Pondering God's promises

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 2:19-33

TO CHEW ON: "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

From the day the angel came to Mary with the almost incomprehensible message, "The Lord is with you; blessed are you among women .... You shall bring forth a Son .... and of His kingdom there will be no end," her life was changed (Luke 1:28-33).

When she went to visit her relative Elizabeth, she was greeted with more unusual words: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" - Luke 1:42.

The strangenesses continue when shepherds find the new parents in their cowshed accommodation and tell them that an angel has announced their baby's birth, identified Him by His manger bed and swaddling clothes, and proclaimed Him "A Savior who is Christ the Lord."


Mary's response: "She kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." And at least three more times in Luke we find Mary puzzled and pondering things that are playing out in the life of her child Jesus - Luke 2:33,50,51.

Though our experience will never mirror Mary's we too may have promises and dreams that set us pondering. They may be dreams God has put in our hearts for our own futures. They may be things people have spoken over us. They may be the destiny we see for our kids. They may be the role we envision our church will play in the community, or our country will have on the world stage.

Joyce Meyer had such a dream. Early in her Christian life she caught a vision of a ministry she believed God had for her. In her book Battlefield of the Mind, she describes how that vision was challenged. But claiming Romans 8:26 for the things she did not understand, she confronted naysaying thoughts with a determination to believe, not doubt, God's promises. She says:

"As Christians, we need to learn to decide to believe. God often gives us faith (a product of the Spirit) for things our minds just can't always seem to come into agreement with. The mind wants to understand everything—the why, the when, and the how of it all...


I had decided long before to believe what the Word says, and to believe the rhema (the revealed Word) that God gave me (the things He spoke to me or the promises He gave me personally), even if I didn't understand why, when, or how it would come to pass in my life" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 51.

As we ponder the promises God has given us, let us too study them in the light of faith. Mary obviously did. Why else would she have told the servants, troubled at running out of wine during the wedding in Cana, "Whatever He (Jesus) says to you, do it" (John 2:5)?

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to ponder Your promises to me with faith, knowing that You can do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). Amen.

MORE: Mary, Did you Know? - Gaither Vocal Band



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Demolish those strongolds

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 9-10; Psalm 3

TO CHEW ON: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4,5


Joyce Meyer, in her book Battlefield of the Mind says: "The mind is the leader or forerunner of all actions .... Our actions are a direct result of our thoughts" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 3.

What  a key scripture 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 has become in my life as I seek to think rightly.

'Strongholds' seemed like an old-fashioned word, though, and I wondered how different Bible translations rendered it. Surprise! in four that I consulted (Amplifed, NLT, NIV, and ESV)  the word strongholds was used. So I looked up stronghold.

[The dictionary says it is "a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack, also a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld."]

My Bible has a wonderful article which gives an anatomy of the mental strongholds Paul talks about here:

"Strongholds are first established in the mind; that is why we are to take every thought captive.

Behind a stronghold is also a lie—a place of personal bondage where God's Word has been subjugated to any unscriptural idea or personally confusing belief that is held to be true.

Behind every lie is a fear and behind every fear is an idol.

Idols are established wherever there exists a failure to trust in the provisions of God that are ours through Jesus Christ.

Some of the weapons that pull down these strongholds are:

• God's Word (Hebrews 4:12-13).

• The blood of the Cross (Revelation 12:11).

• The name of Jesus (Mark 16:7).

Strongholds are pulled down and confronted bondage is broken as these spiritual weapons of our warfare are employed (see Ephesians 6:13-18)" - Christopher Hayward, "Pulling Down Strongholds," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1621,2 (formatting added).

You will recall that Ephesians 6:13-18 is the Armour of God passage where the weapons named are truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to recognize the strongholds in my life and to identify the lies, fears, and idols behind them. Help me to use Your weapons to tear these strongholds down. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 3

MORE: We need to know the Word

"Second Corinthians 10:4,5 clearly indicates that we must know the Word of God well enough to be able to compare what is in our mind with what is in the mind of God; any thought that attempts to exalt itself above the Word of God we are to cast down and bring into captivity to Jesus Christ" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 4.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Change your mind, change your mouth

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 15-16; Psalm 88

TO CHEW ON: “‘But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies’”  Matthew 15:18,19

Have you ever surprised yourself by what came out of your mind or mouth? You spill a jug of juice and it’s “Oh ____!” Someone cuts you off in traffic and, mentally at least, you flip them the bird. Or you find yourself harboring, toward public figures like politicians and journalists, all manner of critical thoughts, clever put-downs, even rants at the TV.

So, we recognize within ourselves the defilements which Jesus pointed out. Can we do anything more about them than pray for a supernatural heart transplant?  I think we can.

Paul’s advice to the Ephesians is full of action, suggesting that a change of heart on our part is a joint effort of God and us. That we even have the desire to change is God’s work. But there’s something we can do too. Here is the Ephesians passage from The Living Bible (relevant words in bold—my emphasis):

Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves.  If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the devil. If anyone is stealing he must stop it and begin using those hands of his for honest work so he can give to others in need. Don’t use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing” - Ephesians 5:25-29 TLB.

