a number of characteristics of the "enlightened" believer. In verse 15, Paul tells us to "walk circumspectly," to live every day aware of what is going on around us, so that we can make wise decisions at any time. Here in verse 16, he points out that we are to "redeem the time"that we have left, "for the days are evil," we only have a short time here on earth to fulfill the calling that we have been given by God. To redeem the time means to make the most out of every moment that we are on this earth. We are not to be given into the pursuit of earthly and selfish pleasures, as fools are, but rather spend our energy on kingdom business. We are born, converted and then, in the blink of an eye, will be in heaven with God for eternity. The time between salvation and death is short and there is a lot of work to be done for God. We do not have the luxury to waste time here on earth, for "the harvest is great and the workers are few." We are no longer our own, but Christ has redeemed us from the bondage of slavery to self and the world. In light of this, we are to be about our master's business and, like a bondservant, are to devote our very being to the pursuit of His purposes.
When I think of a life of total devotion to the Lord, the life of Daniel comes to mind. As a child, he was taken from his home in Jerusalem and kidnapped to Babylon, where he grew up in a strange land among strange customs and people. He did not chose to be there, yet his whole life is a testimony of submission and dedication to God's will. His life was an utter success, both from the heavenly and earthly perspective and he never wavered in his faith, even when confronted with imminent death in the lion's den. God used him until the very end of his life and he is one of the few characters in the Bible whose sins were never shown to us. Like Daniel, we, as believers, live in a world that is not our own, among a people and in a land that are strange and hostile to us. Like Daniel, we are called to submit to God's will and to devote ourselves completely to His service, so that we, too, can be tools in the hand of a mighty God. Daniel, in his faithfulness, changed not only the heart of kings, but changed the course of history and forever impacted the world to come. The same way, we are called to "redeem the time" we have on this earth and turn the whole world right side up. How sad is the Christian existence that is only concerned with the worries of a comfortable life and given over to selfish pleasures. How much more exiting is the life of one who goes out and in selfless service changes the lives and destinies of countless other souls.

Application
I long for the designation of "man of God" given to many of the men in the Bible. I pray that God grant me this kind of life, given wholly to the pursuit of godliness. Therefore today during my quiet time I will read the story of Daniel again and pray that God would show me areas of my life that I have to surrender to Him.

Look out for the Enemy!

Ephesians 5:15 "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,"

Paul is talking to the church at Ephesus and teaches them that they should walk in the newness of their saved lives. They are to put away the old man and be imitators of Christ. Christ is light and, like Him, we are to have no fellowship with darkness. Light shines in to every corner of a room and brings to the forefront that which is hidden. Darkness conceals and hides that which does not want to be seen. God calls us to a life lived fully in the light, with no hidden sin or dark secrets. All parts of us need to be brought into the light by Jesus and they need to be dealt with at the cross. We are to have no fellowship with darkness.
In this verse, Paul tells us that if we want to avoid darkness and its evil minions, we must first of all "walk circumspectly." The Greek word is akribo and talks about being careful and diligent. The picture here is that of a sentry standing guard on the walls of a city, ever diligent to watch for the enemy that might be sneaking up out of the darkness. To be circumspect, or to "look around," is to be on the constant lookout for anything that may entice us to allow darkness sneaking back into our lives. We are to live with the awareness that that there is an enemy out there who wants to destroy us by luring us back into the old life of deception and death.
Nehemiah was a great example for this kind of awareness. When he gave orders to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, he was fully aware of the dangers that the enemies of God presented to him and his people. In Nehemiah 4:8 we hear that "all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion." And what did Nehemiah do? He could have stopped the work and worry about their safety or he could have ignored the threats and go on building the walls. He did neither. He perceived the threat for what it was: a real and present danger from real sworn enemies. He took the necessary precautions, but at the same time kept on doing God's work. He armed the workers and positioned them strategically around the city. He encouraged the workers and reminded them of the greatness of God. So from then on half the men worked and the other half stood guard, armed to the teeth. And what was the result of Nehemiah's presence of mind? God discouraged the enemies and brought their plans to nothing. They found a prepared people, ready to take on the enemy, and they didn't even try to attack.
God wants us to have the same mindset as Nehemiah when it comes to facing the threats from our enemies. We need to be ready for them, prepared to do battle, yet continuing with the works that God has called us to. To stand watch and walk circumspectly is wisdom, to neglect the enemy is foolishness. To think that there is no enemy that is willing to destroy us is utter folly and will make us easy prey for that lion that is going to and fro upon the earth, seeking whom He may destroy. We have already won the victory over death in Christ, but we have to still be wise when it comes to the strategies of the adversary of God, lest he render our efforts useless for the kingdom.

Application
I want to have the awareness and wisdom of Nehemiah when it comes to dealing with those that want to destroy my witness for Christ. Today I will read again the story of Nehemiah and pray that God grant me the wisdom to learn the lessons of Nehemiah.

Miracle at Milemarker 148

My latest video project: the assignment was to capture a conversion story. Enjoy!

