Arise and Build

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Pete

“Arise and work! The LORD be with you!” The words jumped off the page this morning as I was reading 1Chronicles 22. Here’s some thoughts on the passage I put down back in 2011 . . . .

It came into play again this morning. That wonderful dynamic between that which has been recorded in the Old Testament and that which is taught in the New Testament. The old adage, “the New Testament is in the Old concealed and the Old Testament is in the New revealed” kicked in as I read David’s words to some of his leaders. Because of what has been revealed through the God-breathed writings of the apostle Paul, this conversation between a king and his cabinet some 1,000+ years earlier takes on a meaning that they could not have imagined. Check out this part of “the chat” I eavesdropped on this a.m. . . .

“David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, ‘Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you peace on every side? For He has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and His people. Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the LORD.’ ”

(1Chronicles 22:17-19 ESV)

What was spoken by David to his leaders about the physical construction of a dwelling place for the ark of God hit me between the eyes this morning. It was like it was spoken directly to me. How come? Because I too am part of a building program for a holy habitation for the LORD.

The Old Testament concept of a physical temple built to house the glory of God is expanded in the New Testament. This Old Testament structure is a picture of a greater building in which God desires to dwell. A place that God would raise up. Not made with brick and mortar, but with living stones. A temple comprised of a people. A redeemed people. His people. So Pete, set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God . . . Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD.

Revealed in the New is the amazing reality that I, as a believer, a blood-bought trophy of God’s grace, that I am part of the household of God. That I have been joined together with other believers to form a living building. One that is growing into a holy temple in the Lord as it is built together for a dwelling place of God through His Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22).

And just as the temple of ancient days was a place where offerings to God were brought, so too, as living stones being pulled together to form a spiritual house, this temple revealed in the New is to “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Peter 2:5).

So, get up and get at ‘er. Set your heart on seeking the Lord. Stand up and get in the game. And work. Building, by the grace of God and through the power of His indwelling Spirit, this holy habitation for the God of your salvation!

Let each one take care how he builds upon it. . . . Do you not know that you are Gods temple and that Gods Spirit dwells in you?

(1Corinthians 3:10b, 16 ESV)

Arise and build! Do it carefully. Do it purposefully. Do it wisely. And do it wholeheartedly.

Take care not to add to the foundation that which has no substance and will not last. Beware of trying to build with “wood, hay, and straw.” Watch out for cheap or imitation materials.

Instead, seek the Lord and build with gold, silver, and precious stones. Hold nothing back so that this new, holy habitation for God might be a place where He is pleased to dwell. Leverage the best materials from the spiritual treasures made available to you so that this flesh and blood temple might rise up to be a magnificent place of worship. So that the sacrifices of praise, and the living sacrifices of wholly consecrated bodies, would rise up as a sweet smelling aroma to Him who is worthy of our best.

Yeah . . . David thought he was talking to his leaders. In fact, the Lord is talking to me. You got to love the word of God! Amen?

Arise and build! By His grace. For His glory!

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Blessed, and Blessed Forever!

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Pete

Recorded both in 2Samuel 7 and in today’s reading in 1Chronicles 17, it is, for me, one of the most moving accounts in all of Scripture.

David desires to build a permanent dwelling where God’s glory might reside. No more tents. No more nomadic structures. Time to get rid of the animal skins and replace them with the finest of building materials. Time to trade in pragmatic functionality for majestic testimony. Rather than the LORD continually “packing up” and going with the people in the desert, now that they were in the land, it was time for their God to “settle down” and for the people to come to Him and the place where His glory would dwell. David’s desire was ignited, his heart aflame . . . time to break ground!

Not so fast, says the LORD through Nathan the prophet. I know you want to build Me a house, but David, “I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house” (17:10b).

And so God turns the tables. Though David’s heart was set on doing something great for God, he is reminded of the great things God has already done for him. Called from pastures where he followed bleating sheep to be a prince where he would rule over God’s chosen people. Determined to be a mighty man of war as the God of hosts purposed to go with him into battle and to cut off his enemies. His name made great. His throne established in the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All under the gracious sovereign hand of Almighty God. And what’s more, says the LORD, I will build you a house.

