when a day starts rocky...

You know your day is off to a rocky start when the post you published the night before is still on your computer screen as a draft...

And then the morning... instead of beginning with the usual routine... of quiet and prayer... turns into a list of to do's...

But 95% of it is preparation for ministry...
editing pages promised to another who asked for the blessing of teaching what the sister and I wrote (with His help)...
editing pages to lead the next journey... which takes off in just two days...
formatting a prayer sheet... to share with others...

And I've come to this place in my walk with Him...
where I really shouldn't consider a day rocky...
if I believe... trust... He's sovereign...
and I begin my day with thoughts of...
This day... Your way...

And I also have to consider...
all these to do's... I do for Him... with Him...
Are they part of early morning quiet with Him...?
even when it feels a little frantic...?
and I'd rather sit quietly...?

Some days... rocky...
requires remembering...
He's the Rock...

He only is my rock and may salvation, my fortress;

I shall not be shaken.

Psalm 62:6 ESV

rest in Him...

Ask and it will be given to you...

Matthew 7:7 ESV

The more I ask...

the more I believe...

the more I rest in Him...

I asked...

He answered...

a new series to pursue...

Rest in Him...

What does it mean...?

What does His Word reveal...?

We'll see... when we begin tomorrow...

Thank You... Lord... for answering when I ask...

Amen...

wait on Him... Hebrews 9:27-28...

And just as it is appointed for man to die once,

and after that comes judgment, so Christ,

having been offered once to bear the sins of many,

will appear a second time, not to deal with sin

but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV

Man dies but once...

then judgment...

So Jesus...

dying once... as an offering for sin...

was judged sinless...

raised again to life...

life eternal...

He's coming back...

but He will not deal with sin...

that's done... judgment is set...

"... Whoever believes in him is not condemned,

but whoever does not believe is condemned already,

because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ..."

John 3:18 ESV

He's coming to gather up... those who believe...

those eagerly waiting... for Him...

Do you believe...? 

Is He coming back for you...? 

Or have you condemned yourself...? with unbelief...?

If you believe...

wait eagerly...

He is coming for you...!

believers... are... changed...

Three things converged...
three things seemingly unconnected... but now all tied up...
three things bringing clarity... stirring holy discontent... and a reason to preach...

First... today's word for the after school Bible lesson...changed...
a word inextricably tied to believing...

To be changed... is to be different than before...
the word for the Bible lesson led me to review my journey of change...

From the moment He captured my heart in an ICU waiting room... something happened in my spirit that distinctly changed... me...

It wasn't like God and the gospel were new to me...
they were things I would have told you I believed...
but really... there had been no change in my life...
therefore I really didn't believe...

Changes began with a commitment... desire... to seek Him out...
in His Word...
in prayer...

Changes began with the understanding that He is right...
I am wrong...
His Word true...
my way skewed...

Changes began to be revealed...
ones I hadn't tried to change... they... just... changed...
my taste in movies... books...
these changes caught me by surprise...

Yes... Believers... are... changed...

In addition to the Bible lesson...
I've pulled out a Bible study I began writing years ago...
one unfinished...
one on faith... and how to exercise it...

Reviewing... rewriting...
preparing to actually teach it...
the first lesson is... believe...

So in addition to the focus on being changed...
I've begun mulling over anew what it means to believe...

To be a Believer... we must... believe...
(1) there is a God... a single Creator... Three Persons in One...
(2) He is who He says He is... Sovereign... Almighty... All Knowing...
(3) we are sinners... broken... corrupt... perverted... in our reasoning and understanding...
(4) we must believe Jesus came to save us... the Son of God... God Himself... full of grace... mercy.... truth...
(5) we must believe Scripture... receive it literally as God's Word... breathed out by Him...

The gift of faith... leads to true believing...
an act of grace... on which we act...
in order to be changed... and... continue changing...

The third piece of these entangled thoughts...
center on the General Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC)...

I currently attend... worship... with a United Methodist congregation...
this week the UMC is conducting their once every four year conference...
to consider change to the church discipline... doctrine... what they say they believe...

As with many other mainstream denominations...
they are seeking to change His Word... His Way...
make Him more in line with the world...
make Him more palatable to the twenty-first century...

And here is where I get stirred... especially with thoughts of changed... and believe... floating around in my heart...

Believers DON'T change His Word... His Way...
Believers understand we are broken...
Believers subject... surrender... themselves... to the process of change...

He is the Rock...
Unchangeable... Immutable... Eternal... Trustworthy...

For in Scripture it says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

1 Peter 2:8

When we try to change Him...
it's only to our detriment...

"The stone the the builders rejected has become the capstone," and,

"A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."

1 Peter 2:7-8

So I have to wonder at Believers who say they believe...
yet don't allow Him to change them...
but fight... strive... connive... to change Him... His Word... His Way...