Heaven's Social System

Acts 2:45 "And sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

After receiving the Holy Spirit in the upper room, Jesus' disciples start preaching the Way and the early church is growing steadily in Jerusalem. The believers meet in the temple and homes and a community of followers of Jesus is developing. In this new gathering of the saints, the focus is on teaching the Word, fellowship with one another, the Lord's supper, and praying together. They are single minded in their pursuit of a Christian life, unified and empowered by the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this verse we find out that they went as far as selling all their possessions and divided them up in the group in order to meet all the needs that were present amongst each other.
The world and its political systems have tried to find various ways to take care of those that are less fortunate and have less. It usually involves some way of trying to get to entice those that have money to give it to the poor. Foundations have been established, government programs, various religious organizations, or even worldwide bodies like the UN, all in order to find a better way to live - a way to bring justice and equality to the living conditions of the inhabitant of this planet. In recent times socialism has spread across the globe to establish that utopian society in which none would suffer hunger and all would be living on an acceptable level. Trillions are spent on trying to improve the human condition, yet all efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger seem to be in vain. Why is that? All these efforts of the world have failed because there is still one aspect of created man that is working against all attempts to make this world a better place and is throwing a wrench in any machinery designed to help one another: his sinful nature. We are at our core selfish and evil and do not want to part with our resources freely. We may be compelled to give to others out of guilt, necessity, or even forced to give through taxes and fees, but when it comes down to it we want to hold on to what we have and take care of our own lives first. Then, if there is anything left over, we may give some to those that we like and that have touched our lives in some way. We are looking out for number one and our perceived needs have to be met before we can even start to think of meeting anyone else's needs.
So what on earth compelled the early church to do such a thing, as to sell all they had and give freely to one another? Did Peter go around and force them to give up all? Did they make up some set of rules and regulations to get them to give if they want to be part of this special group? No, the giving happened out of free choice. The early believers wanted to give and meet the needs of those around them. The secret lies in the fact that when they gave up their lives and believed unto Jesus for their salvation that the Holy Spirit came to live in them and gave them a new heart. They became a new creation, one that is not subject to the sinful nature of man, but rather subject to the holy nature of God. Jesus nailed the sinful flesh on the cross and dealt with the deadly effects of our old nature once and for all. To be truly loving, compassionate and caring, we have to have God living in us and transform us from the inside out. Only then can we care about each other in a way that we want to help and give up our own cares and replace them with cares for others. Jesus has already taken care of us; He has saved us from a destiny in hell, given us a new Spirit and nature, and promised to give us everything we have need of. He is the Lord of our lives and works in us to perfect us into His image. We do not need to worry about supplying for our needs. He has it handled. and He can take care of us much better than we ever could. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." And this now frees us up to take care of the needs of others. Everything we have comes from God and should freely flow through us to be given to each other. This is the heavenly social system. This is the one government program that will always work and never bankrupt our resources, for the heavenly bankroll is infinite.

Application
I want to have the security in Christ's provision, so that I, too, can freely give all that I have without worrying about my needs being met. Therefore today I will read and meditate on Matthew chapter 6 and ask God to help me surrender all worries and anxieties.

God-centered Fellowship

Acts 2:44 “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common.”

The new church was meeting and fellowshipping in Jerusalem as a group of believers following Jesus’ teachings and instructions. They spent time together and shared in all things. It states that all who believed were part of this church and thus the only qualification for membership in this new church was belief. It was belief that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, that caused them to form a new entity, a new body of worship and Christian community. They had all things in common. They shared every aspect of their lives with one another, both physically and spiritually. It was their belief in God and the infilling of the Holy Spirit that made them one. They realized that they all had one thing in common: that they were all sinners in need of a savior and that that savior had come and died on the cross for them. As a result they now had a new lease on life and shared a common goal that transcended any other motivation in their lives: to serve Christ with all they had. 

How many times today do we segregate and divide in our churches, because we get together and decide that the only true way to do church is to come up with regulations that all have to adhere to based on our own understanding. We are comfortable only with certain a way of worship, a certain dress code, a certain group of people, and develop our own little club. We restrict memberships and invent new rules with which to ensure that only those that fit into our little society will enter. Paul warns the early church about such behavior in the book of Galatians. In chapter three verse three he asks the Galatians “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” The church in Galatia thought they had to get back to making rules and regulations for members to qualify to be part of their group. Paul further tells them in verse five “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” In other words what is required to be part of God’s body? Faith in Jesus. Romans 10:9 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him form the dead, you will be saved.” That’s it. Nothing else is required. To go back to legalism and try to make church goers adhere to all the rules we can come up with in order to make sure no one undesired is among us is foolishness. In Jerusalem all who believed became members of the gathering of saints and so it should be today. Let us not add heavy burdens to the backs of those that want to celebrate Christ’s victory on the cross and live in freedom from bondage of the old life that has now been defeated. We are a new creation in Christ. And all that is required to be part of the body of Christ is faith.

Application

I desire to have the kind of koinonia fellowship with my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ that the early model of the church displayed. For that I have to have a fresh understanding of what Christ has done for me, so that I do not look to myself but to Him. When I am self-centered, I divide, but when I am Christ-centered I join together. Therefore, today I will read the epistle to the Galatians and meditate on it during my time with God.

Scooter Boy Video

Another media project video. This time with Nathan.

Four Essentials of the Christian Life

Acts 2:42 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

After Jesus ascension to heaven the disciples gather in Jerusalem and wait for the filling of the Holy Spirit. They receive the Spirit and start preaching to the people gathered in the city for the feast of Pentecost. Many believe and the church grows rapidly in numbers. Luke tells us now that the new group of believers continued to practice four essential aspects of the Christian life: teaching the Truth, fellowshipping, eating together, and praying. The disciples had been given the charge by Jesus to go into the world and make disciples, so they started in Jerusalem with the new converts. They didn't just care about adding in numbers to the early church, but to turn them into healthy Christians. They achieved that in four ways.
First, they taught the apostles' doctrine. The believers that walked with Jesus and sat under His teachings for about three years now became the teachers and passed on the knowledge of "the Way." They spent time in the scriptures and expounded on them in the light of Jesus' life and death. Before the  new converts were able to successfully walk with God they had to be educated in the things of God.
Second, the new church continued in fellowship. The Greek word is koinonia and speaks of not only gathering together in the name of God as a group of believers but also having communion together with a common spirit. It is more than just being together physically, but rather having all things in common. It is a way of being in one accord and sharing life with one another with love and compassion. This is probably where the practice of sharing their material possessions started.
Third, the breaking of bread, tells us that the group of new Christians ate together. They probably met in their homes as early home churches while they shared in fellowship. This also is where the early believers start following Christ's commandment to remember Him with the Lord's Supper. Bread and wine would have been present at the meal and they would break the bread to remember Christ's body that was broken for them and the blood that was shed.
Finally, the believers would pray together as they met. Jesus taught them that prayer is vital to a healthy Christian life. Many times in the gospel stories we see Jesus praying to the Father for wisdom and guidance. In the upper room, the disciples prayed and waited for the filling of the Holy Spirit. Now they had to learn to walk with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This can only be achieved if we follow God in all we do and let Him instruct us daily. The life line to hold onto in our attempts to die to self and walk in newness of life is a continuous attitude of prayer and dependence upon God.

