TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST

“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.” (Romans 12:2 Phillips)

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. 

-- Anne Lamott  

#6390

THE SOCIAL WITNESS OF CHARLES WESLEY’S HYMNS – Part 1 of 3

When we preach on social action, we are likely to use Charles Wesley’s “A Charge to Keep I Have” as one of our supporting hymns. The second verse, in particular, seems to apply:

          To serve the present age,
                     My calling to fulfill;
          O may it all my powers engage
                     To do my Master’s will.

But when we sing it, we ought to be instructed and perhaps corrected by it. Wesley’s impulse for serving the present age was very clear: “My calling to fulfill… to do my Master’s will.” He had a “charge to keep,” and he knew what it was:

          A God to glorify,
                     A never dying soul to save,
          And fit it for the sky.

 Further, Wesley had a sense of eternal destiny which modern congregations may find unfamiliar if not uncomfortable:

          Assured, if my trust betray,
                     I shall forever die.

He went about the work of this “present age” with an eye well-fixed on eternity and on the will of God. His social action was never in danger of becoming earthbound. I doubt that Wesley would ever have been content with social action or economic reform which was an end in itself. The “present age” has its ultimate significance in that it is inhabited by those who have “a never-dying soul.”  

--  J. Ellsworth Kalas (1923-2015) in “Our First Song: Evangelism in the Hymns of Charles Wesley” 

#6354

TRUSTING EVEN WHEN THE ANSWER IS “NO”

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."   (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)

In recent years I have come to appreciate Lauren Daigle’s song “Trust in You.” It captures the tension we often feel between our desires and God’s will. She sings of moments when the mountains don’t move, when waters don’t part, and when prayers seem unanswered. Yet in the midst of disappointment, the refrain is clear: “I will trust in You.”

This is the essence of faith. Trust is not proven when everything works out the way we hoped -- it is proven when God’s answer is different than ours. Faith is not about controlling outcomes, but about surrendering to the One who holds all outcomes in His hands. My youngest sister taught me this near the end of her life as she faced Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.

When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You

I think of Jesus in Gethsemane. He prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Even in His anguish, He trusted the Father’s plan. That same posture of surrender is what Daigle’s song calls us to embrace.

Trust is not passive resignation; it is active faith. It is choosing to believe that God is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28), even when we cannot see how. 

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

#6250

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

THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH OF GOD’S WILL

“We were therefore buried with Christ through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His.”  (Romans 6:4-5 NIV)

Ultimately, hardship and suffering, evil and sin, will not have the final word. That is the overwhelming message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was put to death by men whose hearts were evil. God, in Jesus Christ, is subject to the forces of darkness. Yet we cannot forget that the cross is not the end of the story. With great triumph Christianity affirms that though Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried, on the third day God raised Him from the dead!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is itself a shout from God that good triumphs over evil, that the forces of light will defeat the forces of darkness, and that life will vanquish death! Eventually, most of us come to recognize this. We most certainly see it in our deaths. And ultimately everyone will see it at the last day. 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Why?: Making Sense of God’s Will”

#6098

THE KEY TO KNOWING GOD’S HEART

“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”  (Romans 12:2 Phillips)

We learn God’s will by spending time in His presence. The key to knowing God’s heart is having a relationship with Him. A personal relationship. God will speak to you differently than He will speak to others. Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, that doesn’t mean we should all sit next to a bush waiting for God to speak. God used a fish to convict Jonah. Does that mean we should have worship services at Sea World? No. God reveals His heart personally to each person.

For that reason, your walk with God is essential. His heart is not seen in an occasional chat or weekly visit. We learn His will as we take up residence (abide) in His house every single day… Walk with Him long enough and you come to know His heart.

-- Max Lucado in “The Great House of God”

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”  (John 8:31-32 ESV)

ALIGNING OUR LIVES WITH GOD

“If My people would only listen to Me, if Israel would only follow My ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!”  (Psalm 81:13-14 NIV)

God wants us to align our lives with Him so He will accomplish His divine purposes in and through us. God is not our servant to bless our plans and desires. He is our Lord, and we must adjust our lives to what He is doing and to the ways He chooses to accomplish His work. If we will not submit to God and His ways, He will allow us to follow our own devices. But be sure of this: we will miss God’s activity, and we will not experience what God wants to do through us to bless others. As Christians, it is not only important what we do but how we do it…

How you do something is as important as what you do. It is possible to do the right thing in the wrong way or at the wrong time. It is possible to perform a task God assigns but to do it in such an ungodly manner that it actually harms the cause of Christ rather than supporting it. Doing things God’s way is critical. 

-- Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”

#5989

NEARNESS TO GOD

“I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.”  (Psalm 40:8 NKJV)

If you find, in the course of daily events, that your self-consecration is not perfect -- that is, that your will revolts at His will -- do not be discouraged, but fly to your Savior and stay in His presence till you obtain the spirit in which He cried in His hour of anguish, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42 NKJV) Every time you do this it will be easier to do it; every such consent to suffer will bring you nearer to Him, and in this nearness to Him you will find such peace, such blessed -- sweet peace as will make your life infinitely happy, no matter what may be its mere outside conditions. 

-- Elizabeth Prentiss in “Stepping Forward”

#5902

GOD’S GRACIOUS GUIDANCE

“To you, O Lord, I offer my prayer; in You, my God, I trust… Teach me Your ways, O Lord; make them known to me. Teach me to live according to Your truth, for You are my God, who saves me. I always trust in you... He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them His will. With faithfulness and love He leads all who keep His covenant and obey His commands.”  (Excerpts from Psalm 25 GNT)

A letter came from a minister who, [after hearing a call to mission work}, felt obliged to leave his congregation and denomination, and now, like Abraham, goes out not knowing [to what place or situation]. In his letter, he quoted from a hymn by Charles Wesley on the sovereignty and security of God’s guidance. Guidance, like all God’s acts of blessing under the covenant of grace, is a sovereign act. Not merely does God will to guide us in the sense of showing us His way, that we may tread it; He wills also to guide us in the more fundamental sense of ensuring that, whatever happens, whatever mistakes we may make we shall come safe home. Slippings and strayings there will be, no doubt, but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we shall be caught, rescued, restored. This is God’s promise; this is how good He is… Here is the verse from Wesley:

“Captain of Israel’s host and Guide
Of all who seek the land above,
Beneath Thy shadow we abide,
The Cloud of Thy protecting love;
Our strength, Thy grace; our rule, Thy Word;
Our end, the glory of the Lord.”

 -- Adapted from J. I. Packer in “Knowing God” (1973)

#5898

CHRIST IN GETHSEMANE

“Jesus went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”  (Matthew 26:29 NKJV)

We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. Yet the Christian insists that salvation is free. Well, yes and no! It is freely offered to the sinner, but at a tremendous cost to the Savior. Our appreciation of salvation is directly related to our recognition of its cost…

[In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed an agonizing prayer.] He knew that He would rise again in a matter of days, so death held no fear for Him. It was the uniqueness of His dying that horrified Him. He would become a sin offering (2 Corinthians 5:21), He would carry the responsibility and the penalty for the sins of the entire human race (Isaiah 53:5), and He would experience being forsaken by His Heavenly Father (Matthew 27:46; see Psalm 22:1). In agony Jesus contemplated not so much the physical suffering, although this would be considerable; nor the emotional anguish, although this would be excruciating; but the spiritual dimensions of His death, the likes of which no other human has ever experienced or ever will (see Mark 15:34). Yet He was willing to suffer even to that extent for the salvation of a sinful world -- He was committed to His Father’s will (Matthew 26:29,42). 

-- Excerpted from “Daily Study Bible for Men” with daily studies by Stuart Briscoe

#5825

FORMING THE GREATEST CHARACTER

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may [discover] what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2 NRSV)

The study of God's Word, for the purpose of discovering God's will, is the secret discipline which has formed the greatest characters.

-- James W. Alexander

#5801

DOING THE WILL OF GOD

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:1-2)

The end of the universe is not to be happy. The end is not to avoid suffering. But the end of life is to do the will of God, come what may. 

-- Martin Luther King, Jr. in a sermon titled “Paul's Letter to American Christians”

#5772

PERSEVERANCE IN DISCIPLESHIP

“Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.”  (1 Chronicles 16:11)

We survive in the way of faith not because we have extraordinary stamina but because God is righteous. Christian discipleship is a process of paying more and more attention to God's righteousness and less and less attention to our own; finding the meaning of our lives not by probing our moods and motives and morals but by believing God's will and purposes; making a map of the faithfulness of God, not charting the rise and fall of our enthusiasms.  It is out of such a reality that we acquire perseverance. 

-- Eugene Peterson in “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction”

#5764

OUR MOST EFFECTIVE PRAYERS

Jesus said, “From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who He is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.”  (John 14:13-14 MSG)

Healthy relationships are nourished by good communication, and good communication requires listening as well as talking. Relating to God is the same way -- it involves talking to Him in prayer, but it also requires listening to Him.

Our most effective prayers are those that we pray after having first listened to God. Our prayers are powerful when they are rooted in a knowledge of God’s person and based on His principles. Prayers that stake claim on God’s promises are full of promise, but prayers based on presumption profit nothing. Prayers that stipulate “Thy will be done” rise to heaven. Prayers that ask only “my will be done” fall flat. Prayers that embrace the diving purpose draw the petitioner into communion with God. Prayers that entertain only selfish interests draw little response from God…

Godly men and women guard their behavior and pray in keeping with what God has said. They can then claim God’s promises, pray with confidence, and anticipate the answers with uplifted hearts. 

