Soul Talk

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Pete

Captured by a phrase this morning which, as I look back through my journal, has captured me before, compelling me to jot down some thoughts in the past. In 2008, 2010, and again in 2017. And each time, the thinking was very similar. That the guy in the story Jesus told was like the guy who had the bumper stick on his car, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Or, like the guy insatiably driven to pack both his house and his storage unit(s) with stuff. But as I hover over it this morning, I realize that it’s not as simple as toys on earth vs. treasure in heaven. That it’s actually more an issue of soul talk.

I’m chewing on the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, the story Jesus tells to punctuate His warning:

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

(Luke 12:15 ESV)

The story’s about a rich man and his land. Not his boats, his cars, his TV’s, or his home furnishings. It’s not about his toys or all the stuff he’s accumulated and put away in heated storage units. It’s not really about how he spent his money, at all. But how he viewed the fruit of his labor and livelihood.

His worked the land. Eventually, he was able to stimulate the economy by having others work the land for him. And the land produced — big time! Jesus said it “produced plentifully.” That, my friends, is a blessing of God.

The problem was with the industrious landowner’s identity, that his life was wrapped up in the abundance of his possessions. The problem was with his egocentricity. That what his land produced was only for his benefit and could be used however he determined. Which all led to some bad soul talk.

“. . . and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”‘”

(Luke 12:17-19 ESV)

Soul, relax! Eat, drink, be merry. You have all you need, now go enjoy it. After all, you earned it. Now go, rest in it. Indulge yourself with it.

I think about that and I think, while it’s perhaps easier and more tempting for a rich man to have such soul talk, it’s just a easy for an average guy with a decent pension or savings account to have the same soul talk. I’ve got enough to last me through my retirement. Time to coast. Time to relax, eat, drink, and be merry.

The problem wasn’t necessarily with the new barns or that they were overflowing. The problem was with the self-centered heart and a view of life that was underwhelming.

“God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

(Luke 12:20-21 ESV)

It wasn’t that he was rich, or that his land produced plentifully, or that he built new barns to receive the harvest. That problem, it seems to me, is that he laid up treasure on earth to the exclusion of laying up treasure in heaven. His desire to use his riches, whatever they were, for his own ease, comfort, and self satisfaction, blinded him to the possibility of leveraging those riches toward God.

You get the sense he was cheap and not generous. You get the sense that he saw his wealth solely as his well-earned reward for working the earth below, and not ultimately as a stewardship provided by a generous God in heaven above. “Fool!” says Jesus.

Rich toward God. That’s a thing. Treasure laid up in heaven. It’s a reality. How to invest now in light of eternity. That should be our soul talk.

Barns are a means of storing crops, not the ends for accumulating wealth. Wealth is a blessing of God and, as such, should be invested for God. Not simply a retirement benefit from God so that we can relax, eat, drink, be merry and serve ourselves.

Oh, that God would help us guard against covetousness. That He would give us a heart for treasures in heaven. That his Spirit would grant us a desire to be rich towards God and direct us toward kingdom focused soul talk.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Uncle J.

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Pete

There’s no way that the life of Joash, the kid king, isn’t a warning for those who have ears to hear. That his life isn’t a shot across the bow that clearly illustrates Paul’s cautionary charge to the Corinthians, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals'” (1Cor. 15:33).

His was the dramatic beginning of which legends are made (2Chr. 22:10-12). Had a crazy grandma who, when his dad the king died, conspires to kill all her grandsons so she can claim the throne of Judah. But Joash’s aunt hides her one-year-old nephew from her sister-in-law’s murderous rampage. And she and her husband, Joash’s Uncle Jehoiada the priest, raise the boy in secrecy for the next six years while crazy grandma reigns over the land.

But, say the Scriptures, in the seventh year, Uncle Jehoiada “took courage” and decided it was time for the kid to be king. Time for the rightful heir to be put on the throne. And the rest of 2Chronicles 23 tells us how that happens. Then we read this:

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

(2Chronicles 24:1-2 ESV)

The kid king would reign for 40 years. That’s a pretty good stretch. And under the kid, some pretty impressive reforms were undertaken — the most impressive was his determination to restore the temple which had fallen into severe disrepair. But if you know the kid’s full story, those words, “all the days of Jehoiada the priest”, have an ominous ring. And that phrase, all the days of Jehoiada, is repeated twice in 2Chronicles 24.