The challenge I gave to fourth graders today... I give to you...
Look at your life... since you've said you believe... if you call yourself a Believer...
Have you changed...? can you identify changes in your life...? your thoughts...? your desires...?
If not... ask Him for faith to believe... ask Him to change you...

It is a prayer with an automatic... Yes...

"Ask and it will be given to you;

seek, and you will find;

knock, and it will be opened to you. ..."

Matthew 7:7 ESV

Because it's just true... Believers... are... changed...

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men

but in the sight of God chosen and precious,

you yourselves like living stones are being built up

as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood,

to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God

through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:2 ESV

understanding...

From the beginning... we have been looking at things and making decisions based on our own understanding... deciding for ourselves what is good... and what is evil...

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:6 ESV

This is a big mistake... a sin in fact... that leads to death...

Even before we sinned... we were judging... discerning... wrongly...

We were not created to make these decisions on our own... 

We were created to listen... and obey Him... who judges perfectly... and deems all things good... or evil...

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon the earth. Selah

Psalm 67:4 ESV

Understanding... that we weren't created to use our own understanding... has sort of astounded me... I always assumed sin broke our ability to discern correctly... but we were never equipped to make such judgments...

And I see even greater futility... after the Fall... of living a life based on our own understanding and reason... rather than on God's Word... Scripture... and direction from the Holy Spirit...

Some define God... by their own reason... and understanding...

There are statements on [the Bible's] pages that I don't believe capture the character and will of God. ...

---Adam Hamilton, Making Sense of the Bible

It's not ours to understand... or decide what we believe about God... it's ours to accept what He reveals in His Word... and walk in it by faith...

Wrestle with the hard parts... Yes... but do not succumb to the temptation of fitting it into your own understanding and judgment of who you believe Him to be...

Just because we don't like what we read... doesn't mean it's not true...

He warns...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 ESV

Faith... is about trusting Him... His Word... His Way... no matter what we think... or how much we understand...

Ours is to trust and obey...

This week's readings for The Journey...
Monday                   Leviticus 14
Tuesday                   Leviticus 15
Wednesday              Leviticus 16
Thursday                  Leviticus 17-18
Friday                      Leviticus 19

all have died... including you...

This morning's Bonhoeffer...

In the incarnation, God's becoming human, we know the love of God for his creation; in the crucifixion we know the judgment of God on all flesh; in the resurrection we know the will of God for a new world.

---Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You

Crucifixion... God's judgment on all flesh...

...we have concluded this:

that one has died for all, therefore all have died...

2 Corinthians 5:14 ESV

And I see it... all flesh is dead... therefore to operate out of our flesh... makes the way for corruption... decay... because that's what dead flesh does... disintegrates... in a very foul way...

For the one who sows to his own flesh

will from the flesh reap corruption,

but the one who sows to the Spirit

will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Galatians 6:8 ESV

So why... as Believers... do we continue... to let flesh... lead... and drive... our decisions... choices... thinking...?

Because... we forget... God is God... and we are not...

People believe a lie over the truth of God (Rom. 1:25). What's the lie? This fallen nature in us believes that we're smarter than God. I've never met anyone who will say that, but I've met hundreds of people who live like that: "I'm smarter than God."

---Matt Chandler, "Youth", in The Scriptures Testify about Me

When we choose... to use our own reasoning... or agree with human wisdom... philosophy... understanding... science... over the Word... His Word... we are saying... I'm smarter than God... He's just wrong here...

This is not a place I want to go... fear of the Lord... takes hold of my heart... spirit... at this point... and this... is the beginning of wisdom...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

Fools... despise... His Word... His commands... His instruction...

God says, "Remember my law because if you remember my law and practice my law you will see how great and beautiful and amazing I am and how much I love you and how much I am trying to lead you into how I designed things to work for the glory of my name and your ultimate joy."

---Matt Chandler, "Youth", in The Scriptures Testify about Me 

Recognize... where you are living from flesh... choosing corruption... decay... over life... joy... peace...

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;

whoever is discerning, let him know them;

for the ways of the Lord are right,

and the upright walk in them,

but transgressors stumble in them.

Hosea 14:9 ESV

do you know you're free...?

As a new creation in Christ Jesus... we are free...from the power of sin... and death...

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2 ESV

How does this truth play out in your day-to-day life...? do you feel free...? 

I know I struggle... struggle with sin... fear... anxiety... struggle to find peace... wrestle with feelings of guilt... and shame...

What about you...?

But He says... we are free... dead to sin... 

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36 ESV

Seems to boil down to a belief issue... or more to the point... unbelief...

Do you believe it...? that you are free...? from the power of sin... and death...?

Is unbelief keeping you from living the resurrected life...? living out what is already yours...?

This has been a theme in my life lately... books... songs... reminding... explaining... what it means to be in Him...

