The God of Our Mistakes

 

For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.  (1 Sam 12:22-23)

 

The children of Israel had sinned greatly in asking for an earthly king and rejecting the Heavenly King. They looked away from God and looked to the world, and if we are not careful, we are sure to do the same. Yet the Lord did not use Israel’s disobedience against them, but He lovingly rebuked them and set Himself to bless them still. As such, He is not only our God when we make right choices, but also when our choices are poor. He is our God, even of our mistakes.

 

God chose us as members of His body and church, and He knew what He was doing. He did not choose us because we were righteous and able (we were not), but out of His love and His sovereign right as God, He made us who we are by His grace. Our goodness did not qualify us, nor will our shortcomings disqualify us, because His mind is already made up about us;

 

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33)

 

Therefore, the children God chooses must operate with a deeply–rooted confidence in the God who knows us best, and we follow Him with boldness and assurance even in precarious times. Even our good deeds and good intentions are not the point – they are simply the overflow of the life hidden with God in Christ. So, stay hidden, and go forward with the God Who sees you in the secret place and rewards you openly. He will never leave nor forsake you – even when you blow it!

God is Good

“Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” (Matthew 20:15)

 

God’s word has gone out into the entire world, and the world has largely rejected His call. Jesus came to the Jews, and they largely rejected Him. He reached out to the Gentiles, and they, too, largely reject the Savior. Men go about their way in futility, seeking to gain what they cannot keep, and turning away from that which will keep them forever. The church, however, is the clearest indication on earth that the Lord is good, and His goodness is beyond the wildest dreams of man. It is born out of a love we cannot contain or explain, and we do well to be counted among those who choose the One who has chosen us! Welcome to the family of God!

Prayers and Answers

 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14, 15)

 

There are some prayers God is guaranteed to answer. There are some petitions He will always grant, supplication that turns His head, and request He is anxious to fulfill. The prayer warrior is not contending with a stingy and reluctant God, nor is he wrestling blessing out of a tight fist – but he rests His cares at the feet of his Father, Who already know what he needs. He is not looking for the answer only, but looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith, and the One who fills all his every need.

 

Truly, there is not a good question for which Jesus is not the answer, and no human need He Himself does not fill. The intercessor prays the prayers he heard Jesus pray, and Jesus never offered a prayer the Father did not answer and honor . . .

"Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me.” (John 11:41b, 42a)

 

Jesus prioritized His relationship to the Father, always honoring, praising, emulating, and abiding in Him. Therefore, His prayers fit perfectly with the will of the Father Who already knows and sees all. All His Words were salt and light, and all His prayers were conceived and offered in the agreement with the will of the Father. The saint who increases in abiding with Him and lives in His presence will know His heart, and he will lift up prayers God is ever willing to receive and answer. Do you pray like that?

Seeing the Hidden Things

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. (Luke 10:21)

 

The knowledge of God is not an intellectual accomplishment, nor is it a matter of merit, but one of privilege – a sovereign choice of God to reveal Himself as He sees fit and to whom He wills. No amount of effort or study can prepare you for this epiphany, no money can purchase it, nor can pedigree or degree fetch it. In fact God uses that which we consider foolish to confound the wise, and He prefers the lowly and humble to the exalted. He values the meek and gentle over the forceful, and He reserves His best for those who approach Him as paupers rather than princes . . .

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:3

 

We rise to the highest estate when we fall to our knees, and we know the most when we forsake all we’ve learned and simply hear Him. It is God’s good pleasure to give us the Holy Spirit when we simply ask, seek and knock. And when we seek Him first, all we would work for is given to us. This is the peace beyond understanding only the children of the King enjoy. Are you simple and small enough to be blessed? Are you insignificant enough to be great? Empty enough to be filled? This is what God requires before He reveals Himself to you.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Matt 5:6

Resist the devil

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  

(James 4:7)

Resistance through humility is the most aggressive posture a saint can take against the wily tactics of Satan. Humility is a most formidable weapon that the devil has no answer for, because he cannot humble himself. A decisive blow is delivered to the darkness around us when we fall to our knees and submit ourselves to our Father’s will. The saint who is bowed low in worship and prayer cannot be touched by the lies of the accuser, the lust of the flesh, nor the lures of the world. Down at His feet is the most high place!

