I was looking at the parantheses in the opening of the book of Galatians this morning in the first verse.  Verse 1 says, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)“  It got me thinking how powerful it is to be of God.  If you think about it, God planned you out before you were born (Psalm 139).  He knew you before there ever was a planet Earth.  And then He chose you to be His child.  He died for you to win you to Himself.  He called you to His mission.  And not in just some general way!  He has called you PERSONALLY to His mission.  He has a specific plan for YOU!

If you think about it, you and I can say what Paul said - We aren’t of men.  We have been called of Jesus Christ and God the Father.  Think of the power in that statement…

I have three sons and, at any time, I may give one of them authority over the others.  It works this way:  I need for them to clean their room or to wash their hands for supper or whatever.  So I tell one of them to tell their other two brothers to do what I have told them to do.  At that moment that individual boy is OF ME with MY AUTHORITY and carries with him all the weight of their father.  For the other two to disobey that boy is to disobey ME!  There is much power being in that position.

What a blessing!  That’s why we can walk like a pimp!  I’m not of me.  I’m of Jesus Christ, and God the Father.  I come with His power and His authority in the context of His mission.  I wear His name (Christ-ian) and am the apple of His eye!

How do you define yourself?  Who are you?  I was meditating on the opening of Paul’s letter to the Galatians this morning and noticed the first word “Paul.”  His salutation to the church there was an acknowledgment of who he was.  Notice he doesn’t say “Saul” because HE WAS NO LONGER SAUL.  He records his new name because he is a new man.  That was the life from which he lived.

How do you see yourself?  When you think of yourself is it from God’s perspective or from the perspective of someone who, for whatever reason, won’t let go of their old identity?  We have a new identity with new power, new peace, new grace, and a new mission.  I am no longer my own.  I am now simply an extension of God through Jesus Christ.

Maybe a touch of the “reset button” is in order.  Stop looking from your perspective and start looking down from God’s perspective.  Start today by saying:  “Christ in me, the hope of glory - Have your way!  Not I, but Christ!” - It’s who I am!!!

God bless you guys!

Here is a quotation from Benjamin Franklin: “Would you live a life of ease, do what you ought and not as you please.” I like that but allow me to rewrite it in a way that he might have written it had he been a Christian. Here it is: “Would you live a life of peace, do what you ought and not as you please.”

Men and women of God MUST do things that go against their present wants in order to put themselves in a position of peace with God. Time in God’s Word on a daily basis just isn’t an option. I know you might not always “feel” like it but that’s okay. That’s life. That’s your old sin nature you are stuck with until God takes you home to be with Him. So what are the options??? Give into your old sin nature? - No way! Do what you ought and not as you please! Get in God’s Word. Meet with Him. Share your heart with Him. Allow HIm to minister to you.

It’s funny how simple encouragement from God comes… This morning I read from Luke 18:1: “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Immediately it encouraged me to keep praying for those things I haven’t seen God work in as yet. Immediately I had the wherewithal to keep praying. How cool is that? And how simple is that? - I didn’t say it’s easy. I said it was simple. This Christian life is supposed to be a simple life. There is, as the Bible puts it, “simplicity in Christ.” Mark it down: Whenever your life feels complicated you need to hit the reset button and recommit it to God’s keeping.

So… Do you want to experience peace and rest? Do you want to be a God chaser? Do you want your life to count for something important? Do you want to see God’s eternal plan worked out in your life? Then do what you ought and not as you please.

     I have been thinking about all of the bad things one has to deal with in their lives when you have a walk with God…  And I was considering a brother of ours in the ministry that our pastoral team met and prayed for yesterday afternoon…  One of our pastors made the comment that he knew God was doing a work in this man’s life through the horrid adversity that he was facing. 

     While reading in Luke 6:20-36 this morning I couldn’t help but see how Jesus was equating all of the bad things life can throw at you as good things.  (I’m not saying that ALL bad things are good things.)  But look at what He says here:

Luk 6:20 

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luk 6:21 

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Luk 6:22 

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

Luk 6:23 

Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Luk 6:24 

But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

Luk 6:25 

Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

Luk 6:26 

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Luk 6:27 

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Luk 6:28 

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Luk 6:29 

And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

Luk 6:30 

Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

Luk 6:31 

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luk 6:32 

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Luk 6:33 

And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

Luk 6:34 

And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

Luk 6:35 

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Luk 6:36 

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Notice that He says you are “blessed” if you have these bad issues because that means God has something good for you on the other side of that issue.  Difficulties breed fellowship and a oneness with Christ.  Difficulties perfect us.