And one more bit of to-do from James 1:19:

Dear brothers, don’t ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry” - James 1:19 TLB

As Joyce Meyer says in the introduction to her book Battlefield of the Mind:

“So many people’s problems are rooted in thinking patterns that actually produce the problems they experience in their lives. Satan offers wrong thinking to everyone, but we do not have to accept his offer. Learn what types of thinking are acceptable to the Holy Spirit and what types are not acceptable.

“Second Corinthians 10:4,5 clearly indicates that we must know the Word of God well enough to be able to compare what is in our mind with what is in the mind of God…

“The mind is the battlefield. It is a vital necessity that we line up our thoughts with God’s thoughts. This is a process that will take time and study” - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind p. 4 (emphasis mind).

PRAYER: Help me to be aware of faulty (according to Your word) thoughts and thought patterns within me and not just bemoan them, but act to change them. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 88

The Bible Project VIDEO: Matthew Part 2 - ch.14-28 (Read Scripture Series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked The Living Bible (or TLB) copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Walks-stands-sits

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Proverbs 10-12; Psalm 1

TO CHEW ON:"Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly
Nor stands in the path of sinners
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful:
But his delight is in the law of the LORD" - Psalm 1:1,2


It's easy to pick up the movement here. As my Bible's comments points out:

"The walks-stands-sits seems to suggest a progression of influence that results from initially turning one's attention in this wrong direction" K. R. "Dick" Iverson, commentary on Psalms, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 686.

How is our attention attracted, then turned to the "counsel of the ungodly, the path of sinners, the seat of the scornful"? In our multisensory world it happens in dozens of ways:

• through what we read on the internet, the papers, books.
• through what we watch on TV, movies, the internet.
• through the people we interact with, from family to strangers.

Trouble is, what surrounds us seems so normal, natural, safe. Do we even recognize the threats to our spiritual well-being? The 'everywhere' presence of the secular is why it's so important to guard our spiritual lives. How do we do that?

• by regularly spending time in the "law of the LORD" — the Bible.
• by spending time with godly people who love, respect and live by this law.
• by attending church where we immerse ourselves in an atmosphere of worship and physically identify with fellow believers.
• by intentionally filling our homes and our heads with sounds of worship and instruction. (For example, next time you're making dinner or cleaning the house, or doing anything that doesn't demand silence for concentration, try putting on a worship CD or podcast message by a favourite speaker.)

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" goes the old saying (attributed to Confucius). I would submit that that first step is usually taken in our minds. Let's be watchful over the thought steps we take in our minds so we don't inexplicably find ourselves one day following ungodly counsel, walking in the path of sinners, sitting in the seat of the scornful.


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to recognize the ungodly counsel, the sinner's path, and the scornful seat embedded in the stimuli around me. I want to be a genuine lover and follower of Your words. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 1

MORE: The mind is the leader

"The mind is the leader or forerunner of all actions. Romans 8:5 makes it clear .... Our actions are a direct result of our thoughts. If we have a negative mind, we will have a negative life. If, on the other hand, we renew our minds according to God's Word, we will as Romans 12:2 promises, prove out in our experience 'the good and acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives'" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 3

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A Caleb spirit

Image: Pixabay

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Numbers 14-16; Psalm 44

TO CHEW ON: "But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went and his descendants shall inherit it."  Numbers 14:24

We all have friends who could be characterized as positive, who can be counted on to have a can-do attitude, who see life's glass half-full. They are Caleb kind of people.

I love how Caleb and Joshua stand up to the crowd with their faith in God and Moses intact, even after seeing Canaan's giants. Instead of focusing on the size of their obstacles they report the richness of the land and claim the power of God over those giants: "...for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them." Don't you just love his attitude!

Even God took note and said to Moses, "...My servant Caleb...because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully I will bring him into the land where he went..."

His exploits continue. For he indeed survives the forty more years of wilderness wandering and drives out the giants from his Canaan territory (Joshua  14:10-14; 15:14).

What an example to us. What challenges—giants if you like—have we faced so far in 2018? Whatever they are, let's face them with Caleb-like faith as we:

1. Envision the future we desire - Numbers 14:8.

2. Focus on how big and powerful God is - Numbers 14:9,10.

3. Speak words of hope and faith, not despair and unbelief. Earlier Caleb spoke words of faith (Numbers 13:30). Again in our reading he speaks of the delight of the land not the terrors of its citizens, while the other spies discourage the people by filling them with fear. God pronounces His verdict on all these words: "'Say to them, "As I live, just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will do to you"'" Numbers 14:28 (emphasis added).

By the outlook we choose and the words we speak we cement our attitudes more firmly into our psyches and put our future and the future of our descendants on one course or another.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the example of Caleb. Please help me cultivate a Caleb spirit as I enter the new year. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 44

MORE: Are we our own problem?

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" - Proverbs 29:18

"The Israelites had no positive vision for their lives—no dreams. They knew where they came from but they did not know where they were going. Everything was based on what they had seen and could see. They did not know how to see with 'the eye of faith.'