So here we see the pillars of a successful Christian life: the teachings of Jesus (the Bible), the fellowship of believers, the Lord's Supper, and prayer. For any one of us to be successful in our Christian walk we need to have all four present in our lives. To be witnesses for Christ to all the world and make disciples wherever we go we cannot forsake this model of the early church. To walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and die to self can only be achieved in this way. If we leave out the Bible, we do not know what to believe and will be lead astray by all sorts of strange doctrines. Without the fellowship of believers, we are lone warriors for Christ and will not be able to stand against the attacks of the enemy. Our strength is in numbers. The body of Christ can only function if all parts are working in unison. If we do not remember what Christ has done for us we will start to become self-righteous and try to walk in our own works, which will only lead to failure. We have to recognize that we bring nothing to the table, that it is Christ in us that gives us victory. Without prayer, we cut ourselves off of God's speaking into our lives and will wander aimlessly through life. We cannot forsake any of these aspects of the Christian life if we want to be strong and victorious in our quest to be Christ like.

Application
I want to be successful in my daily walk with the Lord and follow the model of the early church. Today, I will write this verse on a piece of paper and stick it where I can be reminded of these four essentials of the Christian faith throughout the day.

The Name of Jesus

Philippians 2:9 "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name."

Paul the apostle is using Jesus as the example for the believers in Philippi to follow in the areas of humbleness and obedience. He reminds them that Jesus, who was the eternal God, equal with God the Father, came down to earth as a man to follow the plan of God completely. He humbled Himself by becoming a man and fulfilled every instruction given Him. He was obedient even unto death. Because of this obedience, Paul now tells us, God has exalted Jesus and given Him a name above any other.
We see first of all that God highly exalted Jesus. After his successful mission on earth, Jesus ascended into heaven where He sits down at the right hand of God. Jesus purchased the title deed of earth when He paid for it with His life on the cross and He is seated on His throne in heaven. "Tetelesti!" He proclaimed on the cross: "it is finished!" or "paid in full!"He was faithful to His calling and is now waiting in heaven for the day that He comes back and claims what is rightfully His. First, He will gather His church unto Him and meet them in the clouds at the rapture, then He will come back a second time and sit on the throne of David here on earth. For a thousand years He will reign in this world before the Great White Throne judgement of all of mankind and afterwards a new heaven and a new earth. Jesus was and is God of this universe, but as a man God exalted Him to become the king of this earthly realm with all that is in it. Adam lost the right to rule the world and gave it up to the usurper, but the second Adam reclaimed the throne and will come back to occupy it.
Second, God has given Jesus the name which is above every name. The name of Jesus is to be proclaimed and worshipped for it is the only name by which man can be saved. Up until Jesus came and died, the name of God was Jehovah or "YHWH,"the unpronounceable name of God. But in Jesus God gave Himself a face and a name by which we could come to know and have a relationship with the God of the universe. "THWH,"the great "I AM" was shrouded in mystery, but through the revelation of the Christ we are now able to fill in the blank about our Creator, for we have a tenable example in human flesh of who He is. Jesus is that revelation of God, through which we can know Him and His name is to be worshipped and praised above every other name.

Application
Today I will spend extra time praising an worshipping God.

Almost halfway to done update

Greetings!  Ingrid at the keyboard.

At the end of the week we will be at the halfway point of our stay here in Montana, at the beautiful Potter's Field Ranch.

Over all, things here have been great!  There have been no injuries or major illnesses. We are in a cabin instead of a tent, (whew!), a private Porto-potty instead of an out-house, a qualified and talented kitchen staff instead of whatever I am thawing out of Trader Joe's freezer section.  Each one of us has his or her own difficulties with the daily routine.  Raoul is frustrated by little to no phone reception, I miss my own washer and dryer, Eric misses his favorite foods, Francesca misses having a little more privacy, Nathan misses his friends, Benji misses our old house, as he calls it.

But all those things are nothing compared to the heaps of blessings.  Raoul has spent so much time focused on the Lord and in the Word, this is such a unique opportunity for any father of five.  It is better than the seminary that he never had!  It is also forcing him to overcome his writer's block, since everyday they have a devotion to read and write.  So what used to be torture is now almost automatic.

I am STILL homeschooling.  But soon everyone will be done.  This year is a testimony to how little boys are active, how important a teacher is, and how kids cannot work on auto-pilot.  I have never been good at finding the middle ground and this year I really struggled to parent and school according to my convictions.  There was not enough time, and I never figured out a better plan, a little like a high jumper that keeps trying with a pole that is just too short.  This is one of those moments in life where I wish God would speak to me by writing on the wall, so could have a clear and decisive answer to my dilemma. But, enough of that.

Eric is doing great, many thanks for all the prayers.  He is more and more social with all the people here.  He is even introducing himself to the guests that are here on a regular basis for a weekend break or longer retreat.  I love to use my "mommy ears" and secretly listen to him talk to new acquaintances about what we/he is doing.  He has become quite a pool (balls not water) shark and had an opportunity to target shoot recently.  This is something he is really good at and it is a welcomed relief from the struggle of school.

Francesca is blessed beyond measure by all the female interns.  She is enjoying a one on one Bible study with Michelle, a returning intern, now on staff.  She has learned how to make those cute little flowers on toenail polish, that requires a fine touch which I admire.  She is trying to keep in touch with her friends at home. "Bumping" and texting them with her ipod.

