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Created for a Purpose

Within God’s economy, man is destined for God’s best. God’s intention is to call man to Himself, to place him into the family of God, and then to use man for His own purposes. In other words, we are saved for a divine purpose.

Notice this calling in 2 Timothy 1:9;
“…according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”

In other words, God is not concerned with what you can do for Him. It’s not about our talents and abilities. He doesn’t need us to accomplish His work. All God asks of us is “to surrender our bodies a living sacrifice.” (Romans 12:1) God’s desire is for us to rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and then surrender our life to Him to use as He sees fit.

In the secular world, the call is to dream big dreams and go after the gold. But in God’s economy of things, God says die to self and allow God to use you as a conduit of His power and grace. We can do more in one moment of allowing Him to work through us, than many years of working and striving in our own strength.

The Scripture says, “Be still and know I am God.” This is an admonition from the Lord that is encouraging us to lay aside our agenda, stop and wait to hear His voice, and then do what He tells us to do. If God is not speaking, then were probably not listening intentionally.

God’s plan and purpose for you is realized by applying the following.

1. Admitting that you have no plans but His plans. (Jeremiah 29:11)
2. Acknowledging your inadequacy and inability to do it on your own. (John 14:26)
3. Proclaiming apart from Him you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
4. Apply intentional listening – be still and wait on God to speak (Isaiah 40:31)
5. Depending on God to “do it all for you.” (John 16:13-14)

God created and designed you for a purpose. His purpose for you is designed around your unique personality, people skills and personality. When we surrender our life, abandon our dreams and plans to Him, He fills us with His life, and just by walking in Christ, the will of God is automatically done and His purpose for us is realized.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

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Different is Good

It’s funny how life’s personal failures and disappointments help clear the fog from your eyes. Dale Carnegie said, ”You develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

It was my personal search for significance that led me to discover two things. Firstly, that real significance is found in your identity in Christ. His life in you makes you complete and gives purpose for living. Secondly, that people see things differently because they observe and determine life from their personality and temperament perspective.

That’s the reason that opposites attract. I have seen this play out hundreds of times during my counseling career. When I would do pre-marital counseling one the first questions I would ask a couple is, “Why do you think you are right for each other?” Often I would get the answer, “We are just alike in every area.” Now that would always throw up a red flag. I would then go into my speech that opposites naturally attract because they help complete each other. The last thing you want to do is marry someone just like you.

Even when a couple would not indicate that they were alike in every area, I would still give them the speech that opposites are usually good for a marriage. That would setup my next major point which was, “Just because someone is different, doesn’t mean they are wrong.”

I have been married to Brenda, the love of my life, for many years. We married just out of high school. Nearly half of that time I didn’t understand the value of us being different. Early on I discovered she views life differently than me. She is highly organized, exact, deliberate and practical. All the clothes in her side of the closet are folded, properly stacked, color coordinated and arranged in seasonal order. On my side of the closet the clothes are described as hanging and stuffed in drawers. They only get folded when she folds them after washing.

With her desk, everything is organized and the desk is primarily clean. With my desk, don’t touch the mess because I know where everything is located. Maybe I am giving the impression that I am a slob, no not really, I’m just not hung up on needing to have everything, down to the last detail, categorized and organized. I like things orderly but not just the way she does.

If you wanted to put a label on the way we see life, Brenda would be considered as one who is Decisive Orderly and I am Spontaneous Flexible. A Decisive Orderly looks at someone on the Spontaneous Flexible side and says, “You are indecisive, a procrastinator, and you don’t have any goal in life but to play. A Spontaneous Flexible person would say to a Decisive Orderly person, “You are wound too tight and far too serious about life. Loosen up, let your hair down and have fun, you are going to have a stroke.”

Over the years, Brenda and I have moved toward the middle. I am more ordered and organized than earlier in our marriage and she became much more flexible, and has even had a few episodes of pure spontaneity. (Ha! Ha!)
Trying to change someone who doesn’t think and approach life like you is a major misuse of your time. Rather than trying to change them, try looking at life from their perspective. Let me give you another personal example.

Early in our marriage I might suggest to Brenda on Wednesday, “Let’s take this weekend off and go to the Tennessee Mountains for a couple of days.” I would immediately get a response from her that she couldn’t possibly go because she had do the laundry, clean the house, wash the clothes, etc. I couldn’t understand why she couldn’t just break away from the routine and go.