 

Satan will offer you a great number of options, but none of them will involve humility. He will convince you to offer lip service without truly serving another – to feel sorry for your actions, yet fall short of godly sorrow which leads to repentance – to establish your own kingdom and call it  ministry. Yet, our Lord tells us to humble ourselves in the sight of God and men, because He resists the proud and lifts up the humble. What an honor it is to respond to His call to be like Jesus, Who laid aside His glory to serve us and die for us! Listen closely and you’ll hear Him calling you to a point of humility. Will you answer the call?

Capture Every Thought

. . . casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

 

Thoughts are strange things. They can come at any time, from any source, and lodge themselves in our consciousness without invitation or permission. Therefore, we must take the responsibility to steward our thought life all the more seriously. In a day when there are so many voices and images vying for our attention, it takes a great deal of effort and discipline to renew our minds and cleanse our hearts for the Master’s abiding presence – for He cannot and will not abide with an unholy thought life.

 

Our thoughts will become our god unless we learn to immediately capture and test them by the Word. It amazes me how many Christians worship the “god of their understanding” instead of the God of the Word (and they don’t even realize it). Yet, the Holy Spirit takes the unfathomable riches of God and showers the Mind of Christ upon all who are willing to receive Him.

 

Truly, the knowledge of the Lord and His will are greater than we can imagine - and how wonderful He is to humble Himself and speak to our minds and hearts in a love language we can understand! So, let Jesus be God of your thought life and your thoughts subject to His counsel. There you will find peace and refreshment. Don’t just think about it - pray about it.

Behave Like a Christian

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “ Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

“ If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12:9-21

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Christian behavior is derived from Christian character which is developed over time and with much attention and care. We must not assume that we come easily into the realm of righteous living without first overcoming many obstacles both within and outside us. Our new nature is firmly established as our dominant nature by the painstaking process of putting the old man to death, and then we must guard the gains we've made with much effort and diligence - and this is a difficult and glorious process which is to end in our sanctification and oneness with Christ, Who is One with the Father. Amen.

The only Teacher is Jesus Christ, and His life is made real to and in us only by the Holy Spirit. No amount of well intentioned striving will ever achieve the goal of wholeness, holiness, and health in Him - we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This truth is central to us understanding and appropriating God's instruction, as it is with all the scriptures. Yet, this truth is the stumbling block that frustrates so many Christians - that is, we have no chance of doing what the Bible instructs until we surrender and exchange our strength, receiving God's strength, the Holy Spirit. Only then does this passage become instruction we can successfully obey - and obey it we must.

- Love without hypocrisy. God is love, and we cannot love without His Spirit. His love is unique and unfathomably profound. It is beyond the love we can give or appreciate, and it is best expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, our love must mirror His love, or we are merely hypocrites - bad actors. Love embraces good and rejects evil, it is kind, giving, consistent, durable, and humble. Love takes action, overcomes obstacles, and manifests in service to others. It talks less than it works. Love is alive and active, and apathy is its antithesis.

- Love is mature and wise. It handles the good and the difficult with the dignity of the Holy Spirit. Love does not require that it be returned or acknowledged, as it is not needy, but complete in itself. Love is not dramatic or fanatical, it is not overly emotional, and it is not hindered by or mired in controversy. Love is relentless, and it always accomplishes what it sets out to do, just as Jesus was not deterred from His mission - the Cross.

- Love is the best revenge. No other power can compete with love, so it never has to get even. Love will never allow us to act in kind with those who wrong us, or the world, or those who don't know The Lord. Our example is Jesus, and He never avenged himself, vindicated himself, or felt the necessity of explaining Himself. His love spoke for Him, and He ever lives as the Loving Overcomer. Amen.

Love and perfect peace,
Pastor Eric

Speak Kind Words

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.  (Colossians 4:6)

Our words tell us what’s in our hearts, and the Lord judges us according to the content of our speech. Psalm 19:14 says:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

We are called to speak the words like our Savior spoke – words of wisdom and peace that build and strengthen the hearer. It is a shame when a Christian obtains a reputation for divisive or confrontational speech. It does heaven no good for us to win an argument and lose or discourage a soul!