Hannah is done with her school.  She is writing letters, (pencil and paper kind!) trying to ease her homesickness.  She hasn't been able to tell us what she is missing, just homesick.  She has new friends too, and enjoys going for an explore in the nearby woods, picking wild raspberries, finding rocks, and bringing me flowers.  One of the interns said that Hannah should be a musician because she feels everything so deeply.  So I am praying for a violin teacher in Entebbe.

Nathan and Benji are having fun, all the time basically.  They are on a permanent explore in the area.  Nathan found a frog in the creek, Benji found the snake on the lawn.  Not having a TV readily available has forced the boys to enjoy things like skipping stones, balancing on walkways, finding sticks to use as guns and swords, and all sorts of good old kid fun.  They fall into bed tired, and a little dirtier than I'd like.

Our time here has helped us change gears and to start thinking of ourselves as a missionary family, moving into a new stage of life.  I think everyone's expectations have been loosened up and what was once unknown (being at Potter's Field) is now known and it didn't kill us.  Hopefully this will encourage the kids for the next step of moving to Uganda.  They have met and know all the interns, who will be there when we arrive in Oct/Nov.  God is so detailed and so intimately concerned with His children, that He has prepared friendships and friends for my kids for that hard time when we hit the red Ugandan soil.  What a loving God we serve!

Until next time, Ingrid

Christ's Obedience

Philippians 2:8 "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

As the apostle Paul is writing to the Philippians and exhorting them to have unity and joy in their fellowship He points to Jesus as our example. Jesus was God, an eternal being, and became man, so that He could live as a man and ultimately die as a man as the propitiation for our sins. Paul points out in this verse that Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient.
God had a plan from the beginning to save Adam and his descendants form the deadly effects of sin in their lives. He sent them out of the Garden, out of reach of the tree of life in order that they would not live in sin forever, but die in their sinful state and be resurrected in a new, sinless state once they accepted His plan of salvation. All through history God worked toward that plan of salvation and used His creation and men to tell the world about His plan. Then it was time to carry out the plan that GOd devised and Jesus was to be the answer to all of man's problems. In his sinful state, man could never pay enough to make up for sinning against a holy God, for anything less than holy could not satisfy the requirements to pay the penalty for sinful behavior. It had to be a holy sacrifice to relink man with God and enable man to spend eternity in the presence of a holy God. Thus the only satisfactory sacrifice would be that a holy being, God, come to earth as a man, live a sinless life and then die in our stead. God knew this from the beginning and that is precisely what He had in mind. So He sent Jesus to earth to carry out His redemptive mission, all along remembering His motivation for such a sacrificial act: His love for mankind. Jesus was obedient to that plan to the end and fulfilled it perfectly. Just one little sin on His behalf in His 30 plus years of life would have destroyed that plan. But He did not falter. He was obedient at every point of His manly existence and carried out His Father's plan to the "t."
There were many times in His life that I am sure He was weak, tired, hungry, angry, and lonely, any of which situations cause me to sin almost without exception. I know that I do not have the self control Jesus displayed, so I have to rely on the Holy Spirit to help me die daily and become more and more like Christ.

Application
I want to be obedient in my walk with God, no matter what the circumstances are in my life. That requires a concentrated effort to focus on God every day of my life. Therefore, I will resolve to make it a practice for the rest of my time at PFR to pray three times a day routinely.

Jesus, A Man of no Reputation

Philippians 2:7 "But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."

Paul reminds the church in Philippi that Christ, being God, humbled Himself and put His God nature on the back burner in order to fulfill God's work of redemption on earth. He gives the believers a picture of what it looks like to create unity by serving others. Jesus, who was God, took on the form of a man. And not just any man, a bondservant.
It is impossible for us to imagine what that meant for Jesus. We can try and find comparisons in our created world by saying, for example, that it would be like a man taking on the form of an ant, or maybe an amoeba, or a single cell organism. But that would still be an inadequate comparison since we are only looking at finite, created beings. God, who is the eternal creator, took on the form of a temporal, created being. It is maybe more adequate to say that a man take on the form and being of a machine he created. But then we are still talking about the three dimensional world we are living in. God is outside the space-time continuum. We know from Physics that there are at least 10 dimensions in this universe. So God would have to have limited His existence from 10 to three spacial dimensions when He came down to earth as a man. And that is something that even the greatest mind in human history cannot fathom, since we do not even understand how a being might exist in 10 dimensions. We know from scripture that Jesus, after His resurrection, was able to enter a room without using the doors or coming through the walls - He simply appeared and disappeared. For Jesus to become man and lay aside His God attributes is a far greater act of selflessness than we can ever hope to understand. Suffice it to say that it goes beyond the boundaries of our finite minds. It is one of those mysteries that the created cannot understand about the creator. But the beauty is that we do not need to understand, for the very act of Jesus becoming a man in order to save us from our sins is what we need to focus on. He was higher than any created being, yet made Himself of no reputation.
When men are born into low circumstances, they try all their lives to work themselves "out of the gutter,"the projects, or the slums. They want to move to the nice part of town and surround themselves with all the items they never had growing up. And once they have achieved the status they so longed for there is no way they will ever give it up again. With their dying breath they will clutch to their possessions and miss the opportunity of a fulfilled life. Jesus does not teach us through His example to work for the material treasures of life, but rather to seek first the kingdom of God. The rest will come as needed in our lives. To humble ourselves in the service of man, believers or not, is the greatest expression of love we can show our Savior, who humbled Himself so for our sakes.

Application
I want to become a man who has a good name in Christ's eyes, not a good reputation in the world's perspective. Thus today, I will ask God to help me make a list of areas in my life where I prefer the reputation before man to the approval of God.

Christ's Humility

Philippians 2:6 "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God."