And David responds.

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of Your servants house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O LORD God!

(1Chronicles 17:16-17 ESV)

“Who am I?” says the would be sub-contractor. What is my family? What possible merit do I possess that You would have brought me to this place and given me such a promise?

“Who am I?”  It is the question of the ages for every child of God.

Who am I that God the Father would send His Son to ransom me from my sin and rebellion? Who am I that the Christ would die on a cross and shed His blood so that a way might be opened for me to be cleansed and boldly enter the holy of holies? Who am I that, though I once set my back toward God, the Spirit of God descended to pursue me, to woo me, and to turn my face toward Himself?

Who am I to have ears to hear? Who am I to have had an encounter of the divine kind, having been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light through faith in the finished work of the cross? Who am I to have undergone a supernatural rewiring of my spiritual DNA? To have undergone radical internal surgery having my heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh? Who am I?

And that’s just the beginning. For all that I have been saved from, what is it that I am being saved to? What will it be when the groaning of creation is done and the children of God are revealed (Rom. 8:18-19)? What will it be when the Bride is presented to her beloved Bridegroom, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing–holy and without blemish, and the greatest rescue mission of all ages is consummated (Eph. 5:27, Rev. 19:7)? What will it be to have faith give way to sight as we gather before the throne and worship with the heavenly host and with all those purchased by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:9-12)?

To coin another’s phrase, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

And so I sit with David this morning as he considers where he’s been and what God has said is yet to come. And I whisper along with this man after God’s own heart, “Who am I?”

And I am moved as I hover over the closing thoughts of his response to his God.

“Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You, for it is You, O LORD, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”

(1Chronicles 17:27 ESV)

Blessed. And blessed forever.

All because of grace. All for His matchless glory!

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A Whole Heart and A Single Mind

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Pete

They were his men. Many of them joined with him at the lowest of times and they stayed with him through the toughest of times. Others came to him as they discerned the working of God concerning the throne of Israel. Yet all were mighty and experienced warriors who gave allegiance to David. And though their backgrounds differed, though they came from different tribes and possessed different strengths, they were all marked by the same thing. A whole heart and a single mind.

All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king.

(1Chronicles 12:38 ESV)

These mighty of men of war owned David as king with a whole heart. And, like the people who bowed to David’s throne, they did so with a single mind.

All in, nothing held back. In complete agreement, no wavering. Upon such consecration David rose to power. Because of such dedication his throne was established.

A whole heart and a single mind–they are the attributes of which strong kingdoms are built. And as my eyes locked on those two attributes, I couldn’t help but think of the greater King, Jesus, and of his greater dominion, the kingdom of heaven, and of how His people also need to be all in with a laser focus.

Half-heartedness is the enemy of the kingdom. Competing priorities compromise His rule. That’s why Paul exhorts the Colossians:

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

(Colossians 3:1-2, 17 ESV)

We are never called to “do church” 24/7 . . . but we are called to be the church 24/7. Our hearts given fully to the risen, ascended, and interceding King of kings. Our focus locked in on things above. Bringing, then, everything we do here on earth under the great calling of serving the One who reigns in heaven.

And so we rise as unto the Lord. We go to work as unto the Lord. We engage our world as unto the Lord. We gather together as unto the Lord.

O’ to bring everything I do under the banner of the kingdom of heaven. To be unwavering in why I do what I do. To be undistracted as to where my ultimate allegiance should lie.

And it’s not that I’m some mighty warrior. It’s not that Jesus’ power and authority are somehow dependent upon my allegiance. Instead, I know that I am just a sinner saved by grace–mighty only in and through Him. And I’m aware that, far from rallying to Him, He drew me to Himself with a love I can’t fully comprehend through a grace that is really beyond my understanding. And this, so that with a bit of holy determination, and a whole lot of Spirit within me, I might seek to be of a whole heart and a single mind.

Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.   ~ Isaac Watts

Because of grace. For His glory.

