GROWTH MEANS MATURITY

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”  (James 2:14-17 NIV)

If we are to be mature we must get hold of a mature faith -- or better, it must get hold of us. For the immaturities of our faith will soon show themselves in immaturities in our actions and our attitudes. “The creed of today becomes the deed of tomorrow.” Nothing can be more immature than the oft-repeated statement: “It doesn’t matter what you believe just so you live right.” For belief is literally by-lief, by-life -- the thing you live by. And if your belief is wrong your life will be wrong.

Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t mean to say that if you have a correct belief you’ll necessarily have a correct life. That doesn’t follow. The creed, to be a creed, must be a vital rather than a verbal one. For the only thing we really believe in is the thing we believe in enough to act upon. Your deed is your creed. But it does matter what you hold as the basic assumptions of your life. If you have no staring point, you’ll have no ending point. 

-- E. Stanley Jones in “Christian Maturity”

#6122

THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE CHURCH

“So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”  (Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV)

What do you think is the greatest threat to the church of Jesus Christ? Hypocrisy? Apathy? Bad preaching? Sexual immorality? Persecution?

My take? Thanks for asking. I think it is immature faith. Paul is especially concerned with those who lack maturity in faith – “infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”

In terms of faith, maturity has little to do with how long one has considered oneself a Christian. Many times, people who have ardently followed Jesus a short time are more mature than those who have sat around in church all their lives. Maturity is the fruit of a life consistently immersed in the Word of God and the Spirit of God. It is not signaled by a certain level of knowledge but by a growing discernment. The metric for Christian maturity is not competent skills or great gifts, but humility and holy love. The secret to maturing in Christ comes in the quality of one’s trusting abandonment to Him.

When Paul says “infants” don’t think kids, but people who aren’t yet mature in their faith. Immature faith works like a magnet to attract false teaching. Immaturity can be like a weak immune system. False teaching is like a virus, taking advantage of the body’s weakness. The trouble with false teaching is it has an air of plausibility to it. People not steeped in Scripture and the Spirit are most susceptible to buying into false teaching or following after false teachers. There’s only one way to deal with false teaching: maturity.

We must grow in maturity by consistently immersing ourselves in the Word of God and the Spirit of God so that we can discern the truth from the lies, “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

-- Excerpted and adapted from “Wake-up Call” by J. D. Watt

#6121

INSTRUMENTS IN GOD’S HEALING

“Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  (Philippians 2:4 ESV)

There comes a time, if we are to be healed, that we turn our attention away from our wounds and focus on something greater than ourselves. Many wounds do not heal because we continuously irritate them by constant examination. If we want to be healed, it helps to forget about ourselves and our wounds for a while and lose ourselves in helping, serving, and caring for others…

We all have the opportunity to be what Henri Nouwen calls “wounded healers.” Because we know what it is like to be wounded, we can understand, help, and be an instrument in God’s healing. 

-- James W. Moore and Bob J. Moore in “Lord, Give Me Patience!... And Give It to Me Right Now!” 

#6120

THE COMMUNITY GOD LONGS TO BUILD

Christian community, like beauty, often presents itself in the intimate, the common, the close at hand. It comes to bud and flower in the simplest of places. Race by, and we miss it. Wait to see it in some idealized state, and we pass without knowing it is there.

…On the matter of Christian community, Jesus was direct and pointed: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). These words clearly contain a counsel of simplicity. As Jesus’ followers, if we are to find true community with one another and with Him, then we should look not just to the massive throng or the dramatic moment. We should look as well to the simplest instance of one life brushing up against another. We should open ourselves to the small and intimate moments when persons draw together in their joys and in their needs.

If love flows among us, even briefly, God is there -- in [the frustrations of daily living], in places of staggering beauty, in the realms of darkest communal pain. If we find ourselves bound together even momentarily, God is present. We taste with our spirits the community God longs to build. 