".... (Referring to Numbers 14:2-3) I encourage you to look over this passage carefully. Notice how negative these people were—complaining, ready to give up easily, preferring to go back to bondage rather than press through the wilderness into the Promised Land.

"Actually, they did not have a problem, they were the problem" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, pp. 181, 183.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The "evil treasure" of criticism

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 12:22-37

TO CHEW ON: " 'Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.' " Matthew 12:34

Though Jesus did at times withdraw from confrontation with the Pharisees (as we saw yesterday), it was never because He was intimidated by them. In our reading today He calls them a "brood of vipers."

His harsh name for them was in response to their reaction to His miracle of freeing a demon-possessed blind and mute man to see and speak. They said He did this miracle by Satan's power.

He showed the lack of logic in that (Matthew 12:25-30), called what they said blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, named it the unforgivable sin (Matthew 12:31-32), and then exposed the root of their problem: hearts full of "evil treasure" (Matthew 12:33-37).

We would call what's in our hearts our thoughts. The Pharisees' words here showed that their thoughts were critical and judgmental. Do you ever struggle with critical, judgmental thoughts? I do.

Joyce Meyer in her book Battlefield of the Mind says:

"Judgment and criticism are fruit of a deeper problem—pride. When the 'I' in us is bigger than it should be, it will always cause problems...The Bible repeatedly warns us about being high-minded" - p. 125.

She goes on to cite Bible verses for judgmental, critical people to consider:

• Romans 14:4 tells us some things about which we judge others others are simply none of our business.

• Matthew 7:1-2 reminds us that the principle of sowing and reaping apply to judgment. If we judge others habitually and harshly, that same judgmental attitude will be unleashed on our lives.

• Matthew 7:3-5 tells us to judge ourselves before we judge others.

• 1 Corinthians 13:7 says we should make a practice of believing the best about other people rather than assuming their actions spring from bad motives.

• Galatians 6:1-3 makes it clear that sometimes judgment is appropriate and necessary. It shows us how to deal with sin and misconduct in someone's life in a constructive way: with gentleness, with watchfulness so as not to fall into the same temptation, and with humility and knowledge of our own vulnerability.

Jesus' little proverb — "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" — let's take it seriously. Let's listen to ourselves. What is spilling out of the abundance of our own hearts? If it's criticism and judgment, let's ask God to change our prideful hearts.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, these are sobering thoughts. Help me to hear my words today and gain insight into the state of my heart. Then help me to change by applying and obeying Your Bible words. Amen.

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 Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The human Jeremiah

Jeremiah by Rembrandt

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 20:7-18

TO CHEW ON: "Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name!'
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back
And I could not." Jeremiah 20:9

Poor Jeremiah—he is not a happy prophet. In our reading today we see the human heart of this mouthpiece of God.

Putting his lament in context, the early verses of Jeremiah 20 describe how Pashur the priest and governor reacts to a previous negative prophecy. He puts Jeremiah in stocks in a gate near the temple. It sounds public and humiliating.

Jeremiah is released the next day, unbowed. He prophecies a future of Babylonian captivity on not only the nation but specifically on Pashur and his household. I'm sure that goes over well! And then he comes out with his complaint to God.

"You induced me, and I was persuaded," he says. But the result is that he becomes "A reproach and derision."

He decides to shut up—not speak God's prophecies any more. But they burn inside him; he can't keep silent. So he speaks again, enduring more of the same, feeling egged on and betrayed by "All my acquaintances." Family and friends too? It sounds like it.

The curious part of his monologue is the section where he breaks into sublime praise (Jeremiah 20:11-13). It's almost as if, in the middle of his rant, he gets a glimpse of reality:

"But the Lord is with me as a Mighty Awesome One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail…"

Alas, he doesn't stay there but slips even deeper into depression, wishing he'd never been born (Jeremiah 20:14-18).

Jeremiah's honesty here can instruct us:

- Even great prophets have a human side. Jeremiah longed to be accepted and liked, not unlike most of us. Maybe we need to remind ourselves of him when we're tempted to criticize our teachers, pastors and "prophets."

- Jeremiah didn't keep quenching the Holy Spirit within him. Under the Spirit's compulsion he kept speaking, despite how his listeners responded or didn't. Let's not let the negative reaction to the gospel in our time silence us either.

- When he looked at the big eternal picture his tune changed to praise:

"Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
For He has delivered the life of the poor
From the hand of evildoers" - Jeremiah 20:11.

The same can be true for us.

- But he allowed himself to slip back into the dumps. I wish he had kept his focus on God—that he had ended with verse 13 (Jeremiah 20:13) instead of verse 18 (Jeremiah 20:18).

Jeremiah's slip-slide into gloom reminds me of something Joyce Meyer teaches: "We have to purposely choose right thinking. After we have finally decided to be like-minded with God, then we will need to choose and continue to choose right thoughts" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 26).

