Jesus

Preparation of the inward life

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But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 amplified

The passage above tells us that the use of the vessel is in proportion to the preparation of the vessel. So as we desire to be useful and profitable to the Lord Jesus, we must prepare ourselves to be suitable for those things He has prepared for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Part 1 will focus on the preparation of the inward life

The inward life is really all about the condition of the heart. The great danger for us as believers is developing a hardened or calloused heart. Each time we come into the house of God, He desires to speak to us. But if we are not careful, the ministry of the Word of God into our lives can become to us nothing more than a form of entertainment as it was for the people in Ezekiel’s day. “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. (Ezekiel 33:30-33)

It is when we come to the Word of God with a humble and teachable spirit (whether in a church service or in our own personal reading and studying) that we will experience the full benefit of its work of preparing our life for useful service to Jesus.

The Word of God reveals ourselves to us. Hebrews 4:12 says: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Every motive, attitude, all the hidden things that no one can see, and that we often aren’t aware of, all of these things are revealed by the powerful working of the Word of God in our hearts, but only as we make ourselves open and vulnerable to the Word and do not close our hearts to the Spirit’s correction. It can be very painful to experience revelation of ourselves, but it is necessary.

The Word of God renews our perspective. Romans 12:1-3 tells us: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Not only does it help us to relate rightly to this world, but it helps us to think rightly about ourselves. In 10,000 different ways pride will attempt to find a home in our hearts, but the Word of God will successfully expose this deadly enemy and keep us in a proper attitude of humility. Without humility, ministry can be destructive.

Not only is the inward life prepared by the Word of God, but also by prayer. Nothing of kingdom significance will be done without prayer, either in the world or in our own lives. It was as the early church was set apart in the upper room in prayer that the Holy Spirit was poured out. In prayer our desires to draw near to God are stirred. Through prayer, Jesus promised we could receive what we ask for. Mark 11:24 states: “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

The word “desire” in this verse is a strong word. It means to crave, beg or require. It is more than a casual asking and then moving on to the next thing. There is something of a desperation and urgency that just can’t let go of the need being presented until heaven answers. There is far too little of this in our day. We often come to God in prayer, yet our desire to have that which we’ve asked for is not strong enough for us to continue until the answer comes. We aren’t engaged in our own prayer lives and then wonder why our prayers aren’t answered.

The preparation of a life is a call to fervent, intense prayer. No longer is there the option of “now I lay me down to sleep” prayers. It is a life that travails before the throne of God, often with tears and sleepless nights, pacing the floor….not willing to see prayers continue to go unanswered.

There are many accounts in the gospels when whole cities would line up to see Jesus.   Can you imagine how long all those people must have had to stand there and wait for a chance to get close enough to Jesus to get their need met? But in each account it tells us that ALL were healed. Everybody got their need met……except those that got tired of waiting and went home.

Today you can purpose to be inwardly prepared – a man or woman of the Word and prayer.

 

 

The destruction of a life

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I watched a parable unfolding before my eyes…..

Every day on my way to work I pass by the Baton Rouge main library. Recently a new main library was built, making the old one unnecessary. One day I noticed that a fence had been built around the old building. Soon afterwards there were pieces of heavy equipment on site. Each day that I passed by there was less and less of the building standing. This week all that remains are piles of rubble that will soon be picked up and carried away to be disposed of.

Each day as I passed by the destruction of this building I thought on the destruction of a life. It very rarely happens all at once, but is a slow and subtle process, sometimes undetectable. But one little sin is allowed to remain in the life. The Holy Spirit deals with the heart, but this sin is enjoyed and clung to. So the life retains the sin….and the fence is built. It signifies the hardness that enters our heart as we resist the ministry of the Holy Spirit as He works to pry our hands off of that treasured sin. And this sin that we think we cannot live without, or perhaps view as insignificant, begins its work of destruction in our lives. Little by little, fellowship with God is torn down. Little by little, our desires for His word, His presence, His ministry into our lives becomes weaker. And little by little, sin destroys us until our life lies in ruins.

Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?  Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? Proverbs 6:27-28

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. James 1:14-16

The Lord would not have us be deceived…..sin brings forth death. Always. It can never do anything else. But Jesus offers LIFE!!