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Who’s In the Boat

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Pete

They weren’t rookies when it came to navigating the lake. They knew how bad it could get when the weather turned and the winds came rolling in. They had been there, done that. They had navigated storms before. So when I read that they were in danger because of the windstorm that enveloped them, they were in danger. They weren’t overreacting. They hadn’t misunderstood the severity of the storm. They hadn’t miscalculated the amount of water they had taken on. The storm was real, the waves were real, the water in the boat was real, the danger was real. But what they had yet to fully appreciate and thus factor into their assessment was who was in the boat with them.

And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even winds and water, and they obey Him?”

(Luke 8:23b-25 ESV)

It wasn’t just that He commanded the wind and waves, but that they listened. Anyone could have shouted desperately into the air, “Stop it!” But what kind of man commands the elements and the elements respond?

Not to minimize the reality of the harrowing situation they were in, but with Jesus in the boat, what was happening around the boat was really of secondary importance. Greater was He that was with them than that which was happening around them.

Thus Jesus’ question, “Where is your faith?”

Having seen all that they had seen as they had walked with Him . . . having heard all that they had heard as He had taught them . . . why, asks the Master, did you not believe that when I said, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake” that we would, in fact, go to the other side of the lake? Why, as I abide next to you, are you so gripped with panic? Why wake Me with fears of perishing when I told you that I have come to give you life?

To be clear, I’m not slamming the disciples, I’m identifying.

Too often I lose sight of who’s in the boat. Not that I don’t believe He’s there, but that I kind of forget who He is. That He’s the Master of wind, the Maker of the rain (oh, that could be a song . . . it is, click here). That Jesus is the Lord of the storm.

How I need to remember that it’s not just the word He speaks but the power He commands. That it’s not about some random unexpected situation, but that it’s about His sovereign purposes and plans.

I need to remember who’s in the boat.

And then drink deep of His grace . . . even as I ride along for His glory.

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Beloved Sleep

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Pete

There’s a reason it’s called “the grind.” For many they understand all too well why it so often feels like a “rat race.” Everyday the same old, same old. Breaking your back but never seeming to get ahead. Or, if you are getting ahead, never seeming to have enough–never knowing a peaceful, contented satisfaction. Lots of work, little rest. Lots of worry, never enough reward. This morning the songwriter reminds me that for too many it’s about “eating the bread of anxious toil.” But I’m also reminded this morning of the promise of beloved sleep.

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep.

(Psalm 127:1-2 ESV)

A pretty familiar psalm. And it occurs to me as I hover over these opening verses that most often I’ve connected more with “the what” of these verses than I have with “the how.”

It’s a shaky foundation that is laid without consideration of God’s purposes. It’s a weak defense if all we rely on are our senses for protection. Want to build a solid house?  Engage the One who created all things. Want a safe abode?  Call upon Him who sees and knows all things. Structures built with God’s hand upon them are structures that stand. Security that is founded upon God’s presence is a sure security. These are “the whats.” The results.

But beyond the benefit of a good outcome, inviting the LORD to be part of your building program, or seeking the LORD to draw alongside you as you stand guard, impacts more than just “the what.” It also makes a huge difference on “the how.” It’s the difference between “the bread of anxious toil” and “beloved sleep.”

It’s vain, says the songwriter, it’s empty and desolate to rise up early and go to bed late in an attempt to get ‘er done by going it alone. Without a sense of God’s purpose and God’s presence, our work, no matter how hard we work, is like eating the bread of anxious toil. It’s consuming the food of sorrow and hardship. While the paychecks (paycheques for those in the homeland) are nice to receive, without the peace of knowing they are God’s provision, they can leave a bitter taste.

But for those who do what they do with an abiding sense that it’s what God has called them to do, for His beloved there is sleep. And for His, there is beloved sleep.

. . . for He gives to His beloved sleep.

I have read this promise of God over and over this morning. Tasting the word of the LORD and seeing that is good. Chewing on and savoring this food from heaven. Noodling on the fact that I can read this promise in two ways. One where beloved is a noun and so, to His beloved He gives sleep. The other where beloved is an adjective, thus, to His He gives a beloved, or lovely, sleep.

Child of God. You are beloved. More loved than can be fully comprehended. Loved with “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:19). And for His beloved there is available rest rather than anxious toil. Sure, early mornings and late nights might be part of the deal, but when that “deal” is God’s deal, when that job is undertaken with God’s power, when our labors are for God’s glory, then He gives sleep.