     And now notice something else…  Here is the one thing that ALL OF MANKIND strives for - Peace and prosperity!  See the other side of peace and prosperity in these verses.  A life of ease breeds a life of disease on the other side. 

     Rest (in God) in the pain.  Relate to God in the pain.  Rejoice in the pain.

     And finally see this:  Notice all of the adversarial issues brought up in the second half of that passage.  Your enemies…  those who use you…  they who hit you…  those who steal from you…  Here’s what Jesus is saying in this passage…  DON’T AVOID THEM!  Is that not counterintuitive?  Embrace those moments.  Be Christ in those moments.  Uggh!  That is hard.  My experience has been that 99% of the problems I face with people are with Christian people.  It reminds me of the list of difficulties Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians.  The last one he mentions which is obviously a prominent one is “the care for all the churches.”

     Good leaders don’t avoid pain and conflict because they can see that good is on the other side.  Good leaders look for what God is doing in a situation and see it through.  Good leaders see that they need to be stretched and challenged.  Adversity is how God does this in our lives.  You see, not everything that is bad is bad.  And not eveything that is good is good.  We need to see as God sees - in the light of God’s eternal purposes and perfecting hand. 

     Oh God, Grant us eyes to see Your eternal purposes and plan.  Grant us grace to endure IN JOY.  Father, Your love is great and You are great.  Enable us to learn to rest in Your greatness.    

I was just reading through Luke 1 and thought about all of the potential disappointment one can find in this chapter.  Here’s what I mean…

* Zacharias is told in verses 13-17 that he and his wife are going to have a child (John the Baptist) who is going to be used of God to turn many hearts back to the Lord.  In verse 17 it says he will precede the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elias (i.e. Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  Consider:  I wonder what those who knew what was prophesied of this child thought when they heard John was beheaded?  Did John’s life fulfill the expectations of those around him?  What about his mother’s.  What about his own expectations?

* Mary is told she is going to conceive the Lord Jesus in verses 26-38.  Verses 32-33 state that Jesus will take the throne of David, reign over the house of Jacob, and it shall be forever.  Consider:  When Jesus was on the cross being put to death, what was Mary thinking then about God’s promises?  I wonder if her expectations were greatly challenged at that moment?

* Think of what was prophesied of John the Baptist by the angel Gabriel.  Think of the miraculous manner in which John’s father, an extremely important and influential man, was given the news of his coming child.  Did not EVERYONE know who this child was?  Obviously they did which is the reason we are told that even the Pharisees came to be baptized of John in the wilderness later on.  (Matthew 3:7)  But now I want to consider the Pharisees…  Were their expectations met with John?  What about when John pointed them to Jesus…  Were they looking for the God of the Universe to show up in the form of a humble man?  Were they understanding that this great Priest King would not reign like previous kings had?  And that it would not be immediate?

I think most of you can readily see that in each of the three cases above, expectations were probably not met.  I’m sure they had no idea that, although everything that had been written would be fulfilled, it would not be fulfilled in the manner in which it was.

So what can I learn from all of this?

1. Don’t confuse your expectations with His promises.  God hasn’t promised that YOUR expectations will be met.  He has only promised that His promises will be fulfilled.  He will fulfill His promises!  Make sure you line your expectations up with His promises.

2. Our expectations are a funny thing and sometimes carry with them a prideful anticipation.  We need to be wise to maintain humility and understand that God certainly does not owe us anything.  And, by the way, who are WE to “expect” from God anyway?  He is the LORD!  He is the Master Architect!  His will be done! - And, by the way, it will.

3. See His promises through to the end.  While, in the above examples, Elizabeth and Mary saw their promises through and held onto their hope, there were many others who lost hope.  With lost hope comes regret and forfeited blessings.  God will fulfill His Word.  Repent and get back on board.

Two verses stood out this morning that I have never really thought about before: Matthew 13:1 “The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.” Matthew 15:29 “And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.”

