Reflection: The Cost of Obedience

"We are blessed to live in a country where freedom to be obedient to Christ has been guaranteed for over two centuries. We’ve taken that for granted. If I have ever lost anything because of my faith, it wasn’t significant enough to come to mind at the moment. What if that should change?"

Reflection: Don’t Turn Out to Be a Coward

I remember when, several years ago, I read one of the many instances of Jesus saying, “Fear not,” and realized it wasn’t just a suggestion. It was a command. Until then, I think I had taken those “fear nots” as Jesus kindly giving me a choice. There, there, my dear, you don’t have to be afraid if you don’t want to.
Jesus spent the time of his ministry demonstrating for the disciples why they must not fear anything. He patiently showed them that nature is obedient to his will, that he has power over sickness and evil spirits, and even over death itself. That being the case, what is left for us to fear?

Reflection: Don’t Be Outwitted

"What is it that Paul says he is afraid of here? He isn’t writing because he fears some of the Corinthians are on the verge of committing perjury or embezzling thousands of dollars or killing someone. He is afraid their “thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” This is where all of the Big Ten horrible, obvious sins begin–with our thoughts going astray. When it comes to thoughts, does Satan really have to work very hard to start those on the wrong path?  
 
Sincerity and purity are closely related and can sometimes be used as synonyms. Both have elements of simplicity. Something pure is simple because it is not tainted with anything. It is unadulterated. If I pour myself a glass of water that has passed through my water filter, then add a tiny grain of arsenic, drinking the water may not kill me outright, but the water can no longer be considered pure."

Reflection: We Become Like Our Idols

     "One of the most disturbing instances of idol worship in the Old Testament is when the Israelites were waiting at the foot of Mt. Sinai for Moses to come back down. They decided Moses wasn’t coming back, so they demanded that Aaron make them a god. And he did!
     'And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands' (Acts 7:41).
     It’s easy for us to wonder what in the world was wrong with those Israelites. They had recently witnessed their Creator miraculously plague their captors. They had seen the cloud that baffled the Egyptian army while the entire nation of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land! They had eaten manna and had drunk water that poured from a rock. 
     And yet, when circumstances became a bit uncomfortable, the people who had witnessed God’s mighty works reverted to their ingrained way of thinking. Like children not yet able to comprehend anything they can’t see or touch, they preferred the work of their own hands. Oh, those silly, childish Israelites! Thank God we aren’t like that. 
     Truly, if you can say without hesitation you aren’t like that, thank God. I feel the need to examine my heart."

Reflection: I Make It My Ambition

“So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him” (2. Cor. 5:9 ESV).
What really got me thinking about how we use these words were the two translations that said, “We try our best.” Because what Paul says he is “trying his best” to do is to please Jesus. And the reason is that we are all going to appear before his judgment seat to receive what is our due for what we have done. 
I’m afraid we have become quite glib about tossing about the phrase, “I tried my best.” It has a feeling of finality about it. Well, I tried. It didn’t work out. I guess I don’t need to do that again. I’m certain that is not what Paul meant!
I’ve been thinking about this verse this way: I make it my ambition to please him. An ambition is an eager or strong desire to achieve something. A strong desire to achieve something doesn’t allow me to give it a try and give up if it doesn’t work out. 

Reflection: I Thank You, Father

"I believe that Jesus was teaching us that true thanksgiving is concurring with God’s right judgments. Whether circumstances look good to me or not, I want to be transformed by the renewal of my mind. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ' (I Cor. 2:16)."

Reflection: Having Our Senses Trained

 “Nothing that exists by nature can form a habit contrary to its nature . . . Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit.” 

Reflection: Strip Off the Old Self

It’s clear from this language, and my own experience, that my old self isn’t going to come off as easily as that itchy dress I was supposed to wear. I have to formally disown it and divest it of all authority. The t.v. show was called “Branded” because the soldier had been convicted of cowardice. That is what I have to do to the things that are earthly in me; rip off all vestiges of their authority, expose their pathetically pale underbelly, and renounce their cravenness. That is what those earthly things are. They are garments and accessories my old self uses to disguise its abject impotence before its Creator.  

Reflection: Pitch a Tent in Hope

"My meditation on Acts 22:26 is something like, My flesh shall pitch a tent in confident expectation. This is not a confident expectation that God will arrange things in my life for my comfort and convenience. This is an expectation that God, who cannot lie, will do what he has promised."

Reflection: They Set Up Their Own Signs for Signs

"When God was leading his people through the wilderness and laying down his laws, he gave instructions for things that were to be set up for worshiping him and remembering his deeds. He gave detailed directions for setting up the tabernacle. Often, he commanded an altar or monument to be set up as a sign or memorial. God knows we need tangible reminders, but he was always specific that these be set up at his direction.
Serious problems arose when God’s people started setting things up on their own. In the time of the Judges, when everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes, one tribe set up their own idols and appointed their own priests. King Saul went terribly wrong when he set up a monument for himself. Many of the kings of Israel and Judah set up their own pillars and monuments. At times, the people even set up their own king."