Living a 220 life

Where do you find your pleasure?

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6)

“So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)

As I begin writting this devotional I know I’m about to touch on an open nerve. When I talk about money or material possessions I regularly have very passionate rebuttles in defense of the Christians right to amass wealth. This has intrigued me because I’ve not spoken against building wealth but rather against satisfying the flesh. All too often the area of carnal gratification is given a blind eye in the church and when it’s finally addressed the conviction from the Holy Spirit can be intense and elicite very passionate responses. My friends, heed this disclaimer and if the Holy Spirit convicts your heart listen to Him rather than argueing with me.

Romans 8:8 is a powerful verse. Think about this: If you live your life satisfying your fleshly desires, you can not and will not please God. Certainly, desires of the flesh include those typical sins of debauchery, but desires of the flesh also include the lusts for creature comforts. This doesn’t mean we should all live in a box but rather addresses the desire of many people for “stuff“. Americans and Western Europeans are notorious for amassing piles of ‘things’ that we believe we need. We dump a ton of money, energy, and time into our things in an effort to find peace and pleasure in them. All the while, the only place we can truely find peace and pleasure is where we spend the least amount of money, energy, and time: with Jesus!

I have a friend who, until recently, would only drive a mercedes. When it broke down, he would only drive a rental that bore the famous mercedes logo. Why? This is how many people live their lives; perhaps on different levels as not every one can drive a mercedes, but seeking pleasure and self worth in worldly things none the less. These desires and this motivation come not from the Lord, but rather from our own flesh.

Friends, again, I’m not making statements about what we should or should not buy. I am not qualified to make such statements. What I am asserting is this: When we live to satisfy our own desires we don’t please God. When we live life using the resources God has given us (some ‘things’ and some ’stuff’) in order to bring glory and honor to His name, we are pleasing to Him. I’m certain that if the Lord brought a mercades into your life and it was used to bring many to the Lord, He would find much pleasure in your stewardship of that car. However, when you remove God from your ownership of that vehicle, or more comonly, you figure out a way to fit God into being a part of the ownership of your pleasure item, you cease to bring pleasure to your heavenly Father.

Brothers and Sisters, as heirs in Christ we can own anything on this planet. Nothing is in itself bad to own. Please hear me say this. The issue at hand is a heart issue. Where do you find your pleasure? Are you on a pleasure hunt, seeking the desires of your heart? Or do you spend your days seeking to please your God? Prayerfully consider this: why do you own the things you own. Do your possessions bring glory to the Lord or pleasure to your flesh? Prayerfully consider any future purchases. Commit to putting your fleshly desires in the grave and living a life that pleases the Lord. AMEN!

What do we do with a risen Lord?

Well, it’s the day after Easter and we now have a risen Lord. We’ve spent the last 3 days in mourning while our salvation hung in the balance. Jesus has risen and secured an eternal place in heaven for each of us who believe. What do we do now? What do we do with a risen Lord?

We have several examples of people responding to the risen Jesus in the book of John. These examples offer a great look at how people continue to respond to the risen Jesus even today. Though the responses can vary greatly, I’ll offer 4 particular responses that are still popular today.

1. John 20:14 “When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.” I’m afraid that all too often people are confronted by the risen Jesus and they don’t know it’s Him. This example has particular relevance for Christians. “She” in this verse refers to Mary Magdalene who knew the pre-risen Jesus very well. Mary had a preconceived picture of who Jesus was. When confronted with the glorified Jesus she didn’t recognize Him. We as believers must never place the risen Lord into a box. We must allow Him to be God. Jesus shouldn’t change to meet your expectation; you should change your expectation to meet Jesus.

2. John 20:24 “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” This skepticism is yet another all too common response to the risen Jesus. Many people live in our world with a mindset that if it seems too good to be true then it is. I’ll tell you that the risen Jesus absolutely seems too good to be true…but He is true! Jesus allowed Thomas to touch His wounds and quiet his doubts but this is a rare occasion. We are called to believe in the risen Jesus without touching His wounds. Your skepticism may be costing you more than any other choice in your life.