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10b

While sin appears desirable and pleasurable, we must remember that this is only an illusion. It is a lie! There may be pleasure in sin for a season, but there are pleasures at His right hand forevermore! It is an unbelievably short-sighted trade off when we treasure our sin rather than treasuring Jesus. Our glorious Christ has given us a gloriously complete salvation. He has freed us from the power of sin so that it is no longer our master. However sin will still come and invite us to serve it. Now we must choose. Today is a brand new opportunity for us to choose to treasure Jesus above everything else. This is the only reasonable choice!

 

 

A life laid down

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Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I received from My Father. John 10:17-18

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John 3:16

At any point during the night of His betrayal, Jesus could have escaped from the control of His captors and avoided the cross. He had the power to free Himself as He had demonstrated in previous encounters with crowds that wanted to take Him by force. But this night He used an even greater power…..the power to lay His life down. And because we are in Him, we have this same power.

Many in the church today are seeking after power…..the power to preach, the power to heal, the power to move in the spiritual gifts. And I say yes! Let us, by all means, have these things. But where are those who are seeking, earnestly seeking, the power to lay their lives down?

Generally speaking, we are a selfish people. The new nature that Jesus has given us is many times crowded out by the self-centered demands of an un-crucified flesh. Comfort…convenience…..leisure…ease. And the words of the Lord Jesus are drowned out – “if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

In the cross was the ultimate demonstration of God’s love. Jesus took up His cross. He laid His life down. Oh that we would long to follow Him in this! Can you imagine how our cities would be shaken by a people who exerted the full force of their power to lay their lives down!

Lay your life down to preach the gospel….lay your life down to pray earnestly for a move of God….lay your life down to actually demonstrate the love of God to those in need. It’s only a temporary life anyway. What a waste to use it all up on ourselves. Why not pour it out lavishly in anticipation of the glories of that eternal life that awaits us?

Imagine the pleasure of Jesus to have a people who live to give their lives away…..just like He did.

A worthy life

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I wonder how many things which we occupy our time with in this life, things that seem so very important and necessary now, will seem trivial and meaningless when we stand before the Lord Jesus. Life is short and these few years of our pilgrimage here are all we have been given to make Jesus known to a world that perishes without Him. It seems only fitting that no other task should so occupy our time, our attention and our prayers as this great work of spreading the gospel.

 

“What is the secret to great living? Entire separation to Christ and devotion to Him. Thus speaks every man and woman whose life has made more than a passing flicker in the spiritual realm. It is the life that has no time for trifling that counts. “ Amy Carmichael

Imposition of ashes

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Today I passed by a church that had the following announcement on the sign outside the building: “Imposition of Ashes – 7:00 pm”. Throughout the Bible, ashes are connected with grief, sorrow over sin and repentance. When Job was in great sorrow concerning all the losses in his life, he sat in ashes. When the prophet Jonah preached the word of judgment to the city of Nineveh, the king himself repented in sackcloth and ashes. But what really caught my attention about the sign was this word – imposition.

Imposition – an excessive or uncalled-for requirement or burden.

In that one word the spiritual condition of our nation is summarized. We don’t want to be imposed upon by God to think anything about ourselves is wrong or needs to be changed. The ashes that are to be an outward expression of the inward repentance of the heart, like so many other things, have become nothing more than a religious ritual with no real spiritual significance to most who participate in it.

Repentance, the turning of a heart toward the Lord Jesus and away from sin, is a beautiful thing. The apostle Peter actually describes it as a blessing:

To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” Acts 3:26

Paul says in Romans 2:4 that it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Why? Because from our repentance comes times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). What a welcome thing this is to those who have experienced it!

Repentance is no burden, but a proper and necessary response to the dealings of God with our life. It is through our repentance that we agree with God about the weakness of our flesh, our ever falling short of His glory, and our continual need for His strength and cleansing. In repentance my heart can rejoice that I serve a God who is unwilling to leave me the way that I am, who is committed to conforming me to the image of Christ, and who is always working to remove those things from my life that hinder this goal.

I won’t be getting any ashes on my forehead tomorrow. Instead I choose to live daily in the fiery presence of a God who changes me from glory to glory.

Bondservant

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“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1)

The word here translated bondservant is actually the word slave (doulos).  It is a strong word, carrying the following meanings:

  • It refers to one born into slavery.
  • It refers to one who is in a relation to another which only death can break
  • It refers to one whose will is swallowed up in the will of another.
  • It refers to one who serves another even to the disregard of his own interests.