And it is a beloved, or lovely, sleep. It is the rest of the faithful servant who, in good conscience, toiled for the Master that day and hears heaven whisper in his ear, “Well done!” It is the rest that knows the results are ultimately in the Master’s hand. It is the rest that rejuvenates knowing the Master will provide sufficient resource and grace to get up and do it again the next morning.

A lovely sleep for a beloved people. Who labor not in vain, because they build with a sense of God’s purpose. Who watch without fear of missing something, because they abide in the reality of God’s presence. Who refuse the bread of anxious toil and receive the promise of a blessed sleep for those He loves.

Praise God for beloved sleep.

Available by grace. Appropriated for His glory.

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The Cry from the Battlefield

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Pete

True or false . . . Working through the opening chapters of 1Chronicles can be kind of tough going? True. Really true! True or false again . . . the opening chapters of 1Chronicles are God-breathed, “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work?” True again! And because of this latter truth, we persevere in our reading despite the former truth.

Genealogies are not the most riveting reading. The names of who fathered who all blur together after a while. While some names are familiar, most are not. But as I slog through these first chapters of 1Chronicles what I’m particularly on the look out for are the periodic inserted editorials concerning some of these unknowns. Those breaks from the list of names meant to provide some divinely inserted “color commentary” on these mostly unknown people. While I’m sure there is a ton to be learned from researching the names themselves, I’m thinking that when the Spirit pauses to provide some additional information it’s probably prudent to pay particular attention.

They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and He granted their urgent plea because they trusted in Him.

(1Chronicles 5:19-20 ESV)

“They” are the valiant men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh who carried the shield and the sword. “Them” are some obscure, haven’t-a-clue-who-they-are enemies of “they.” And they prevailed over them. How come? Because they cried out to God in the battle. And so, it’s got me thinking about the cry from the battlefield.

The battlefield. The point past the point of no return. You’re in the fray. The enemy has been engaged, the ebb and flow of hand to hand combat has begun. You keep raising and positioning your shield to stave off life-compromising blows. You keep swinging your sword with all your might and strength desperate to gain some advantage in the conflict.

There’s a lot going on. Strategies to be formed, tactics to be executed, prisoners to be taken, casualties to be ministered to. Not the sort of situation where your first thought is to take a timeout and head into your prayer closet. But the sort of situation that compels us to cry out to God in the battlefield.

When you’re up to your eyeballs in alligators, that’s a good time for a cry from the battlefield. Urgent pleas ascending while you stave off the enemy. Desperate petition and supplication brought before the throne even as you find it hard to see past the circumstance. Though you’ve put on the full armor of God and have fully engaged the battle you still need to be”praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:18).

And those who cry from the battlefield are those who trust in the LORD. They look up in the midst of the fray because they believe God looks down from His throne. They pause to petition for air cover because they believe there is refuge in the shadow of the Almighty’s wings. They call out even as they press in because they believe that greater is He that is in them than he that is in the world.

They cry from the battlefield because, though the battle may be fierce, they know their God is faithful.

And the victory will be won.

Because of His all sufficient grace. And for His everlasting glory.

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On Our Side

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Pete

It’s written in such a way as to grab your attention. It’s broken up so that you’re not too quick to just slide on by it. The songwriter is masterful. The sentiment is powerful. And who, having known the Lord, couldn’t relate.

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side–let Israel now say–if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the LORD . . .

(Psalm 123:1-6a ESV)

If it had not been the LORD on our side . . . let the people of God say it again! . . . if it had not been the LORD on our side, where would I be? Where would I be?

Before I realized this soul searching question came from an ancient song of David, I heard it on a Gaither video (almost as ancient . . . check it out here if you have a few extra minutes).

Hard to imagine life without knowing the LORD. Can’t imagine where I would be if I had refused the Spirit’s wooing some 38 years ago. No idea what would have filled that hole in my heart reserved for the things of eternity (Eccl. 3:11). And, to use the songwriters imagery, not sure from where I would have drawn strength to deal with torrents, raging waters, and flood waters capable of sweeping me away.

