Pure Water and Holy Living

Do you have a favorite brand of purified water? Aquafina, Deer Park, or Dasani? The other day it occurred to me, as my wife and I were walking down the isles of the grocery store, how many different brands of bottled water there are available on the shelves. Everything from name brand distilled and purified, to spring water and H2O2 filtered! Its amazing how much attention is given to the care and treatment of the most necessary element of the human body!

As I took the time to read some of the careful treatment processes of these brands, I learned it is no simple task to ensure a quality product for the valued consumer. Some processes include a 5 to 10 cycle filtration system; ensuring the removal of any and all chlorides, salts, and other substances which may effect the water's taste. In other words, it becomes the mission of the company to ensure the bottled product is an undeniably guranteed pure and true form!

After some time spent reading the labels and even later visiting the websites of some of these brands, it got me to thinking of the subject of holiness. I thought, "what if the child of God were to take the principles of water filtration and apply it to the discipline of holiness for the product of life they have been given by God?" A thoroughly devoted process of removing any and all substances which might effect the state of our heart, mind and soul in the presence of God.

I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 5:48, when he says, "be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Perfect? How is this even remotely possible given the helplessly depraved state of mankind? What does this mean? The Greek term Jesus uses here for "perfect" denotes a sense of lacking nothing necessary to completeness, finished. In other words, God wants us to be holy, pure, "perfect."

But how many "Christians" walk in such a determined process toward "perfection"? How many leave gaping holes in their spiritual filters allowing the world's contamination to bleed through the cycles of their lives - leaving little if any change in the spiritual content of their soul? How many neglect to remove the sinful influences and content from their homes, devices, and fellowship in an effort to consecrate themselves for the sake of purity for their Lord and Savior? How many take time to monitor and screen the activities and education of their children to lead them in the way of holiness before God?

Some will say, "well isn't that what God's grace is for? Jesus paid the price for my sin, so why should I have to worry so much about what I do?" To this objection I will appeal to the Apostle Paul who had this to say: "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin" (Rom 6:1-7)

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior means we have identified ourselves with his death - a death to sin. In other words, we have identified ourselves with the ultimate cause for purification; a determined process to remove sin and its influences from our lives. Jesus is our final filter for sin. He is the guarantee that any and all substances we have failed to remove in our commitment to be holy have been completely removed! That being said, commitment to personal holiness will never save us - it will never be thorough enough for God's approval. However, what holiness does do is prove to God that we have recognized Jesus' word and work as our authority for purity as well as our necessary filter of completion.

I believe God wants His Church to take holiness seriously. I believe He is tired of failed filtration efforts on our parts to remove sin from our lives. When God's children appeal to the grace of Christ to cover their failures without making any effort to live a holy life separate from the world - I believe they tell Him they do not take His work seriously. They just might be surprised to find that His final filter is not applied to them and their final product will be undeniably rejected by God when they stand before Him at the Great Throne of Judgment.

This is Me

Have you ever felt misunderstood as a person? That people have the real you confused with somebody else entirely? For years I've chosen to simply deny this kind of mentality in an effort to subdue the trend of depression I battled years ago in my young adulthood... but recently? Recently I've been somewhat perplexed by this idea that it just might be possible that people often  misunderstand me.

I'm not entirely sure why, but I felt motivated to share some things about myself with the blog-sphere in hopes that it might help you, and others, see me for who I believe I truly am. You may like what you read. You may not. It may confirm your suspicions or it just might dismiss them. Whatever the case - I feel compelled to share my heart.

I grew up in a Christian home. My parents loved me deeply and offered me all they could afford in hopes that I might grow up to be a man of God. When I was a teenager I fell in love with a girl I had hoped would become my future wife. It would seem my plans were heading the right direction. But God soon showed me He had other plans.

To keep it short and sweet, my attempts to rule my own life brought a roller-coaster ride of terrible depression, drugs, alcohol and reckless consequences into my young and sinfully arrogant life. I had a crushing wake up call which nearly cost me my life and freedom. I had no where to go but to turn back to God for answers which led me to the Teen Challenge program. I spent a year in the program which stripped me of most of my freedom; offering me sobriety and an appreciation for little things like clean clothes, food, and toilet paper. God was my strength to get me through.

While I was in the program God changed me. As I began to read the Bible, I quickly came to realize I was not at the center of the universe - but merely a dust-sized particle of severely limited value to serve in willful submission to the Almighty Living God. As I began to live for Him, I found life made a whole lot more sense. This gift of liberty would soon become my passion for others.