As long as Uncle J. was living, as long he had the kid’s ear — even as that kid grew up — Joash pursued the things of God in the way of God. But Uncle J.’s don’t live forever. And at 130 years old, the faithful priest died (2Chr. 24:15-16). And a void was left in Joash’s cadre of counselors. And voids have a way of being filled by something.

Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

(2Chronicles 24:17-18 ESV)

What happened?!? From temple restorer to temple abandoner. From doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD to serving the Asherim and the idols. From knowing God’s favor from birth to bearing God’s wrath until his death. What changed? Simply, those who the king listened to.

Sure, you can make the case that the king’s faith should have been enough his own that he should have been able to stand on holy ground with his own two feet. Not gonna argue that. But, at the end of the day — at the end of his days — it was who had his ear that determined so much of what King Joash did. So be warned, says Paul, bad company can ruin good morals. Or, as another wise man puts it:

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

(Proverbs 13:20 ESV)

We have Jesus living in us through His Spirit. We have the word of God in front of us able to transform us through the renewing of our mind. But let us not think ourselves so strong, in ourselves, that who we have around us will not influence us. We need to beware of the voices which have our ears. We need to surround ourselves with “good company” if we want to continue to walk with “good morals.”

We’ve been brought into gospel community not just as a benefit of the gospel, but also as an integral dynamic through which the gospel continues to have it’s reign over us. So let’s leverage gospel community for kingdom living.

‘Cause I’m thinking we all need Uncle J.’s in our lives.

They’re part of God’s grace. They help us to live for God’s glory.

Amen?

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Consider What You Do

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Pete

Written for the ancient people of God, but preserved for the current people of God. Spoken to a specific group of men so that they might hear and obey, but recorded for all men and women so that we might listen and apply. I’m no judge in Judah, but I am a servant in the kingdom. So I’m thinking I’d do well to pause from time to time and “consider what you do.”

Jehoshaphat, sixth king over Judah, was a reformer. He “sought the God of his father and walked in His commandments.” As such, the LORD, the God of his father, “was with Jehoshaphat” (2Chr 17:3-4). It would appear that Jehoshaphat actually did what the kings of God’s people were commanded to do, he read the Scriptures and sought to live and govern according to the Scriptures (Deut. 17:18-19).

And what was good for the king, was certainly good for his kingdom. So, early in his reign, he sought to ensure his people knew the ways of God by sending out his officials who “taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the LORD with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people” (2Chr. 17:9). In order for his people to live according to God’s Law, they needed first to know God’s law. Later, Jehoshaphat would appoint judges throughout Judah to adjudicate according to the Law.

And this morning it’s Jehoshaphat’s words to them which pop off the page and I take as the Spirit’s words for me. Consider what you do.

[Jehoshaphat] appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”

(2Chronicles 19:5-7 ESV)

Their’s was a solemn responsibility. Their’s was a culture shaping accountability. So, they were to serve not merely to feed their families. To serve not only at the pleasure of the king. But to serve knowing their work, ultimately, was “not for man but for the LORD.” It was His law they were to administer. As such, it would be His character and wisdom they were to represent. No wonder the fear of the LORD was to be upon them. No wonder they were to be careful in what they did. Good advice from their king / boss: Consider what you do.

I’m no judge in the kingdom of Judah, but I do have responsibilities in the body of Christ. I’m no officially recognized representative in this land, but I have been called to be an ambassador of a heavenly land. And whatever I do, whether in the church or in the world, I’m thinking I need to be careful with how I do it. Recognizing that, ultimately, I serve and work not for man, but for the LORD. Not at anyone’s pleasure, but for the Lord’s glory (1Cor. 10:31).

So, from time to time, in order to represent the King appropriately, I’m thinking it would be wise to pause, reflect, and consider what you do.

Because of grace. For God’s glory.

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A Truth and A Promise

Posted on July 8, 2020 by Pete

You never know when you’re going to come upon a truth about God worthy of note. And sometimes promises of God show up in the least expected places. This morning both those things appear in a rebuke from God.