And as I hover over this song of ascent I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought that the LORD is “on our side.”

Really? The One who made heaven and earth is on my side? (Ps. 124:8) Sounds kind of presumptuous, doesn’t it?

Truly? The Almighty God enthroned in the heavens has eyes on me? (Ps 123:1-2) He actually knows about me? And He purposefully acts to draw alongside me?

I know it’s not about me . . . but had not been the LORD who was on my side . . .

Sometimes it’s easy to forget, even believing He lives in us by His Spirit, that God is really on our side. The waves of circumstance keep us from taking a breath of His life giving Word. The enemy gets in our head and tell us we’re really alone and that we gotta figure it out ourselves. The world sucks us into grasping after self-help solutions when what we really need is a bit of divine intervention. Let God’s people say it again, if it had not been the LORD who was on our side . . .

He is on our side.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

(Romans 8:31-32 ESV)

Sometimes it’s good to ponder the “what if” questions so that we might rejoice in the “what is” reality.

On our side. Because of grace . . . for His glory.

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Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Pete

Done! Time to finish the job. It had already been over tens years since the city was captured and the people carted off into captivity (2Kings 24:10-17). Over ten years since all the treasures and all the vessels of gold in the house of the LORD had been removed and taken to Babylon. But now the vassal king of Judah, Zedekiah, flexed what little muscle he thought he still possessed against Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and rebelled. Enough’s enough! Time to clean house. Literally.

And so they laid siege to Jerusalem. Eventually they breached the city. They wiped out the resistance (25:1-7). And then they finished the job they had started (25:8-21).

They razed the king’s house and every other house of prominence within Jerusalem’s walls. Then they went after Jerusalem itself breaking down its walls, emasculating the city of David as they removed its defenses. What’s more, they set fire to the house of the LORD. And they broke down the great pillars Solomon had built for the place where the glory of God should dwell. And they tore apart, cut up, and hauled off everything that had been built to facilitate worship to the God of Jacob. And they murdered the high priest and his successor, putting an end to any thought of God’s people ever again standing on holy ground in God’s presence.

And what’s so remarkable is that “surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD” (24:3).

Then, after reading this, I moved on in my reading plan and read in Psalms:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”
For my brothers and companions sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” 
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.

(Psalm 122:6-9 ESV)

Jerusalem. To be standing within it’s gates would be to stand on the threshold of the house of the LORD. The tribes would set their faces and their feet to go up to Jerusalem that they might give thanks to the name of the LORD. It’s where the cloud of God’s glory descended. It’s where the smoke of atoning sacrifices ascended. The place where the people of God could enter into the presence of God. And so, says the songwriter, pray for it. Seek its peace. Seek its good. For the sake of each other. For the sake of our God.

How tragic then to read of Jerusalem’s dismantling this morning. The hope of security apparently lost. How awful to imagine the house of the LORD leveled–the glory having departed, the offerings long since ceased. The destruction of sin having apparently won. How depressing to consider the people of God absorbed by the nations around them. The benefits of sanctification apparently forfeited because of unfaithfulness.

Heavy sigh as I come to the end of 2Kings. A warning about spiritual infidelity. A yellow flag about turning one’s heart from God in pursuit of the world. A reminder that while God is patient and slow to anger, He will not be mocked, “for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).

And yet, I know the story is not over. That even in the exile God has determined a way of redemption, reconciliation, and return. That even the destruction of Jerusalem and the decimation of the temple will work together for good as He again calls a people to Himself from a foreign land to pursue again their heavenly home. The temple will be rebuilt. The walls will be reestablished. And Jerusalem will stand again, if only to offer it’s greatest sacrifice for man’s transgression, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

The leveled mount a reminder that God is not done. That His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is being fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. That His word is sure and that He is faithful and that Jerusalem, and it’s people, will again be His glory.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.

(Revelation 21:2-3 ESV)

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Prayer, Praise, Practice, and Peace

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Pete

Continuing to hover over Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians in the first part of chapter four.