-- Stephen V. Doughty in an article called “Simple Place” in Weavings Journal, May/June 2003

#6119

THE PROMISE OF GREAT REWARD

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”  (Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV)

This is where Christ dramatically deviates from the American dream. Yes, Jesus promises great reward, but His reward looks much different than what we might expect. The reward of the American dream is safety, security, and success found in more comfort, better stuff, and greater prosperity. But the reward of Christ trumps all these things and beckons us to live for an eternal safety, security and satisfaction that far outweigh everything this world has to offer us. 

-- David Platt in “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream” 

#6118

GOD OF THE LEAST, THE LAST, AND THE LOST

Throughout Scripture, we see God's unwavering love for the least, the last, and the lost. While the world often overlooks, rejects, and forgets these individuals, God seeks them, lifts them up, and calls them His own.

THE LEAST: God Exalts the Humble

In Matthew 5:3, Jesus proclaims: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The world may see weakness in the least -- those who lack wealth, status, or power -- but God sees value. He calls us to humility, reminding us that greatness in His kingdom is not measured by possessions but by a surrendered heart.

THE LAST: God Raises the Lowly

Jesus said in Matthew 20:16, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Those who are pushed aside -- ignored, forgotten, or considered unworthy -- are the very ones Jesus embraced. He flipped human expectations, showing that His love knows no ranking, and His grace extends beyond worldly judgment.

THE LOST: God Seeks the Wandering

Jesus makes His mission clear in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” No matter how far someone strays, no matter how broken their past, Jesus searches for them. Like the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep (Luke 15:4-6), He relentlessly pursues those who need Him most.

THE CALL TO US

God’s heart has always been for the outcast, the forgotten, and the wandering. He calls us to reflect His love -- embracing the least, uplifting the last, and seeking the lost. Whether that means caring for the vulnerable, offering kindness to the overlooked, or sharing the gospel with the hurting, we are invited to be His hands and feet in this world. 

 -- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources 

#6117

UNDERSTANDING OUR BEST PATH

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all."  (Proverbs 3:5-7a MSG)

In response to some of our "absolutely necessary" requests to our Lord, I suspect He sometimes wants to say, "Are you sure?" We clearly don't always understand what is in our best interest simply because we cannot see the beginning through to the end. Only God has that insight. We may be convinced our thinking is good but our mistakes should prove to us we cannot manage our own lives. Rather, we must always seek to improve our relationship with the Lord in helping us understand our best path...

In building our relationship with the Lord we strive to seek His will for us - not our will for Him. We strive to become Christ-like in our thinking and then we know in our very spirit the path for Christian happiness. We then know that our decisions focus on our faith in the Lord -- not our faith in ourselves.

-- Rev. Gary Stone

#6116

DAILY SURRENDER

Jesus said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."  (John 13:15 NIV)

It can be tempting to always look at the big picture, the five-year vision, or the end goal whether you are in corporate America, running a household, or just planning your life. It’s exciting to think about how great life will be when you see the vision fulfilled and you meet the goal. Don’t get me wrong, visioning is critical because you need to know what you want and where you are going, but there is no five-year vision without a daily plan to get there. You cannot cross the finish line without taking every step beginning at the starting gate, and we cannot be transformed if we do not surrender on a daily basis… Every change in behavior, attitude, and heart begins with a desire, and it is only accomplished by making a choice every day to get there.

These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples in the last week of His life. Jesus had proven His authority and He had predicted His death and resurrection. Now, as He spent a meal with them, He demonstrated an act of service and then said these words, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” He had given the example to follow. Not just what they observed that night, but every day they walked with Him and healed and taught and ministered to others. He was the example. They did not have to wonder what to do; they just had to follow.

Pastor Eugene Peterson, quoting Friedrich Nietzsche, might describe this daily practice of being altar’d as a “long obedience in the same direction.” It is only when we choose a life of daily surrender that we will fulfill the vision and accomplish the goal set before us. If you read the Gospels, you will find that Jesus gave us many examples of how to live: “Follow Me.” “This is how you pray.” “Go and make disciples.” May we embrace a life of daily surrender that Jesus left as an example. 

