Word for 2012

My word for the year 2012

                Yes, I know I am a few days into the year already.  But since I make goals, not resolutions, I think it is all right to wait to make sure I have the right things in mind from the Lord before I commit them to writing.

                In my reading from DeVern Fromke’s book, Unto Full Stature, now out of print, he emphasizes that, in order to grow up into the fullness of Christ, we need to have a change in “vision-perspective.”  That is, we have spent enough time being self-centered; we must see our need to become God-centered.  It is no longer about what God can do for us; He has already “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).  It now becomes about what He wants us to be and to do with His Spirit dwelling within us to guide and to empower us.

                In Mr. Fromke’s book he talks about a friend of his who had adopted the slogan, “Keep Looking Down.” He, the author, thought  that sounded a little discouraged until his friend told him he got that from Ephesians 2:6 that says, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus . . .”  If that is where we are seated in spirit right now, we have the right/privilege of looking at things from God’s point of view. 

                That perspective makes all the difference.  When we are at the bottom of a high hill looking up, it may appear rather daunting; when we are in an airplane flying over that same hill, it doesn’t look so bad.  When we try to face life’s problems on our own, we can get fairly discouraged; when we see those problems from God’s point of view, knowing that He is able to empower us to do “all things in Christ who strengthens” us, it makes us wonder sometimes why we were so worried.

                Our world is in pretty much of a mess right now.  Do we choose to get discouraged about it, or let the Holy Spirit remind us that God is in control?  I think how we approach our places in the world depends upon whether we are at the bottom looking at how high the junk pile has gotten or seated with Jesus in the heavenlies looking at things from God’s point of view.  Never forget that He has a plan and He is bringing it all to fruition in His own good time.

                From my heart to yours, “Keep Looking Down.”

Psalm 34:21

Psalm 34:21

            “Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.”

            I have been thinking of these words for several months now, but have not put anything in writing about them until now.  This word from the psalmist does not say that God will slay the sinner.  It says, instead, that the practice of evil will itself bring about death and destruction.  The “thief” comes to “kill, steal and destroy.”  God’s way of righteous living will bring with it the benefits of “life to the full.”  Someone has written that “live spelled backwards comes out evil.”  So living in evil is the opposite of life?  I think God’s answer would be “YES.”  Emphatically.

            Perhaps an example from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings gives an insight into the working of evil in a person’s life.  The most pitiable character in the book to me is Gollum.  Having access to the Ring of Power for so many years, when that power is essentially the concentrated evil of Sauron, the Dark King, did two things to Gollum.  It extended the extent of his life many years beyond the normal years of a man (hobbit).  But it also robbed him of any quality of life, draining him of his relationships, his light, his humanity, and, ultimately, taking him to his destruction in the fires of Mount Doom when both he and the Ring were destroyed. 

            The only source of real life is Jesus, the Lord of Life.  “He that has the Son [Jesus] has life . . .”  Without Him we are storing up destruction for ourselves.  Indeed, we are already “dead in trespasses and sins.”  Only when we come to Him can we begin to really live.

            We have before the way of death, evil, and the way of life, Jesus.  Which do we choose?

Living with Fire

“LIVING WITH FIRE”

Matthew 3:11

I.  God sends His Fire/Holy Spirit for cleansing.  Malachi 3:1-3

A.  His character is that of a “spirit-cleaner”

B.  The process of purifying silver

II.  God sends His Fire/Holy Spirit for empowerment.  Acts 1:8

A.  His instruction to the church – Matthew 10:7-8

B.  His promise to believers – John 14:10-13

III.  God sends His Fire/Holy Spirit for boldness.  Acts 4:23-31

A.  God does not give us a Spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-control.  2 Tim. 1:7

B.  God intends for us to speak forth His greatness and goodness.  Acts 2:14-21

            When I think of the phrase, “Living with Fire,” I think of all three of those things listed; but I also think of something more – of living in total love with Jesus that gives life a quality of excitement and expectation.  Many of us may have lost that awareness of His joy that we had at first.  Perhaps the cares of this world have crowded Him to the background of our thinking and living.  Perhaps we have been distracted by the voices of the world that call us away from Him.  The Bible tells us that we are always in danger of “quenching the Spirit,” of putting out His fire in us.  Since He chooses to speak in a still, small voice, it is easy to ignore Him and to allow His fire to burn low.  The Apostle Paul had to go so far as to instruct his younger protégé, Timothy, “to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

            I have a three-year-old grand-daughter that reminds me of how God intends for me to live every day.  She has gotten into the habit of walking and running on her tiptoes everywhere she goes.  She may wear out the soles of her shoes, but the heels will be brand new.  I want to live that way.  Each new day is an opportunity for God to fire me up and turn me loose in the world as someone ablaze for Him.  I want to live on tiptoe with love and joy and the excitement of living for Jesus in the fullness of His Holy Spirit.

