As the rain and snow

“I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13,15-16

I recently heard a godly minister describe benefits to participation in the Body of a Christ in a church, including learning to get along with people you would not choose. In any fellowship, any small group, any congregation, God has placed many and varied people under His one Spirit, one hope, one faith, and He gives ample opportunity for us to learn how to walk worthy of our calling, in unity, with them. How eagerly, how well, am I walking? How am I contributing to the fitness of the Body?

God’s purposes within this Body are several, as mentioned in this passage. We build muscle in Christ-like attitudes and characteristics through unselfish service and bearing with others. We strengthen the Body and ‘joint’ health when we exercise our specific gifts and encourage and appreciate those of others. We gain courage and kindness through speaking truth in love, and humility receiving that from others. Our capacity to love, especially the unlovable, increases as we love in Christ’s power. As we all grow in maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, to His glory, He is recognized by and made attractive to the watching world.

Lord, You have extended a lofty calling, and I desire to walk worthy of it. Work in and through me to develop and exhibit Your qualities, Your measure of grace and gifts, Your maturing in discernment and self-control. May the Body be so strong and well-functioning that the needy world takes notice, quickens in Spirit, and gets in step.

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” Psalm 85:6

It is early spring in the Southern Hemisphere, where I am. Rows of fresh green trees stand like sprigs of fresh rosemary bordering fields punctuated by blossoming fruit trees and dozens of lambs and calves. New life! In this land where the mornings are still frosty, the whipping air is chill, and river beds are dry, I imagine revival, wide spaces teeming with baby believers, nestled together, discovering the edges of new life, nursing on and nourished by delicious truth, growing as they graze in God’s wide pastures. I imagine buds of faith taking in the warmth of God’s light and opening to bloom beautiful and fragrant. What a hopeful picture God the Creator gives!

What does it take to awaken the spring? The proclamation of truth and planted seeds, feeding and caring for one baby at a time, prayer, and the movement of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 10:14; Ezekiel 36:26)

Oh Lord, bring the spring! Bring revival!! Begin in me, and use me to bring it through me, for Your sake and glory.

“The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. He overlaid it with pure gold. And the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.” 1 Kings 6:19-20,22-23,27-28

There is something about the design and construction of God’s temple that fascinates and lifts my heart. Through the ages, churches and cathedrals have been constructed to lift the eyes upward, to make the soul soar in worship as the buttresses and altar rise heavenward. The intricate beauty in design and execution, the details that showed exquisite care, the fine elements used to build, all reflected God’s magnificence. Solomon’s attention given to the inner sanctuary particularly hushes me, as I see in its perfect shape and resplendence a reminder of the attention I must give to my inner sanctuary, my heart where my LORD dwells.

Oh God, You are worthy of lofty thought and exaltation! You are the One Who sanctifies me and is the sanctuary in my midst forever. Make me attentive to all the clutter I allow in my inner sanctuary, to the low living, crude expenditures of time, meaningless distractions I allow in personal worship, and purify me through and through. Help me tend to my time and place with You and give it my very best, in honor of You and for Your glory. (Ezekiel 37:38)

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” Matthew 24:35; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:89

“In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.’ Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the Lord.” Jeremiah 36:1-3,10,

Wild fires devour hundreds of acres of trees, foliage, and communities, house fires destroy homes, but they cannot remove the love people within them have for one another, or the indomitable truth that life will go on. The scrolls Jeremiah dictated to Baruch were burned in King Jehoiakim’s fire pot, but the fire could not destroy the truth of God’s word they contained. After the people had heard Jeremiah’s message, the officials listened to them, and feared, and told the king. But when the scrolls were read to the king, every few columns, not liking their message, he cut a piece of the scroll and threw into his fire, unrepentant and not afraid. He wanted to seize the prophet and his scribe, to squelch and ignore the Lord’s pronouncement of judgment, but the truth of the proclamation remained. He would be held accountable.