It took me quite a few years to learn how selfish I had been. I was only thinking of how I felt. I failed to understand that her perspective on decision making was just as important as my view. I then began to look at life through her eyes, attempting to think from her perspective. I learned I needed to give her time to make a decision. I also learned that spontaneity may be good occasionally, but most of the time that would cause me to make decisions too quickly without getting all the facts and evaluating the consequences.

One of the key elements of being a good leader, a good friend, a good wife/husband or parent is to learn to look at life from their perspective. Don’t just assume that they are naturally disagreeable. Ask yourself the question, how do they look at life? Do they make quick decisions or are they slow to act, not jumping at the first urge? Are they more moved by their emotions or must they have all the facts, even the little details before they take action? Are you giving them too many options and too many facts? Are they a visual person or must they see details.

Think for a moment, do you like it when someone really gets who you are? Does it cause you to feel valued and loved when someone looks you in the eye and knows where you are coming from? When we learn to listen from that person’s perspective and view of life, then a real connection is made.

What’s my point? Being different isn’t right or wrong, it’s just different. God made us that way. I am thankful for my careful, orderly, detail oriented wife. And I am pretty sure she is thankful for her visionary, creative, spontaneous husband. We have both learned from each other and have met in the middle. Maybe that’s the reason we are still desperately in love after 45 years of marriage.

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The Power of the Holy Spirit and Christ

The primary difference between a committed follower of Jesus and a well-informed religious church member is one key element, and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to indwell every true believer. He refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth because there is a spirit of error in the world (John 14:17). Being led by the Spirit is a key link in living and functioning as a committed follower of Jesus.

Bible knowledge, education, great people skills, gifted speaking ability and a charismatic personality does not change lives. Only the power of God changes lives.

Every teacher and preacher desires to increase their ability to communicate effectively, but we know in the end, it’s only through the power of the Holy Spirit that brings change and transformation. Most committed believers have experienced giving counsel to someone, and as we walked away from the conversation we said, “Where did that come from?” We know that the wisdom of our words was generated from and by the Holy Spirit of God.

Dependence upon the Holy Spirit is to be the norm for us, not just an occasional experience. We are commanded in Scripture to be “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father to teach and guide us into all truth. It is important for us to memorize Scripture but it is the Holy Spirit that makes the Scripture alive and enables us to use it appropriately when speaking with others.

I believe that being filled and led by the Holy Spirit is one of the most important elements in the Christian’s daily walk. Dr. R.A. Torrey, one of the great evangelist and scholars of the past, makes an important point when it comes to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He writes, “The Holy Spirit is a real Person, infinitely holy, infinitely wise, infinitely mighty and infinitely tender, who is to get hold of and use us. When we think of Him in the Biblical way, as a Divine Person, our thought will be how can He have more of me?”

One of the key functions of the Holy Spirit is to reveal and manifest the life of Christ that is within us. How does the world see Christ at work in all His power and glory? They see Christ in us. That’s God’s plan to indwell man with the very life of Christ. Colossians 1 and 2 tell us that the “Mystery of Godliness is Christ in us”. God’s design is that the world experience what God is like through us, in and through our daily walk with God. It is the Holy Spirit that makes Christ within us known.

It is one thing to read about Jesus in the scripture and another thing to see His life lived out in the life of a human being. It is the filling of the Holy Spirit that allows Christ’s life to be shown and manifested through our life.

I want to encourage you to add a simple but profound prayer to your daily routine. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a fresh filling of His Spirit every morning. As you are asking for His divine filling, also ask Him to examine your life and to show you anything that would hinder the flow of His Spirit through your life.

My prayer for you today is that the Lord will bring someone across your path that needs an encounter with the living Christ, and you will be that encounter as the Holy Spirit reveals Christ through you to a needy soul.

“(Speaking of the Holy Spirit) I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of Divine majesty and glory dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me.” (Dr. R.A. Torrey 1910, Chicago)

Larry

Note: If you would like to have a PDF copy of Dr. R.A. Torrey’s book, “The Work and Power of the Holy Spirit” , email me and I will send you a copy.  This is a classic book, published at the turn of the century, and is no longer in print but is available in a eBook format. Email: larry@bibles4children.com

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Trusting the Lord in all Situations

I think that “trusting the Lord in all situations” is the most difficult aspect of the Christian life. Actually, it is the one big thing that keeps us from living a victorious and fulfilled life.