The word slave is an unpopular word….and for good reason.  Throughout the history of humanity, the stronger have conquered the weaker and subjected them to the most horrific indignities.  The first goal of a slave is simply to survive.  But a close second would be to obtain freedom.  Yet the Apostle Paul willingly made himself a bond-slave of Christ.

Born a slave to sin, he was born again a slave to righteousness.  At the moment of new birth, he entered into a relationship with the Lord Jesus which not even death could sever, for the power of death was broken on the cross.  He was a man whose will was utterly swallowed up in the will of God, demonstrated by his utter disregard even for his own life that he might preach Christ.

This disgraceful word…..slave…..has now been given an air of dignity by all of those who, like Paul, have gladly chosen the title of slave for themselves because of the exceeding greatness of the Master.  Head high, chin up, eyes lifted heavenward…….we serve with gladness.

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Commissioned as couriers

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“The couriers who rode on royal horses, went out, hastened and pressed on by the kings command” Esther 8:14

BACKGROUND: That wicked Haman had persuaded the king to issue a decree ordering the extermination of the Jews. Queen Esther successfully exposed Haman’s plot against her people and a new decree was written, counteracting the previous one. So at the king’s command the order was given to send the decree by means of couriers to make it known through the entirety of the land. And so they went out, they hastened, they pressed on.

They went out….no easy thing in those days. It involved exposure to the elements and to the dangers associated with travel. But the message had to be taken and they were the ones commissioned to do it.

They hastened….this caught my attention. It is a word that means much more than might be thought at first glance. Much more than hurry……….it means to tremble inwardly, be alarmed or agitated. The lives of many people were on the line. Disaster loomed over their heads until the decree was delivered. The couriers understood this and trembled at the importance and magnitude of the task they had been given.

They pressed on……in the face of weariness and hardship, maybe wanting to give up and just go back home, yet they relentlessly persisted until their task had been accomplished. So many reasons to quit, but one over-riding reason to press on – the king’s command.

A command has been given in our day as well, by an infinitely more glorious and powerful King: “go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” Mark 16:15. Perhaps we should consider how we are responding to such a command.
Are we going out? Has the gospel of the Lord Jesus moved us out of our comfort zones and propelled us into the harvest – the harvest in the nations, the harvest in our city, the harvest in the workplace, the harvest in our own homes? Are we content to just let someone else do it, hoping the message will get there somehow, preferring the comfort, safety and routineness of life as usual?

Do we have a proper sense of the urgency and importance of the message? Men perish eternally without the gospel. Souls are lost forever. There is no remedy for them once they step into eternity apart from the saving blood of Christ….only the certainty of eternal separation from God in a place of eternal suffering. Do we tremble over their fate? Does it ever cost us tears or sleepless nights? Doesn’t it just seem like it should?

We have been entrusted with delivery of the message to them that their destruction has been counteracted by the decree made on Calvary…”It is finished.” No longer must they live with wrath lingering just beyond their final breath. No longer must they live separated from the God who wants to be known as Father. The invitation has been issued from heaven for all to come.

But those who do not hear, cannot come.

Are we serving the Lord with endurance? I think often of the Apostle Paul’s command to Timothy – “you therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). We must. Adversity and opposition will come as we go forward to take the message of grace to a world that insists on being offended at the cross. But we must press on. Retreat is not an option. And how can those of us who have tasted of this abundant life refuse to endure any difficulties necessary that we may bring others into this life?

My brothers and sisters who read this…..I have read over this multiple times seeking to remove any harshness from it. I have no desire to cause guilt or shame to anyone. But in my own life I find myself often needing a reminder of what is at stake. So many things crowd into our lives to distract us…..but the souls……let us not forget about the souls…….

They are waiting for the gospel.

Lonely for You

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In life’s lonely seasons of sorrow
balancing on the very edge of emotional meltdown
wordless, with tears and sighs, aching

Yet even if every situation was happily resolved
so that all seemed right with the world again
it would not satisfy, it would not be enough
I am lonely for You Jesus

Every prayer has become an act of desperation
reaching, grasping, intensely needing…
You

Listening so closely for even Your whisper
silence again
yet still I wait….for You

And though the waiting is an agony
to not wait is unthinkable
I will watch for You
I know You will come and meet with me
until then…my heart’s cry….
I am lonely for You Jesus