Words have power that many of us don’t yet appreciate. If we did we would lavish praise on others and cease from needless criticism and chatter. God chose words to communicate His love to us in the Bible. Even His Son, Jesus Christ is called the Word of God. The connection between our speech and our spirit is sure, and a careful and kind spirit is reflected in Holy Spirit-sweetened speech!

When our hearts are settled on the love and kindness of our God, we will speak blessings and encouragement. Our words will be like morning dew and evening rain on dry and thirsty ears of those around us. Let your speech be a blessing today. Let the world hear the Jesus in you.

In love and peace,

Pastor Eric

The God of our Mistakes

For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.

(1 Sam 12:22-23)

The children of Israel had sinned greatly in asking for an earthly king and rejecting the Heavenly King. They looked away from God and looked to the world, and if we are not careful, we are sure to do the same. Yet the Lord did not use Israel’s disobedience against them, but He lovingly rebuked them and set Himself to bless them still. As such, He is not only our God when we make right choices, but also when our choices are poor. He is our God, even of our mistakes.

God chose us as members of His body and church, and He knew what He was doing. He did not choose us because we were righteous and able (we were not), but out of His love and His sovereign right as God, He made us who we are by His grace. Our goodness did not qualify us, nor will our shortcomings disqualify us, because His mind is already made up about you and me;

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33)

Therefore, the children God chooses must operate with a deeply–rooted confidence in the God who knows all, and we follow Him with boldness and assurance even in precarious times. Good decisions, good programs, good teaching, and skillful leadership are never the point – they are simply the overflow of the life hidden with God in Christ. Stay hidden, and go forward with the God Who see you in the secret place and rewards you openly. He will never leave nor forsake you – even when you blow it!

 

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric

My Father's Voice

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. (Proverbs 4:20, 21)

There are an endless number of teachers and leaders who seek to influence your thinking and command your attention, yet the true disciple learns to hear the still, small voice of his Heavenly Father and to follow Him only. Teachers are many, but fathers are rare, and his words are to be treasured above all others and followed with purity and passion.

{Jesus said}, And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:4-5)

Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (John 18:37)

Every voice leads somewhere and every tongue betrays the heart of the speaker, so we must take all the more care. We are completely responsible for the voices we entertain, and we will inevitably follow the lead of those we find ourselves listening to. When we hearken to the voice of our spiritual fathers, we can be sure we are being led in paths of wisdom and righteousness – for it is God’s sovereign will that the hearts of the children be turned back to their fathers (Malachi 4:6). A father’s words are a shield to the heart of his child, just as the Word of God is our refuge and peace. Be sure, that with all you hear, you are sure to heed godly instruction spoken from the heart of those care for you with the heart of God - father’s heart. Amen.

Pursuits and Possessions

²¹ And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." ²² So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." ²³ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

 (Luke 18:21-23)

Success in the Christian life is never measured by what we possess, but rather what we give away. And this “giving away” involves much more than material possessions – it reaches all the way down to how we see ourselves, and the value we place on everything and everyone around us. It’s not until we are willing to be empty of our own will and beliefs that we are ready to be filled, and we must be willing to know nothing before we can know anything at all.

"You still lack one thing.”

It is a strange thing to tell a rich man that he is still lacking. That is because Jesus does not count what a man has, but what He can give him. Yet, our Lord will never seek to fill someone who is already full, nor will He pry open a closed fist and force Himself upon him. But He will patiently wait until he realizes how desperately poor he really is before revealing Himself. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .” (Matthew 5:3)

. . . he became very sorrowful.

 God will challenge us by placing someone in our path that possesses a greater measure of the Spirit than us to provoke us to a holy jealousy. How we respond to that person says everything about our willingness to grow in the Lord. We are never the same after we’ve seen this man, and we will either shrink back into the comfort of the familiar or pursue the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."

