Sunday’s study took us through James 1:12–16, which builds upon the earlier verses in James when we learned that God uses trials in our life to build stronger faith. Sunday we were reminded of that, plus we learned that God rewards steadfast faith, He never tries to make us fall, and it is our own desires and passions which derail us from faith.

After the service I was asked, “What if the trial is of our own making?”

This is an excellent question, and, essentially, I’d say it doesn’t matter; God will be present and working either way.

God does build the reproofs of life into daily living. If you speed, you’ll get a ticket (a trial). If you steal things, you’ll end up in court (a trial). If you are lazy and always late for work, you’ll probably be fired (a trial). If you overspend your credit card, you’ll have to pay it off over a long period of time (a trial).

However, for a believer, the righteous and just God is also your Heavenly Father. So, by that family nature, He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is always working in our lives, even when we mess things up. As a loving Father, He does allow or bring discipline (Hebrews 12), but it is always designed to build our faith, never to tear us down, as James says.

In all things—natural disasters we didn’t cause, or our own messes—let us be quick to get our eyes focused on the Lord, by faith, knowing He is present and working to build our faith!

As James concludes the introductory encouragement to his readers in chapter 1, verses 9–11 are addressed to the lowly and the rich. The reader may be inclined to think that James is
addressing believers at opposite ends of financial means, but while “rich” clearly implies
earthly wealth, “lowly” has a much deeper meaning. The Greek word translated as “lowly” here means humble and appears elsewhere in the New Testament describing Jesus (Phil. 2:8, Matt. 11:29).

Having humility (being humble) by recognizing the need for a Savior is the common
denominator for believers from all walks of life. Humility is a realistic view of oneself—true
reality. The humble person does not place himself over anyone or cling to accomplishments but, rather, submits to Jesus as the only eternal hope. So, can the lowly boast? Yes, and they should, but their boasting is in what Jesus has done. James uses the term “exaltation.”

What about the rich? James says they should also boast but in their humiliation. The things
this world values tend to occupy our attention and our time, and they often drive our pursuits, becoming our heart’s desire. Earthly riches, whether they be accomplishments, accolades, promotions, or financial rewards are good things, but they are fleeting—virtual reality. They don’t go with us into eternity, nor do they matter, because the Lord sees our heart, who we are without our riches.

To the extent that we see ourselves as the Lord does, we become humble. Rich or poor, we
must become the lowly who recognize our dire need for Jesus, and we are exalted because of what the Lord has done. “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:31).

In order to have fellowship, we must gather. To gather, we must have something to gather around. The first thing that is needed to fellowship or gather is light. Who invites guests over for an evening meal but sits in a dark room? Who gathers for fellowship at a campsite without encircling the campfire? We take light for granted, but there is no fellowship without it.

With electricity, light is as easy as flipping a switch. As time goes on, lights become brighter and brighter. At the heart of many of our cities, when the sun goes down, bright lights turn on and night life begins. But nothing lights up like the sun.

Man will never light like the sun. Like a strongman, he runs his course with joy each day (Psalm 19:5). Man may be able to light up a street or a sidewalk, but the sky remains dark. Only the sun can light up the entire sky, and nothing can escape its light. Like clockwork, we rise and walk in its light.

But the sun is but a pointer to the greater light! Jesus is the Light of the World, and He has come! Our sin says we have no need of Him, that we are our own light, but this is darkness and it leads to death. Walking in Jesus acknowledges our great need for forgiveness and His heart to meet our great need at His cross. What love! And what a friend!

May we not take the Light of the World for granted. Walking in the Light acknowledges Him with every step. Just as we wake up to the light of the sun each day without giving thanks, do we walk as the redeemed without remembering the Light that saved us?

Our hearts grow cold when we take Him for granted. Nothing produces fruit like gazing at His glory. “I’ll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross,” says the song, but He shows us a little each day. We never leave the foot of the cross as we walk in its light, and fellowship with Him is fellowship with each other.

We need the brothers and sisters to help us see Jesus. Fellowship with them is granted as we gather around the Light. We lay down our lives for each other as He has laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16). If we take the cross lightly, our brotherly love will be light. But a continual gazing will produce brotherly love like the sun.

Let us walk in the Light, dear friends, and enjoy His love together!  

We wake up to a beautiful spring morning. The sky is blue, the birds are chirping, and there is green everywhere. And the gates of hell stand wide open, longing to devour. It takes an eye of faith to see heaven as we sojourn towards Home. So, too, it takes faith to see hell.

Jesus promises in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell will not prevail against the building of His church, and we get a sense of the invisible battle that rages against His Bride. Satan would love for fear to overtake Her as she ponders the reality of these cursed gates, but he is just as pleased if She doesn’t believe in them at all.

In the Old Testament, these gates are referred to as the “gates of death” or “Sheol.” To Job, God declares:

“Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?" (Job 38:17)

Man has not seen these gates in the land of the living. The sight would be too much for him to handle, and they are in a place that only God can go and remain full of life. When man gets to these gates, the gates have won. Beyond them is no breath.