God of Truth, as the wildfires of wantonness and rebellion rage against Your truth, make me bold to live and proclaim it. When many messages are broadcast, opinions are repeated and information flows incessantly, keep me stayed on Your word. Thank You that no matter the inclination to destroy or distort, Your word stands forever.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility… that he might create in himself one new man in place of two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing hostility. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,…Christ himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God but the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:14-16,18-22

I’ve recently had the privilege of gathering with sisters and brothers in Christ from around the world. I am not sure there is anything that exemplifies the unity of the Body of Christ more than does a room full of hundreds of different nationalities, generations, colors, religious and cultural backgrounds, all singing robust, harmonious praises that have been sung by saints through the centuries to the Lord of Peace, the Cornerstone, the Head of the body. When I think of racial tensions and denominational squabbles, I want to cry, “bring them to the cross!” Language barriers, education levels, blue collar-white collar, formal and street-plain, all are melted by Spirit-filled smiles and affection, unified in Jesus Christ when on our knees we pray together. Hues of skin tone and spiritual maturity blend into an exquisite masterpiece crafted by God’s loving hands, run through by a ribbon of Christ’s blood.

“Do not be surprised , brothers, that the world hates you. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. We love because he first loved us.” The church is dwindling in numbers in Europe and the U.K., yet has great power and influence because of the Spirit dwelling within. The world will know we are Christians by our love. The enemy would divide what only the church can present to the world as a picture of the reconciliation offered in our Savior. (1 John 3:13; 4:7,19; John 13:35)

“Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of man; Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.” ~German, 17th century

Thank you, Lord of all, that You put hostility to death by Jesus’s victory at Calvary. Thank You for the oneness Your children enjoy, spanning time, distance, differences. All the nations You have made shall one day come and worship before You. Fill us now to love because, and as, You love us. (Psalm 86:9)

“For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity hidden from my eyes. Behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that I am the LORD.” “For his eyes are on the ways of man, and he sees all his steps.” “For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.” Jeremiah 16:17,21; Job 34:21; Prov 5:21

With security cameras now on city streets, police dashboards, in homes and yards, we’ve become accustomed to knowing we are being watched, or at least, could be. Facial recognition is used for unlocking our smart phones, and investigating and determining criminal activity in some countries. We can get unsettled at the loss of privacy, other’s lack of trust, “big brother” watching over us….yet, God has always watched, always known our every step and way. He is the One to whom we are accountable. It’s easy to get caught up in horizontal thinking and living, with ‘the man upstairs’ being Uncle Sam and our defenses on guard against red light cameras and those who observe our activity, but vertical adjustment places us below our Heavenly Father, Who looks on us for our good.

What have I to hide from the merciful eyes of my Savior? What tears do I try to conceal from His compassionate look? What insecurities and fears and weak failings do I fail to bring under His powerful and transforming gaze? Why would I not welcome God’s all-seeing eye to penetrate, purify, and perfect?

Lord, Your eyes run to and from throughout the earth. Knowing You see all, may I live carefully, deliberately, wholeheartedly, blamelessly. You see what lies ahead, You see the meanderings of my thought, You see the condition and yen of my heart; You see after me, and You see to Your purposes and my every need. Give me eyes to see You and the world as You do. (2 Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 139:2-3; 1 Samuel 17:7; Genesis 16:13)

“God, through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” “I have made you a light…that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” 2 Corinthians 5:18,20; Acts 13:47

“Be children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.” Philippians 2:15,16

Throughout the U.K. and Europe, countryside, villages, and cities are punctuated with steeples with crosses, ancient bold and beautiful beacons lifting high the cross, signifying truth that stands out and apart from the world. Sadly, many are now vacant, or repurposed into restaurants or retail; one in Aberdeen, Scotland is now a casino. What was initially a place of worship and light for the surrounding community can morph into a spiritless, hollow shell when care is not given to maintaining the vital connection with the Lord. When God’s people fail to tend to their own lives, and forget or abandon their first love, Jesus, they dry up and become ineffective and fruitless in making a difference in the world. (Revelation 2:4)

Continue reading “Steeples with Crosses”

“When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,  brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, ‘The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.’” 2 Samuel 17:27-29

What a beautiful paragraph in the middle or turmoil, angst, and desperation. David and his men have fled Jerusalem at the treachery of his son Absalom, who has declared himself king, entered the royal city, and taken David’s concubines ‘on the roof, in the sight of all Israel’ in a display of utter contempt and wanton pride. Absalom’s army now pursues the rightful king, and David’s men are weary and discouraged. Enter Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai! Their lavish gifts are bound with concern, love, compassion, prepared with much thought and delivered at great risk. What a welcome provision!