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He gave them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

(2Chronicles 16:7-9 ESV)

Asa king of Judah, a royal enigma.

At one time he knew what it meant to depend on God. Had faced down an enemy army of a million men, 320,000 more men than he had under his command. Had defeated them soundly. And that, because He had cried out to the LORD. Had believed that there was no God like His God “to help, between the mighty and the weak.” Had relied on the Name above every name even as he drew up battle lines against an enemy which thought they had the upper hand (2Chr. 14:9-12).

But then, fast forward to another time. A time after King Asa had known decades of peace, power, and prosperity. A time when another enemy shows up at the king’s door. A time, unlike the previous time, when no prayer is prayed. When no reliance is required. Because it’s a time when the king can simply buy his way out of trouble with the silver and gold at his disposal. No need to cry out to the Lord, because he had things under control. No faith exercised, for his resources were sufficient. Problem solved. (2Chr. 16:1-6).

Problem solved, but opportunity missed. The enemy’s threat was gone, but the enemy remained. God’s people were again safe, but God’s power never showed up. While the money was sufficient to buy an earthly solution, it did nothing to foster and strengthen a heavenly relationship.

And so, the LORD sends a spokesman to rebuke the self-sufficient king. And in that rebuke there is a truth to learn about God. And in that rebuke there is a promise to claim from God.

First, the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth. Chew on that for a sec. Our God is not some passive God. Our God is not a God who has set this world He created spinning on its axis only to sit back, put His feet up, and be amused by how things play out. No, our God is a God who leans over the balcony of heaven and looks down. Whose eyes are searching, roaming, throughout the whole earth. Our God is a God who is “constantly on the lookout” (MSG).

Does God know? Yes, He knows. Does He care? Yes, He cares. That’s a truth to know.

What’s more, His eyes “range throughout the earth” (NIV) looking for opportunities to intervene — “to give strong support.” He wants to strengthen those He has made in His image even as He shows Himself strong on their behalf. And that’s a promise to claim.

So what’s the key to experiencing this truth about God that He’s constantly seeking for situations to be actively engaged in? The key to appropriating the promise of God that His power will be deployed on His people’s behalf?

The key is a “heart blameless toward Him.” A heart “at peace” with Him. A heart wholly devoted to Him. A heart wholly reliant upon Him.

The lesson of King Asa’s life is the lesson of reliance upon the Lord. Of a heart devoted to, and dependent on God.

And in that reliance we are visited by the God who sees. And in such dependence we are strengthened by the God who promises to give strength.

Not by our might. Not through our wisdom. Not due to our merit.

But by His grace. And for His glory.

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We Belong to the Day

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Pete

The day we’re living in might not be “that day”, but it is the day we belong to.

Unlike “that day”, this day hasn’t come upon us as a thief in the night. Been more like a slow rolling tsunami which we saw coming, but had no idea how hard it would hit, or how long it would last, or how much collateral damage it would cause.

Nor would it seem that these days are like the days that will precede “that day.” I’m not hearing any voices saying that these times are marked by “peace and security.” Instead, regardless of where you find yourself on the various polarized continuums that mark our discourse in the public square, if there’s anything people seem to agree on it’s that this is a season of great turbulence and turmoil.

So no, the day we find ourselves may not be “that day” when the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and may not be “those days” when people have a fall sense of calm, but it is a day when we’d do well to remember afresh that we are children of the day, and that we belong to the day.

But you are not in darkness, brothers [and sisters], for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

(1Thessalonians 5:4-8 ESV)

This morning I’m chewing on what it means to belong to the day.

Dark times, but we are children of light. Many worldly voices seeking to bring us into their tribe, but we belong to the day.

The people of God should have an advantage navigating these crazy times. Not that it’s any easier for us, but neither should we be flailing around in the dark. We know the bigger picture. We understand the larger narrative. We have an eternal context for however this finite season plays out.

And, not to be trite, we really do know Who is in control in what seems to be such chaotic times. We know our God is sovereign. We know our God is good. We know His purposes will be accomplished. That’s why we can put on “the breastplate of faith.” Why we can cover ourselves with His love. Why we can hope amid so much hopelessness, confident that our God will bring our salvation to full completion.