PRAYER:
Dear God, thank You for using flawed human instruments like Jeremiah. Remind me of him and his humanness when I'm tempted to criticize the pastors and prophets in my life. Help me to overcome depressing thoughts with thoughts of the eternal truths of Your word. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Reasoning's dangers

"(They) let him down with his bed 
through the tiling into the midst before Jesus"
 - Luke 5:19.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 5:17-39

TO CHEW ON: "But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, 'Why are you reasoning in your hearts?'" Luke 5:22 NKJV

"But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, 'Why are you reasoning in your hearts?'" - Luke 5:22 NASB

Our culture puts a lot of stock in the ability to reason.

[Reason (verb): 1] To think out carefully and logically, to analyze. 2] To influence by means of reason, persuade, dissuade, argue, debate.]

The thought processes of the Pharisees and teachers illustrate one of reasoning's dangers: how a true conclusion depends on a right premise.

Their premise was that Jesus was an ordinary man. Their argument went something like this:

• Jesus is an ordinary man.
• He speaks forgiveness to the paralyzed man for his sins.
• But no one can forgive sins but God alone.
• Therefore Jesus is a blasphemer.

Had they started with a different premise, they could have come to a different conclusion. Suppose they had started with an open mind about Jesus and the premise "no one can forgive sins but God":

• No one can forgive sins but God.
• Jesus speaks forgiveness to the the man for his sin. 
• He reinforces His right to forgive the man's sins with a supernatural, instantaneous healing so the paralyzed man moves and walks right before their eyes (Luke 5:24).
• Therefore Jesus must be who He claims to be.

Reasoning still has the power to trip us up and put us on an anti-faith path. Joyce Meyer, in her book Battlefield of the Mind says:

"Satan frequently steals the will of God from us due to reasoning. The Lord may direct us to do a certain thing, but if it does not make sense—if it is not logical—we may be tempted to disregard it. What God leads a person to do does not always make logical sense to his mind. His spirit may affirm it and his mind reject it, especially if it would be out of the ordinary or unpleasant or if it would require personal sacrifice or discomfort" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 86.

Do you and I ever try to reason our way out of the things God has told us to do because they make no sense? At such times, let's let Jesus' question to the Pharisees probe us: "Why are you reasoning in your heart?"

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the ability to think and reason. But help me to overrule my reasoning ability with faith when I do not understand Your directions, assignments, and ways. Amen.

MORE: Feast of St. Matthew
Today the church celebrates Matthew, whose calling is recounted by Luke in Luke 5:27-32 of our reading. The liturgy for the day begins with this collect:

"We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Toxic grumbling

"The Brazen Serpent" - James Tissot

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Numbers 21:4-18

TO CHEW ON: "So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived." Numbers 21:9

Desert hardships continually tripped up the Israelites. We would expect their God-given victory at Hormah (Numbers 21:1-3) would have sealed their confidence in God. But no. A little while later "The soul of the people became very discouraged on the way."

They vented their discouragement to Moses: "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."

After that the test only got worse when God allowed poisonous snakes to slither among them, killing many.

This time, not like some others, the people approached Moses in repentance: "We have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against you."

Moses prayed and God told him to erect a bronze snake statue, to which the people could look and be healed.

This story convicts us as we recognize ourselves in those discontented Israelites.

1. How often don't we grumble about situations far less severe than what the Israelites were going through? But grumbling of any kind and about anything is toxic.

2. The Israelites' grumbling was sparked by simple discouragement—an attitude that is hardly uncommon among us. It's an attitude that begins with negative, discouraged thinking. Joyce Meyer says:

"Discouragement destroys hope .... The Bible repeatedly tells us not to be discouraged or dismayed. God knows that we will not come through to victory if we get discouraged, so He always encourages us .... God wants us to be encouraged, not discouraged.


When discouragement or condemnation tries to overtake you, examine your thought life. What kind of thoughts have you been thinking?" Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 33.

3. The Israelites' grumbling about Moses was really grumbling about God (Numbers 21:5,7). When we grumble about people in our lives, church leadership, or our circumstances we too are really grumbling against God who has brought us to this place and allowed these things into our lives. Paul warns the Corinthians (and us) about this attitude in 1 Corinthians 10:9-11.

PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive me for sinning against You by grumbling and complaining. Help me to nip in the bud negative thoughts of discouragement and fault-finding, and instead to make it a habit to put my hope in You - Psalm 42:5. Amen.

MORE: The foreshadow of Divine healing

A sidebar note in my Bible reminds us that Jesus was intimately connected to this event:

"The plague of fiery serpents sent upon God's people was, in reality, a self-inflicted punishment, resulting from their frequent murmuring. God's judgment was in allowing what their own presumption invited, and many died from the bites of the serpents.


But in answer to the repentance of His people, God prescribed the erecting of a bronze serpent to which any might look in faith and be healed. Jesus referred to this account in John 3:13-14. He clearly implied that the bronze serpent typified His being raised upon the cross. Our healing, both spiritual and physical, comes from looking to and identifying with Christ crucified, 'by whose stripes you were healed' - 1 Peter 2:24" - Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, "The Focus of Divine Healing," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 205.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Conformed / Transformed

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Romans 12:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2

Two words jump out at me from the above verse: Conformed and Transformed.