            In the Old Testament Moses has become a pattern for me.  In Exodus 34:29-35, we read about how Moses would go into the Lord’s presence to speak with Him, when he came out the skin on his face would be shining with the glory of God.  He had to put a veil over his face so the Israelites would not be afraid of him.  I long to see us believers with the shine of Jesus on our faces.  My desire is to be so alive to God that, like Peter and John, others will “recognize” that I have “been with Jesus.”

            What do we need to do to live with fire?  Do we need a re-kindling of the fire within us today?  Are we on tiptoe with excitement for what God is going to do in us and through us for our generation?

Are we cleansed, empowered and emboldened to carry Him with us everywhere we go?

Christian Maturity

MOMENTS OF LISTENING

Quote for the Day – “As spiritual fathers we are called to be expressive of Him.  We are not merely instruments in His hand – working for Him but we are allowing Him to live and manifest Himself through us.   As we continue in His viewpoint we shall appreciate the unfolding of full stature.”  -- DeVern Fromke, Unto Full Stature, p.15

Reading the Moment – Mr. Fromke writes that one of the marks of Christian maturity is that we come into the stage of spiritual fatherhood in which we move beyond wanting to do things for God and desire to truly work      with Him in manifesting Him to our world.  This is moving beyond “carnalism” but not going into           “perfectionism” with its critical superiority attitude.

Reflecting on the Moment

            Is there a passage of Scripture that comes to mind that sheds light on this moment?

              Ephesians 1:11f – “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him      who works everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we,  were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

              Hebrews 12: 10 – “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines     us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”

              John 1:12 – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent,  of human decision or a husband’s will, but born     of God.”

            My Reflections --                                                                       

              It strikes me that becoming a “spiritual father” or simply becoming a mature Christian makes me, at least, more intensely aware of the desire to do more than good works for God.  That awareness causes me to             think seriously about making manifest the presence of Jesus in the kind and style of life that I live before a             world that is watching me, whether or not they realize or I realize that they are doing so.  My self-centered- ness cannot accomplish that; I must become God-centered for anyone else to see Jesus in me. God-         centeredness can only happen when my mind is renewed so that I am attending to the presence of the Holy    Spirit within me.  In this new year of 2012, may as many of us as are like-minded with me join in my quest   to be fully alive in and to the Spirit so that “the beauty of Jesus” may be seen in us and through us to the            world He gave Himself to bring into His glory.

Reaching up prayerfully

            “Lord Jesus, please fill me to overflowing with Your own Holy Spirit as You promised in John 14-16.  I am giving You the right and openness to do in me and with me whatever will bring that deep relationship about.  I am an unworthy vessel; but You have chosen me as a conduit of the “Treasure,” and I respect Your choices.  May the people of God join me in a holy Quest to make manifest Your presence in Greeley and the world.  Amen.”

End Quote

            1 John 2:13 – “I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.”

Living with Fire

“LIVING WITH FIRE”

Matthew 3:11

I.  God sends His Fire/Holy Spirit for cleansing.  Malachi 3:1-3

A.  His character is that of a “spirit-cleaner”

B.  The process of purifying silver

II.  God sends His Fire/Holy Spirit for empowerment.  Acts 1:8

A.  His instruction to the church – Matthew 10:7-8

B.  His promise to believers – John 14:10-13

III.  God sends His Fire/Holy Spirit for boldness.  Acts 4:23-31

A.  God does not give us a Spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-control.  2 Tim. 1:7

B.  God intends for us to speak forth His greatness and goodness.  Acts 2:14-21

            When I think of the phrase, “Living with Fire,” I think of all three of those things listed; but I also think of something more – of living in total love with Jesus that gives life a quality of excitement and expectation.  Many of us may have lost that awareness of His joy that we had at first.  Perhaps the cares of this world have crowded Him to the background of our thinking and living.  Perhaps we have been distracted by the voices of the world that call us away from Him.  The Bible tells us that we are always in danger of “quenching the Spirit,” of putting out His fire in us.  Since He chooses to speak in a still, small voice, it is easy to ignore Him and to allow His fire to burn low.  The Apostle Paul had to go so far as to instruct his younger protégé, Timothy, “to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

            I have a three-year-old grand-daughter that reminds me of how God intends for me to live every day.  She has gotten into the habit of walking and running on her tiptoes everywhere she goes.  She may wear out the soles of her shoes, but the heels will be brand new.  I want to live that way.  Each new day is an opportunity for God to fire me up and turn me loose in the world as someone ablaze for Him.  I want to live on tiptoe with love and joy and the excitement of living for Jesus in the fullness of His Holy Spirit.

            In the Old Testament Moses has become a pattern for me.  In Exodus 34:29-35, we read about how Moses would go into the Lord’s presence to speak with Him, when he came out the skin on his face would be shining with the glory of God.  He had to put a veil over his face so the Israelites would not be afraid of him.  I long to see us believers with the shine of Jesus on our faces.  My desire is to be so alive to God that, like Peter and John, others will “recognize” that I have “been with Jesus.”

            What do we need to do to live with fire?  Do we need a re-kindling of the fire within us today?  Are we on tiptoe with excitement for what God is going to do in us and through us for our generation?

Are we cleansed, empowered and emboldened to carry Him with us everywhere we go?