Seek God First

Today is the last day of looking at Charles Stanley’s encouragements for walking in faith:

“Finally, realize obeying the Lord will require courage and full surrender. You must come to the point where you choose to believe in God more than you trust your own abilities and circumstances. This is ultimately the only way to grow in your faith.” Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 12:14 says that King Rehoboam “did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.”

Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (not to be interpreted as “prosperity gospel”).

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.”

Matthew 7:24 says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

These are the verses that God has been putting on my heart the last few weeks. He’s been convicting me regarding how often I get in His way by seeing, controlling and planning things my way instead of His. Let’s take choosing a ministry to serve in, for example. God continues to point out to me the areas of pride in my heart and mind by showing me that it isn’t about being flattered or guilted into a ministry. It isn’t about impulsively signing up for something that on its face looks exciting or hip. In fact, it’s not about seeking a ministry at all—it’s about seeking the Lord.

Seeking God first always brings the peace that human “wisdom” never can and always brings answers, even if the answer is to wait and do nothing (something we humans have trouble with). Seeking God first in His Word and prayer, along with just talking to Him, will lead to everything falling into its Godly place.

But, as Stanley mentioned, it takes courage to trust God with everything. When I first went rappelling in college, I did not want to push off from the cliff and entrust my life to a rope. But I found it much more cumbersome and dangerous to try to hang on to the rock and stay close to the cliff. Only when I leaned out with a straightened back, pushed off with my legs and sailed out into the expanse of air around me did I feel ease and freedom and joy. I trusted the rope and it went well with me. And when I got to the bottom, I wanted to go up and do it again. When we seek God through trust--checking ourselves at the door--God tells us in His word, “I will be found by you.”

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:5-7

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5

“Do not be wise in your own eyes;” Proverbs 3:7

Greg Jennings Giving GOD the Glory after Super XLV

Greg Jennings repeated "To God be the glory" in another post game interview, including saying that when you humble yourself, God will lift you up. Thanks, Jennings, for your public witness and testimony!

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10

"...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Ears to Hear

I've been working through some encouragements for walking in faith that I received in the mail from Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries. The fourth encouragement is this:

“You don’t just talk to God, but you also listen to Him. You must pay attention to what He is communicating to you. Think about it. You cannot possibly know how to obey the Father if you never take time to hear what He’s saying. You cannot increase your love or your trust in Him if you are not listening to Him either.” Charles Stanley.

I remember the late Reggie White of the Green Bay Packers occasionally being mocked in the press when he talked about hearing God. But 1 Corinthians 1:18 tells us “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

As born again Christians, we know that to hear from God is not foolish at all. Some of us may feel sheepish on this point—or on the point of talking to God in the first place--but there’s no reason for sheepishness. Jesus makes it very clear we are to not only come to him and seek Him with all of our being, but to expect a response as well.

Luke 11:1 says, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Holy Spirit is described in John 14:26 as a counselor: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

What we learn from these verses is a collaborative relationship (credit goes to Pastor Jon MacDonald for this term). In collaboration we talk, learn from guidance and feedback, and act on wise counsel. It is not a one way street where we pour out our hearts and then go and live our lives without taking any consideration for Jesus’ admonitions and calls for action, service and obedience to living a Godly life.

Jesus said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:12-15).

When I read that, I want to listen, very carefully, to every Word God speaks.

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’” Psalm 40:6-8

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!” Psalm 139:17

Advertising on "Skins"

The advertisers who think they are taking a stand by not advertising on MTV’s “Skins” but who continue to advertise on MTV are having no impact on the larger issue: that of the ideology of MTV itself. If the advertisers do not agree with “Skins,” then they do not agree with MTV and need to pull their advertising from MTV itself. Pulling advertising from “Skins” while continuing to advertise on MTV is pointless: it totally negates the stand taken against the content of “Skins” and continues to support the creators and mindset of the network.