-- Susan O. Kent in “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender”

#6115

TAKING REFUGE IN GOD

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7 NIV)

I had two daughters who loved to swarm me when I came home at night. As I came in the door one evening, my little girls ran to meet me. One grabbed my leg and hugged me with all her might. I snatched the other daughter up in my arms. The one squeezing my leg said, "Now, I've got all of Daddy." The daughter in my arms replied, "Yes, but Daddy has got all of me!"

Perhaps the question we need to continually ask is, "Does God have all of me?"  

-- Dr. Alan Redpath, adapted 

#6114 

WEDGE OR BRIDGE?

In his book “God's Story, Your Story,” Max Lucado describes the devil this way: "The Greek word for devil is diabolos, which shares a root with the verb diaballein, which means 'to split.' The devil is a splitter, a divider, a wedge driver. He divided Adam and Eve from God in the garden, and has every intent on doing the same to you."

It got me thinking that while the devil is a wedge between us and God, Jesus is a bridge between us and God. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Timothy wrote, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (I Timothy 2:5-6a). And Peter declared, "For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18). That’s what a bridge does. It crosses a divide and brings us to the other side.

What, then, are the consequences of my daily decisions and actions? Are they a wedge between me and God or are they, like Christ, a bridge? Do they push me away from God or draw me closer? Do my daily choices build a bridge with my friends, neighbors, church community, and those across the political aisle or do they create a divide? Answering these questions will help all of us on our journey. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™ 

#6113

EMBEDDING PRAYER INTO OUR DAILY LIVES – Part 3 of 3

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Prayer, more than any other single activity, is what places us in the flow of the Spirit. When we pray, hearts get convicted, sin gets confessed, believers get united, intentions get encouraged, people receive guidance, the church is strengthened, stubbornness gets melted, wills get surrendered, evil gets defeated, grace gets released, illness gets healed, sorrows are comforted, faith is born, hope is grown, and love triumphs.

In prayer -- in the presence of God -- we come closest to being fully ourselves.

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6112

EMBEDDING PRAYER INTO OUR DAILY LIVES – Part 2 of 3

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”  (Romans 8:26 NIV)

Another way to accept the Spirit’s invitation to pray is what might be called “paper prayers.” Hezekiah was king of Israel when he received a letter from the much more powerful king of Assyria. The Assyrian king demanded the capitulation of Israel and warned Hezekiah not to trust in God. He warned that resistance meant that they would have to “eat their own filth and drink their own urine” before they died.

Hezekiah took the letter, went up to the temple, “and spread it out before the Lord.” Then he prayed, beginning by remembering God’s greatness: “O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see.” (Isaiah 37:16-17a)

What piece of paper would you spread out before the Lord? Maybe it is a financial statement that is overwhelming. Maybe it is a divorce certificate or a medical diagnosis or a pink slip or a flaming e-mail. Any piece of paper that causes distress can be an invitation to prayer, a candidate to be spread out before the Lord. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6111

EMBEDDING PRAYER INTO OUR DAILY LIVES – Part 1 of 3

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

We can look for cues that embed prayer into our daily lives. In the Bible we are commanded to practice hospitality. In ancient times this usually involved hosting overnight visitors; now it might start with welcoming a telephone call that feels like an interruption. Out of habit I may find myself answering with a grudging spirit. What do you want? Make it fast. You’re bothering me.

But there is another way. Wil Derske, a Benedictine monk, writes about the monastic value of hospitality and says that to accept a phone call is an opportunity to receive a guest. We can pause a moment before answering, in order to change our inner attitude from irritation to welcome. Derske says he will say a prayer of blessing just before taking the call: Benedicamus Domino -- it might be the Lord! 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6110

VIVIAN'S BLESSINGS

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything -- all she had to live on.’”  (Mark 12:41-44 NIV)

At the time I became her pastor, Vivian was surviving on food stamps and a small S.S.I. stipend.  She had never married and never worked outside the home, but had taken care of her aging mother and father, a pastor in the old Swedish Methodist church.  In those days pensions only covered pastors and their spouses, so when her parents died, the pension money stopped.  Whenever I visited, Vivian insisted on feeding me.  The fare was usually baloney or peanut butter and jelly, but she delighted to share her table and it was always a joyful feast.