3. John 21:8 “But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land…” Some people are raised in “good, upstanding, all-American” homes. By this I mean they are raised with a good moral sense. They know right from wrong and live good lives. They’re “not far from the land”. When confronted with the risen Lord they slowing and methodically come into land in the little boat. This isn’t necessarily bad as long as they make it to land. The problem comes in when living a “good” life masks a life lived with the risen Jesus. Just simply being close to land isn’t good enough. We must come face to face with our friend and savior, the risen Jesus Christ.

4. John 21:7 “So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.” Few people respond to the risen Lord quite like Peter. But why? Why don’t more people respond by jumping out of the boat to get to Him sooner? Consider Peter’s history. He was one of Jesus’ closest friends and betrayed Him just as Jesus said he would. Peter was brought to his knees in shame and regret for what he had done. Peter’s pride was stripped away because he had nothing in himself to be proud of. When confronted with the risen Jesus, Peter is over joyed by Grace. Jesus, who Peter had turned his back on, was still willing to come to him. It was no longer about Peter and how good he was, no; it was now all about Jesus and His Grace. Peter jumped out of the boat and ran into the loving arms of Grace.

So where do you stand? When confronted with the risen Jesus how will you respond? It’s the day after Easter and you now have a risen Savior…respond!

Humilities role in Scripture

As we consider the role of humility in God’s plan we must first go back to the beginning. Actually, we must go back even further than the beginning; before the world ever existed. Our search for humilities role in scripture must start with the interaction between God and satan. Ezekiel 28:11-19 offers a very revealing look into the actions and underlying causes of satan’s eviction from Heaven. Of note, the king of Tyre represents satan in this scripture.

Ezekiel 28:11-19 NIV “11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’”

Notice that satan was beautiful. In fact he was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. However, his heart became proud on account of his beauty. Since satan was made as the most beautiful creature he also had the ability to become the ugliest creature. Therefore, the underlying cause for satan’s eviction was/is pride. The lifting up of one’s self above God is the poison, the absolute venom, that separated satan from God and this venom remains as satan’s primary instrument of death even today. Let us now move from before the beginning to the beginning.

In the beginning God created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis chapter 2 we find man conversing directly with God and God sustaining man. This is how we were created; to live in the presence of God and rely on Him for our every sustenance need. This is how the human being operates to maximum potential. Any distance removed from the presence of God begins to degrade the operational ability of mankind exponentially. So, in Genesis 2 we are operating at perfect capacity in the presence of God…enter satan.

We find satan for the first time in Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Satan, in his first appearance in scripture, is already spewing his venom. If you don’t believe the evil one is on an aggressive offensive operation against you, then reconsider. This serpent enters from the get-go with fangs out and dripping deadly poison. We see his deadly pride a bit more in Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman”, when he lies to the woman as a direct challenge to the authority of God. Then in 3:5 he lifts man to equality with God when he says, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The effectiveness of his venom is seen in verse 6 when we painfully read, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Just as satan’s pride resulted in his separation from God, the same deadly pride results in our eviction in Genesis 3:24, “After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Now, at this point we’re in the same place as satan, separated from our Heavenly Father. The primary question must be…how do we get back to Genesis chapter 2? We’ve been bitten by the serpent and now have the venom of pride running through our veins. Where’s the antivenin? Is there an antivenin? Do I want the antivenin?

Enter Jesus!

Satan has revealed pride as that which is diametrically opposed to God. If we wish to be in the presence of God we must not have a self lifting pride or arrogance. Therefore, humility stands as the opposite of pride. However, false humility is the natural tendency of human beings attempting to not be proud. False humility is just as deadly as pride since false humility puffs the person up in how humble they are. Jesus offers us the perfect example of the only humility that will bring us back to Genesis chapter 2. Jesus enters the world in Luke 2:7, “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Jesus was born in a barn, full of manure, because he wasn’t important enough to get a room in the inn. That’s a pretty humble beginning. Jesus later gives us a synopsis of His life in one simple verse, Matthew 8:20, “Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus lived a very humble and meager life; a life devoted to and completely led by the Father. We find Jesus at the end of His life in Matthew 27:38, “Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.” That is incredible humility! The King of Kings surrendering His life to us between two thieves.