When I was a kid our church had regular testimony meetings. I have to admit that I enjoyed the testimony meetings more than the preaching. It was a sampling of what it’s like to live as a follower of Jesus. I heard how Jesus intervened in all sorts of life experiences, such as providing money just in the nick of time, how He healed a sick body, or a broken relationship, and miraculously intervened in potential tragic accidents.

I miss those testimony meetings. I believe these meetings did more to confirm God’s Word in my heart than any other church activity. I learned more about God’s intervening power in those meetings than any other activity in the church. I heard credible evidence of God’s faithfulness and power from people I loved and respected. These were real life examples of God’s power lived out in daily experience.

If we will learn to trust Him, God will provide us with plenty of relevant and recent examples of His power and His care in our own lives. Of course the real question is, “Will we trust Him”? Most of the time we hinder God’s provision because He is waiting for us to take that step of faith and put all our trust in Him. The Scripture is clear on this point, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and (then) He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB)

Another passage of Scripture that is relevant to the subject of trust is Isaiah 40, “They that wait upon the Lord will gain their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not get tired, and they will walk and not get weary.” (Isaiah 40:31 NASB)

When I think of this passage of Scripture two thoughts come to my mind. One is the phrase, “Are you living with the turkeys or are you soaring with the eagles?” The other is “God’s perspective is always the best perspective.”

Eagles fly higher than any other creature. Have you ever observed how effortless they reach the high altitudes? They don’t frantically flap their massive wings; they flap only when necessary. They simply extend their wings and ride the God-provided currents to unbelievable heights. When they get to the highest points they have a perspective that us earth bound folks don’t have. The higher they go, the greater the perspective. The more you trust your current circumstances to the Lord, the higher He will carry you so that He can increase your perspective.

Or you can choose to live like a turkey and fly only as high as a tree limb. A turkey reaches its maximum elevation only by constantly flapping his wings – all self-effort. And his perspective is a mere medium size tree top.

With most believers, the trust issue will always be a challenge. That’s because when the Lord calls you to go higher and deeper with Him, you will encounter a new level of trust. Each step of growth requires greater faith and trust.

If you are in the most difficult situation of your life, you can be assured that God is about to increase and deepen your perspective. He is calling you to a new God-encounter and all you have to do is trust Him. Really, if you think about it, that’s all God asks of us, that’s to trust Him.

Never get so busy doing the work of the kingdom that you forget who the King is.

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The Pivotal Moment

For three years the Disciple’s lives had been consumed with ministry. Not so much a physical ministry of hands one ministry, but one of learning. They had been in a spiritual laboratory, sitting at Jesus’ feet watching, listening and sensing the love of God in its purity, power and holiness. Then as they daily walked with Jesus they observed Him in action, loving the unlovely and drawing people to God. Jesus was an example of a man perfectly submitted to the will of God and filled with the Holy Spirit.

If there was ever a job you couldn’t wait to get up to every morning, walking with Jesus everyday was such a job. Watching Jesus heal the deaf, raise the dead, make the cripple walk and love the socially cast-out sinner had to be the greatest job ever.

Initially the disciples believed that Jesus was going to physically restore His kingdom on earth now. They thought they were going to be delivered from the dominion of the Roman government. Apparently the masses also believed that. When Jesus taught about being the bread of life the Scripture says, “…many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore.” Jesus then asked His twelve disciples, “do you not want to go away also?” (John 6)

Yet another pivotal moment was about to occur in the life of the disciples. The more they walked with Jesus the more they began to realize that Jesus didn’t come to earth to destroy the Roman government. He came to set the spiritually captive free and give eternal life to all who believed.

This next pivotal moment began to unfold when Jesus started praying what the Lord’s Prayer in John 17. Picture this moment in your mind as Jesus started to pray. This was the time when Jesus and His band of disciples were at the height of their popularity, great miracles were occurring, the masses were following them, and then Jesus begins to pray.