We have at our disposal the word of God. We are indwelt always by the Spirit of God. Thus, we have for each day the mind of the Son of God (1Cor. 2:16). We belong to the day. We are children of light.

So, we can navigate these days with the peace of God. Navigate them even as we remain faithful to the mission of God. A dark world needs to see children of light. Those who are enveloped by the night need to see rays of faith, love, and hope. And such rays are emitted by those who belong to the day.

Today may not be “that day.” But “that day” is coming soon.

Right now, we belong to this day. And, as children of light forever, we belong to the day.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

(1Thessaonians 5:11 ESV)

By His grace. For His glory.

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The One Thing Necessary

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Pete

She welcomed Him when others tested Him. She set a table for Him while others sought to set a trap for Him. She was ready to minister to Him, but as the Master was so often wont to do, at the end of the day, He had come to minister to her. She was ready to set before Him a menu of many things, but He had come to teach her the one thing necessary.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

(Luke 10:38-42 ESV)

A lot of good things happening in the sisters’ home that day. But one thing was necessary.

Love these ladies. So did Jesus.

I can only imagine the hustle and bustle as Martha was busy getting things ready, and making things just right for the Teacher. Hospitality with a capital “H” — that was Martha’s deal. She knew how to make someone feel welcome. She knew how to honor an honored guest. Prepare the fatted calf. Break out the fine china. Prepare a table fit for a king.

But Mary, she sat at the King’s feet. Not often you get front row tickets to hear from the Author of Life. Sure, there was lots she could do to help her sister, but she chose, instead, to listen to her Lord. Rather than be distracted by Martha’s preparations, she was captivated by Jesus’ presence. Rather than busy herself with the many things she could do, she quieted herself, attending to the one thing she should do. For while she could be anxious and troubled about many things, one thing was necessary. And Mary had chosen the right thing.

Like I said, love these ladies. I’m a big Martha fan. Bold, courageous, no nonsense. Ready, willing, and able to serve for the sake of the Savior. Practical, pragmatic, knows what it takes to get ‘er done. I think I get her, at least to some degree.

But Mary, she challenges me. Be still my soul. Be still and know that He is God. Find your way to the feet of the Master. Set aside all the good things which can distract and choose, instead — at least for a little while — the one thing necessary.

Quieted. By His grace.

Listening. For His glory.

(An old Gaither song came to mind. Got a few more minutes to sit at the Savior’s feet before getting busy with your day? Check it out by clicking here).

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A Promise

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Pete

I don’t think that I’ve ever marked the verse as a “promise” before, but this morning it seemed not only appropriate, but so comforting. In this post- quarantine, mid-pandemic season, when leaving our homes seems to be the right thing to do even though the indicators are that the virus is surging, this promise in the midst of this glorious psalm is the balm needed this morning to quiet what can be, from time to time, a disquieted soul.

. . . in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

(Psalm 139:16b ESV)

There’s a book. A book in heaven. Jehovah, the Creator’s book. And in that book there is written the days that were formed for me. Every one of them. Written in that book in heaven before I breathed my first breath on earth.

Days penned for me by the One who formed me. Who knit me together in my mother’s womb. Who made me. My frame was not hidden from Him then, nor is He unaware of it now.

In fact, far from winding me up and setting me loose, He searches me and knows me. Knows when I sit down, knows when I stand up. Acquainted with all my ways. Behind me, before me. His hand upon me. Where shall I go that His Spirit is not with me? Short answer: nowhere.

I’m not out of sight, out of mind. Rather, He thinks of me. The Almighty God of heaven and earth has thoughts concerning me. Precious thoughts. Thoughts, which if I could count them, would be more than counting all the sand on all the beaches in the world.

Because there is a book. A book in heaven. Where there is written, everyone one of them, the days that were formed for me.

And I am confident that what God ordains, and what God begins, God finishes.

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 1:6 ESV)

The LORD has begun a good work. At first, manifest in His workmanship through natural birth, by which I was fearfully and wonderfully made. And then, His workmanship through supernatural rebirth, where I was “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that [I] should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

(Psalm 139:6 ESV)

And this morning, such knowledge is a promise for me. A fresh promise. A soul quieting promise. A courage renewing promise. An unfailing promise.