The church in Philippi was struggling with unity amongst themselves and Paul writes to them to remind them of the example for perfect Christian living: Jesus Christ. We are to take on the attitudes of Christ and have His mind in all things. We are called to renew our minds by focusing on Christ and thus reap the rewards of joy and unity. After the exhortation to the Christian to be Christ-minded Paul now goes on and tells us what the mind of Christ is. He starts by telling his audience that Christ was God and did not have to claim or attain that nature for He was God from the beginning.
We can see two very important points here. First, we understand that Jesus is and was God. Jesus Himself tells us in John 10:30 "I and the Father are one." His pre-man nature, or form, was that of God. He had no beginning. The Greek word for form "morphe" speaks of the essence or nature of something. The Greek word for being "huparcho" is a present participle which talks of a continuous action. Jesus was God and continued to be God. Even as a man, He still had the nature of God.
Second, the text tells us that Jesus did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. There are two important statements made here: one, Jesus did not have to claim to be God or make Himself God - He was God, and two, He did not consider His equality with God as something selfish to hold on to. The first statement contrasts Christ with beings that have tried to attain positions that are not theirs naturally. Lucifer, for example, tried to elevate himself to be equal with God. Adam, in the garden, wanted to become like Gods, knowing good and evil. The second statement shows us the attitude of Christ in becoming a man. In the case of Lucifer and Adam, their actions were motivated by selfishness, whereas Christ's actions were always motivated by selflessness. He only thought about us when He embarked on the greatest adventure ever recorded and ultimately laid down His life for us. Lucifer stated "I will exalt myself," but Christ said "Thy will be done."
As people we may have positions, privileges or abilities that are results of our natural talents. Paul reminds us of the example that Jesus gave us to not dwell on who we are, but rather whom we can serve. We are not to focus on how great we are, but how we can help someone else to become greater. Jesus states that "the first shall be last; and the last first" (Mat 19:30). Jesus gave up His position, His privileges, His abilities, even His life in order for us to come to a saving knowledge of God. We, too, need to lay down all that we are and help others to get to know Christ and learn to walk with Him. It's not about us, it's about God.

Application
In order to humble myself and not focus on the my rights and privileges, today, I will continue to do kitchen duty.

The Mind of Christ

Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

The apostle Paul is writing this letter to the church in Philippi while in prison in Rome. Epaphroditus brings a love offering from Philippi to Paul and with it the news of lack of unity (1:27) and joy (1:4) in the church. Paul writes the letter to thank the church for the gift and to remind the church of the importance of having an attitude of joy and unity. In both these attitudes we are to pattern our lives after our Lord: Christians are to have the mind of Christ. Paul mentions Jesus 45 times in this short epistle. He is the central theme of the letter. He is our example to follow. Paul reminds us that "to live is Christ" (1:21). In this life we are to imitate Christ in all areas of our lives and have unity with each other.
The Bible tells us that we were created as a threefold being. We have a spirit, soul, and body. When we are saved by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior we receive a new spirit from Him. We have His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, come and dwell in us as a seal of salvation (Eph. 1:13). When we die or are raptured we will receive a new, eternal body. So these two are taken care of by God. The soul, which is made up of our hearts and minds is that which makes us who we are. It gives us the personalities and characteristics that define us as a being. It is the software to our hardware. Romans tells us in chapter 12 verse 2 to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We have our mind and we will keep it forever. It is the only part of us that will not get an upgrade for it is uniquely tied to our being. We are told to transform who we are into a person that represent Christ. We are to have His mind in us, so that when others look at us, our personality has changed to the point that they can see Christ in us. "Let this mind be in you" talks about that transformation that is to take place in us. It is a commandment and thus carries with it the ability for us to change. We are to let it happen. We can have our minds renewed and change who we are at the core .
Many times as believers we believe the lie of the enemy that we are who we are and cannot change. Numerous instances I remember saying "that's just how I am." But what we are really saying is "I am who I chose to be and I don't want to change." It is selfish and lazy to think that we cannot adjust our personality once confronted with the truth of Christ in our lives. Like Paul on the Damascus road we have come face to face with the reality of the living Jesus and are required to change the way we think and act. Saul became Paul, Simon became Peter, Jacob became Israel, Abram became Abraham and we, too, must change who we are. The Holy Spirit in us empowers us to go through that transformation. It is up to us to now renew our minds by regulating what goes in it. Turn off the TV, stop reading the news religiously, spend less time on facebook, and turn off the playstation. Read the Bible instead, spend time getting to know God, for it is only through time spent with Him that we will take on the attributes of our Lord and resemble Him more each day.

Application
I want to have the joy that is possible in Christ when we spend time with Him and learn to take on His perspective about life. I want to live in unity with my fellow believers around me so I can fully enjoy fellowship with them. Therefore today I will resolve to spend extra time reading the Bible each night before I go to bed for the remainder of my time here at PFR.

The Dangers of Wealth

1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

In his exhortation to young Timothy as the new pastor of the church in Ephesus, Paul addresses the danger that comes from a life that pursues earthly treasures, rather than heavenly rewards. Ephesus was notorious for having a culture of profiteering from religiosity and Paul knew that this would have to be closely monitored in the hearts of the believers there. We know from the book of Acts that the whole city went into uproar when the economy of the silversmith trade was effected by the preaching of the gospel. Turning religion into profit was well ingrained into the minds of the people of Ephesus. Timothy would have to live out and teach a life of contentment and heaven mindedness and not allow the dangers of materialism to creep into the church.
The Holy Spirit teaches us here that money is the root causality for many of the evils that exist today. Chasing after money and wealth will eventually turn into a desire so deep and intense that Paul compares it here to the most passionate of emotions: love. Living comfortably is one thing, but to allow the love of money to grow so strong that it becomes a driving force in us, will almost certainly cause us to stray from our faith. The quest for more possessions will become a relentless and unquenchable pursuit of an impossible goal. Along the way we will compromise more and more of God's laws and allow our flesh to take control of our lives. The result will not be a life satisfied with all the wealth that has been accumulated, but a life of constant discontentment, as if tortured continuously. Today we would say that we are on pins and needles, rather than resting on God's promises of supplying all that is needed.
A good example is given by Jesus Himself when He tells us the story of Lazarus and the rich man. One is poor but has a love for God and the other rich with a love for wealth and the comforts of life. When both die, one ends up in the arms of Abraham, the other in unquenchable torment. One had a difficult life one earth with eternal rewards, the other a nice existence during his time alive with excruciating sufferings in hell until the end of time. And I doubt very much that the rich man had such a great time on earth maintaining his wealth compared to the godly life that Lazarus enjoyed.
God is good. He wants what is best for us and He alone knows what that is. When asked what the greatest commandments are, Jesus replies in Mark chapter 12 verse 30 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment." It is the love of God that wants us to have a peaceful life by loving God, not money. One will lead to peace, joy and hope, while the other to evil and sorrows. To love money will lead us away from God, to love God will lead us to Him. Like Lazarus, God wants us to have a life of fellowship with Him, whether on earth or in eternity. He wants us in His ever-loving arms, so that He can take care of us like the good Father that He is.