After Teen Challenge I went onto Bible College where I received my BA in pastoral ministry. There, I met and fell in love with with my darling wife Kate who has graced me with an absolute treasure of a daughter. The Lord has been so gracious to me in spite of my seemingly endless list of flaws and weaknesses. Truly I am undeserving of all the blessings I have in Him today.

It was through my wife I was introduced to The Salvation Army - this would be the calling that God would place on my life for full-time ministry. The idea of sharing the love of Jesus Christ through practical acts of service became the heartbeat of my life's mission. I see no greater cause in this whole world but to win people into the loving arms of Jesus so they might spend eternity with Him.

As I grow in my love and service to God, so does my love for His word each passing day. I know the Truth of God's Word reveals the path of salvation for all mankind (John 3:16-17). I know that He is loving, patient, faithful and true; not wanting anyone to die but to turn away from sin (2 Pet 3:9). He is also holy, righteous and just - and will judge everyone for what they have done whether good or evil in this life (2 Cor 5:10).

So... eternity is no trivial matter to me; it is a matter of life and death forever. When eternity is on the line - the few short years spent in this world are far too short to play games with the grace of God. For those who live in rebellion against His will, I am compelled by God's great love to call you to repent from sin and turn to Jesus Christ as your loving Savior. He offers you a life of hope and holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit to guide you.

For those of you who do call on Jesus as your Lord, I am driven to remind you to live according to God's holy commands as we will all have to give an account for every thought, word and deed in this fleeting life. We must be careful to be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy (1 Pet 1:15) and not serve as a stumbling block to others, causing them to sin (Rom 14:13).

The world and the devil want you to believe that life is all there is and that eternity is just a fantasy. They want you to believe that God's grace has you covered so you can live in sin without any concern of judgment to come in the life after. They want you to believe God's word isn't trustworthy; that its full of flaws and inconsistencies so you might resort to your own code of morality. They want you to believe anything but the Truth of God's Holy Word so you might suffer the fate of eternity alongside the wicked in Hell. But I love you too much to ignore you. You can count on me, whether you like it or not, to speak the Truth of God's Word as He has offered it for mankind - because it has personally set me free from a path leading to sure destruction.

When I warn you of sin, it is only because I love you enough to make you aware of very real danger. Its because God has no concern about your feeling comfortable while wandering about in the cross-hairs of His wrath set on sin. Its not about trying to stroke my own ego or parade around in some kind of self-righteous robe with God-ordained privileges; I am neither perfect nor will ever claim to be. Its about God's desire to see you live life as He intended for you - free from the bondage and misery of sin. Don't be angry... this is me - I am just a messenger.

Treating the Sickness

Have you ever been offered a remedy that sounded rediculous or inconvenient in order to cure an ailment? Something which was altogether different, unconventional or even insulting in order to bring about the healing you needed?

I recall a time when such a remedy was prescribed for me in order to heal a skin deformity on my foot. I went to the doctor expecting some kind of shot or surgical operation in order to remove it. Instead, what he gave me was a prescription for a pill and an interesting diet. I wanted a quick fix and to forget about it, but the doctor had me commit to a steady discipline of work and treatment in order to receive the help I needed. 

In the book of 2 Kings chapter five, a soldier by the name of Naaman was suffering with leprosy, a skin disease which often effected the nervous and immune systems, often fatal over time. He soon came to the prophet Elisha searching for help and healing from his disease. Elisha told Naaman to go and wash himself in the Jordan river seven times to be cleansed of his leprosy. When he heard these instructions, he became insulted because the Jordan was not his idea of a clean river for washing, much less healing. Nevertheless, he did so and found himself cleansed from the terrible and degenerative disease!

Sin is such a disease, 'though in a spiritual sense. We seek the Lord for help and healing from it. Yet, when He instructs us to act upon our faith in Him, to give up the things we love or surrender our expectations of healing, we often feel insulted and humiliated by the reactions we receive from our friends and family.

Sometimes The Lord will ask us to do something small and repetitively over time. Other times he may ask us to make a decision to give up something big or important to us in exchange for full restoration. Whatever the case may be, whatever instructions the Lord may have for us, we should consider His wisdom greater than our own and embrace them with joy. Because in the end, we will find healing as long as we are willing to obey His commands.