“…the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify thee…I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do. Now glorify me together with yourself, Father, with the glory which I had with you before the world was…and I am no more in this world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in your name…but now I come to you; (John 17)

I don’t believe the eyes of the disciples were reverently closed at this moment, agreeing with the Jesus in His prayer, saying “amen, so be it Lord”. I think they were wide-eyed, looking at each other, shrugging their shoulders, wondering what this prayer meant.

Yet, looking back at this event after the resurrection they realized that this was a major pivotal moment in their life. This pivotal moment would become the very foundation doctrinal teaching of God’s grace.They also remembered the rest of this prayer recorded in John 17;

“20″I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. “

The extraordinary truth that Jesus revealed to them is a new concept of relationship prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah several centuries earlier. This was a promise that God would personally indwell them and would be always with them, and in them. This good news is this promise is not just for the Apostles but also for us today.(Jeremiah 31:31-33)

20″I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

God’s desire for us is that we live out of and enjoy our union with Christ. Because we are placed in Christ, and Christ is placed in us at salvation, we came into a divine union relationship with God.

What’s my point? For every pivotal point in our life, God is there with a revelation of Himself. If you undergoing a season of doubt, fear, suffering, or testing, remember that this is a pivotal point where more than likely, God is giving you a new revelation of his goodness and his glory.

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A Christian Distinctive

I love to read some of the great Christian Apologist. The way they weave the historical, scientific and empirical evidence to prove the validity of the Scriptures amazes me. I could never emulate their writings or their reasoning skills. Compared to them, my mind is in slow gear.

Even though I know God has given them the power to persuade and inform, I believe most of them would conclude that without the power of God, their arguments would just be theological babble. That’s the reason that the power of God is a key distinctive of a committed follower of Christ. Paul says it best in 1 Corinthians 2: 3-5:

“I was moved to utter despair during my time with you. I would find myself trembling in dread and fear. The sermons I preached were not delivered with kind of persuasive elegance some have come to expect, but they were effective because I relied on God’s Spirit to demonstrate God’s power. If this were not so, your faith would be based on human wisdom and not the power of God.” (The Voice)

The Christian life is not merely a set of ideas passed down from our ancestors, nor is the Bible just a set of religious rules and regulations which we follow. One can have a great knowledge of Scripture and be able to quote long passages and still miss the power of God. The power of God cannot be grasped by head knowledge. Yes, the Scripture is absolute truth but without the power of God behind the truth it’s just another historical book.

One of the last things that Jesus told his disciples before He ascended to heaven is that He would send the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment. It is not about our ability and knowledge, but about the Holy Spirit’s power within us, working through us to accomplish the Father’s will.

The power of the Holy Spirit is that supernatural element that distinguishes us from every other religion. The Spirit’s power manifests the life of Jesus in us when we speak to others about what God has done and is doing in our life. When we quote a Scripture it’s the Spirit’s power in us that gives the Scripture life and causes it to penetrate the heart. It’s the Spirit of God that leads us to speak to someone, and then He gives us the right words to say, just at the right time.

I think you get the point. Without the power of the Holy Spirit we are powerless to accomplish God’s will. God planned it that way. God wants us utterly dependent upon Him. That’s the reason that the Word of God emphasizes the importance of not “quenching” or “grieving” the Holy Spirit.

“Quenching” the Holy Spirit is when we don’t obey His voice or when we do something to deliberately hinder the Spirit’s moving. We “quench” the Holy Spirit when we operate in our own strength by not waiting on Him to lead and guide us. Or when we feel we have to interject our two cents into a conversation so that we will be recognized.

We “grieve” the Holy Spirit when we have deliberate, unconfessed sin in our life. There is an old saying that the “water of life cannot flow through a dirty vessel”. That’s a true statement because the Holy Spirit indwells every true disciple of Jesus, and He longs to flow through us and manifest the life of Jesus through us.

One of the things I learned through many years of vocational counseling is that most domestic problems are not caused by one event or one disagreement. It began months or years before by little self-centered acts of selfishness. Little barbed comments that began to accumulate and over time became a mountain of hurt. If these couples had been aware of the importance of guarding the power of God within them by not “quenching and grieving” the Holy Spirit they could have avoided most of the major problems in their marriage.