King Hezekiah had an understanding of these gates as he faced sickness in the middle of his life that brought him to the point of death (Isaiah 38:1, 10–11). Death is the ticket through these gates, and there is no going back once man is through them. They are a mouth that craves but whose appetite is never satisfied (Proverbs 30:14–16).

All men have been consigned to pass through these gates (Hebrews 9:27), for all have sinned and deserve an eternity of death. In our youth, the gates of hell seem distant, but as the days go by, our soul senses that we are drawing near (Psalm 107:18). In reality, we don’t know how close the gates are; many are in their shadow but have no idea.

But there is One who lifts us from the “gates of death” (Psalm 9:13). There is One who passed through them so that we would not have to. In His mercy, He has opened a door to heaven for the ones He has chosen, and the gates of hell no longer hold their power. Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the One who did such a gracious work. Praise His name forever!

Yet, the battle still rages in the land of the living. Multitudes still pass through the gates of hell every day without grasping the Key that will keep them out. Satan and his demons spend their days blinding those who think they can escape the gates on their own. In addition, they attempt to deceive the Redeemed that the gates are still to be feared, but the promise remains!

“I will build my church,” says our Rescuer, “and the gates of hell will not prevail over it.” He has ascended and given His Bride the keys to the kingdom. He has given Her authority to bind and loose as she proclaims the person and work of Her Savior. But there is no urgency in Her confession if the gates of hell are not real.

Faith is given to us to see the beauty of Christ. That same faith gets a glimpse of what He has saved us from. The horror of hell accentuates the mercy of the Cross. It also stirs up the mercy in us to save those who are perishing. We have the keys to unlock this mercy. The Gospel of Jesus is the key. Confessing Him is the only way to salvation.

Though we will be hated for our confession of Jesus, and the enemies of hell will never cease to assault the Bride of Jesus, Christ will prevail. We need not fear the gates of hell but look forward to the gates of heaven. Confessing Him will bring joy to our hearts and freedom to those bound in sin. Let us confess our Jesus, dear church!

Last Sunday we studied together 1 Peter 4:10–11 and our Lord’s direction for believers on how to build His church in a hostile culture.

We saw that discovering your gift and abilities was a starting place, knowing for sure that God has given these to every believer! Looking back to see what areas of service have given you joy and fulfillment; which have you stuck with; and which have seemed to bear fruit. Also looking at your church to see where there are needs to be met. These opportunities can be doors to your discovery as well (1 Peter 4:10a).

But I find we get derailed at times because we’re looking for our gift and abilities apart from knowing that these are given to us by the Lord in order to serve others. If we look only to ourselves, we miss a major aspect of the process: How can I serve to help others grow in Christ? This really helps fill in His picture and shape for you (1 Peter 4:10b).

Another way we can get derailed is by allowing the credit to stop with us. It is fine to have folks say, "Thanks for your service," but all the while we understand that ultimately praise needs to be directed to our Lord (1 Peter 4:11b).

For our upcoming opportunities like VBS, Mission to Our City, and other ministries, why not pray and seek the Lord’s direction on how He desires to use you in building His Church!

Corrupt talk is rotten to the core (Ephesians 4:29) but has great appeal to the depths of our flesh (Ephesians 4:22). As such, it is so easy to fall into the deceptive trap of believing that a few loose words are “no big deal.”  In fact, the desires of our flesh long for just a few words of gossip like a delicious morsel at a five-star restaurant (Proverbs 26:22). But the end is death.

At its core, corrupt talk is a desire to exalt self against God. How do we know our progress in this demonic quest? We measure up against one another. It is subtle, but the negative word I share about another helps me add a new level to the platform that I am trying to build to God. “Did you hear that Bob can’t pay his mortgage anymore?” In other words, “But I can—see how hard I work.”

In some ways, our entire culture is built on corrupt talk. Gossip, slander, and grumbling are the American way. It is the air we breathe; it comes so naturally, but it grieves the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30).

The Holy Spirit delights to teach the Christian the work of Christ that gives us rest and exalts Jesus. Corrupting talk, though, pulls eyes off the very One the Holy Spirit delights to glorify. Not only is the Spirit grieved but our hearts grow hard. We are to build up, but corrupt talk spreads like gangrene.

But there is a better way. We are all sinners in need of grace and God has given the grace in Christ. As we grow in gazing on the beauty of Jesus, corrupt talk will be exposed for what it is: anti-Christ babble. Why exalt self by spewing corrupt talk when exalting Jesus satisfies so deeply?

A heart enthralled with Jesus will soon lose the desire to tear down with corrupt lips. Conversely, a grace-soaked heart will produce grace-filled words. They will build up and glorify Christ. Gracious words will stand out like golden nuggets in a world where they are few and far between. They will open doors to thirsty souls and soothe like a cool rain that breaks a drought.

Choose the better way, dear friends. Be a builder and a grace-giver with your words. Be aware of the deceptive desires of the flesh that lead to corrupt speech, and keep clear of those who want to feed those desires. Christ fulfills so much more! Enjoy Him and let the grace flow!

