“…There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Isreal; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” - Joshua 7:13

God wants us to deal with sin radically. God is so holy; he cannot tolerate being in the presence of sin. Here, one man’s greed cost him and his family all that they had. We see examples of this today as well (in perhaps a more civilized manner). There are many instances in today’s society of a man (or woman) choosing the greed of money over their family’s well being. More important still than the family’s well being, is the commitment to the principles the Lord has established for us. The result of this poor decision is broken families and broken relationships.

We are called to live to a standard that values relationships and the principles of God’s commands higher than our personal desires for success and fortune. It is a lesson we all know; yet it often is clouded by the perception of things around us. What are we working for? Are we working for the glorification of the King of Kings, or ourselves? We know the result of working for our own ambitions is death. Life is in Christ and all He has planned to do in and through us as followers of Him.

Once we have committed to fighting the good fight, and living to glorify Him, He can use us to defeat our enemies and triumph over our aggressors. Psalm 56, which was also part of today’s reading, comments on God conquering those were attacking David. If we have not yet fortified our desires on Christ, He will not come to our aide. So before calling out in despair to God, we are told to sanctify ourselves, seek forgiveness, remove the sin, and approach the throne without fear. I often forget that truth, and cry out in desperation without confronting the sin in my life, and confessing it before the Lord, and eradicating it.

Lord, show me the accursed things in my life, and help me remove them, and give them to you. My desire is to be a tool for Your Glory. Help me from getting in the way.

“And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” ~ Mark 1:16 – 18

God is always at work in the background. We may not always understand His purposes, or the circumstances as they present themselves, but God is working nonetheless. I am sure these men were confused and dismayed when John the Baptist was placed in prison. Although hard to understand, God’s will for John the Baptist, Simon, and Andrew was different from what they could have expected.

I can relate to Andrew here. He was in the midst of a great thing. John’s teachings rang true and spoke of hope for a coming savior. Spending time listening to the message of John must have been a really encouraging thing. And then in the midst of that joy, John was sent to prison, and feelings of loss must have overcome Andrew. So in the midst of the loss, he went back to the familiar of his life. The amazing spiritual high, was still remembered, but without a leader he went back to the mundane. I can think of many times in my life where I have felt the spiritual potency of a message or experience is no longer near to me, and I go back to the everyday. Not walking away from the Lord, just going about my day, without the same dedication that was once there.

But the story does not end there. Jesus had a bigger calling for those men. They were to be among the 12 men He poured His life into, that they might carry on after His death. What an honor. I should not forget this example. My calling to follow after Jesus does not change because the spiritual highs in my life seem to be in the past. His call extends beyond the immediate circumstance of my life, and pulls me into a greater purpose according to His will.

Once that message is heard, we should follow the example from these men. Immediately we should leave the mundane, and pursue our life according to the purposes of Jesus. I need to make my life’s ambition to know and follow the example of Jesus, no matter the cost. As I write this posting, a quote from Jim Elliot comes to mind. “He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot loose.”

Lord, may I follow you when you call my name. Remind me of your provision in times of need, and restore my soul when I am feeling spiritually low. Help me to hold loosely to the things of this world, and seek the amazing plan you have for my life. I know your plan is not my plan, so keep me flexible to your guidance.

“Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.” - Malachi 3:16

CCF just completed an event called Seek Week, where the intent was to earnestly and deliberately seek the Lord’s will and direction in our lives both individually and corporately. Through fasting, meditation, prayer, and worship, we all gathered together as a community with this common goal, and some really amazing things occurred as a result. The Lord made clear to me that time with Him is not something that I should take for granted, nor should I expect it to happen by accident. It wasn’t the program of Seek Week that made for a richer relationship with God; it was an earnest heart dedicated to knowing him better. No gimmick.