Excuse me! - How did He have time to sit down? He only had 3 1/2 years to change the world and He’s sitting down? It intrigues me to consider that Jesus was not in a hurry and sat down. Also interesting is what took place when He sat down… He ended up teaching multitudes of people in both instances.

The fact that He sat down tells me something… Jesus wasn’t in “Getter done!” mode. He knew He couldn’t impact the world. Remember how He said, “No man can come unto me except the Father, which has sent me, draw him…” Jesus understood that His work was really the Father’s work. And so He waited on the Father. But also interesting is the counter point to this one: Jesus was about His Father’s work even while sitting down resting. In other words, Jesus NEVER disengaged from the work to which His Father had called Him. So while He understood His Source of power and never lost sight that the Father was at work, He also never lost sight that there was ONLY ONE REASON HE WAS ON THE PLANET. He was about His Father’s work.

Maybe it would be good for us to have a seat and just realize that the Lord is GOD. He is the real dream maker. He is the Great God Who IS LIFE. He is the Source of all that is good. And while we’re sitting there let’s not miss the ONE REASON WE ARE ON THE PLANET. There is no way we can impact the world through the self life. But there is no way we won’t impact the world if we rest in Him and realize God is the Source of our life and engage in His mission.

I just finished the Book of Jonah and thought God’s words to Jonah in the 4th chapter were interesting. God asks Jonah on two different occasions “Doest thou well to be angry?” Jonah is angry because God has been merciful to Nineveh. Why you might ask? The answer is simple. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, one of the most powerful enemies of Israel known for their brutality toward their enemies. What an interesting question that God asks Jonah. Jonah is looking out for his own people and yet it is against God’s desire for Jonah to do so.

As I pondered this thought it occurred to me that God’s desire for Jonah was that he be so surrendered to the will of God that Jonah would exalt God’s will above all else. God’s desire for Jonah was that he be so surrendered to the will of God that all that he loves would pail in comparison. It reminds me of Jesus’ admonition to his disciples in the Gospel of Luke.

Luk 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Luk 14:29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Luk 14:31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Luk 14:32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Luk 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
Luk 14:35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Notice the final words of this chapter of Luke and Jesus’ comment about salt. He is comparing believers who are not completely given over to God’s mission as salt that isn’t salty and says it’s not good for anything. We need to be so surrendered that we will yield to whatever the Lord would have for us to do regardless of the cost. If not, we cannot be His disciple. Doesn’t it remind you of the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3? It is there that Jesus says He wished they were either hot or cold. The fact they were lukewarm caused Him to want to puke them out of His mouth. This idea is odd from our perspective isn’t it? Doesn’t sound better to be warm than cold? Why wouldn’t He prefer we be a little hot toward Him than completely cold toward Him? - I think the answer lies in the great insult that anything less than hot is. The Great God… the Great Creator… the Great Redeemer of man… the Lover of our souls Who gave everything to win you from the God of this world…

How could we be anything but hot? How could we be anything but surrendered?

I was reading in Ezra 3 - 4 this morning and saw God move in a mighty way in compelling the people to move forward in the rebuilding of the temple.  I saw God move in a wonderful way in leading His people to lay the foundation of the temple.  I saw God encourage His people to the work!  But then I saw the enemy at hand…  His first tactic to stop the work of God from going forward was to try and build WITH the people of God.  God’s people were wise to that and didn’t allow it.  But then, IMMEDIATELY it seems, the enemy changes tactics and convinces Artaxerxes to step in and stop the work.  So he does and everything stops!!!  And just think…  Everything was going so well and then everything stopped…  for 14 years!!!!!!!!!!  Funny isn’t it?  God shows up later and rebukes His people for quitting and it becomes obvious that the enemy’s main tactic is simple…  He just wants to make you lose heart and quit.  The only way you can lose is if you disengage in God’s mission.  If you continue moving forward YOU CANNOT LOSE.  So what does your enemy do? - He doesn’t have the power to defeat Christ in you so he comes up with a series of difficulties which are there to convince you that it can’t be done.  Difficulties do slow us down.  But difficulties shouldn’t stop the work.  Keep moving forward.  Slow as your progress may be, steadily proceeding is the key.  Slow and steady wins the race.