God is bountiful in His grace, so we can bountifully sow our resources, expecting a bountiful harvest from Him and a multiplication of our seed. What a joy! Mostly when we read these truths from 2 Corinthians 9:6–15, we think of the individual applications for the follower of Jesus. Paul, however, is asking it collectively from the church in Corinth to give to another church in need—put the building project on hold!

There are endless financial needs and opportunities in each local church, so that giving to another church in need hardly crosses the mind. And, if we are honest, we can be pretty territorial when it comes to thinking about ministry and resources the Lord has entrusted to us. Would we give to grow another church at the expense of our own growth? Sure, other churches have needs, but what about our own?

The same can be said of “sowing our people,” too. Why send a gifted saint to another church to serve when there is plenty of work for them right here? Why shouldn’t we hold tightly to the gifted brothers and sisters in our Body and reap the blessing of their service in our own church? If we launch our best people on a regular basis, what will be left?

But He will multiply our seed!

Whether it be finances or people, we should bountifully give—even to other churches—and trust the Lord to multiply more seed to sow. And not just that; there will be a bountiful harvest of righteousness to the glory of King Jesus for all eternity as He produces a bumper crop of praise and thanksgiving.

I (Pastor Rusty) met with a brother from the Hospitality Center yesterday to discuss ways we can continue to partner together in Gospel work. As a church, we have sown financial and prayer seed in that ministry for quite a few years. Certainly, we could have used those resources internally in one way or another, but the Lord has brought a great harvest through the money we have sown in the Hospitality Center field. He shared story after story of ways the Gospel has spread to international students from almost 40 countries through their ministry. What a joy to sow seed in this field!

In addition, I thought of the pain we felt when we launched John and Chelsea Hall, the Von Ed family, Zack Mehlhaff, and others to ministry in other churches. In the moment, we are reluctant to let go of them. How are we to go forward with the loss of so many gifts? The Generous One will replenish, and the harvest will be great. Some we will see in this life, and infinitely more will be shown to us in glory. Let us sow bountifully, dear church!

“To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21) is a great claim to make about our Lord Jesus. He is our all-sufficient portion in this life and the great hope of our soul to see Him face to face when we depart. Nothing else on earth is our one desire. Nothing else in heaven is our one hope. He is our breath and our life, and the great call of our soul is to make Him known. Our words about Him are glorious, but do our lives match our words?

This is tested in times of suffering. Do we grumble and complain? Do we fear the loss of earthly treasure and life? The world mourns any earthly loss, but the testimony of the Christian is that any loss is gain as we come to know Jesus more and more. He is the one thing they can never take from us. We have a “better possession and an abiding one” (Hebrews 10:34).

What our hearts treasure, our lives will reflect. We do not need to force our lives to match the great claims of the Gospel. Guard our hearts in Christ Jesus, and the manner of our lives will naturally flow. Yet, the exhortation that our lives are worthy of the Gospel is helpful.

This exhortation in Philippians 1:27 help us take inventory of our heart and our lives. Is there a disconnect between what we say and how we live. If so, what is the heart problem underneath it all? This verse jolts our hearts to examine ourselves and find hidden weeds of unbelief. Spirit, help!

Many say they know Jesus, but their lives testify to another god (1 John 1:6, 8; 2:4, 9). There are many who lie about their allegiance to Christ and their lives are the damning testimony against them. May this verse warn and rebuke! Awake and heal the blind, O Lord!

Our lives are the proof of the Gospel of Jesus we proclaim. The joy and hope we portray is the fruit of the life of Christ flowing throughout us! In times of plenty, fruit! In times of need, fruit! In times of watering, fruit! In times of drought, fruit! In life, fruit! In death, fruit! To live is Christ and to die is gain!

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” – Revelation 12:11

The believer belongs to two families: his earthly family and the eternal family. Both were created by God, Who was a Father to His Son before Creation. Although believers are justified and righteous through the blood of Jesus, we are all in process. No family is perfect, and there are times when our earthly family interrupts our eternal focus.

We saw this in Mark 3:31-35, where Jesus was interrupted in His teaching by His mother and brothers. While the Bible does not tell us directly what Jesus’ family wanted, we can reasonably assume they were not there to hear His teaching. Most likely they were there for earthly family reasons.

Jesus responded by turning an earthly family interruption into an eternal family teaching moment. Building upon the importance of the earthly family, Jesus introduced the eternal family of God. “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35).

Our earthly families and our eternal family (the local Church) are at their best when they support each other. The two form a unique synergy: the Church filling many needs of the earthly family, and earthly families serving the needs of other families and ministries of the Church.

Two families created by God, the Perfect Father, working together for the glory of Christ—this is true family.

We have received grace upon grace from our Lord Jesus Christ, and He is our everlasting reservoir that we draw from to give grace in our family relationships. If we were to draw on our own strength in our families, we would be proclaiming self, but it is “Him we proclaim” (Col. 1:28.) We are to be a “one thing” family, and He is the sole foundation on which we build.