[Conformed: suschematizo: Compare to "schema" and "schematic." It refers to conforming oneself to the outer fashion or outward appearance, accommodating oneself to a model or pattern....Even apparent or superficial conformity to the present world system or any accommodation to its ways would be fatal to the Christian life" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1569.]

I can think of at least three levels of relationship where we are tempted to conform.


1. We are tempted to conform to the world and its systems. We should resist conforming to aspects of society that are against what the Bible teaches. The society in which I live, for example, is pro-abortion and has reinvented the definition of marriage. There is great pressure on Canadian citizens (by the media and forces of political correctness) to conform and get with the program in these areas — and others.

2. We will be tempted to conform when we are with our non-Christian friends. Do you ever find you edit yourself when you are with yours? Leaving out things that you would share freely with fellow Christians may not always be a bad thing. However, it may be a symptom of you conforming to expectations of your non-believing friends because you fear they will think you're weird or fanatical.

3. We may even be tempted to conform when we are with fellow Christians. Sam Storms in his testimony in the "Why I am / not a Charismatic" series on the Credo House Ministries blog (accessed in 2011*) describes the peer pressure he felt from fellow believers after he experienced praying in tongues when he was a teenager. He concludes:

"My early opposition to spiritual gifts was also energized by fear .... the fear of rejection by those whose respect I cherished and whose friendship I did not want to forfeit; .... the fear of losing what little status in the evangelical community my hard work had attained."

So how do we resist conformity to the world wherever it raises its head? By being "transformed by the renewing of your mind."

And how do we renew our minds? One way is to soak them in God's word. As Joyce Meyer puts it: "....we must know the Word of God well enough to be able to compare what is in our minds [and, I would add, able to recognize and compare the thinking that is behind those outside ideas and forces that tempt us to conform to them] with what is in the mind of God" - Battlefield of the Mind, p. 4.


PRAYER: Dear God, please alert me to areas where I am tempted to be conformed to this world, regardless of how subtle. Please transform my mind as I yield myself to You and give Your words the final say in my life. Amen.


*Though I can no longer find Storms' quoted article online, he talks about the same fear on his blog: "Are Miraculous Gifts For Today - Part II" (under point 6.)

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Tongue clinic

TODAY'S SPECIAL: James 3:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things out not to be so." James 3:10

In this chapter James gives us a little clinic on the tongue—that is, what rolls off it in speech. What can we learn from James about this vital part of our 'anatomy'?

• The tongue is a huge challenge.

James begins his discourse by declaring that the person who uses his tongue well ("does not stumble in word"—and by "stumble" he means more than just a smooth delivery—is a "perfect man" ["perfect" is teleios: complete, finished, perfect, mature]) James 3:2.

• But it's so small.

James compares it to a ship's rudder or the bit of a horse's harness.

• However, its size contrasts with the effect it can have.

Rudders and bits are used to steer and set a course. James seems to be implying that the direction of our lives can be changed by what slips off our tongue (James 3:3-4).

• Its smallness doesn't limit the largeness of its boasts or the damage it can do.

It can begin and spread destruction in forest fire style and is as lethal as poison (James 3:5, 6, 8).

• Words can pollute the whole body (James 3:6).

• Its destructiveness originates in hell (James 3:6).

• It is virtually impossible to tame (James 3:7).

• It demonstrates our inconsistency.

Or perhaps better said, it illustrates our hypocrisy as we bless God and curse our brother, speak sometimes sweetly, sometimes bitterly with the same tongue (James 3:9-12).

Perhaps in getting a handle on this pesky organ, we need to take a step back to examine the engine that produces those words—our thoughts. In her book Battlefield of the Mind, Joyce Meyer says:

"Our thoughts are silent words that only we and the Lord hear, but those words affect our inner man, our health, our joy and our attitude. The things we think on often come out of our mouth" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 135.

What a challenge to tackle the "words" part of our thoughts and tongues!

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me today to control my thoughts and words with the weapon of Your Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Dueling wisdoms

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 11:20-30


TO CHEW ON: "At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes'" Matthew 11:25.

The revealed things that Jesus is referring to in His prayer are the message and signs of John the Baptist, and His own miracles. They tell the people it is time to repent in order to be ready for the kingdom-of-heaven-life that Jesus represents. The people, especially in the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, have witnessed "these things." But the seeing has made little difference in their living.

It's interesting that the ones Jesus singles out as blinded are not the foolish and impulsive, but the "wise and prudent." Has it ever struck you that a certain quality of simple thought,  childlike innocence, and willingness to trust even when it doesn't understand — anti-intellectualism if you will — seems to be a necessary part of a faith that pleases God?

Joyce Meyer in her book Battlefield of the Mind says:

"A large percentage of God's people are admittedly confused. Why?...reasoning.


[...] A simple way to say it is, reasoning occurs when a person tries to figure out the "why" behind something. Reasoning causes the mind to revolve around and around a situation, issue, or event attempting to understand all its intricate component parts. ...