The Lord listens and hears us when we call out to Him. He may not always answer us in the immediacy we expect, and the results are not always what we had envisioned. The result is not the point; it is the openness of the creator God to listen to our prayers that is compelling. Once He has heard, His plan for deliverance and blessing always out way our quick fix and yelps for relief from a situation. I think of Joseph’s life in Genesis, and how this principle plays out with 13 years of slave/prisoner circumstance for a boy who had naiveté concerning the hatred of his brothers. After much turmoil, the earnest Joseph remains faithful to the Lord, and the Lord is faithful in delivering him from his circumstances in a way he could not have imagined while sitting on the cold dungeon floor.

All of us can relate to a time of strife, pain, and uncertainty in the midst of difficult situations in our lives. The Lord’s promise to us, is that He will hear us. When we call out to Him, we need to do so with an open heart to His deliverance, no matter what it looks like or how long it takes. Once we are freed from our trouble, we are to remember. One contemporary version of the “scroll of remembrance” mentioned above, is my journal. For some of us, it is in a ‘Disciplines of Grace’ book this year, and for others it is a file or two on their computer. Yet for others, it is physical scars, memories, or rectified relationships. Whatever your scroll of remembrance, do not forget it in the midst of your current or next trial. He is good, and will deliver you.

Lord, help me to remember you in times of trial. You have a plan and a purpose, and work good through all. Help me rely on your timing, not my own. Remind me of your provision when in need. Keep me in a dedicated relationship with you, that you might be always ripe in my heart, and able to work.

“…Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” - Hebrews 10:22a

I read these challenges, and sometimes wonder what exactly they are asking me to do. Not only do I find myself perplexed by the task, but also lacking the ability to carry them out. So let’s unpack it and try to make some sense of it all.

Faith is a tricky thing. I feel myself go through waves of little to medium sized faith as life throws me a variety of circumstances. When I read something like this verse, I wonder what would give me this full assurance of faith so that I might be able to tackle the trial at hand the way the Lord would desire me to? This fullness seems like a great and powerful thing to grasp, and I want more of it.

I think the recipe for this fullness is not as tricky as it may seem at first read. James 4:7-8 says “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” So the plan James is giving us is fairly simple. Stay away from the devil, and submit to the Lord’s amazing and good will, and we can understand and experience the Lord’s closeness. Within that closeness is the ability to have a full assurance of our faith, and the abilities of the Lord to overcome obstacles in our lives. Easier said then done, but at least we are getting somewhere.

So, how can we resist the devil? It is stated in the line previous, by submitting to God. It is only when we fully give up our self, and pick up our cross to follow Him that we can begin to evade the devil’s plan.

Lord, please continue to develop my faith as you teach me to rely on you. May I experience your closeness in times of need.

“Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.”  Ecclesiastes 2:18

I hate to think that all of my work could be in vain.  That I could put energy and effort, resources and time into a goal which I felt was meaningful and worthwhile to find out it was all for nothing.  The toil and sweat were all so a fool could enjoy luxury that I was able to afford him.  There is a real danger here to fall into this trap.

At CCF, we have been going over this book, and it seems fitting that college students should grapple with the words of Solomon before entering the “real world of work.”  Before we allow ourselves to begin to pursue recognition and financial acclaim, the challenges of perspective offered in these beginning chapters of Ecclesiastes are quite fitting.  No one had more success and “stuff” than Solomon.  He worked hard to get them.  But beyond that he had wisdom, which opened his eyes to the meaninglessness of collecting all this stuff.  He goes through a pretty exhaustive list in the opening chapters of the ways he sought to find completion.  Turns out he was focusing on the wrong things.

Ultimately, fullness of life, and a meaningful existence can only be found within an authentic relationship with the Lord.  It is only by striving to be an instrument for His will that we can know the completing power of peace and purpose the Lord wants to give us.  He doesn’t need us, but wants to use us so that we might know the blessing that accompanies the work.  2 Corinthians 6:1 also ties directly into this:  “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”  Here Paul is encouraging the Corinthian believers by reminding them they are included, and a part of the work being done in their midst.  He is giving them purpose that goes beyond worldly recognition, to ask them to evaluate the grace they have received and whether that is motivating righteous living.