Jesus was born of a humble beginning, lived a humble life, and died a humble death. Why did Jesus do this and does humility mean we just let people walk all over us? No! Jesus explains why He lived the way He did and what humility really is in John 5:19, “Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” Our salvation from the death grip of pride is absolute surrender to the will of God. Our salvation is true Humility.
You see, humility in Christ offers the converse of the Garden. Where satan challenged God in Genesis 3:4 we find the humility of Christ in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Where satan offers man equality with God in Genesis 3:5 we find Jesus’ view in Philippians 2:6, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”. Where Adam and Eve bought into the lie of satan in Genesis 3:6 we find Jesus standing firm for the Father at the end of His temptation with satan in Matthew 4:11, “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” And finally, we find man’s separation from God because of pride in Genesis 3:24 but find, because of His humility, Jesus’ reunification with the Father in Hebrews 12:2, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

What does this mean for me? It means that from the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible God is telling us to be humble. In order to come back into His presence we must rid ourselves of pride and arrogance and humbly follow Him. We must honestly realize that life and this world is not about us but about Him. We are not the center of the universe! Surrender your life and everything in it to the Father. This surrender can easily be evidenced by your daily actions. Are you spending time with God? Are you reading His Word? Do you love other people? And most importantly, are you doing these things because you love the Father or are you doing them to be a “super Christian”? Jesus did all these things even when it wasn’t cool and it cost Him much. Humility is our salvation!

Loving our spouses

Hey everyone
Today I decided to share a little from my quiet time.,
I was reading in Ephesians 5 this morning and came across verses 28-29. The Lord really spoke to me and revealed some important points for my relationship with Beth. I have read an entire book (a really good one too) on verse 33, but have never heard much on 28-29. In 28 Paul is specifically addressing husbands and tells us that we are to love our own wives. This seems funny at first….of course you’re supposed to love your own wife and not someone else’s wife. However, our society today slips this into almost every American home. Men, we must STOP looking at other women…even on T.V. We MUST love our OWN wife ONLY! It may seem like a small thing but it’s not. Devote all your attention to your wife only and you will begin to find a dramatic change in your marriage.

He then tells us to love our own wives as we love our own body. This goes beyond the simple “marriage check the block”. Loving our spouse is more than simply fulfilling a duty just like caring for our own body is also more than just a duty. Consider how much time you spend on your self each day…eating, sleeping, makeup, entertainment, etc. Are you spending near as much time caring for your spouse? I found that I’m not and I need to change.

Paul says that he who loves his own wife loves himself. Now there’s actually a connection between how you treat your wife and how you treat yourself. You are no longer two separate people under one roof…though you may think you are. If you attempt to live as two separate people you will fail and you will fail miserably. We have become one and must live as one; we must treat our spouse as we would treat our own body and care for the other with the care we have for ourselves.

My final point comes from verse 29 when he says that we nourish and cherish our own bodies. This point begins in Genesis shortly after the fall. In Genesis 3:16 the woman receives her punishment: “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” The woman’s punishment is the worst pain in the world and then to desire that pain…weird.  But, the woman desires her husband…she has an innate drive to have a successful marriage. The man on the other hand was cursed to work the ground. We weren’t given that drive for the relational part of marriage. We want to work and achieve because that’s how God made us. Therefore, we are good at the “nourish” part of Paul’s directive, however, the “cherish” part is difficult. Men, we must consciously work to cherish our wives; work to make the relational part of marriage work. She needs this and we must provide this as we would provide for our own needs. Take time to talk with your spouse and find out her exact needs. Make it your priority to meet her emotional needs as well.

Women, in like fashion, a man NEEDS to be respected. (Verse 33) Whether you think he deserves respect or not, you are to provide respect just as you would take care of your own needs. Unconditional respect is an unusual concept but if you practice it you will have a totally different husband willing to unconditionally love you forever!

I think I’ve gone a little longer than usual, but I think these principles will be beneficial. God cares deeply for us and for our marriages. Beth and I are praying for you all and for your relationships. Never be afraid to open your marriage to others and allow your brothers and sisters in Christ to help you along this journey.

Your brother in Christ,
Jeff