Oh, it is a great thing to see that we are in Christ! Think of the bewilderment of trying to get into a room in which you already are! Think of the absurdity of asking to be put in! If we recognize the fact that we are in, we make no effort to enter. If we had more revelation, we should have fewer prayers and more praises. We spend so much time praying for ourselves just because we are blind to what God has done.

---Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life

Are you fighting for what you already have...? blind to what He has done...? in you...? for you...?

Before going to bed the other night... I tried to lock the back door...
The lock had been sticking lately... but I literally could not turn the deadbolt...
I was getting really frustrated...
then I realized... it was already locked...!

A picture for me... of the reality of the frustration... anger... confusion... we face when we try to achieve something that's already been done for us...

All there was for me to do... was accept that the door was locked... and go to bed (wondering if early onset dementia was in my future)...!

How often do we struggle with sin... wondering why God won't answer our prayer... make us more patient... kinder... merciful...? give us power to resist temptation...?

Well... consider... you are already dead to sin... it has no power over you... it does not need to be fought for with your will... and your strength... it's already done...

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:8-11 ESV

The Greek translated as... must consider... is an accounting term... a record keeping term involving debits and credits (Louw-Nida)... so Paul is telling us that we must believe ourselves dead to sin... and alive to God... in the same manner and surety... as we balance our checking accounts...

Believe it with the same acceptance... as I did the locked door...

I suppose I could have kept on struggling with the lock... letting unbelief have its way... but that would be stupid... insane actually...

Perhaps we need to consider... and count on... the promises and truths... He says we have in Him... and stop trying to get something... do something... be something... we already are... if we would just accept it...

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:13-14 ESV

(emphasis added)

Just simply present yourself to Him... 

accepting His death... as yours... 

accepting His life... as yours...

He doesn't want your effort... or sacrifices... He wants you...

He wants your heart...

Are you willing to give it to Him...? wholly...?

[email subscribers... click here to view on YouTube... or click the post title to view on Jeremiah's Menu...]

Believe Him wholly... and live free...

And my God will supply every need of yours

according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.

Philippians 4:19-20 ESV

a question of faith...?

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 NLT

Is it really a question of faith...? this cynicism... rooted deep...?

Faith = confidence that what we hope will happen

I have very distinct hopes... 

but confidence that they will come to pass...?

not so much...

Where's the line between faith... and presumption...?

Shallow faith...? is that really what's at issue...?

By faith we understand 

that the universe was created by the word of God, 

so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Hebrews 11:3 ESV

This I can do... 

understand that the universe was created by the Word... 

visible made from invisible...

Perhaps I need to return to the beginning...

become grounded in the Truth...

God makes things visible... out of the invisible...

nothing needed... to create... what is hoped for...

the power of His Word... enough...

Perhaps I need to emulate the father of the faithful... 

take lessons from Abraham...

We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in the Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing.

Romans 4:17 Msg

Lord... if I can believe... have faith... that You created the entire universe... and everything in it... out of nothing... then I can certainly... believe You can bring my hopes... to reality... even when there is no sign of change... Lord... I believe... in the power of Your Word... Amen...

who's watching...?

Thoughts from Sunday... trigger thoughts here... for today...

Therefore, since we are surrounded 

by so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us also lay aside every weight, 

and sin which clings so closely, 

and let us run with endurance 

the race that is set before us...

Hebrews 12:1 ESV

Believers... we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses... that these watchful eyes... should inspire the laying aside of everything dragging us down... and sin that binds...

In context... this verse follows the great list of faithful... the witnesses referred to here... those done running... successfully lived out lives of faith... endured... and they should encourage us to run well too... but I just wonder... 

Who else is watching...?

A world of unbelievers watches... our performance in the race reveals the validity of what we say we believe... 

The most important of these unbelievers... our own children... grandchildren... nieces... nephews... those running after us...

No one comes into this world believing (with the exception of Jesus)... we all must come to a point where we decide what we believe based on the evidence laid out before us...

What have your children witnessed in your life...?

What about neighbors...? coworkers...? friends...?

It makes me squirm... just a bit... to consider what others see in me as evidence of faith...?

Have I laid down every weight...? fear...? anxiety...? 

These things I used to power lift...

Have I replaced them with trust in Him...? 

Oh... and sin... that which clings... entangles... 

What is seen...? selfishness...? sarcasm...? words that bite...? arrogance...? (That's as far as I'll go here...)

Have I been growing in holiness...? 

Do I walk the walk...? or just talk the talk...?

Who is watching...?

He's watching...

Fear of the Lord should definitely inspire endurance... 

but most of all... 

His love... 

the love that motivated Him... 

to endure... 

for the joy set before Him...

So how do we run... surrounded by onlookers... witnesses...?

... looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy set before him endured the cross...

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

Let His love for you... 

ignite love for Him... 

and in turn love for others...

You can't run the race... any better than this...

Just keep asking yourself... Who's watching...?