Every single word and deed in the ups and downs of our family life is to be done in the name of our Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17.) The wife in her submission, the husband in his love, the children in their obedience, and the parents in their shepherding are to proclaim Jesus in every syllable and action (Col. 3:18–21). Since Christ is full of grace, our families should be full of grace. Since all of life has been redeemed as grace to the Believer, each family member is a grace gift from Him.

Let us give thanks to our Heavenly Father for our family through Jesus (Col. 3:17)! In their pleasant moments, we give thanks—we don’t deserve anything pleasant! In their ugly moments, we still give thanks, being reminded that only Christ can satisfy our souls!

And we must forgive!

Since we have been forgiven much, we can forgive the comparatively little offenses that are committed against us by our family members. We are all sinners in need of grace relating to sinners in need of grace, which melts away bitterness and harshness in our hearts, even when we are stung.

Sting will come because our earthly families are just that: earthly. If we say our families are without sin, we deceive ourselves, and sin hurts. But we are not left without hope and comfort. We look to Christ and remember His everlasting reservoir of grace and love. Often we will need to fight the flesh to look. The flesh will want to get even, but the Spirit says to look to Christ and find balm for the sting.

We cannot do any of this as “lone ranger” Christians. We need Christ and we need His Body for help. We all have blind spots. We all need encouragement. We all need prayer. Family is not off limits. We are easily offended when people speak into our family lives because it is such a reflection of us. In reality, it is a reflection of Christ. Him we proclaim!

Search and know our families, O Lord, try us and lead us in the way everlasting (Ps. 139:23–24)!

If Jesus is beautiful, so is His Bride. If our Head is our “One Thing,” His Body is closely united. Love flows down from Him, so does His beauty.

David, in Psalm 27, longed to gaze at the beauty of the Lord in the shelter of His house. Beauty stirs the heart, and David’s heart was stirred though all around him was the ugliness of a fallen world. Only “One Thing” would satisfy and that “One Thing” is Jesus.

But what happens when we can barely see His beauty? What happens when our walk with Jesus is more a bunch of information than breathtaking beauty? Perhaps there are seasons when we know He is beautiful, but the eyes of our heart are dull, and His beauty veiled.

Cry out!

I felt some of this last week as I faced the task of preaching the stirring beauty of Jesus, but my heart felt unstirred. Like David, I just cried out (Psalm 27:7). I asked (Psalm 27:4). I pleaded with Him based on His own righteousness and glory. I pleaded in the name of Jesus. And He answered.

He gave me a glimpse on Friday evening as I was heading home at sunset. The clouds were a brilliant pink, and I immediately was reminded of the cross of Jesus. My heart was stirred, and I began to see beauty in more and more places. Beauty in nature was a taste of His beauty, and all its brilliance was at the cross.

Better than the sunset, though, was His Body. I came to church eager to gaze, and each person that walked in the door stirred my heart. Jesus is beautiful, and so is His Body—everyone with a different shade of beauty, but all the “One Body.” Personalities, backgrounds, and gifts varied, but each one reflecting our “One Head.”

Communion was the sweetest reflection of Christ that I can remember having in quite a while. When I heard the chorus of God’s people crunching on our gluten-free crackers, remembering His death, it was one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. By the time I went up to preach on His beauty, He had filled my heart to overflowing. He is my “One Thing.”

I wonder if His Body is more beautiful than the ocean. Maybe it is foolish to compare; both are blood-bought gifts! But are our hearts stirred as much on an “ordinary” Sunday as on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation at the ocean?

Christ is beautiful. His Body is beautiful in her redemption. Gaze and go back for more!

 During a disagreement early in our marriage, I once yelled across the room at my wife, “You need to submit to me!” I had the verses to prove it, but, in my immaturity, I saw it as a law more than grace. My wife keeping the law of submission is what I wanted so I could get my own way. Little did I realize, at the time, the many shortcomings I had in loving her as Christ loved the church. Who can hit that mark?

She could not keep the law of submission, and I could not keep the law of love, as if we were trying to earn a good marriage. Over time, I became less rigid, but it took a few decades to see her submission to me as grace from Jesus. The more I saw it, the more I realized my sin and weaknesses as a husband. Yet, the grace soothed as it pointed me to Jesus. Sweet submission had a profound effect on my heart.

All of a sudden, any drop of submission from my wife came as a beautiful grace gift from Jesus. Had I earned it, it wouldn’t have been nearly as sweet. In turn, my love for her increased as I saw her through new eyes. Even her weaknesses, that once agitated my soul, were received as grace. Love and submission as grace—a beautiful flow.

Submission is a grace not deserved.

On Sunday, we studied the command to submit to our leaders in the church from Hebrews 13:17. No leader deserves this. No saint deserves a leader. It’s all grace.