Don’t lose heart.  Choose to believe God.  I want to leave you with a couple of different passages of Scripture this morning that I hope encourages you.

2 Timothy 4:2  “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

2 Timothy 4:5  “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

Keep going.  Keep advancing.  Believe.

You’ve heard the expression: “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” It means that it is wise to have a contingency plan so that we aren’t sunk through any one thing going wrong in our lives or wallet. I think a big problem we have as human believers is that we seem to live our lives with this same mindset. We tend to have the “eggs” of our heart “wisely” diversified. However, in the case of a walk with God, we need to have all our eggs in His basket. Read the passage below from the book of Jeremiah.

Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Jer 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

This passage ministered to me a couple of days ago… I wanted to point out a couple of different things about this passage of God’s blessing in our lives.

1. God doesn’t just bless the individual that trusts in Him. God blesses the individual “whose hope the LORD is.” God blesses the individual whose prize is God, not something else they are waiting on God to provide. God blesses the individual who takes their satisfaction in Him ALONE.

2. The fruit of this kind of heart is that “her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from bearing fruit.” Not “careful” means not anxious or not “full of care.” Now how can this be? Don’t godly people grow dry from time to time? Don’t they get down too? The answer to that question is that they do during God’s workouts. God stretches His children to take them to new plateaus. But that isn’t where He desires that they stay. He wants rivers of living waters flowing out of their bellies. He wants them to have the victory that the three Hebrew children had when they went cheerfully into the midst of Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. Their hope was not in position or stuff or relationships. Their hope was the LORD Himself.

3. I think it is interesting how verse 9 mentions the deceitfulness of the human heart right after dealing with the heart “whose hope the LORD is.” God will reveal the reality of our hearts.

4. Verse 10 confirms God’s testing program to reveal what we ARE REALLY TRUSTING in and what WE TRULY LOVE. The heart that withers only reveals a faulty water source and ugly intentions.

Where are your eggs, really?

“Oh God, our hearts trust in You. You are our Life. Our hearts reside in You.”

     The book of Deuteronomy is a book set on transition for the future and remembering the past.  The title itself means “The Law Again.”  Moses takes about one month during the course of this book, prior to the Israelites transitioning into the Promised Land, and reminds them of what they need to know before they take possession of God’s promises.  Just as Israel had some things to remember during their time of transition, so do we.  This morning I spent some time looking back through Deuteronomy to see what these things were.  I believe we can learn a lot from them. 

1.  Remember where you’ve been saved from.  Deut. 5:15 reminds them that God has rescued them from Egypt.  Egypt happens to be a type of the world for you and me. 

2.  Remember not to be afraid.  (Deut. 7:18)  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do the things you fear and the death of fear is certain.”

3.  Remember how the LORD has led you step by step.  (Deut. 8:2)  This passage also gives the why behind His leading and is definitely worth looking up!

4.  Remember that the LORD is the source of all blessing.  (Deut. 8:18)  James tells us that “every perfect gift is from above.”  God is the reason for every good thing in your life.

5.  Remember how you have rebelled against God’s leadership in your life.  (Deut. 9:7)  The implication here is to stop resisting His Spirit.

6.  Remember to be a blessing to those “under” you.  (Deut. 15:15)  The context of this passage of Scripture has to do with taking care of Hebrew servants who have served their six years under their masters.  Their masters are to set them free and with a great bounty of blessing.

7.  Remember to stop criticizing and complaining.  (Deut. 24:8-9)

8.  Remember when you were the “low man on the totem pole.”  (Deut. 24:17-18, 21-22)  This is so that we might show mercy to others.

9.  Remember what Amalek did to you.  (Deut. 25:17-19)  Amalek pictures our old sin nature.  We are to reckon him dead!

10.  Remember how great our God is!!!  (Deut. 32:7- end)  No one else compares.  If God was able to do all those things for those folks in the Old Testament, how much more will He do for us in the New!  

     Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  Just like we need to remember the sacrifices that our soldiers have made for us, even more so we need to remember what our God has done.  We praise You Lord Jesus!  Thank You for being so loving and kind and full of mercy.  Thank You for being mighty to save.  You are the Great King.  There is no one like You!!!