God’s intention for us is to live in a daily awareness of Christ within us. God placed Christ within us in order that we might be light and salt to the World. The power of the Holy Spirit makes Christ known to the world through us. Therefore, take care to guard this treasure within you by learning to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and then be dependent upon His leadership before you speak and act. To make Christ known to your world through the power of the Holy Spirit is one of your distinctives.

I encourage you to cultivate a daily awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence within you. Ask for His guidance, His filling, and ask Him to guard you tongue, to guide your speech as you acknowledge your dependence upon Him.

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath, and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:30-32- NASB)

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The Syrian Refugee Children

If you have been watching the news reports over the last year or so you are aware of the civil war in Syria. Over 2 million people have fled their homes because of the civil war. It is estimated that over 1 million of those are children.  Syrian soldiers killed many of the parents leaving many of the fleeing children orphans.  The refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan are overflowing with children.

Missionary Floyd McClung just returned this week from visiting several of the refugee camps. Read below some excerpts from his report.

 “I met men who were suffering from wounds caused in the fighting. I “talked” with one man who survived a bullet wound to the head.  The     bullet entered his forehead and exited the back of his head.  He is paralyzed, cannot speak, and yet he can understand everything.  His wife sat beside him holding his hand.  In that moment I did not see “a Muslim” but another human being, a man with a family he cannot feed and wounds he cannot get medical attention for.

In the same crowded apartment building, I met two brothers, both of whom had recently escaped from prison in Syria.  Both brothers had bullet scars and shrapnel wounds. One of the brothers could not lift his left arm because he was tortured in prison. Syrian soldiers cut the tendons and nerves in his arm and wrist while he was held captive.

I sat with refugee families who lived in tents, and did not know where the next meal  is coming from.  I listened as one man said he wants to work but cannot because of his refugee status.  That is true for several hundred thousand Syrian men, many from middle-class backgrounds, who are now refugees in Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.  they are stateless, hopeless, and lost.  And it is illegal for them to take a wage-earning job in their host country.

It is hard to assimilate all I witnessed and heard in those few days. I asked the Lord to allow me to feel what He feels and to see what He sees. Perhaps no one outside Syria can really understand what the Syrian refugees have been through. But still, I asked God to touch my heart in a deep and lasting way. He is still doing that in me.

Regardless of our political opinion about the Syrian conflict, I believe as committed followers of Christ we have a responsibility to reach out to help the suffering.  It is in times like this that we can show the love of Jesus in multiple ways. ”

Our ministry, Bibles4Children, has been given a unique ministry opportunity to impact a significant number of children in these refugee camps by placing a Bible Storybook in the hands of a child.  The timing is critical, the children are lonely, afraid, confused and wondering what will happen to them without their parents.  This is a perfect time to bring to them the story of God’s love. We have the opportunity to place 250,000 of these storybooks in the hands of the children in these refugee camps.  Over 300,000 of these storybooks have already been placed and they are desperately begging for more.  The cost for this project is $35,000, but we have been given a matching funds grant to pay half of the cost of $17,500 but we must raise the additional $17,500.

We know God is at work in the placement of these storybooks because they are also being read by the adults residing in the camps. We understand that the devil’s intent is to destroy innocent people. But what he meant for evil, God can turn into good.  Their tragedy could be the very thing that opens their heart to our loving Savior.

There have been more Muslims come to Christ in the last 10-15 years than in the last 1400 years combined. This is one more opportunity and open door to give the gospel to a spiritually hungry people.  Will you be a part of this harvest of souls?

If you would like to donate to this project then CLICK HERE for more information on how you can be personally involved in placing storybooks in the hands of Syrian refugee children.

Blessings,

Larry Bennett

 

 

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It’s not about fairness

How many times during your lifetime have you made the statement, “That’s not fair”? We learn early on that life is not fair. You would think that we would learn from our childhood experiences that this thing called life is not fair. But most of us adults carry this secret hope inside of us that we will discover everyone will treat us fairly. We think when most people get to know us they will treat us fairly.

Then through the circumstances of everyday life we are reminded again of the naked truth that life is not fair. As a committed follower of Christ we understand that because we live in a fallen and sinful world, life is not always going to be fair.