We have a very submissive church. This has a profound effect on the heart of a leader with many weaknesses. It truly adorns the Gospel of grace (Titus 2:10). It is said that a leader needs to earn respect and submission. I can see it to a point, but then we are back to law. Only Christ has earned this. Dear friends, we submit to leaders as to Christ (Ephesians 5:21)!

A submissive people moves the heart of a leader like almost nothing else. Even to a non-believing leader, Christian submission emits rays of grace. If we want to win their hearts for Jesus, we must be submissive. And we can be submissive because of our perfect Leader, Jesus, not because we have perfect leaders.

We need to chew on this. We have been given the Great Commission. We are not to go out clothed in rebellion. “I will submit to Jesus but not to the clowns in Washington,” is no submission to Jesus at all. It will win very few. Sweet submission out of reverence for Christ is the call of the day.

Even if we must submit to a decree to stop preaching the Gospel or we will be thrown in prison, we still submit. Like Richard Wurmbrand before us, we continue to preach the Gospel—we are happy. They throw us in prison—they are happy. Everyone is happy!

Sweet submission is a ray of grace this dark world so desperately needs to see. It is sweet because Christ is sweet. Enjoy Him and let the joy flow!

How futile it would be for a man to salt the icy church parking lot using a small kitchen funnel. As the salt slowly trickled out and eventually clogged, the man would freeze, and the parking lot would remain a skating rink. With the fertilizer spreader, however, the salt flies freely and widely through the multiple openings in the spreader.

Christ’s design for His Church: free-flowing love and ministry to and through the entire Body. Oh, that our church would be a fertilizer spreader, not a funnel!

There is a saying that most churches operate on the 80/20 rule: 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Like a funnel, all ministry flows through a few, and much goes undone. Perhaps because we have heard of this “rule” so often, we kind of shrug it off and accept a lame Body.

Christ desires more!

A blockage of ministry is a blockage of faith and knowledge of the love of our Head for His Body (Ephesians 4:13). Every ministry of the church is to build up the Body of Christ into His love (Ephesians 4:15-16). If few are ministering, few are growing. Grow us, O Lord!

The temptation of a shepherd in the church is to do, do, do the work of the ministry. Jesus’ design is for shepherds to equip, equip, equip the saints to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). A funnel of a shepherd is gripped with pride and people-pleasing motivations:

“If I ask Saint A to do this, it will be such a bother to them.”

“I can’t ask Saint B to do this ministry; I can do it so better myself.”

“I get so much of my identity and praise for doing the work; where would that go if I pass some on?”

The futile thoughts of a funnel.  

There can also be the expectations of the saints that the pastor is to be a funnel. After all, “isn’t that what we pay him for?” A shepherd can try to pass on love-building ministry to the saints and be met with closed hearts:

“Don’t you know we have to learn to say no more often at church so we can say yes to Netflix and youth sports?”

“How will I keep up with my Facebook timeline if I have to speak the truth in love in person?”

Some want a funnel church so they can spread their love elsewhere.

Oh, the glory of a fertilizer spreader—Christ’s love-building ministry flowing freely and widely throughout the Body and into our love-starved world! Resistance to His design is resistance to His love. As we walk as a “spreader,” we begin to experience new joy to see Christ’s love and ministry multiplied. A funnel barely adds.

What a thrill to grow towards being a 100/100 church: 100% of the church doing 100% of the work! Open our hearts, O Lord, make us receptive to your leading, equipping, and ministry growth. Give us the faith that we need and the knowledge of your Son that we desire (Ephesians 4:13). Grant us the time and space to speak the truth in love. Open our hearts. Open our homes. Break open any funnels. May your glory fill the earth!

What if Jesus was really Lord of all, and all things were under His feet, and He was far above all powers, rulers, dominions, and every name? What difference should this make in our lives?

It is probably most difficult to grasp this when we see sin abounding in our world and culture. But ever when seemingly righteous changes are made, they are accompanied with pride and vindictiveness.

It seems to me, from our study in Ephesians 1:15–23, that Jesus is either Lord over all or not Lord at all. By faith we must choose the former, that He is Lord over all, in our world and in our church.

How does this change things?

The biggest thing is that He governs not only the good but the bad. I have had a rash of very good friends who have recently encountered physical challenges. It seems to me that no good thing can come from a cancer diagnosis. Some families have had big disappointments as well. How can this be good? Yet, I find that we are often looking at short-term goals or comfort.

Of course, we’d like all good relationships.

Of course, we’d all like good health.

Of course, we’d all like enough money to pay all the bills.

But what if our Lord’s goal is to shape and transform our lives to be more like Jesus? And in that transformation we would find the greatest joy, comfort, and satisfaction—things no amount of money can buy.

Colossians 1:28–29 helps me, as Paul points us to the ultimate goal of knowing Christ and spiritual transformation. This goal and the full Lordship of Jesus changes everything.

What if He really was Lord over all? Well, the good news is that He is!! It will change your day!

There is a deep desire in the human heart to be searched and known. Yet, in the busy, self-
focused world we live in, so few take the time to know one another. At the same time, we
don’t want to be too known. We desire to have our strengths known, but our weaknesses,
sin, and deep desires – let’s keep those hidden! All at the same time, we desire to be known and to hide – what a struggle!