Application
Unlike the rich young ruler that confidently came to Jesus and left discouraged because Jesus told him to sell all his possessions I want to be at a place in my life that I can truly say that I have given up all other pursuits in my life but the one that counts: to love God. Therefore today I confess that I have not tithed faithfully and will ask my wife to hold me accountable in this area of my life.

Deceptions of the Flesh

1 Timothy 6:9 "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition."

Paul teaches the young pastor Timothy about serving in the church of Ephesus. We know from other places in the Bible that there were many that made a living off of the worship of other deities and Paul warns Timothy not to fall into the same trap. As a believer he is to walk with God, being content with the food and clothing that he has and focusing only on the business of the heavenly King. He is to depend on God for his daily provisions and not desire earthly riches, but heavenly rewards.
In this verse Paul expounds on that exhortation further by laying out how running after earthly gain effects the lives of those that are caught in the trap of running after riches. As believers Jesus has saved us unto good works (Eph 2:10) and we are to be the light of the world that shines into the dark places in the earth and brings the message of hope to a lost and dying world. We are the body of Christ whose function it is to move and act with a single purpose: to be witnesses of Christs' redemptive works and make disciples of all men (Mat 28). This can only be achieved if we have one Spirit and one Mind within the body of believers. We need to be heaven bound and seek first the kingdom of God (Mat 6:33). When our eyes are fixed upon Jesus, we will be successful in our attempts to be kingdom men, but when we take our eyes off of heavenly pursuits we open ourselves up to all kinds of temptations. In our flesh dwells nothing worthwhile, the Bible tells us, so when we allow our own desires for wealth to take preeminence in our thinking we automatically open ourselves up for failure. Satan wants to render us useless as torch bearers for Christ and will tempt us with the illusion that it is a worthwhile pursuit to make riches and comfort the purpose of our existence. At first it can be harmless and seemingly trivial desires of simply wanting enough money to pay the bills or getting the car fixed. But over time, there will be more and more items that we just cannot live without and we will become slaves to having to have better and bigger stuff. We get caught up in the downward spiral of "what I have is not good enough," which eventually leads to death and destruction of ourselves and those around us.
As a follower of Christ we have to chose whom we serve: the God of heaven or the prince of this earth. Will we be heaven bound or trapped on earth? We cannot serve God and mammon and have to chose who our master will be (Mat 6:24). One path leads to everlasting life and the other to eternal death. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord (Josh 24:15).

Application
"I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal 2:20). Today I will meditate on this verse throughout the day and ask God to reveal and remove the desires for the foolish and harmful lusts in my life.

Daily Bread

1 Timothy 6:8 "And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content."

Paul writes the letter of 1 Timothy to give pastoral care and guidance to his young protege with special attention given to dealing with false teachers. Timothy was the pastor of the church of Ephesus at the time of this writing. Paul warns Timothy to look out for teachers that would want to use the new faith of the believers to gain financially. This is no new concept to the people in Ephesus. In the book of Acts we encounter the story of the revolt of the silversmiths of the temple of Diana. These craftsmen would make little idols of Diana and sell them to her followers. The worship of Diana involved a sophisticated system of profit for he entire city and many figured out how to make a living off of the beliefs of others. Just like the corrupt Temple priests in Jerusalem, the religious leaders had found ways to fleece their sheep. Paul was well aware of this and gives Timothy a warning not to get tangled up in this web of profiteering, but rather live his life in the godly pursuit of heavenly treasures. In this, he should display an attitude of contentment with just the basic necessities of life.
It is our human nature to get stuff and accumulate a trove of earthly possessions. The more the better. And it always has to be the latest and greatest. There is in us an appetite for the niceties of life. It makes us feel comfortable and safe. We have a sense of achievement and productivity if we are able to treat ourselves to all the little pleasant extras in life. The problem is that this emotional high that we get from our possessions does not last long and before we know it, we are not satisfied with what we have anymore. Like a drug addiction, our flesh is looking for the next high and we get consumed with the need to fulfill our ever growing desires with more and more its drug of choice. In order to keep up with the expectations and maintain an acceptable lifestyle, we become more and more enslaved to the desire for material wealth. We become a prisoner of our own flesh.
Jesus warned us about this danger. In the 6th chapter of Matthew He teaches on the subject of keeping our fleshly desires in check by focusing on God first and not worry about any of the material needs. He assures us that our Father will take care of us and meet all of our daily needs. Jesus does not want us in bondage to our desires. He wants us truly free from all the cares of the world, so that we can be used for Kingdom matters here on earth. When asked how to pray to the Father about our need for the day, He tells us to ask God to "give us this day our daily bread." Paul tells Timothy to be content with food and clothing and Jesus even takes it down another notch by simply asking for our food for the day. What a contrast to the natural man and his drivenness for self-preservation. To trust in God for all of our needs, every day, and to focus only on the heavenly task of being witnesses and making disciples in all the earth truly takes faith from above. We can only achieve this with the help of the Holy Spirit in us.

