Good Thinking

It's been said that thinking requires little effort - that actually may be true unless you're calculating measurements or scientific equations or currency exchanges. I mostly avoid that kind of thinking!  I suggest the greatest prescription for thinking is from God Himself: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8 NASB). We've certainly had flash-cards of dishonorable, wrong, impure, unworthy things to "think about" recently so it's nice to have a redirection of focus for those who know and love The Lord! What an appropriate time to think about The Father - His love, His goodness, His grace. As the song goes "as high as the heaven above, so great is the measure of The Father's love. Herein is ... good thinking.

God Who Heals

It's easy to recognize wickedness, and [these days] there's no lack of opportunities to see it. Recent tragedies reflect an acute brokenness in our nation, and that brokenness seems to have seeped deeply into the soul of the nation. I suggest there's a neglect, however, to see personal sin - that is, sin that is personal to me and to you. It's been said God has no grandchildren, which is a keenly profound phrase and a deeply-moving truth: each person is personally responsible for his or her own heart. David said in Psalm 32:5, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD': and You forgave the guilt of my sin." As a people we no longer are willing to be transparent about sin because we no longer care to be transparent about personal sin - this is why sin is now a national epidemic. As a nation we no longer love God above all things because its people fail to personally "love God with all our hearts and souls and mind (Matthew 22:37 ESV). The nation no longer delights in the Lord because its people no longer personally delight in Him hence the personal desires of people's hearts are not for the Lord (Psalm 37:4 ESV). I could go on and on as God's Word speaks the truth of where we are as a nation and as God's people. Charles Spurgeon said confession bring "healing for the "broken heart ... the fountain is always flowing and ready to cleanse us from our sins." The brokenness for a broken nation begins with the brokenness of every heart before the ... God Who Heals.

Rally for Truth

No one cares to hear: "I told you so." What precedes those words is something that should not have surprised us, something we should have expected and seen coming. Nonetheless, things happen in our lives, our communities, our nation, our world that shock and stun us. After telling His disciples "if the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before it hated you," Jesus warned them, "I have told you these things so that you will not stumble or be caught off guard and fall away. They will put you out of the synagogues and make you outcasts. And a time is coming when whoever kills you will think that he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me" (John 15:18 and 16:1-3 AMP). While there seems to be a great demand for truth yet it truth is the object of rejection and hatred. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life," and for it He was nailed to a cross. The hard cold fact is that the world cares nothing for truth. Those who insist on speaking only Truth - thus saith the Lord - are today labeled public enemies and at risk of being silenced. In speaking truth, Paul asked "have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?" (Galatians 4:16 ESV). Recent events should be a rally-cry for Believers to remain true to Christ and to Eternal Truth. Let us not be counted among those who [as Jesus described] "fall awaty" and exchange truth about God for a lie (Romans 1:25). Now is the time to persevere, to endure, to exercise genuine faith - to "bear fruit and so prove" to be Jesus' disciples (John 15:8 ESV). Resist the urge to scatter; rather, let us unite and always ... rally for truth!

On-Key

The musicians I know want to make good music! That entails singing on-key and playing the right notes. There's a personal cost to doing these things well - few, however, are willing to pay the price. In Luke 9 we read conversations between Jesus and several men as they walked along; one man said, "I will follow You wherever You go" (V.57, NASB). When pressed, we read reasons for delayed obedience: "permit me first to go bury my father" (V.59) and "first permit me to go say good-bye to those at home" (V.61). Neither reason ridiculous but revealed a divided heart. I could come-up with lots of reasons to not spend time in piano practice; becoming a musician really wasn't on my radar! In response to these otherwise legitimate reasons, Jesus responded: "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (V.62). Following Jesus isn't a past-time, a hobby - something to be considered casual. Jesus also said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). A pure heart is an undivided heart - not a mixed bag of options and priorities. Staying focused ... on-key with Christ ... must always be a priority to pleasing The Father. Are you living life ... on-key?

King Over All

During a recent long trip and several hours of driving, Mister Bill was surprised to see a message appear above the speedometer that read, "Need a break?" We laughed about it but, in truth, it's our nature to want to do our own thinking and to be in control. On a Roman hill to the men of Athens, Paul spoke: "The God Who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by by human hands, as though He needed anything, because it is He Who gives to all [people] life and breath and all things. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories. This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our beings], as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'" (Acts 17:24-28 AMP). Man can deny and oppose the Sovereign King as revealed in Scripture but all denials and oppositions do not change anything: He is God and we are not! To embrace The King of all with humility - trusting in His perfect character of love and grace and mercy and faithfulness - we are assured of the greatest freedom and peace available. Thankfully, the car didn't on-its-own take the next exit; it is wise and fitting, however, as God's children we humbly relinquish control to The King Who has given His all and allow Him to be in our lives ... King over all.