This tension only has one solution: the Lord Jesus Christ! In Psalm 139, we are shown the
depths of the searching and knowing that the Lord goes to in every square inch of our lives.
He knows the internal and external, the beginning and the end, the highs and the lows, and
the light and the dark parts of our lives. He knows the thoughts, words, actions and hidden
motives of all we do. He knows it all, but is He loving and tender?

If God is harsh and demanding, it is a terror to be an open book before Him. If His heart is
cold and closed towards us, ours will be towards Him. But He is warm and tender! We see
His tender work towards us as He knits us together in the secret place of the womb. What
intricate design and tender care He shows us! On what ground, though, are we handled so
tenderly?

He first knit His own Son in the womb of His mother. The Word became flesh and was
fearfully and wonderfully made. His days, too, were intricately formed to lead our Lord Jesus to His cross and the grave. The day grew dark as He took on our sin and the wrath that we deserved. The grave was cold and dark, yet He was not abandoned – His Father broke through, and He rose from the grave!

David was not crushed by the dark days he faced, because Jesus would crush the darkness 1,000 years later. So, too, we can claim the words of Psalm 139 for ourselves because we have been searched and known by God and knit to His Son. The searching and knowing in Psalm 139 is an intimate act initiated by our Lord Jesus that brings us into union with Him.

So, then, the deep desire to be known at the deepest levels of our hearts has been fulfilled by the work of Christ. As such, we no longer need to resist Him out of fear of being found out. He knows it all, so we can pour out our desires, struggles and questions to Him as He
delights to minister to every square inch of our hearts. He is warm and tender; we can lay our hearts open to Him.

And we are sent out to search and know, too. What an amazing opportunity we have as the
Bride of Jesus to go out into a hurting, unfulfilled world and look for inroads into hearts. In
Christ, we have what the world so desperately needs. Let us be prayerful and intentional with each person the Lord brings our way. In our own families, in our church family, and in the comings and goings the Lord brings us throughout the week.

Search us and know us, O God!

In our study of Psalm 1, we find that believers are blessed—or fulfilled—when they avoid bad influences (verse 1) and delight and meditate on God's Word (verse 2). More than commands of what to avoid and what to do, Psalm 1 is a proclamation of encouragement or benediction to the believer.

The believer's walk with God is eternal but also daily. It is a walk of fellowship that is possible not by our own doing but rather by God's Holy Spirit at work in our lives. The world does not encourage us to spend time in God's Word. Instead, it will provide us with many alternatives, some of which are clearly wrong (council of the wicked, way of sinners, seat of scoffers) and others which, while not inherently bad, will keep us from the Word.

Our choices can limit the blessing that this Psalm proclaims. God wants the very best for His own. How we choose to spend our time can limit the full blessing that God would otherwise have for us or open our hearts to the very best.

In Sunday’s study we looked at Jesus' direction for us going into prayer. In Matthew 6:9–10, especially verse 10, He directs us to pray for the Lord’s kingdom and will to be done. This clear direction also helps us to see that His will and not ours is the key focus not only of prayer but of the entirety of a believer’s life. This is so helpful and really aids me in my prayer and also my whole outlook of life. It helps me remember that He is God and I am not. His will is not only perfect but it is for my best, as He is a good, good Father (Matthew 7:7–11).

An interesting narrative is in Acts 21, when Paul was heading to Jerusalem but stopped to meet with believers in Caesarea. A prophet named Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound himself with it, saying that was what awaited the owner of the belt in Jerusalem, as the Jews would bind him and turn him over to the Gentiles. The believers obviously didn’t want Paul harmed and pleaded with him not to go, but Paul was determined. So they ceased to try to persuade him and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done” (21:14). This would seem like a fatalistic throwing up of the hands as Paul wouldn’t listen to them.

Most of us have been there. Something or someone dear to us seems headed in a wrong direction; all of our wisdom tells us it is bad, but we’ve done all we can, so we may throw our hands up and say that.

However, I would say that it is much more of a declaration of faith in our Lord and our good Father. They have tried to follow the Lord and yet it is to no avail. So, instead of a fatalistic giving up, it is declaring what we actually know—that God’s Will will be done. And we know that it will be the best. He is God and we are not. Our intentions might be good, but our human wisdom is limited, so we place our trust on Him who knows best.

God would guide and lead Paul all the way, eventually to his martyrdom, when the Lord received Him into His presence in heaven. It was after testifying to Christ both in Jerusalem and also Rome.

Our circumstances may not be our plan, but His plan is always best, and He accomplishes things we never even thought about. So let us often declare, “Let the Lord’s will be done!” Do it with confidence as we can fully trust Him. He is present and He is working!

I was chewing on the goodness of God in the Bread of Life Sunday after church and realized I couldn’t chew. Since late last week, a tooth I had recently received a filling in began to ache, and the pain exploded Sunday afternoon. As the evening and night wore on, I tried everything I could to take the edge off the pain, but it only increased. I spent the sleepless night pacing, rubbing, brushing, and swishing cold water, hot water, salt water, mouthwash, or anything else that could possibly help...to no avail.