He’s writing to faithful believers who have faithfully supported him. He’s writing to fearful believers who are worried about Paul and the implications of his Roman imprisonment. He’s writing to faulty believers who need to deal with some internal family strife lest a spirit of division be allowed to take root within their fellowship. So, as he wraps up his short letter to them, he gives some very practical instruction on how to pursue the peace of God and how to invite among themselves the God of peace.

First, pray!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

If it’s causing tension, pray about these things.

Whether they were troubled about the interpersonal issues within their fellowship, or whether it was worry and anxiety that was stressing the relationship between two of their members, Paul says pray. Bring it before the Lord. Bring everything before the Lord. And a state of tranquility from out of this world (literally) will calm the raging storm. Heart and minds will be shielded from fear and frustration. Pray about everything and know the peace of God.

Next, praise!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

(Philippians 4:8 ESV)

If it’s praiseworthy, think about these things.

If it’s deserving of high esteem, meditate on it. Divine truth? Noodle on it. Compute and re-compute, again and again, all that you know about a redemption which comes by faith through a gospel which is the power of God for such salvation. Spend time considering the multi-faceted beauty of a Savior come from heaven and returned to heaven–who even now intercedes at the Father’s right hand on our behalf. Worthy of praise? Chew on it!

Finally, practice!

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me–practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

(Philippians 4:9 ESV)

If it’s worth imitating then practice these things.

Heard it taught? Seen it lived out? Know deep down it’s the way of the Christ-follower, then do it! And keep doing it. Exercise those behaviors which are consistent with our calling as Christians until they become holy habits. Work it in by working it out.

While in the flesh, practice may not make perfect but the Spirit says it will invite divine presence. Pray and you’ll experience the peace of God in you. Practice these things and you’ll know the God of peace with you.

Divine presence. Deep peace.

Available, I’m thinking, for those who pray, praise, and practice.

Only by His of grace. Only for His glory.

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The Command in the Shadow

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Pete

Three commands in rapid succession. That’s what I notice as I’m reading the first part of Philippians 4 this morning. And though they should carry equal weight, I’m thinking the reality is that the command in the middle is overshadowed by those on either side of it. That it’s like a lesser noticed sapling in the shade of two great elms. On the one side stands “Rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4). On the other, “be anxious for nothing, pray about everything” (4:6). I’m guessing that for most of us who read our bibles, if we haven’t memorized these verses, they are at least very familiar to us.

But what about Paul’s exhortation sandwiched in between these two pillars? What about the command in the shadow?

While the commands that bookend it tell me what to do, the middle command may have an equally far-reaching impact as it tells me how to go about doing it.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.

(Philippians 4:5 ESV)

Your reasonableness. The word is translated “gentleness” in other translations. The NLT renders it, “see that you are considerate in all you do.”

It has the idea of that which is appropriate, of what is suitable for the occasion or circumstance. The word speaks of moderation and a lack of excess–of what is mild or gentle. Think of what is equitable or fair. Or think propriety, and you’re starting to pick up what the apostle is laying down. Think of being even keeled, governed in action by the mind of Christ, and you start sensing how someone conducts themselves when they are rejoicing in the Lord, anxious for nothing, and praying about everything.

And this inner equilibrium is to be “known by everyone.” It is to be part of our persona as followers of Christ. An evidence of the peace of God which passes understanding, a witness to the heart and mind which are guarded in Christ Jesus. It’s that “something you’ve got” that others say they want. Not a fake cool-ness. Not a put on confidence. Not a well calculated act to try and show others we’ve got everything together. Rather, it’s the result of having sought the mind of Christ and of having submitted ourselves to the leading of the Spirit.

As such, we seek to avoid all manner of excess. By the Spirit’s enabling we desire to bring every thought into subjection under the truth of the gospel. In all circumstance we purpose, as much as lies in us, to be imitators of Christ. So that our reasonableness, our gentleness, might be known to everyone.

Why? The Lord is at hand. The Master is coming and will return at an hour we know not. Until then we are His ambassadors and are to be occupied with doing His bidding in His name. Engaged in His work and showing how one labors according to His way. Reflecting something of the light of His character though we are but jars of clay.

And so this command in the shadow emerges as a witness to those we encounter. Not just in what we do, but in how we go about doing it.

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.

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