A reminder of His abundant grace. Another reason to give Him all the glory.

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When Did He Become the Lord?

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Pete

That the two words “popped” wasn’t just my imagination this morning. That such a very common phrase jumped off the page demanded some attention, some follow up. Exactly why, I’m not sure. But chew on the words I must. Chew on them I did. And I think, at least in part, just for the purpose of simply asking the question, “When did He become the Lord?”

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

(Luke 10:1 EV)

The Lord. Those are the words that popped. And the thought comes to mind, when did Luke start referring to Jesus as the Lord? I haven’t noticed it before. Is this the first time? Nope. But it is only the third time so far in this “orderly account” (Lk. 1:3) written by the meticulous Doctor Luke.

It’s not the third time the phrase is found in Luke’s gospel, not at all. You find “the Lord” frequently in Luke 1 and 2 and the narrative concerning the birth of a child in Bethlehem to a virgin of Nazareth. Angels of the Lord appear on a number of occasions. The Lord is praised and magnified for the Christ to come.

And then, in the desert, when tempted by Satan, the man Jesus stands firm when He tells the devil to get behind Him, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve'” (Lk. 4:8).

Later, Jesus reads from the scroll to inaugurate His public ministry and asserts, “The Spirit of the Lord” is upon Me (Lk. 4:18). The truth of which is evidenced later as He punctuates His proclamation of the kingdom with signs and wonders as “the power of the Lord was with Him to heal” (5:18).

But I read Luke 10 this morning and I notice that Luke refers to Jesus Himself as the Lord. And I think to myself, “Self, is this the first time Luke does this?” Short answer, no.

First time, it looks like, is back in Nain when Jesus comes across a funeral procession of a young man, the only son of a grieving widow. And Luke records, “And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her” (Lk. 7:13). The next time is when Luke tells us about John the Baptist who, from prison, sends two of his disciples to “the Lord, saying, ‘Are You the one who is to come?” (Lk. 7:19).

The shift has been subtle. Though it was clear from the beginning, that the babe born in the city of David, come to save His people, was “Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11), up to this point He has mostly been referred to as Jesus or, simply, He. But beginning in chapter 7, and now in chapter 10, Luke starts to refer to Jesus functionally as the Lord. And, it seems, referring to Jesus as the Lord will only increase as Luke continues to chronicle His life, death, and resurrection.

Maybe just some fun facts. But more than Bible trivia. Because the question is an important question. “When did He become the Lord?”

For sure we want to own Him as Savior. Come to rescue us from sin and death. The Lamb of God who paid the price in full. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

And to be equally sure, that He is Jesus the son of Mary and the Son of God is something we also embrace. Immanuel, God with us. Come in flesh. Friend of sinners. Able to sympathize fully with His people’s experience, yet without sin. Qualified and able to be our High Priest, forever making intercession for us.

But when did He become the Lord? The kurios. The Owner. The Master. The One to whom I belong. The One I acknowledge as having the right and power to call the shots for my life.

I own Him as Christ for He is the Anointed. God’s promised Servant to rescue His people.

I call Him Jesus, the God-man, born into our human experience. Come to call His sheep. Come to care for His flock. Come as the good Shepherd.

But this morning I’m reminded that “The Lord is my shepherd”, come to lead His sheep. And that, I have been bought with a price. I’m no longer my own. Instead, I am His. And He is the Lord.

Oh that, when it comes to my life, He might be the Lord of all.

By His grace. For His glory.

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At Work in You

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Pete

The gospel found severe opposition at Thessalonica. After Paul proclaimed the good news there and presented the evidence that Jesus was the Christ, though persuading some of the Jews and a “great many of the devout Greeks”, the Jewish religious leaders of the city turned on Paul and the new church with a violent ferocity, driving Paul and Co. out of the city (Acts 17:1-7). Later, writing to the Thessalonian church, referring to such persecution, Paul would contend that not only was it displeasing to God but it was also in “opposition to all mankind” (1Th. 2:15).

In opposition to all mankind. Really? All mankind? Was Paul using hyperbole to make a point? Or was he speaking literally?