If advertising on MTV is still a goal for advertisers even after they refuse to buy time on “Skins,” they are complicit in promoting “Skins” and continuing its existence. It is hypocrisy for an advertiser to go all-integrity on us and not advertise on “Skins” while at the same time having no qualms about continuing to buy ad space on MTV itself. Supporting MTV with advertising dollars supports the ideology behind “Skins” whether you advertise on that particular show or not.

“If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” Proverbs 24:12

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” Matthew 16:26-27

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction;” Galatians 6:7-8

Love God and Time with Him

The third encouragement from Charles Stanley is this:

“How do you increase your faith? (By) growing in your love toward the Father. You learn to confide in the Lord more deeply by spending time with Him—by praying and reading His Word. It is crucial that you develop an intimate relationship with Him so that when hardships arise, you won’t be tempted to let go of Him.” Charles Stanley

Think of the best friend you have. It could be the grandma that just seems to “get it” when you share your heart. It could be the friend who isn’t afraid to give you a loving but honest answer. It could be the Dad who is always approachable and full of wisdom who makes everything okay, even if it means hard work ahead. Then think of God, who is all of that and more.

I love that I can sit down with my coffee and start to converse with God, and then stop, knowing that I can’t pull the wool over God’s eyes regarding my motivations. That’s the conviction I live for: to have God say “wait a minute, start over, and this time be honest, because I know everything about you—even the hidden things.“ “For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20).

For the times I‘m at wits end, frustrated by something or someone, or caught up in a misunderstanding or yet another failure on my part, and I can’t go to anyone about it because I know that no human will ever be able to see it as I see it, I can go to God. “Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord” says Lamentations 2:19. God is there, nodding and listening and bearing with us in those times, and I marvel at the privilege of being with Him.

Knowing that Jesus Christ intercedes for us (Romans 8:34), and the Holy Spirit “intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26-27) puts a love of the Triune God on my heart that I treasure, not just when times are good, but especially when they are not so good. And this love I have for God is completely given to me from God, as 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” Even my love for God is a gift of God, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

A Right Understanding of God's Promises

The second encouragement from Charles Stanley is this:

“You must continue to trust the Father, regardless of your circumstances. You must accept that the Lord not only has the power to help you, but He is also willing to provide the very best for you. Do you have faith in His character? Do you have confidence that God will keep His promises to you? You cannot obey someone you do not trust.” Charles Stanley

In order to have confidence that God will keep his promises to us, we need to have a right knowledge of those promises. Many people do not read their Bibles to find out what, exactly, the promises of God are. So they adopt New Age or self-conjured promises that they then feel entitled to. But when we immerse ourselves daily in God’s word with a humble approach and attitude, we can quickly learn what the True promises of God are. Only then will we see the actual way God works, instead of the fantasy way we’ve carried in our minds. The act of obedience on our part will come when we not only have a right understanding of what God promises, but what He asks of us as well.

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:1-6

“My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” Proverbs 3:21-26

Trust and Love God

I’ve been receiving some great newsletters this month that have been very encouraging in how to intentionally face the days ahead to make 2011 a spiritually strong year. In the coming weeks I’d like to share five encouragements that I received from Pastor Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries.

The first is this:

“The first thing to recognize is that your willingness to submit to the Lord depends on what you believe about Him. Do you accept the fact that God is in control of all things? Many find this basic principle a difficult hurdle to overcome because of the troubles they face and the injustices they see in the world. In fact, you may be experiencing inexplicably challenging circumstances and not understand why the Father has allowed them. But if you trust God is sovereign and all-powerful, then you will have faith that He will cause 'all things to work together for good to those who love' Him (Romans 8:28).” Charles Stanley

The words that stand out for me are the words in the very last line: for those that love HIM. So often we focus on God’s love for us that we might overlook our need to love Him, even in times when it feels as though He is far away. Acts 17:26-27 assures us that “he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

Since God determined the times set for us, He is with us in those times, be they good or bad. In every situation let us love Him and thank Him that He is never far from each one of us.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18