It’s not fair that we get cancer and our neighbor who lives a wicked and vile life is healthy as a horse. It is not fair that the teacher intentionally gives our child a hard time and makes them hate going to school. It’s not fair that the slacker at work gets the kudos and promotions while we slave away unrecognized? Or maybe your beef is with God about Him not being fair. Why do you have to suffer when other believers, who are not as committed as you, are seemingly trouble free?

It is one thing to acknowledge that life is not fair, but another thing when we foster a constant mindset of unfairness. Having the unfairness chip on our shoulder reveals our Worldview. A worldview is the lens with which we view life. Our concept of life, our basis for decision making is connected to our worldview. There are basically two concepts of a worldview, the secular worldview and the Biblical worldview.

Carrying around a unfairness chip is characteristic of a secular worldview. A secular worldview says, “Life is not fair and I am going to fix it no matter who I have to roll over to do it. I will make sure I get recognized because no one steps on my rights to be respected. No one is going to treat me that way.” You can plainly see that there is no end to the constant push to “make life fair”.

But to the committed follower of Jesus, life is not about fairness. Our Biblical worldview tells us that life is not about the world treating us fairly, but it’s about giving our life as a living sacrifice. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for you own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. “ (Philippians 2:3-4)

There is a paradoxal principle at work here. When we give our life away then our life is enriched. We honor God by giving value to others. To a believer, life becomes about constantly giving our life away so others will be drawn to Jesus by the quality of His life in us. This worldview has no room for concern about unfairness.

Our Biblical Worldview teaches us the Christian life is to be lived from a position of rest. The Biblical concept of resting is taken from the belief that God is sovereign, which means that God is ultimately in control. Nothing ever escapes the knowledge or grasp of God. It reminds me of the old saying, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurred to God?” He is never surprised or caught off guard when life treats you unfairly.

You see it’s never about, “What are you going to do rectify your unfair treatment?” It’s about experiencing God’s sovereignty in the midst of the unfairness. Our focus needs to be listening, watching and observing God as He accomplishes His design for your predicament. Remember, God works best when we take our hands off the situation and trust Him.

It’s not about fairness it about obedience. Do you believe that everything comes from God, even when we are treated unfairly? I am not suggesting that God caused the person to treat us unfairly but I am saying that God allowed us to experience the unfairness. You may ask, how is that about obedience? It’s about obedience because we must properly respond to the challenge the Lord has allowed to come our way.

It’s like temptation. When temptation comes our way we are to be obedient to the scripture when it teaches us that for every temptation there is a way of escape, “God will provide a way of escape.” (1 Cor. 10:13) When we are tempted we should look for and take the way of escape.

In the same manner, when unfairness comes our way it should be our queue to obey the Lord, “Don’t be anxious about anything (like unfairness), but (bring) everything to God by prayer (devotion and worship), supplication (cry of humility), with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And then the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

What’s the bottom line? When we experience unfairness it’s a test from God. When faced with unfairness, will we give our life away, even to the one who is treating us unfairly? Will we rest because we know that God is in control? Will we be obedient and bring it to God in prayer, allowing Him to give us a peace that passes all understanding, even in the midst of being treated unfairly?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

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Are you a product of your circumstances?

Here is a question to ponder. “Are you are a product of your circumstances or is God’s process at work in you?”

Joseph had a prophetic dream that one day he would be a ruler and his brothers would bow down to him. His father, Jacob, was so proud of this prophetic dream that he made Joseph a coat that blatantly reflected his future position. But the celebration was cut short when Joseph’s jealous and angry brothers seized an opportunity to sell Joseph to the slave traders.

The next few years for Joseph brought servitude and bondage. Until one day he was ready to assume his prophetic role as ruler. Why all the years of servitude and bondage? Because Joseph wasn’t ready to assume such a key position that would eventually save not only Egypt but also Joseph’s own family.

During those years, how many times do you think Joseph cried out to God for deliverance? How many sleepless nights did he endure trying to sleep in a damp, filthy prison cell? Why did God deny Joseph’s deliverance for so long? Because the Lord knew Joseph needed to stay where he was a while longer, at least until the refining process was complete.

God was preparing Joseph for something that required skill, humility and a disciplined work ethic. And God knew exactly what it would take to get Joseph in shape to handle such a grand task. The crowning moment for Joseph was not his rise to power and greatness as the second most powerful man in the world. But his greatness was revealed when he displayed humility and forgiveness when dealing with his brothers.