Satan frequently steals the will of God from us due to reasoning. The Lord may direct us to do a certain thing, but if it does not make sense — if it is not logical — we may be tempted to disregard it. What God leads a person to do does not always make logical sense to his mind. His spirit may affirm it and his mind reject it, especially if it would be out of the ordinary or unpleasant or if it would require personal sacrifice or discomfort" - p. 86.

Have you ever reasoned yourself out of something you feel God has shown you or told you to do? I know I have.

I wonder, what are we missing out on when we let our logic and intellect override the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure if we knew both outcomes, we would understand that our apparent wisdom and prudence has not turned out to be wise and prudent at all!

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to have the simple trusting faith of a child when it comes to acting on things You reveal to me and ask me to do. Amen.

MORE: Handel's Messiah Alert

George Handel quoted Matthew 11:30: "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" in the Messiah.

Here it is the Tafelmusik rendition of Jesus' encouraging words.





 

Shepherds with God's heart

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 3:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "'Return, O backsliding children,' says the Lord; for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.'" Jeremiah 3:14,15


It's hard to find a ray of hope in this description of Israel's unfaithfulness. But here is one—God's promise to give returning backsliders shepherds according to His heart. (David is called such a shepherd - 1 Samuel 13:14.)

It will be a good shepherd that will feed them with "knowledge and understanding."

[Understanding (sachal) means "to be wise, behave wisely, to understand, be instructed, wisely consider, be prudent and intelligent. Sachal describes the complex intelligent thinking process that occurs when one observes, ponders, reasons, learns, and reaches a conclusion."

A word derived from sachal is maschil (give instructions, make wise and skilful). Thirteen psalms are called "Maschil" psalms: 32; 42; 44; 45; 52; 53; 54; 55; 74; 78; 88; 89; 142 (the NKJV translates "Maschil" "a Contemplation") from Word Wealth by Dick Mills, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 963-4.]

I ask myself, what shepherd am I following? These days the chorus of want-to-be shepherds is overwhelming. They come to us via TV, the radio, and internet. A plethora of ministries offer broadcasts, podcasts, books, CDs, and DVDs.  All compete for our attention, loyalty, and financial support.

But the most reliable shepherd, I believe, is still God's word. As we read, ponder, reason, learn, and apply it to our lives we will be fed with knowledge and understanding. The Lord will be our shepherd (Psalm 23:1-6). And as we follow our heavenly shepherd, we will have the ear-sense to recognize the voice of good earthly shepherds (John 10:4).

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be hungry for Your knowledge and understanding, leadable and able to recognize Your voice in the voice of earthly shepherds.  Amen.

MORE: We need to know the God's word

"2 Corinthians 10:4,5 clearly indicates that we must know the Word of God well enough to be able to compare what is in our mind (and, I would add, what we're hearing /reading) with what is in the mind of God; any thought (or teaching) that attempts to exalt itself above the Word of God we are to cast down and bring into captivity to Jesus Christ" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 4.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Swamped by circumstances?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 77:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "And I said, 'This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High'" Psalm 77:10

Asaph, the writer of this psalm, is in distress. He can't sleep. Words fail him. He feels forgotten and neglected. The tap of God's favor has been turned off.

Then Asaph turns himself around. "This is my anguish," he declares. "But…" How does he do it? His method has to do with two thought patterns and two actions.

"I will remember…" (Psalm 77:10,11). He will recall the times of God's favor, His word, His works, His wonders, the evidences of His presence, no doubt in nature and life.

"I will also meditate on all Your work" (Psalm 77:12). To meditate is to continuously direct the mind along a certain course. He will direct his thoughts towards God's actions and accomplishments.

"And talk of Your deeds" (Psalm 77:12). He will express those remembrances and meditations, further cementing their reality, their importance, their superiority over the bad things he has been dwelling on.

"Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary" (Psalm 77:13). He will seek God's company and the company of other believers by going back to God's house where the focus is on "the God who does wonders…" (Psalm 77:14-20).

Could we do the same things when life's pressures pummel us and the clouds of circumstances block out His presence?

• Remember the good times, God's goodness, His works in nature, His wonders in history and in our lives.

• Meditate on all His work. We can think about God's work in our lives, in creation, in history, and in redemption. The verses we have memorized will come in handy here. Recalling and repeating them will wear wholesome paths in our brains—paths to purity (Psalm 119:11); truth (Psalm 119:29); what is of value (Psalm 119:36-37); song (Psalm 119:54); wisdom (Psalm 119:66); the right course to take (Psalm 119:105); light (Psalm 119:149) etc. (Read all of Psalm 119 to find more benefits of meditating on the Word).

• Talk of God's ways. Commit to them in speech.

• Go to the sanctuary. Seek out the company of other believers where we will find moral and spiritual agreement and support.

PRAYER: Dear God, it's easy to let circumstances swamp me. When it feels like that's happening, help me to recall and do these things. Amen.

MORE: Mental inventory

"You should take inventory on a regular basis and ask yourself, 'What have I been thinking about?' Spend some time examining your thought life.

