Following Jesus Son of God …

No this is not a preview scene from Men in Black III.  This is a pic taken at work; I think she was helping the driver with navigation.

GeoTagged, [N39.39283, E87.48120]

Think is set up. Now not sure.

Trying new blog app – Lite version of Blogbooster.

Update on 020811:  Realize didn’t need a different blog app for my iPhone; just needed to put the correct information in the one I have been using.  Oops.

Mini-review:  Blogwriter for iPhone has worked very well for me.  Now that I caught my mistake is working very well again.  If you are looking for a cheap mobile blogging app for your iPhone, you should give it a try.

Just a brief post to say that I haven’t entirely bailed on the podcast. If you follow very many podcasts as I do, you will hear often the podcaster speaking of having time to do this regularly. I still feel that this is part of how I can serve and share. At this point I am still figuring out my plan; probably need to rethink.

If I could come up with a good mobile plan that would help. Unfortunately the mobile solutions such as cellspin are flash based in presentation so that rules out access to people using iPhones, which includes me and several million others. I don’t like that plan.

Getting my iPhone a few months ago was a tremendous boost for my blog. I am much more active. Now I just have to find a way to do the same for the podcast, or possibly rethink my paradigm to a more regular and workable solution from my Mac.

dave

Being nice may be for some a good place to start, but Christians are called to much more.

• So when is nice not nice?
  When we are nice so we can manipulate people and/or circumstances.
  When we are nice so we can hide who we truly are.

• How can you tell when a nice person isn’t really so nice after all?
  When you cross them.  Especially the manipulator.  Mess with their plans, and they will mess with you.

We have all had these people in our lives.  They can appear to be the nicest people in the world.  In fact appearance is everything to this person.  But it’s all appearance.  No fruit.  That is why I personally would rather be known for kindness, goodness – you know, the fruity stuff – not for being “nice.”

• Galatians 5:22–23 (NAS) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

You see nice is too often a manufactured product designed and engineered in the dark places of the human heart.  Let’s look like we are giving and caring and loving, so we can get what we want.  Dark.  Where’s the flashlight, Harold?  This is really dark.

You’ve heard the expression “I don’t get mad; I get even.”  Well, the “nice manipulator” gets mad and gets even.  You just may not know it until the noose is around your neck, and they are extracting payment for your transgressions.

When my receptors begin picking up the signals of a “nice” person like this, I sometimes get nervous.  They flatter, they smile, they say all the right things.  They welcome you into their world.

But beware the hooks.

Because if you fall for the flattery and manipulation and take the bait, then they’ve got you.  You are in, but you are only one misdeed from having their support to being number one on their bad list.

Personal experience.  That’s not a real good place to be.

But here’s some good news; some really good news.

Manipulators do not rule the universe. I do not need to bow before the manipulator, no matter how nice they are.  🙂

Jesus Christ, Creator and Redeemer, is Sovereign Lord of all.

And Jesus does not manipulate.  When you cross him, when you disobey him, when you disappoint him.  He stands ready with grace and mercy.

• Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Now that’s nice.

Following Jesus I mean.

It’s a path, not a formula, not a set of equations and not principles for good living that we wring out of God’s word to craft our lives apart from bowing before his throne.

A new friend shared something with me several days ago.  He was speaking of a mentor he had some years ago.  His mentor taught him that math is a language, and that concept brought a life-changing moment to my friend, a dramatic shift that gave my him a perspective that he believes allows him to see things that others cannot.

And I thought … hmmmm.  We sometimes do the opposite.

We take the language of the Bible, God’s message to us, and we reduce it to formulas and equations and principles.

And it seems okay if we don’t give it much thought.  What could be so wrong with going to the Bible and figuring out principles to live by.  Doesn’t seem so bad, maybe even good.

But as a result we do not see things that we should see.  In fact we sometimes see our world just like everybody else does.  We don’t have God’s perspective on life; we have our perspective on life as wrangled from his holy words.

Because we misunderstand and omit a key element – the fear of the LORD.

We don’t take wisdom by our wits and our study.  We receive wisdom as we bow before God.  We can “take” knowledge about God.  We can fashion formulas and spiritual equations.

But in doing so we miss the words that would come to us “from his mouth.”

• Proverbs 2:5–6 (NAS) Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

• Proverbs 1:7 (NAS) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• Psalm 111:10 (NAS) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.

• Proverbs 9:10 (NAS) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

• Proverbs 14:27 (NAS) The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.

Should we study God’s word?  Yes.

Is that a good thing?  Only if we are not counting on our study to provide wisdom instead of our study deepening our relationship with a God who will speak those very words written on the pages of our Bibles directly to us.

A God who will press those words deeply into our hearts.

May I ask?  When is the last time you read or studied the Bible and you were wowed because you knew the words were “from his mouth?”

“All the best people are.”