Vivian had a Blessing Box, into which she put a penny every time God blessed her.  Twice a year she would put a big bag of pennies in the offering plate.  Vivian also tithed what little money she had.  After I had been at the church a few months, some church members asked me to speak to her about not tithing because she couldn't afford it.  I was embarrassed, but finally approached her with the church's loving concern.  She received the words as words of love, but her reply really surprised me.  "Why should I be denied the joy of giving just because I'm poor?"

In worldly goods, Vivian was poorer than anyone else in our church.  In spite of that, she felt herself to be the most blessed!  From Vivian, I learned that abundance has nothing to do with having money, but everything to do with being full of the joy of the Lord. 

-- Rev. Ed Wilder in “Alive Now,” May/June 2002, published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission. 

#6109

OPPORTUNITIES TO DEMONSTRATE GOD’S LOVE

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.  The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”  (Leviticus 19:33-34 NIV)

I have been exploring my genealogy for a number of years, thanks to the initial work of my maternal grandfather over 50 years ago. I have also had my DNA explored as part of that to see where I have come from – mostly Germany and Great Britain. My ancestors immigrated to Wisconsin in the early to mid 1800’s. I have been married to a Canadian for 50 years. My sister married a man whose ancestors came from Mexico. (Happy Cinco de Mayo to that part of my family.) A niece is exploring her Jewish roots and coming to a realization that some of her ancestors survived the Holocaust and some didn’t. And here in Door County, Wisconsin, we are awaiting an influx of J-1 Visa students -- from a variety of countries in Eastern Europe and South America -- to bolster our service industry for the summer.

All that being said, I share this reminder from Leviticus (above) along with the quote (below) from “The Life Application Study Bible”  that goes along with the scripture:

“How do you feel when you encounter foreigners, especially those who don’t speak your language? Are you impatient? Do you think or act as if they should go back to where they came from? Are you tempted to take advantage of them? God says to treat foreigners as you would treat fellow countrymen, to love them as you love yourself. In reality, we are all foreigners in this world because it is only our temporary home. View strangers, newcomers and foreigners as opportunities to demonstrate God’s love.” 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#6108

CULTIVATING COMPASSION

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

Let me describe what it means to be truly present. Being present involves letting go of our constant preoccupations, immersing ourselves in the here and now, and giving ourselves wholeheartedly to whatever is at hand. …

It’s about becoming more aware, alert, awake to the fullness of the immediate moment. If we are with another person, it means engaging with him or her with all of our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength.

Such wholehearted attention requires patience, time, and disciplined effort. And it is one of the greatest gifts that we can give to those around us, especially our suffering neighbor. 

-- Trevor Hudson in “A Mile in My Shoes: Cultivating Compassion,” © 2005 by Trevor Hudson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books

#6107

THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place… But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14-15, 19-20 NKJV)

On this National Day of Prayer (in the U.S.A.), the words of 2 Chronicles 7 once again resonate as a powerful invitation and promise. God calls His people to approach Him with humility, repentance, and sincere prayer. The condition is clear: when we seek His face and turn from the ways that distance us from Him, He responds with grace, forgiveness, and healing -- not only for our individual hearts but for the land we inhabit together.

Almighty God, we seek Your guidance and wisdom. Grant our leaders the humility to serve with integrity and the strength to uphold justice and compassion. May they remember that true power lies not in dominance, but in service to others. Help them to resist the temptations of pride and greed, and to always act in the best interest of all the people they serve. Guide their hearts and minds to make decisions that promote peace, equality, and the common good. Let them be ever mindful of the responsibility they bear and the trust placed in them by the people.

Lord, this day reminds us of the immense privilege and power we have in prayer. We pray not just for our own needs but for the healing and restoration of our nation, for unity amidst division, for the weak and vulnerable to be protected, and for righteousness to shine in the places where darkness prevails. Your promise to hear us is unchanging, and Your faithfulness invites us to trust You more deeply.

Sovereign God, we ask for Your protection and blessings upon our nation, and for the courage to stand against any abuse of power. May our leaders be a reflection of Your love and grace, leading with humility and a steadfast commitment to justice and mercy.

In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

#6106