Thinking about what you're thinking about is very valuable because Satan usually deceives people into thinking that the source of their misery or trouble is something other than what it really is. He wants them to think they are unhappy due to what is going on around them (their circumstances), but the misery is actually due to what is going on inside them (their thoughts)" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 61.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

It's all in our perspective

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 30:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "For His anger is but for a moment

His favour is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night,

But joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

Has God ever seemed mad at you? You pray and pray but nothing changes. Your spouse falls ill and there's no miraculous cure. Dear ones die and you are left hurting and lonely.

David, in this psalm, doesn't gloss over the difficulties of life, but he does put them in perspective. Let's take a close look at Psalm 30:5 to see what we can learn from him.

"For His anger is but for a moment."
Does God actually get angry in the petulant, vindictive way this psalm seems to suggest? The old Bible commenter, Gill, says:

"Anger is not properly in God, ... but only in their (our) apprehension, he doing those things which in some respects are similar to those which men do when they are angry; he turns away from them and hides his face, he chides, chastises, and afflicts, and then they conclude he is angry; and when he returns again and takes off his hand, manifests his pardoning love, and comforts them, then they understand it that his anger is turned away from them..." Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

"His favour is for life..."
When David takes the long view, he realizes that over his lifetime the predominant shade has been blessing and favour.

"It is his (God's) nature to impart life. He spares life; He will give eternal life. ... If a man has the favour of God, he is sure of life; if not life in this world, yet life in the world to come" Barnes Notes on the Bible.

"Weeping may endure for a night..."

[Endure (luwn) is an interesting word. It literally means "lodge as a guest" or "pass the night."]

"The idea is that weeping is like a stranger—a wayfaring person—who lodges for a night only. In other words, sorrow will soon pass away to be succeeded by joy" - Barnes Notes on the Bible.

"But joy comes in the morning."
[Joy (rinnah) means a shout of rejoicing, shouting, loud cheering in triumph, singing.]

What a contrast to the night of tears just experienced.

"...if we have the friendship of God, sorrow will always be temporary, and will always be followed by joy. The morning will come; a morning without clouds; a morning when the sources of sorrow will disappear. This often occurs in the present life; it will always occur to the righteous in the life to come" - Barnes Notes on the Bible.

I can't help but compare David's words in this psalm with the words of Jacob. When Pharaoh asked him, near the end of his life, how old he was, he replied: "...few and evil have been the days of the years of my life..." - Genesis 47:9.

How negative! We can choose not to be negative like that. Rather than dwell on the bad things (which come to us all), let's view life from the perspective of God's favour and focus on His blessings, like David did.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your favour and the positive joyful bent of life lived with You. Help me to have a positive outlook that focuses on Your blessings rather than my problems. Amen.

MORE: Practice being positive

"Practice being positive in each situation that arises. Even if whatever is taking place in your life at the moment is not so good, expect God to bring good out of it, as He has promised in His Word....


...Being positive in a positive situation is easy. Anyone can do that. But when we are positive in a negative situation it shows a genuine trust in God and a spiritual maturity that pleases and glorifies God" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, pp. 38, 44.

How far will God bring you?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 7:18-29

TO CHEW ON: "Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said 'Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that you have brought me this far?'" 2 Samuel 7:18

God's favour to David, as evidenced by His promise to make David's family a forever lineage, caused him to take stock of how far he had come. His humble beginnings as the youngest, stuck tending sheep while his brothers lined up for Samuel's anointing, would not have predicted this. Neither would the years he lived as an outcast on the run from King Saul. But no person or circumstance could thwart God's plans for him.

It's the same for you and me. Our humble beginnings and what has happened in our past is no obstacle to God and His destiny for us. However, when we're in the middle of humdrum life, it's hard to believe or even grasp this. Here are some verses to help us build faith in God's creative ability to transform our lives:

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations" - Ezekiel 36:25-27, NLT.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'" - Jeremiah 29:11, NLT.

"But He said, 'The things which are impossible with men are possible with God'” - Luke 18:27, NKJV.

"And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit"  - 2 Corinthians 3:18, AMP.

As Joyce Meyer puts it:

"I encourage you to take a positive look at the possibilities of the future and begin to "call(s) those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17). Think and speak about your future in a positive way, according to what God has placed in your heart, and not according to what you have seen in the past or are seeing even now in the present" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. 186.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for the example of David who came from nowhere to father the royal line from which You were born. Please give me the faith to live out the dreams I believe You have placed in my heart. I want You to bring me as far as I am meant to go. Amen.

MORE: Only 12 more sleeps

Advent Calendar - December 13

Christmas Fact:
 

The Nativity scene also rooted itself firmly in French soil, especially in the southern region of Provence. The first manger scenes included only those figures most related to the story of the Nativity: Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, the shepherds, etc. In the eighteenth century, however, people began to display a multitude of characters in their home Nativity scenes. . . .