Application
I pray that I can be set free from the desire for material possessions in my life and, like Paul, can be content with what God gives me every day. Therefore, today I will search my heart and take an honest assessment of what desires I need to give up to the Lord. I will meditate on Matthew 6 throughout the day.

God is our Provider

1 Timothy 6:7 "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."

The apostle Paul is writing a letter to Timothy, his young son in the faith, to give him some advice about ministry. In this particular section of the letter he is warning Timothy about those in the church that are looking to benefit from their work in the ministry. In the previous verse he reminds him that godliness with contentment is great gain. To be satisfied with our current condition of material wealth and not to strive to attain riches will give us peace in our souls. In this verse Paul is reminding Timothy of the fact that we can take nothing material with us to heaven when we die, so to make the accumulation of riches our goal in this life time is a waste of our time. Jesus taught us "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Mat 6:19-10). 

When we are are born into this world, we possess nothing and are completely dependent on our parents to provide for us and take care of us. As we grow older and learn the wisdom of this world we start to accumulate possessions and figure out ways to get more and more stuff. We become quite good at looking to our flesh and finding ways to feed its unquenchable hunger. In the process we become "self-made" men and women and decide that we are now able to take care of ourselves. As a matter of fact, it is expected of us to be independent, responsible adults who do not need anyone else to take care of us anymore. And when we get to the point of having a family we are expected to have the ability to take care of them as well. But is this biblical? 

The Bible teaches that we have a good Father in heaven who takes care of His children. He clothes and feed them and takes care of all of their needs. We are to look to God for the daily provisions of our lives. The great danger is to be so focused and worried about meeting our physical needs that we lose sight of what is important spiritually and thus become self-centered rather than God-centered. Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness and all these material needs will be added to us (Mat 6:33). That does not mean we sit around the house and play video games all day, hoping for manna from heaven to drop into our laps. Rather we are to focus on what God would have us do that day and then be faithful to His calling. Whether it is to go to work and be a good and productive worker or serve in full time ministry, we are to depend fully on God to meet all of our needs. He wants us to ask for His direction and provision in prayer daily and then go through the day focusing on kingdom business.

Application

Lord help me to fully depend on you for providing all that I need each day. Help me to stop worrying about tomorrow and rest in your promises. Today, I will discuss with my wife areas in our life where I tend to worry about God meeting out needs and then pray together for the ability to fully trust in His provisions.

Godly Contentment

1 Timothy 6:6 "Now godliness with contentment is great gain."


In this section of scripture, Paul is instructing His beloved Timothy how to conduct himself as a leader of a group of believers. He warns him here about men that would come in and teach doctrines contrary to godliness, specifically men that are looking to pervert the gospel in order to benefit materially. Paul tells Timothy to stay away from such a one. He teaches that godliness with contentment in what we have is gain enough, without looking for added bonuses in the ministry.
This verse is in particular is addressed to those that are serving in the ministry in one form or another. it is very easy for ministers of the gospel to fleece the sheep, because they have by design a position of trust and authority. Most believers will assume that all is being done with a heart surrendered to God, so no godly servant would take advantage of that privilege and lead the people astray. How sad it is when, out of greed, the godly servant starts to look for ways to turn his advice into something that would bring a benefit. Let's look at this verse closer.
Godliness talks about the attribute of the heart of the believers well as the conduct of the believer. By submitting to the Lord and surrendering our hearts to Him we will take on Christlikeness. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us at salvation and transforms us from the inside. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, which will result in an increase of God-honoring behavior and a decrease in selfishness. Through this process we are resembling Christ more each day and carry with us a new nature, which will give us  that precious attribute of godliness.
Contentment refers to an attitude of gratitude with everything God has already done for us. We are already blessed beyond measure by what God has accomplished in our lives that we do not look for or expect any more benefits from Him. He has personally paid for our sins on the cross and freely given us the gift of eternal life. He has granted us a life here on earth that is free from the bondage and chains of sinful living. He has given us more than we deserve, even more than we could have ever hoped for. If God never did anything else for us as long as we live, we would be compelled to show our gratitude for the rest of our lives.
Great gain is that godliness in our lives. So much so that it is far more valuable than any material gain we could ever possibly hope to get out of doing ministry. The blessings from God far outweigh the earthly benefits we could ever receive. An earthly perspective will have us looking for the personal edge, a heavenly focus will have us look to serve others out of a feeling of indebtedness to our Savior.

Application
I pray that I will always be able to keep my perspective aligned with God's view. In order to keep an attitude of thankfulness, today I will make a list of those things that God has already done for me before I even had anything to bring to the table. I will keep that list in front of me as a memorial to His grace.

The Secret of the Garden

Luke 22:44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."