Joseph’s brokenness allowed him to see God in every circumstance of his life. His brothers were caught red handed, and deserved to be exposed and punished. But Joseph saw his brother’s betrayal as part of God’s plan to deliver a nation.

How have you handled God’s season of delays? If you are like me not very well, huh? Well, you are not alone. The same disciples that were in the upper room at the Last Supper telling Jesus how they are willing to suffer and die with Him, later denied they knew Him at all. At the cross they were hiding, not willing to stand by the cross and publicly declare their allegiance.

But there’s something about the fire of adversity that burns off the dross and presents us as pure before the Father. The heat humbles your soul and allows you to get rid of your unbelief, your impurity, and your fear. The fire of adversity produces a clearer picture of how God is at work in you.

So instead of being a product of your circumstances, allow your circumstances to be your refining fire moment that purifies your soul, and makes you a by-product of God’s Grace.

“Every person who crosses us, every person who discourages us is God’s way of breaking us. It creates a deeper channel in us for the life of Christ. The only life that pleases God is His life, never our life. Our self-centered life is the exact opposite of His. We can never be filled with His life unless we are prepared for God to bring our life constantly to death. “ (Roy Hession, Calvary’s Road)

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Because We Believe, We Speak

I have often heard other believers say, “I am a private Christian”. Let me say up front that I think all followers of Christ should be a good witness without saying a word. Our demeanor and our countenance should reflect the goodness and the glory of the risen Savior. Christ’s life manifested through our life should bring a glow of inner peace without us having to say a single word.

Have you ever been approached by a total stranger and have them say, “There is something different about you?” One time in the middle of a writing seminar that I was attending, the instructor stopped and looked at me and said, “There is a quality about you that is different.” I must admit I was a little embarrassed but it was the highest compliment someone could ever pay me. He may have not known that it was Christ in me that gave off that “something different”, but I knew the true source. I am not telling you this so you will think I am super spiritual, but to merely reinforce the point of the importance of resting in Christ in order than others can see Christ in our life without us being preachy.

That leads me to the other point I want to discuss and that is having the attitude of being a “private or secret disciple”. Over the years I have had many believers tell me without provocation, that they were a “private Christian” and they kept their Christianity to themselves. In other words, they didn’t see the importance of engaging in conversation with the culture about their faith. I have a problem with that. If our life is to glorify God in all that we do then we will be forced to engage with the culture regarding the truth of the gospel. We are not saved to keep quiet. According to the Scripture, there is no such thing as “private Christianity.”

In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul is describing to the church at Corinth the importance of suffering and trouble in order that the life of Christ can be manifested in and through our life to the culture. After he explains the benefit and role of suffering he makes quite a profound statement. He is quoting David in Psalms 116:10, “It is written: I believed, therefore I have spoken. Since we have that same spirit of faith, (faith that David had), we also believe and therefore speak.“

Paul is saying that when we believe in a resurrected Savior we can’t help proclaim a resurrected Savior. You may say, “Who are we to tell our neighbor, our friends and our co-workers about Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for our sin? Who are we to tell them that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no man can come to the Father apart from Him?” Wouldn’t that be arrogance? It is only arrogance if it is not true.”

But the gospel is true. Paul even says in the previous letter to the Corinthians in chapter 15, “If Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins. Then those who have died in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

But Christ did die for our sins and did rise from the dead and does live to make daily intercession to the Father for us. Therefore, because we have believed we are compelled to share the good news with others. It is the mark of a true follower of Christ. There is no such thing as “private faith”.

Of course I am not advocating that we all stand on the street corner, waving a Bible and screaming like a maniac. I am merely encouraging us to do what comes natural because we are a believer, and that is speaking of the resurrected Savior and how He has impacted our life. By resting in Christ as enough, the Holy Spirit will bring opportunities for us to display the love and compassion of the Savior in our daily walk. We don’t have to be aggressive, obnoxious, loud or irritating, just available to love the unlovely, to encourage the depressed, and then to share the hope of Christ.

We you join me in asking the Holy Spirit to give you a new awareness of those around you who need Christ’s love, compassion and grace? And then ask Him to give you the courage and strength to boldly proclaim your faith in a risen Savior? Like David, do it because “you believe, therefore you speak.”