Do you seek healing from sin? Has The Lord given you instructions to treat the effects of your disease? Are you insulted by them or are you willing to follow his prescription for holiness? In the end, the choice for healing is yours. 

Going the Way of the World

Why does the Bible so often contrast holiness with worldliness? What is implied by suggesting the ways of the world are contrary to godliness?

Throughout the history of ancient Israel there is a recurring theme that teaches the church of the dangers of pagan (worldly) influences: "they did evil in the eyes of The Lord and followed the ways of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin." 

The reign of Jeroboam became known as a reference point of corruption in the history of Israel's leadership. In fact, when kings retained the practice of pagan ideals and compromised the holy standards for God's chosen nation of Israel, they were compared with Jeroboam, son of Nebat (1-2 Kings). 

It is said that Jeroboam, as well as the kings who followed his ways, led Israel to worship golden calves (as false images of Yaweh), and offer sacrifices to the pagan goddess Asherah and the god of Baal.  

Asherah was a fertility goddess who was worshipped as the wife of El (or the great God of Creation); she is regarded as the mother of all living or the queen of heaven (Holman Bible Dictionary). Today she may be regarded by her more popular name, "Mother Nature."

Baal, also connected with fertility, was the Canaaninte god who served as, "lord" or "master" over mankind; his title was Prince, or Lord of the Earth. In the book of Ephesians, Baal is merely another term for Satan (Eph 2:2); the prince of the power of the air (the god of this world/age).

In 2 Kings 17, God's chosen people begin to see the consequences of their corruption and sacrilege manifesed in the form of banishment and bondage. Fashioned once again by the chains of slavery and suffering because they choose to abandon the ways of God, who is their salvation, for the pagan practices and philosophies of the world. 

There is much we can learn from the needless suffering Israel faced as a result of their corruption and compromises. When we refuse to tear down the various forms of idolatry and sensuality in our lives, we only misrepresent God to the world as though we are worshipping golden calves. When we play the game that Mother Nature is our common maternal caregiver with the world, we assume The Lord is not the one True Sovereign over all things. When we are mastered by the fruitless deeds of darkness in this world, we are giving ourselves over to the Baals; the devil and demons of the spiritual realm whose chief aim is to "steal, kill and destroy" us from having and living in the knowledge of Truth. 

Is this what we have become in our nation today? Compromising holiness for sensuality and materialism? Are we inviting bondage and brokenness back into our heritage as a nation, Or are we willing to seek the Lord's will and tear down the strongholds of corrupt influences in our lives that may serve as a stumbling block to us and our children in the future? What will we do with the freedom afforded us by our Sovereign Lord, Jesus Christ?

May we be wise in these final days and abandon the ways of Jeroboam, the ways of the world. By shining as the Way to the Father, through continued obedient faith in Christ, we will influence the world for hope instead of the world influencing the church with destruction. 

Conditioning for Eternity

This year I was inspired to get working on  conditioning my body (temple) so I might be better fit for service in the kingdom of God. Thanks to my wife, as my accountability, I have managed to maintain a 3-4 day/week exercise routine for the past two months and the results are already starting to show! I genuinely feel better about myself and have developed a greater sense of awareness of things which may hurt the conditioning process of my body.

This week I came across the verse in 1 Timothy that says, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Tim 4:8). 

Godliness is the most beneficial element for living, and just as the health benefits for the body come through endurance and strength conditioning, so do the benefits for the entire human being (body, mind and soul) through spiritual conditioning (i.e. godliness). 

Just as it takes work to reap the benefits of a healthy body, so the same principle applies to spiritual, mental and emotional health. We must seize the opportunity of our brief existence and bring our body, mind and soul under the conditioning of godliness. According to Paul the Apostle's counsel to Timothy - it will benefit this life as well as the life to come!

As we breathe, and move and have our being here in this life, may we not squander our precious time with things that do not play a conditioning role to the health of our mind, body and spirit. May godliness be our daily exercise while we have the time available to on this side of Heaven. 

Searching for the Lost Key

Today started out like a dream. I got to sleep in and share breakfast with my wife, and I had time to exercise before I had to head to work around noon. That is until... I couldn't find the key to the car. I retraced every step I could possibly remember where I'd been last night before bed and I could not come up with the missing keys. I searched through laundry, under the bed covers, all the usual spots we leave our pocket items and still nothing!

