Resolute in God

As the New Year begins, many people make resolutions on changes they will make in their lives.  I believe if you have the constitution and willpower to actually keep your resolutions, it's likely you do not need to make them!  With how most people live, instead of saying you have made a "New Year's resolution," you might as well say "I wish."  There is a lot we all wish we could change about ourselves.  Trouble is, it takes a new calender year to inspire us to work for one change we desire or know we need.  And when the resolution has no impact except guilt because we haven't done our part, we sigh, shrug our shoulders and say to ourselves, "There's always next year..."  The devil would love for us to wait a year between efforts at change for the better.

Last night I had an interesting conversation about New Year's resolutions.  People were discussing how the New Year is a great opportunity for personal reflection upon the last year.  This is a very healthy response which should not be reserved for one day out of the year!  We must see our deficiencies before we will aim higher.  We can be very content in our failing, not even holding ourselves accountable for falling short of our low expectations!

The thing we must understand about changing ourselves is that we cannot do it!  It takes help from without to change within.  Why do you think support groups are so key for those recovering from substance abuse?  The trouble is the support group can become a substitute for the substance:  remove the support group and often the substance resumes the previous hold.  I am convinced that God is the only one who can truly change a person.  He changes our attitudes, hearts, desires, the way we think, and the things we desire to think about!  Our God has the capacity to transform us into a new creation.  There is no need for us to wait a year for this change:  He can do it in an instant when we ask humbly according to His perfect will.

I'm sure David did not wait years between his prayer in Psalm 139:23-24:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; [24] And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  It is good for us to always be continually reviewing our conduct and attitudes.  But the LORD is the one who searches our hearts.  He finds things to change that we didn't even know were there.  The great thing is instead of heaping upon ourselves condemnation, we receive grace, mercy, and communion with God.  Instead of making resolutions trusting an arm of flesh, let us cry out to the One who is steadfast and immovable, all-powerful and wise.  If there is any good change to be made in us God must be the Author and Finisher.  When God begins a good work He is faithful to complete it every time.

Give All to God

A great temptation we will face as believers is to keep what should be given to God for ourselves.  A perfect example of this is found in Acts chapter 5 when Ananias and Sapphira kept back part of the price of the land.  Under the guise of bringing the full purchase price, Ananias laid a part of the total price at the feet of the apostles.  Acts 5:3-5 reads, "But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? [4] While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." [5] Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things."

God has granted all people talents and resources.  As followers of Christ we have the privilege of being led by the Holy Spirit.  Ananias was not influenced by God to give but by Satan.  There are any number of reasons why he lied and gave part instead of all, but none of those reasons make it right.  He paid for his sin with his life and great fear fell upon the people who heard of this.  Today as I was working wrapping duct, the phrase kept ringing in my head:  "While it remained, was it not your own?"  God has given us stewardship of earthly things for a little while.  The earth will pass away.  We have control over what we buy, sell, how we give, and what we keep for ourselves.  How we conduct ourselves will bring consequences to our lives, good or bad.

I wonder:  if Ananias could do it over again, would he give all to God or keep all for himself?  There is no middle ground.  As Gladys Aylward says, "God does not need our bits and pieces."  He wants all of us.  It is the lie of Satan for us to think it is o.k. to pretend to give all the glory to God but keep a little to stroke our egos.  It is not right to cast our burdens upon Christ but reserve a few to justify worrying or feeling sorry for ourselves.  Jesus did not give part of Himself on the cross.  I believe it is impossible for us to give all to God.  But what is impossible for us is possible with God, for all things are possible for them who believe.

Being a steward of the mysteries of the Gospel is a daunting, sober responsibility.  Let him who think he stands take heed lest he fall.  As the song says my heart shouts, "I surrender all...all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all."  LORD, please make that a reality.  I cannot do this thing.  I am no better than Ananias.  I renounce all the times I have kept back part for myself when I should have given all.  I praise you for Your faithfulness, O God, for you are able to accomplish what concerns me today and always.

Give to the Giver

God intends we use every gift, talent, and ability He graciously gives us.  Our heavenly Father never intends the gifts He gives to be restricted to us.  When we receive a Christmas gift or a birthday present the understanding is, "This is for me."  When we receive any gift from God we are responsible to first give that gift right back to Him for Him to use through us.  This will directly benefit others through the edification of the Body of Christ and glorify God.  What God gives us really isn't for us in the end.  It is for Him!

When I read the Bible and God speaks clearly to my heart, it's not like a "Mission Impossible" message that is for my eyes only and will self-destruct after five seconds.  Now I have a responsibility and duty to share with others.  Think about the example of giving God has shown us.  God had an only begotten Son who He sent to be the Savior of the world.  He didn't keep Jesus to Himself.  He created the world, the oceans, all the living creatures, and kept nothing for Himself.  The twenty-four elders in Rev. 4:11 say to God, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."  God created all things but He did not reserve the world's riches, beauty, or splendor for angels only.  God allows the rain to fall on the just and unjust alike.