My Lord Jesus is in the garden praying to God the night before His crucifixion. He knows what is about to happen and seeks the face of His Father. God sends an angel to minister to Him, yet the prospect of the events of the next day weigh heavy on Him. He is in agony over what He will have to face. So much so that the stress causes the blood pressure in His body to increase to the point of bursting the blood vessels in His skin and His sweat is mixed with blood. And what does Jesus do? He prays more earnestly!
Jesus shows us that when life is hard, when we are facing impossible odds, we need to turn to God and pray more earnestly. Jesus knew that He depended on the help of God so much that His prayers became intense. He labors in prayer to the point of having the sweat pour out of Him. He knows that only God can get Him through the next hours and that He would have to depend on strength that can only come from on high. God becomes His single focus. His relationship with the Father will determine the success or failure of the trials He would have to face the next day. So He prays like His life depends on it, because it does. And not only His life, but the eternal life of every living soul on earth.
So many time we say that all options are gone and all that is left for us is to pray. What a pathetic statement! We look at prayer and see it as our last option. When all else fails, let's go to God and see what He can do for us. And our prayer will probably be something like "God, why are you doing this to me?" Like Martha we will ask "Do you not care?" We have a loving and caring Father in heaven who wants nothing more than for us to succeed in life. He loves us so much that He allowed His beloved Son to go through the suffering of the garden and the cross, so that we may be saved. He wants to use us in this lifetime to have a full and meaningful life, with purpose and hope for the future. But in order to use us He has to train us up in the knowledge and wisdom of God. We are His tools to reach the lost on earth. We are to further His kingdom and reach the lost for Him, so He has to take us through the trials, so we too can learn to say" Father, your will be done, not mine." For His will for my life is infinitely better than any plan I can come up with. And along the way we need His strength, His resources to be equipped for the work that He has in store for us. The way that we align  ourselves with Him and tap into His resources is through prayer. The success of our lives here on earth depends on how earnestly we seek the Lord in prayer.
Jon Courson points out, that there are two Adams in the Bible. One failed in the garden of Eden and the other succeeded in the garden of Gethsemane. One rebelled, the other knelt in submission. The first was cursed to work by the sweat of his brow unto death on earth, the latter sweat great drops of blood in prayer to bring us life everlasting. Let us follow Jesus' example and come to God first and seek His guiding in our lives and enter in His rest. We do not need to work out our salvation - Jesus did that for us. He suffered so that we would not have to. He had to spend the night in agony, so that we can enter into His rest.

Application
I want Jesus' peace and joy in my life. I want to rest upon His promise of a full life in Him. I want his heavenly resources to make my life a success. Today, I will pray throughout the whole day and spend as much time as possible in conversation with Him.

An Earthly Minister

Luke 22:43 "Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him."


Jesus is in the garden. He is struggling with what He has been called to do. He goes to pray to the Father and makes a passionate plea to take away the cup that has been set before Him. Despite all the suffering He still submits to the will of the Father and is faithful to His calling. God doesn't change His mind or suddenly come up with a new solution He hadn't considered before. But what He does do is minister to Jesus in a supernatural way. He sends a helper, a heavenly minister, to strengthen Jesus in His time of need. He loves on His Son without compromising up His sovereign providence.
God has a plan. He wants to save mankind and use His own Son as a substitutional sacrifice to die in our stead. He is God. He does not make mistakes. He has an ultimate purpose and has thought it through to the utmost. When He declares a thing, we can be sure that it is the right and the best course of action for the situation.
When God tells me to do something it isn't always easy. It can be embarrassing, hard, humiliating, and painful. It may even seem impossible to me. Many times I fight it and want to avoid the potential outcome of my obedience to His plan. But there is no way out. If I want to be His disciple, if I want to live a life of service to God and receive His heavenly blessings, I have to submit and do as He commands. It is not about me it is about Him. Jesus tells us that "If you love me you keep My commandments." (John 14:15).  And I do love Him, because He loved me first (1John 4:10). Even though it may be very difficult to obey God, I can be assured of two things:
First, God knows what is best for me and would never tell me to do something that is harmful to me. It may seem like a bad thing He is asking of me, but it is always for my benefit (Romans 8:28). And by the way, most of the time once I obeyed, I realized that it wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be.
Second, God will always minister to me in the difficult times. If I lean on Him and trust Him with my life, He will send a helper along to strengthen me and equip me to obey His commands. He already has. The Holy Spirit is that heavenly helper that comes alongside us to give us the ability to obey, and thus love God. Thank you God that you are always faithful and send us help in times of need.

Application
As God sends His heavenly ministers to equip us supernaturally, I can be His earthly minister to equip others in their walk with God. Today I will talk to someone here on the ranch with the intention to find out how I can minister to that person and help him in his walk with God.

Your Will be Done

Luke 22:42 "saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done."


At this moment in the story of Jesus we find Him in the garden, alone, praying to His Father in great agony over the coming hours. Jesus is fully man and fully God. He knows what is to happen to Him, realizing the pain He would have to suffer, but also recognizing the significance of His sacrifice. This is it. His "hour" is about to come to pass. The high point of His ministry is about to take place with His greatest display of love yet - the laying down of His life for His friends. He is aware of what He needs to do but in a powerful display of human emotions He asks the Father to see if there is anything else that can be done to deal with the sins of the world, any other way. Yet He is also in full submission to His Fathers will, even unto death.
This his one of the most powerful demonstrations of Jesus' deity and humanity. As a man, He feels the anxiety and agony of knowing full well that in just a few hours He would have to endure what no man has ever endured. He would be betrayed, beaten, spit upon, ridiculed, forsaken, tortured, mocked, and crucified. Satan would unleash his full wrath upon Him. The restrainer of evil, the Holy Spirit, would have to give Him full reigns to give it his best shot to get even with God. To destroy the Savior of mankind. Jesus would have to drink from the cup of wrath of God. This is almost too much to bear, and He asks "Father, is there not any other way?"
But here we see the deity of Christ in that He never sins in His pain and suffering. He is able to overcome His agony and fully submit to the will of the Father. He never wavered; He never sinned. He never doubted or spoke against God. He willingly gave up His life, endured the shame and saw the redemptive work through to the end. No matter how painful it was, no matter how much torture was afflicted upon Him, He never deviated from the Father's plan, even to the point of separation from God, denying His God nature and making Himself fully sin. It took a superhuman, or God, to go through all this and never once sin himself.
Jesus faced unimaginable suffering, both physical and spiritual, yet He never sinned. As soon as I am put into a situation that feels slightly uncomfortable, I only see my own situation, forget God and sin in some way. How pathetic is that? Some one is not treating me the way I think I deserve and I become critical and judgmental. Remembering what Jesus did for me, willingly, puts everything I have to face into perspective. I have not yet had to suffer unit death, so I need to take heed and, like Jesus, overcome my selfish thoughts and say "nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done."

Application
Today I will take time to seek the Lord and ask Him to show me where in my life I am acting selfishly. I will make a list, confess, repent, and ask for His strength to overcome that selfishness.