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, asking the Lord to help me find them without losing my head. Suddenly I had the thought, "the chair!" Things fall out of our pockets in the recliner all the time, maybe the keys fell through the cracks. I flipped the recliner over to search the cracks and there on the floor was the lost key! My peace was restored and my sanity remained in tact as I let my wife know after 30 minutes of searching that I'd found the lost key.

Immediately after I found the key, I was reminded of the the woman in Jesus' parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). She swept her house, and searched carefully until she found what she was looking for. Jesus said, "In the same way, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." The rejoicing in light of the labor involved to find what once was lost is an eruption of sheer joy in heaven; that upon the moment of confession and conversion, a sinner reborn into a saint brings God the same joy as I had when I found the lost key. Why would I not want play my part in the search for the lost - that God might have such joy in the sinner who repents?

Thank you Lord for this insightful illustration today. I pray for those who bring you joy in their repentance today - being found in your grace!

Thanks be to God

Is it any surprise that 2013 has already come barreling down the pike toward the finish line of the holidays? Christmas decorations have been up now in stores since as early as the day after Halloween and in some occasions even weeks earlier! Thanksgiving is upon us and it would appear that our mixed bag of emotions has hardly taken the time to process the occasion for which we draw together to give thanks for.

I propose, everyone falls into one of 3 major categories concerning the subject of Thanksgiving:

1. Those who readily are able to express their thanks for all they have and even offer praise to God as the source for which all things come.
2. Those who have experienced so much turmoil over the years that it is hardly possible to collect a single thought of thanksgiving at all.
3. Those who tend to keep a scorecard of things worth thanksgiving and things not worth thanksgiving; often resulting in more negative results than positive.

Whichever category we happen to fall into, I should like to think there are certain things that all of us can agree on to some extent that are worthy of expressing thanks; all of which trace their roots back to God Himself.

Let us begin by declaring, "Thanks be to God" for the following priceless gifts:

• For Life: God is our Heavenly Creator and these aspects reveal its value to us as something we should give our thanks to God. 
• Pleasure: God made us for His pleasure and it is in Him that we find our greatest pleasure (Gen 3; Matt 16:15; Col 1:16). 
• Purpose:  God gave man ability and responsibility (Gen 2:15; Jer 29:11; Eccl 12:13.
• Privilege: God gave man the greatest privilege in the order of Creation (to bear His image) (Gen 1:26; Ps 8:4-6).

• The French philosopher, Rene Descartes, said "I think, therefore I am"... meaning that even if all we can do is doubt our worth - the fact that we can "think" at all proves we have more value than nothing. God wants us to discover life in its fullest as He intended.

•  For Truth: God is our Divine Teacher and these aspects reveal its value to us as something we should give our thanks to God.
• Logic: God has given man the unique ability to reason and rule (Rom 1:20). To arrive at conclusions means we are capable of discerning what is true from what is false.
• Law: God has given mankind His holy standards (Psalm 119; Rom 7:7; 1 John 2:4), in order that he might live right before Him.
• Love: God has demonstrated truth in the life of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 15:10; Rom 5:8); the Way, the Truth and the Life.

• Like driving on a highway without a single source of light is nothing short of suicide, so is life without truth. It is the substance which reveals the way to God and it is written clearly in the pages of God's Holy Word, the Bible.

 

• For Hope: God is our Gracious Redeemer and these aspects reveal its value to us as something we should give our thanks to God.
• Redemption: Jesus paid the price for our sin (Rom 3:24-26; Eph 1:7; Col 1:20); in his death, the wrath of God upon sin is fully satisfied.
• Resurrection: Jesus offers new life by his authority and victory over death (John 11:25; Rom 6:4); taking our sin and shame to the grave then triumphing over it!
• Reward: Jesus is preparing a place for God's people (John 14:1-6; 2 Cor 4:18); an eternal abode where we can bask in His presence for eternity.

• The cross was once an object of hellish terror; a Roman instrument of oppressive domination. But the work of Christ transformed it into the ultimate symbol of hope; a reminder of the amazing grace of God.

As we approach the holiday of giving thanks, may we think about such precious gifts our Heavenly Father has given to us. Life is so much more than the trivial things and circumstances we find ourselves caught up in day after day. When we pause this Thanksgiving to express our thanks - may we be reminded of the treasures God has given us in Life, Truth and Hope; that we may live in the fullness of peace that He offers us through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord!

God bless you and have a most Happy Thanksgiving in Jesus' name!