The last few weeks, Pastor Kim has talked about generosity, and these verses all tie together.  What am I storing up?  What do I value?  How willing am I to let these things go, whether it be time, money or abilities?

So, all of this is to say, I want to commit my future pursuits to Christ’s goal for the world around me.  I do not want to live for self, but for Christ who is in me, and ultimately has the only life giving purpose for my life.

Lord your will be done in my life.  Help me to lay aside earthly desires, and seek you first.

1. Luke 24: 16 “But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.”

When Jesus was first with them, their eyes were intentionally blinded from the Jesus they once knew so well. They were not yet ready to fully understand His perfect plan of redemption. He was there in their midst, yet they did not see.

2. Luke 24: 24 “And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

While they recounted the “unbelievable” story of the women at the tomb, they also commented on their difficulty in belief. Their eyes and hearts were closed still to the possibility of Christ alive, and making Himself known to the women. He had left an account of Himself, and yet they did not see.

3. Luke 24: 30-32 “…He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him…and they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the scriptures to us?’”

In a familiar setting, Jesus was a guest to the house, yet took on the role of host throughout the meal. He had to take on that role in order to continue the process of opening their eyes to His plan for them. It was after this personal experience with Him, the disciples and followers finally started to put the pieces together. They began to acknowledge the spiritual stirring in their hearts as they were around Him. They also were able to understand scripture that once seemed confusing, or difficult. Christ slowly revealed Himself to them, and they began to see.

4. Luke 24: 39 “Behold My hands and My feet, that is Myself. Handle Me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

Finally, Christ in a very intimate way shows His followers the extent of His love. The visual, physical, and intellectual experiences of the disciples finally opened their eyes. It was only after a series of intentional experiences with Jesus, that the disciples were able to fully grasp the plan and purpose of His death. In His time, they saw.

What a process to undergo in order to see Christ. God had a plan for His followers, but it had to be done in His timing, and with His carefully guiding hand.

Why all of the hurdles? I would like to think that I am open to what Christ might be doing in my life. But the reality is, I am often so caught up in myself (whether it be goals, grief, or the everyday), I miss opportunities to participate in God’s plan. I think this account of the disciples is actually a beautiful illustration of how when we are seeking, He will find us, and open our hearts to His will. All I need to do is seek Him, and He will open my eyes in His perfect time. He is alive, and in our midst.

Lord, help me to seek you. Lean not on my own understanding. Teach me through your Word and the Holy Spirit. Open my eyes, that I might see the opportunities to serve my neighbor.

Sorry for the long posting…

“So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” - Mark 15:15

It is amazing to think what popularity can cause people to do. Pilate was so concerned with his own acceptance and authority; he completely ignored the clear conviction in his heart. The greatest exchange in history, Jesus for Barabbas, was made in order to appease a fickle and unruly crowd. How often do we ignore conviction in order to be more attractive to the world? For example, I have found myself placing my Bible downward in public places to avoid scrutiny. What is that? Why have I allowed my faith to be controlled at times by circumstance in a world I know to be broken? The conviction of Christ’s call on my life is clear, yet I often ignore it.

Sinful (Barabbas) was set free at the expense of Sinless (Jesus). This is the heart of Christian faith. Jesus Christ was crucified for us. We are all Barabbas in this story. Sure, we have not killed, but sin is sin. The exchange had to made. I don’t often reflect on how devastating my sin is, and the suffering it forced Jesus to endure. If I were to meditate and mourn my sin, I am sure I would have far more success overcoming it. This Passion Week, I do not want to forget my role in the sacrifice Christ had to make. It was my sin, as much as the murderers out there, which caused this loving God to step down from his heavenly throne, become a man, and die on a cross. The pain Jesus endured for me cannot be ignored. It was that pain that has set me free. It is because of His love and sacrifice that I have purpose and joy.

Lord Jesus, I know you suffered tremendously for me. More than I can ever understand. May that truth affect me. Change me. Do not let popularity cheapen your sacrifice. Help me to live courageously for you. You died that I might live, may I live in a way that honors you.