From “Alice in Wonderland”

Alice – “Do you think I’ve gone around the bend?”

Father – “I’m afraid so. You’re mad. Bonkers. Off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”

If doctrine is teaching …

• doctrine
  1. a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of a religion or government  2. something that is taught; teachings collectively: religious doctrine.  3. a body or system of teachings relating to a particular subject
  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/doctrine

• Syllogism of the Day:
  If a commandment is teaching, and teaching is doctrine, then the Great Commandment would have to be the greatest doctrine.

Sometimes I am frustrated by the inconsistency of fellow Christians.

Not all groups, but some, quite a few actually have elevated “doctrine” to such heights that even the definition of doctrine itself has been distorted.

“Doctrine” is first and foremost.  And almost always with that perspective is a careful, as in fearful, approach to the love of God.

“You can’t get carried away with love.”

But you can get carried away with doctrine?  That’s okay?

Even though by definition, loving God and loving your neighbor would have to be considered the two greatest, most important doctrines.

We are inconsistent.

Somehow doctrine is safe and the love of God is the first step toward a slippery slope.

• Run headfirst and dive for the deep waters in doctrine.

• But tiptoe to the wading pool when it comes to love.

“What does the Word of God say?”  That is the basis for good doctrine.  Safe territory.  Approved.

And I agree. So what does the word of God say?  If we are going to be consistent, then let’s listen as God speaks.

• Matthew 22:35–40 (NAS)  One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’   This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

• 1 Timothy 1:5 (NAS) But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

• 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV) The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

• 1 Timothy 1:5 (NIV) The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Anyone else see a pattern here?

Review: If a commandment is teaching, and teaching is doctrine, then the Great Commandment would have to be the greatest doctrine.

And loving God is the great commandment, with loving your neighbor as a close second.

That is what the word of God says.

Did I tell you?  I think not.

My wife and I are using the NASB for our Bible reading this year.

I cannot say enough about consistent reading of God’s word.

In my book “Living by the Words of God” I have my 4 R’s:

• Read
• wRite
• Reflect
• Respond

Just recently I have added another R:

• Refine

Back to the lab …

As with any “field testing” some adjustments will be made in our pursuit of God through his holy book the Bible.

So we learn it, take it to the practice field, work it out, and then back to sit before our Master for more lessons.

We don’t learn the ways and thoughts of God by merely study but by living these truths in the laboratory we call life.

• Hebrews 5:14 (NAS)  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

• Hebrews 5:14 (NIV84) But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

“Because of practice” … “by constant use” …

We study for direction but the cycle is not complete until we live the truth.

• Psalm 15:1 (NAS)
  O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?

• Psalm 15:5b (NAS)
  He who does these things will never be shaken.

I read Psalm 15 this morning, and I thanked God for the opportunity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his shed blood to be close enough to him that my world can’t be shaken.

And I thought what a great place to be – “will never be shaken.”

I mean, this world can be; the wheels can come off in an instant.

But this world in view of God is what I think we are being taught.  Looking at my life from the safe place inside God’s tent.  Peering over the events of this world from God’s holy hill.

J. J. Heller’s song “Your Hands” – “When my world is shaking, heaven stands.”

That’s what Psalm 15 is talking about.  Living in a place where the shaking of this world is in perspective.

The middle verses speak of a lifestyle that allows us this degree of intimacy that we never lose sight of God through all the anguish of life.

• Psalm 15:2–5 (NAS)
  2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart.
  3 He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
  4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
  5 He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.  He who does these things will never be shaken.

He who does these these things; the person whose lifestyle is one in which God dominates his or her choices.

And this person who lets God be God in the details?

Becomes the person to whom God is God in the crisis.  And no amount of shaking in this world will dislodge him or her from the perspective of God’s tent or his holy hill.

Ain’t nothin’, nobody, or no how gonna’ do that!  (That’s in the Bible somewhere.  I think maybe a loose paraphrase of Romans 8.37-39.)    🙂

• Romans 8:37–39 (NAS)
  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I said, “Ain’t nothin’, ain’t no how gonna’ shake us” as we view life from God’s holy hill.

• Psalm 16:2 (NAS)
  I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;  I have no good besides You.”

“I have no good besides you.”

“Pretty much sums up my life” I thought as I read through Psalm 16 this morning.

Without God I have nothing, and I am nothing.

No false modesty here; just the cold, hard facts.  I am lost without God; a foolish man stumbling in darkness.

But with God …

The path of life …

I find and follow him on the path of life, eternal life, beyond my greatest hope.

• Psalm 16:11 (NAS)
  You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Oh, God my Father, praise you.  Right now I praise you for your words.  As I read them you speak truth to me.  Praise you, mighty King!

• Psalm 16:2 (NAS)
  I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.”

“Amen.”  And this David says, “You are my Lord.”  And again I say “Amen.”