In 1803 small clay statuettes from Provence, called santons (or "little saints") appeared at the Christmas fair in Marseille. These santons became an essential element of the French Nativity scene. In addition to characters mentioned in the biblical accounts of the Nativity, the Provencal santons represented a wide variety of ordinary French townspeople, such as the baker, the mayor, the fishmonger, the village idiot and others. . . Like their Italian counterparts, French Nativity scenes depicted the birth of Christ taking place in a local setting, such as a village in Provence.

Encyclopedia of Christmas p. 409

Open December 13

The Provence tradition of Nativity scenes and santons carries on.

Are you attacking your own marriage?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 19:1-15


TO CHEW ON: "So then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Matthew 19:6

A few weeks ago I watched a documentary about the life of Canadian singer Shania Twain. In it she told the heartbreaking story of the breakup of her marriage. She felt doubly betrayed when the "other woman' turned out to be her best friend and confidante.

However, the sanctity and unity of the marriage relationship can have another enemy that's even closer. We ourselves, one of the partners, can be culprits in separating "what God has joined together." A sidebar article in my Bible explains how"

"Every marriage involves two imperfect people. It not only is personally challenging to work out our difficulties within marriage, but it is a spiritual contest since the Adversary is always seeking points of vulnerability to work his destruction in our lives (1 Peter 5:8). Our temptation to self-interest and self-defense in our marriage relationship is a prime target. The Enemy (our accuser) will point out and exaggerate our spouse's shortcomings and will foster anger and unforgiveness growing in our hearts towards one another.


Jesus warned that disintegration attacks the marriage where hardness of heart is allowed to grow (Mark 19:4-5; Proverbs 28:14). Let us be warned against giving this place toward our spouse, seeing how Scripture links hardness of heart to unbelief (Mark 16:14), lack of understanding (Mark 5:32), pride (Daniel 5:20), and stubbornness (2 Chronicles 36:13)" - Rebecca Bauer, "Husbands and Wives Need to Keep Their Hearts Soft Toward One Another," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1325.

Have you experienced the temptation to be hard-hearted toward your spouse? I have. Let's be alert to the devil's schemes in this area so we can guard our hearts against being caught up in such self-inflicted attacks on this most sacred of relationships.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to be alert and on guard against the devil's schemes that would draw me in to attack my own marriage. Amen.


MORE: Mental Critics

As with most attitudes and actions, hard-heartedness toward one's spouse begins in the mind. Joyce Meyer in her book Battlefield of the Mind (Chapter: "A Judgmental, Critical, Suspicious Mind") refers to Matthew 7:6:

"Do not give that which is holy (the sacred thing) to the dogs, and do not throw your pearls before hogs, lest they trample upon them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces."

She makes this observation:

"I believe this Scripture is referring to our God-given ability to love each other.


If you and I have an ability and a command from God to love others but instead of doing that we judge and criticize them, we have taken the holy thing (love) and cast it before dogs and hogs (demon spirits). We have opened a door for them to trample on holy things and turn and tear us to pieces" - Battlefield of the Mind, p. 130.

Choose your thoughts

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 15:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man." Matthew 15:18

When the scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus' disciples for neglecting the Jewish tradition of ritual washing, they were probably surprised with the swiftness and vigour of Jesus' rebuttal. He went straight for the jugular of their much more serious perversion of the law. For instead of honouring their parents by providing for them (as the law said they should), they were declaring such provision "Corban" - Mark 7:11.

"'Corban' was an offering made to God withdrawn from its originally intended use and no longer available for persons, not even those in need" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1318.

In other words, they broke the law by adhering to another law they had made up (with the seeming intention to impress others with their generosity toward God?).

Jesus didn't let the situation rest there but brought it up in front of the crowds. Then, when the disciples reported back to Him how He had upset these rulers, He went even further, declaring that their man-made traditions missed the point entirely. They were focusing on outer things, while the real problem was with what was inside them. It wasn't the wrong foods they were putting in their mouths that were making them impure, but the things that came out of their mouths and played out in their lives.

All the observable sins He speaks of in verse 19: "...murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" begin with the first evil He names: "evil thoughts."

Jesus addresses this principle of our thoughts being precursors of action in other places - for example Matthew 12:33-35:

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Joyce Meyer elaborates:

"...thoughts bear fruit. Think good thoughts and the fruit in your life will be good. Think bad thoughts, and the fruit in your life will be bad.

Actually you can look at a person's attitude and know what kind of thinking is prevalent in his life. A sweet kind person does not have mean vindictive thoughts" - Battlefield of the Mind, p. 21.

Today let's examine our thoughts — those seedlings of action. Then let's weed out rogue, virulent, evil thoughts, replacing them with true, worthy thoughts. Memorizing Bible thoughts is a good transplant technique.

PRAYER: Dear God, I am guilty of having a weedy thought life. Please alert me to evil thoughts, and help me be diligent in replacing them with good thoughts. Amen.

MORE: Choose your thoughts

"A whole new world opens up to us when we learn to choose our own thoughts rather than letting the devil fill our minds full of things that will destroy us. We must learn to be responsible for our thoughts and words because they produce our actions" - Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind, p. x.

"For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honourable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and loveable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]" - Philippians 4:8 (Amplified).