Noodle on it a bit and you realize that opposition to the gospel really is an affront to all mankind. That to hinder its proclamation is to hinder the salvation it can bring to those who have ears to hear (1Th. 2:16). For the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). Thus, to restrict the word of God is to restrict the work of God. To impede the proclamation is to impede the power. And that, because God has ordained that it is the word of God which does the work of God.

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

(1Thessalonians 2:13 ESV)

Believers, it is the word of God which is at work in you. Chew on that for a bit.

Mere hyperbole again? Just Christian-ese? Or, a true statement? Fact. The way it is. The way it works.

That our Bibles are not the words of men, but really the word of God. Not mere literature, but a living and active two-edged sword able to work at a heart and soul level (Heb. 4:12). Not just a text for how to live, but the final word on how to have life and have life abundantly. Not just a compilation of to do’s and to don’ts, but a revelation able to transform us through the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). And that, because it is the word of God at work in you.

If we really believed that, would it be hard to “find time” to read our Bibles? I’m thinking not. Unless, of course, we aren’t really all that interested in God doing His work in us. Instead, we’ve settled for the economy plan when it comes to salvation — enough of the word to get saved but not enough to get sanctified. Enough of the good news to avoid hell, but not enough to live for heaven.

But once you experience the living dynamic of the word at work in you; once you realize there is an encounter of the divine kind available, on demand, as you open your Bible and engage the Third Person of the Holy Trinity in the heaven-sent miracles of illumination and revelation; once you’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you can’t help but say, “Please Sir, I want some more!”

The word of God is the work of God in us as believers. It is, literally, the energeo, the energy of God. The operative power of the Omnipotent in lives of mortals who have been redeemed for immortality.

Let us receive the Word. Let us desire the Word. Let us engage every form of opposition which would restrict the intake of the power of God for salvation.

For it is the word of God which is at work in you.

A foundational blessing by His grace alone. The transforming reality which seeks to live for His glory alone.

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Be Strong and Do It

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Pete

Paul writes to the Ephesians that we are God’s workmanship, “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). If that’s true (spoiler alert: it is . . . ), then I’m guessing that every believer, at some point in their lives, and likely at several points in their lives, find themselves in Solomon’s situation — with a task at hand that God has called us to do.

Maybe nothing as ambitious as converting massive amounts of gold, silver, brass, and timber into a physical structure fit for the glory of God to dwell (though we are all involved in a similar building program under another Master Builder. See Eph. 2:22). But each of us, throughout our lives, are presented with things that God wants us to do. And, at least sometimes, those things seem beyond our to-doing.

My guess, is that right now, most of us have something on our Spirit-led to do list that we know, deep down, God wants us to tackle. Whether personal improvement; stepping out in faith; exiting our comfort zone for a season; taking on a challenging piece of work for the kingdom; leading others in kingdom work; or something else, each of us has some good work before us, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in it. True for me, at least. I’m guessing true for others as well.

That’s why I’m thinking the Spirit has me chewing on some words of encouragement spoken by David to his son Solomon as he hands him the plans for the temple.

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Be careful now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”

(1Chronicles 28:9-10 ESV)

Be strong and do it! That was David’s bottom line for his son. But he didn’t get to the bottom line before laying out some important pre-req’s.

Know God intimately. Serve God wholeheartedly. Seek God persistently. Be careful and take the work seriously. And then, be strong and do it.

I’m thinking that the good works prepared for us by God, beyond accomplishing something for God, are as much designed to increase our working knowledge and dependence on God. That whatever work He has called us to do for Him, it’s designed with a second set of blueprints of the work He wants to do in us.

A set of blueprints compelling us to grow in the knowledge of the God we serve, and to serve faithfully the God we know. Plans beyond what we think we’re capable of doing so that it drives us to seek His presence and power. Designed so that we realize, with fresh awe and wonder, that God really has chosen to partner with us to make His glory known, in some manner, through us. And in all this, blueprints requiring us, at some point, to just be strong and do it.

Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.”

(1Chronicles 28:20 ESV)

To undertake the work of God is to rely on the power of God. To walk through the dynamic of faith quenching fear is to experience the presence of God. And to see the work finished, by His power and through His presence, is to see fulfilled the promise of God.

So, dear saint, be strong and do it.

By His grace. For His glory.

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