(Mark 10:28)

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric

The Power of Paying Attention

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend 

to your herds . . .  (Proverbs 27:23)

One of the greatest weapons a disciple will ever employ is his attention to detail. We tend to believe that loving Jesus is the end all, but it is truly just the beginning. Nothing is more frustrating to a teacher than a student who is smart but inattentive – and we frustrate the Lord when we declare our love for Him and remain emotionally immature and undependable. There is no spiritual maturity without dragging our daily attitudes before the Lord for His painful and honest inspection, and be sure that He will inspect every millimeter of our character because He loves us.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee 

from Your presence?  (Psalms 139:7)

Most of us turn inward and get surly with God when He first corrects us, and that tells us we are walking in the flesh. Yet, the Lord does not relent, for He knows He will have to judge us wherever we do not humble ourselves and repent. His mercy dictates His patience and His fierce determination to present us to Himself without spot or wrinkle. Our duty is to respond immediately when we are rebuked or corrected by His Holy Spirit, and in doing so we prove we are sons and servants of the Most High God. All this demands an open heart and a steely-eyed focus on our relationship with Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Be sure that we will give an account for every word, every deed, and every gift we receive from above. So, let the Lord find us fully engaged in dialogue with Him, abiding in Him, and attentive to Him. It is a matter of life and death!

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24)

Love and Peace beyond understanding,

Pastor Eric

"I will Build my Church..."

Matthew 16:18

For a pastor (at least this pastor), these words of Jesus are among the most comforting and reassuring words in the Bible.  They are also the most sobering and convicting, because they oppose so many beliefs I have about my job.  I always feel the self-imposed pressure to “grow up” the Father’s House both in membership and maturity, and God must remind me every day that it’s His job to build the church, and He instructed me to, “. . .  feed My sheep.”

Please refocus with me.  The question is not, “How can I get the church to grow or get others to come?”  But, “How can I share the love God has shed on me with others?”  We can trust that if the Lord is pleased with the Son of God in our lives, He will use us and our church to bring many sons and daughters to glory, and that excites me much more than simply larger numbers of bodies in chairs!

Here’s my point.  It’s my one desire to see Jesus Christ fully realized in my life.  It doesn’t matter what occurs or does not occur, what happens to me and the things I love, or if I get anything in life I so deeply desire – as long as the Heavenly Father receives glory and honor through me. Efforts to make the Father’s House in our image are simply vain and futile, because we can’t build the church.  But we can be built up in Christ and function as a member of a church where Christ builds up others in His image.  

Now, I do believe that God will multiply and mature us mightily in this coming season.  My main task, though, is to see that this flock I pastor reflects the person, power, and love Jesus Christ with anyone and everyone who comes among us. Examine yourself, as I’m examining myself.  Are we loving, honoring, praying, and giving in the way that Jesus commands?  If we are, God will delight in increasing us, because He’ll be multiplying Christ through us. That’s all the Father wants . . . more, much more of Jesus!

Love and peace beyond understanding,

Pastor Eric

Honesty and Revelation

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” ⁴⁸Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” John 1:47-49

How is it that Nathanael received the truth about Jesus so readily, when all Israel failed to recognize their Messiah?  It was because Nathanael possessed the grace of integrity, which Jesus immediately recognized and acknowledged – “...an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”  This was a man who was honest with himself and others, a straight-shooter, one who meant what he said and said what he meant.  Jesus commended him for his truthfulness, because it made the way for him to see the Son of God.

Total honesty is an essential trait of God’s children.  When we embrace any deception or dishonesty, we may see Jesus, but not as Lord and King.  The longer we refuse to accept the truth about ourselves, the longer it takes for us to recognize Christ as the Master of our lives.  We will never find our true identity in what others say about us, or even what we say about ourselves.  But immediately when the Lord speaks the truth about us and we receive it, we are set free to see Him for who He is.  God can only reveal Himself to those of us who speak the truth about ourselves in our hearts (Psalm 15:2). 

The Lord shows us what is wrong in us, because He loves us as our Father; and He wants us to repent and be cleansed, so we can enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him.  He shows us what’s right in us, because it confirms His hand upon us, and assures us He’s shaping us in the image of Jesus.  God becomes real to us when we are real with Him.  May we all be “real” like Nathanael – so God can truly reveal Himself to us!