I could not chew, but I kept chewing.

In Matthew 7:7–11, we learned of the goodness of our Heavenly Father in Christ. If evil fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more our good, good Father who gave us His Son—the greatest gift! Oh, how I needed that Bread to chew on as I wrestled with the pain. On several occasions, I cried out that He would take the pain away. My blessed family joined me. His grace is sufficient.

I kept telling my soul that this experience was Good Bread from our Heavenly Father. The body didn’t feel it, but the soul did. The flesh wanted to accuse Him of giving me a stone, but the Spirit prevailed. It was hard to pray, but He knew.

The experience wasn’t over yet, as there were no dental openings until Tuesday morning. He was giving me my own custom “revelation demands response.” I know that each of your days, too, have been formed to show you the Bread. More than show—to taste Him and see that He is good!

Heavenly Father, we ask that you grant us faith to see your goodness in Christ. We seek Him in every detail of life. We knock with all that is in us, that you would open your storehouse of goodness and shower our souls with every spiritual blessing. We pray expectantly in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Often, we run across articles critical of the local church. In this day of high-powered online ministries, the church can seem out-of-date. However, feeling like family is something you cannot produce online. This past Sunday (as every Sunday) seemed so much like family as we saw almost the whole church being used through the morning gathering. I noted that our age span for the performances went from 3 years old to 96! The quintet, the choir, the children’s acting and singing, special music all brought blessing to us and pointed us to Jesus, which is the whole goal!

But I also noted that there was much ministry throughout the Commons and auditorium before and after, plus people visited out on the sidewalk and in the parking lot. I was so full of praise by the time we got home!

The Bible tells us that in the church we are blessed to be called brothers and sisters, so God designed our gatherings to be family gatherings. We see this at our gatherings. Our short message was about adding lots of praise to our prayers, and the morning provided us with plenty to be grateful for and to express in praise through prayers to our dear Lord.

If you haven’t yet, take time to write down how the church family blessed and encouraged you Sunday. Now put that into prayer and praise to our Lord!

Last Sunday we journeyed through Matthew 6:25–34 and 1 Peter 5:7, learning our Lord’s direction for relief of our anxieties.

Two words: cast and seek!

First is cast from 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you.” Cast means just what it says—to throw onto something. Here we take the anxiety, cares, and worries and cast them on Jesus. He cares for you and can handle them, whereas we cannot. You can’t go to Him in prayer, cast them on Him, then pick them up all over again! We bundle them up and lay them at His feet, giving them in total to Him. It is a conscious act. We never pick them up again. Then we are still in the circumstances we were before, except now we are free, unencumbered, to seek His kingdom (lordship, He is present and working).

We seek that, and seek it first. How is Jesus working in my circumstances? How is He shaping me? How is He setting me up to be used by Him? As He shows us these things (remember, we’re free from our anxieties), we act by faith to join Him in what He is doing.

As we follow Him this way, both casting our cares upon Him and seeking Him, He not only leads us forward doing good but He gives us peace (Phil. 4:6–7). So why not take those hurts and cares and worries and bring them right to Jesus and cast them upon Him. It’s what He tells us to do.

Be free, then, to seek what He is doing and follow! Let’s start today!

Prayer is one of those vital aspects of the Christian life that we all agree on; but we wrestle, not with its importance but with how to allow it to really get a foothold in our daily lives. It is the practical side that is hard. Sunday’s study was intended to be practical.

Jesus' model in Mark 1:35 helps me to at least see a pattern from Jesus’ life. He seemed to have a time (early in the morning), a place (desolate), and a clear purpose (to pray to His Father). This helps me.

As I mentioned Sunday, for me the ideal time is also early in the morning. I am a morning person. My wife and I are empty-nesters, so I have several places in my house that work. In warm weather, both LaVonne and I enjoy sitting in the garage amidst the growing garden and early morning birds as they feed.

My purpose in connecting with the Lord is to begin settling my heart by reading His Word. It helps my soul to recognize that He is Lord and not me! Then I use a prayer list with all of the Calvary family, my own family, and other needs I know of. I allow Him to bring things to my remembrance, though I do write names and issues down. I try to list and pray for more distant relatives as well, some of whom we see only at the holidays.

I also use this time to praise Him for all He has done in the past days, weeks, and months. This praise and recognition of His presence and working fuels my spiritual life and is so good for me.

As we enter December and the Christmas season, let us ask the Lord to help us establish a foothold of prayer in our lives.

The full soul passes on the Lord like pumpkin pie after gorging ourselves on turkey and potatoes: “Not now. Maybe later.” The full soul has no apparent need for the Lord Jesus: “I’m OK. I got this.” The full soul is full of itself: “Look at what my hands have done!” The full soul doesn’t just say, “No thanks,” but it loathes the Sweet Savior of the world.