Think about something you have received from God.  Have you been given it back to God so He can share it with the world through you so He might be glorified?  Take love, for instance.  God has loved us with an everlasting love.  It is a tangible love we can revel in and enjoy forever.  But you were never intended to be the end of that everlasting love:  God's will is His love would be revealed not just to us, but through us.  If we are the end of any gift of God it is a gift falling short of God's purpose for that gift.  Salvation is precious and an unspeakable blessing, but it must be passed on to others through the preaching of the Gospel.  Grace and mercy are wonderful gifts but if they remain buried in the ground like the servant's talent it does us and the world no good.

What God gives and you receive give right back to Him.  Jesus had the power to heal but did not limit His miraculous ability to family and friends only.  He has the power to save but chose not to save Himself so we all could be saved by His shed blood.  Allow God to challenge you.  When He comes might He say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of the LORD."  Only those who have entered into that joy on earth will enter into eternal joy.  Have you made your Savior joyous today?

Children, our Heritage

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. [4] Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. [5] Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate."   Psalm 127:3-5

As God does not slumber or sleep, neither does the enemy of our souls.  Satan is actively seeking to pervert the straight ways of the LORD.  He will not stop his assault upon our children.  Men like Karl Marx know that the way to turn a nation is to indoctrinate the youth through media, subversion of morality, the denial of God and the absolute truth of scripture, and the fracturing of the God-ordained family.  God ordained marriage as a union between one man and one woman and this is under fire today even in kindergarten classrooms.  Children are a heritage from the LORD, but many are convinced that killing a child in the womb through abortion is not crime but convenience.  Satan would like nothing more than to twist and dull the arrows in our quiver so our spiritual warfare will be in vain.

The devil has a lot more time than I do.  He does not expect immediate results and does not seek them.  The longer he can operate unnoticed, the more pronounced the perversion will be in the end.  As tares grow together with the wheat after planting, the damage he does through deceit and lies will be more evident in seasons to come.  Children of God, it is high time that we allow the Holy Spirit to mobilize us to action in teaching our children according to God's truth.  Satan wants to strip us of the godly heritage our children are intended to be for Him and future generations of people on the earth.  No means or method is off-limits for Satan as he schemes and plots the destruction of God and the righteous truth He stands for.  He targets especially those who are young, impressionable, and hold the hope of the future.

Can Satan win?  Not in the end.  It doesn't mean we won't lose good men and women to his devices.  The devil is so proud he believes victory will be his and is dangerous beyond belief.  As a pastor I have seen the collatoral damage caused by enemy attacks.  When the bombs start falling it's not only those in uniform who can die.  More than soldiers are affected in warfare:  families are torn apart, civilians wounded and killed, and infrastructure is destroyed.  Satan has taken aim at our children through music, television, and the internet which are loaded with the potential to decay and rot morality with atomic force.  As parents we must be willing to stand up for godliness and righteousness and call sin what it is:  sin.

Solomon writes "... they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate."  These straight arrows raised up as godly seed of righteousness will not be ashamed of the truth.    Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."  We should never be ashamed of what has the power to bring salvation to all people.  Notice the righteous children "speak with their enemies in the gate."  From this we learn many things:

• The children of righteousness recognize their enemies.  This is only possible through the wisdom and truth that springs through the Holy Spirit, a person whose eyes have been opened by Jesus Christ.
• The children of righteousness guard the gate.  Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."  It is a wise man who guards himself from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).
• Wise children will not abandon the wisdom of their righteous forefathers.  The gate of the city in Bible times would be the place where the elders and people of authority sat.  We are blessed with many forefathers of faith:  Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Jesus Himself.  There are many who have been blessed with godly parents.  I would rather a child be born without limbs than being born into a family that hates God and seeks to turn the hearts of children against Him.  Even in this, however, God receives much glory when He redeems and saves by His grace, mercy, and love!
  
• These righteous children speak with the authority of Jesus Christ.  God tells us the perfect words to say at the right moment.  Titus 2:11-15 says, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, [12] teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, [13] looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [14] who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. [15] Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you."
• The enemy remains the enemy, and the enemy is kept outside.  The devil would love our children to lower themselves to embracing his standards.  Deut. 6:4-7 says:  "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! [5] You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. [6] "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

  I have been blessed with two children of whom I am steward for a while.  I will answer to God for the way I have raised them, how I have taught them of God and His statutes, and how I encouraged, nurtured, disciplined, and trained them.  I pray that they are sharpened straight arrows in my quiver, sent by God to do His will, and will not miss the mark.  My children are precious to me, but they are even treasured greater by my Father in heaven for His love is infinite.  Use me to sharpen them Father, and hone them to a sharp point looking toward the day when they are shot out from me they might bring you glory.