How attentive am I to the needs of others? Do I stay in touch enough to know what is going on, when a friend, neighbor, or fellow church member is under pressure, grieving, discouraged, or in particular need? Am I willing to spend the time to plan, prepare, and execute, to go the extra mile to deliver the provision to them, and give of my attention and love and presence, my prayer and blessing also? How often do I choose to spend on another instead of myself?

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

God of all bounty, use me to be Your arms and hands of goodness to others. You know their needs– by Your Spirit make me sensitive to know them also, and ready and willing to give generously to meet them. May they recognize that everything comes from You. (Matthew 6:8; Galatians 6:2; Matthew 6:25-33)

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The world can be relentless in its onslaught against truth. Words are slung that deeply wound, and ruin reputations; corporate decisions are made and laws are passed that condone behavior the Bible clearly states are wrong; even churches proliferate that teach from a horizontal perspective, valuing feelings and emotion over truth and righteousness.

We are not left alone within our battle with the world. The God Who leads His army also equips, and He supplies armor perfectly suited to every attack. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Truth must be paramount in guarding our minds; thinking rightly affects all else- our understanding, responses, decisions for every other defense and action. When and how am I saturating myself with God’s word so it becomes the source of my living? (Ephesians 6:13-17)

Lord of hosts, You are sovereign over the present darkness in which we live. Grant keen discernment to recognize the fallacies and dangers of every argument that is false, and courageous determination to take up Your divine weapons. Make me a brave, smart warrior, knowing You hold the victory.

“And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. And embarking in a ship, we put to sea. The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.” Acts 27:1-3

We do not know much about the Roman centurions who had charge of Paul, but we can infer from Acts 27 that he had quite an influence on them. Julias, by title a commander of 100, had charge of the prisoners on board a ship bound along the coasts of Asia for Rome, where Paul would stand trial before Caesar. He trusts Paul enough to give him leave to spend time with friends, and in the Port of Myra, he found the next ship for Paul and his companions and put them on it. We can imagine his thoughtful observance of Paul’s friends’ loving care for him, and the bond of their fellowship, perhaps a display similar to that at Ephesus: “He knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.” (Acts 20:36-38)

The new centurion, seemingly puffed with power and self-importance, was in charge on a ship to Alexandria. They were struck by a northeaster, violently storm-tossed, and had to jettison the cargo and tackle overboard. After many days without eating, likely with most seasick and cranky, Paul urges them to “take heart.” His stature, his calm, his willingness to encourage those in authority over his very life, did not go unnoticed. When the sailors sought deceitfully to escape the ship, Paul warned the centurion and soldiers that without them, they could not survive. After two tempestuous, suspenseful weeks without food, Paul urges everyone to take some nourishment. “‘It will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.’ And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves.” The proof of Paul’s influence came when they ran aground on a reef and the ship began to break apart. “The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan.” (Acts 27:34-36,41-43)

What brought a swaggering, expert Roman commander to take advice from a Jewish prisoner? What turns a haughty, suspicious attitude into one of kindness and esteem? We cannot measure the full impact Paul’s steady peace, presence of mind, concern for all passengers, and confidence in God had on this centurion, but we know it occurred, because he changed. In trial and tempest, in disappointment, strain, and grief, others are watching, and they are impressionable.

Lord, may I speak and live to upbuild others with truth, even if correcting, with kindness, so they might understand the gospel and glorify You. Make me most willing to spend and be spent for others’ souls, for Your sake. (1 Peter 2:12; 2 Timothy 2:24-25; 2 Corinthians 12:15)