The church in Laodicea was a full church. It may have been full of people with a full bank account. They needed nothing, including Jesus. She probably wasn’t always that way, but her fullness was on the way to destroying her. Fullness is a subtle slide that little by little draws our appetite away from feasting on the Bread of Life and on to the snacks of the world. It is so easy to take one snack, then another, then another and the wedding feast is ruined.

Gratefulness is the great guard rail against fullness. When goods increase, so, too, should our gratefulness, for they are all grace gifts from the Lord Jesus. The hungry soul realizes that nothing that we are given is deserved—all grace! The hungry soul knows that there was nothing in and of ourselves that reconciled us back to God. The righteousness that we have is a gift from Jesus: “Thank you, Jesus! Oh, to know you more!” Hunger and gratefulness go hand in hand.

Whether we have plenty or little, Jesus is what makes us rich. Why settle for the rancid food of the world when Jesus is infinitely sweet? Even the bitter bites of life that we taste from time to time have been redeemed by our Jesus to deep sweetness. The hungrier we are for Him, the sweeter all of life will become. Grant us this hunger, O God, and thank You for Your glorious grace!

I was blessed and helped in our study Sunday as we walked through the end of this wonderful Gospel of John. Prominent in these final passages were familiar terms for us at Calvary. Our vision statement is “Know, follow, love Christ.” In John 20:30–31 we’re taught to believe and walk in that belief in Jesus. In John 21:15–17 we’re taught to love Jesus. In Sunday's 21:20–23 we’re taught to follow Jesus. And in John 21:19 we’re taught to glorify (even in death) Jesus. These match up perfectly with our church’s vision!

John covers so many wonder and deep themes, such as Jesus choosing us (15:16, 19) and the relating between the members of the Trinity (ch. 17). Ending this gospel narrative with the simple believe-love-follow-glorify keeps us grounded from simply learning. All truth in the Word is made to change our lives and cause us to grow and mature in Christ, with the fruit of the Spirit being more and more evident.

These ending reminders are a compass for us, not to be satisfied with knowledge but to strive, trusting the Helper, to apply this truth to our daily lives in application.

Our Next Step adult Sunday school class is a wonderful place to work on this! Let me encourage you to look at the questions on the back of our Sunday sermon handouts. These are specifically worded to help. And also, consider the 9 a.m. Next Step class. It is great for this focus, plus a good place to make new friends.

After boasting in his commitment to Jesus (John 13) and then denying Hims (John 18), Peter finds himself sitting with Jesus around a fire with six other disciples. Jesus turns to Him and eventually recommissions Peter, who had failed mightily to minister to His people in His Church. We might think of long Q&A sessions and committee votes, but Jesus accomplishes the whole thing with one question:

“Do you love Me?”

It reminds me of how vital it is to keep my love relationship with Jesus fresh and vibrant. Often, I can feel that I need to fix this and that, I need to correct this, I need to schedule that, and then I will dedicate some time to that love relationship. Jesus' clear and singular focus in John 21 reminds me that I am unable to fix things unless I am actively in that relationship. The love comes first, not later on when there’s time. The love relationship unleashed the freedom of the Helper. And it is the Helper who helps me fix, repair, schedule, and correct the things of life.

But the love comes first!

I have learned (and am learning) that to dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1-2) is a quiet way to be still and know and appreciate and praise my dear Lord Jesus. It is like abiding in the Vine from John 15:5. It takes time. It is putting other things on the back burner. It is focusing on Jesus’ wonderful deeds in my life, family, and church.

In our busy lives, let’s make time for nurturing our love for Jesus. It is the key to everything else!

After the resurrection, Jesus manifested Himself to seven of His disciples. Several of them were expert fishermen, and they had followed Peter as we went fishing—something familiar, something they knew well and were good at.

Yet, after fishing all night, they were asked by the stranger on the shore if they had any fish. Their concise answer: “No!” Failure at what they did best!

Next, the stranger (Jesus) had the audacity to tell them how to do what they already knew very well. He told them to throw their nets over the other side of the boat. I can just feel the frustration. Who was this to tell them how to fish?!? Yet, they obeyed and soon found their nets close to breaking as they were full of 153 large fish!

This was humbling!

In this state of failure in their strongest area, fully humbled, Jesus revealed Himself to them. He told them to drag their full nets up on shore. They recognized Him now, and He simply asked them to sit down to have breakfast with Him—sweet and close fellowship with the One they loved.

How important is humility for this scene? Very!

Peter would later go on to write that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. He exalts those who humble themselves! Humbled, they meet with the Lord!

I wonder why we dislike being humbled? I think we work all our lives to be sufficient, or even self-sufficient. This isn’t bad by itself, but it takes away our daily, child-like dependence on Jesus. It is pride, and God opposes it.

So, learn from this that humility is our friend. It helps point our eyes and hopes up to Jesus and not within our own meager resources. Let’s change that today. Embrace a spiritual humility before God and man. Be like a child and hold onto Him and trust Him for everything! Let’s begin today!