-- Adapted from Stuart Briscoe in “Daily Study Bible for Men”

#5722

KNOWING HOW TO PRAY

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”  (Romans 8:26-27 NKJV)

Prayer is worship. Our praying should be full of adoration, affection, and fondness for God. It is one of the best ways in the world to love Him.

Prayer is petition. We can ask anything -- even the most difficult things -- and know that God hears us. George MacDonald said, “Anything big enough to occupy our minds is big enough to hang a prayer on.”

Prayer is asking for understanding. It is the means by which we comprehend what God is saying to us in His Word.

Prayer moves what we know from our heads to our hearts; it’s our hedge against hypocrisy, the way by which we ring true.

Prayer focuses us and unites our fragmented hearts. We have a thousand necessities. It’s impossible for us to simplify them and integrate them into one. We should pray with David, “Give me an undivided heart” (Psalm 86:11).

Prayer is all these things but it is more: it is the means by which we fit in. It is the way God aligns us with Him and enables us to collaborate with Him in complete union and oneness. Seen in that way, prayer is more like listening than anything else -- being quiet in God’s presence, waiting on God until we know what to do. “If you pray the work,” Mother Teresa said, “you will know what to do.” 

-- David Roper in “A Beacon in the Darkness: Reflecting God’s Light in Today’s World”

#5704

BUILDING ON THE ROCK

“Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  (Matthew 27:24 ESV)

There are lots of competing ideas about what the good life entails. It might involve wealth, power, and sex, or, on the other hand, simplicity, family, and fidelity. The good life, from a Christian perspective, is one lived in harmony with God’s will. Jesus shows us which values lead us into keeping with God’s will, and which do not. If we trust in His teachings to guide our lives, we will learn that a life lived in keeping with God’s will is truly good. Jesus teaches this point using a parable about building a house on a rock or on sand (see Matthew 7:24-27).

Entrusting our lives to Jesus is like building upon a rock. Jesus’ teachings provide a sure foundation for our lives. He teaches us to deal compassionately with both friends and enemies. He teaches us to give of ourselves. He teaches us to be humble and, above all, to seek God in every aspect of our lives. Imagine a life well lived in this way. What a life of peace it would be! Imagine a world living in keeping with these teachings. What a different and wonderful world it would be! 

-- David Watson, in an article entitled “When Jesus Is Lord” from the book “A Firm Foundation” 

#5639

DISCERNING GOD’S WILL

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”  (Romans 12:2 CSB)

Discernment for the Christian community begins with the individual Christian. Do I want to know God’s will more than anything else? This question is the entry way into discernment. And it can be answered with affirmation only by those who love God and have learned to trust God. If we have any higher priority in our search for God’s guidance, we will not be able to trust our discernment. I must spend enough time in prayer and faithful listening to the voice of God to be brought to that moment of trust and surrender when I can give up my preconceived ideas and become open to God’s idea. My first concern is not my desired result. My first concern is always God and the fidelity of our relationship, and then the result of my discernment efforts will come quite naturally. We know that God is completely faithful, and we must be alert, prayerful, open, and ready to respond in obedience if we are to be led toward greater faithfulness on our part. 

-- Reuben P. Job in “A Guide to Spiritual Discernment”

#5624

OBEYING THE VOICE OF JESUS

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

Take all your present perplexities then to Jesus. Tell Him you only want to know and obey His voice, and ask Him to make it plain to you. Promise Him that you will obey, whatever it may be. Believe implicitly that He is guiding you, according to His Word. Surrender all the doubtful things until you have a clearer light. Look and listen for His dear voice continually, and the moment you are sure of it yield an immediate obedience. Trust Him to make you forget the impression if it is not His will, and if it continues, and is in harmony with [His Word], do not be afraid to obey. 

-- Hannah Whitall Smith in “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life” 

#5606

THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.”  (Colossians 1:9-12 NIV)

Can we believe that God ever really modifies His action in response to the suggestions of [humans]?  For infinite wisdom does not need telling what is best, and infinite goodness needs no urging to do it.  But neither does God need any of those things that are done by finite agents, whether living or inanimate.  He could, if He chose, repair our bodies miraculously without food; or give us food without the aid of farmers, bakers, and butchers, or knowledge without the aid of learned [men and women]; or convert the heathen without missionaries.  Instead, He allows soils and weather and animals and the muscles, minds, and wills of [human beings] to cooperate in the execution of His will...  It is not really stranger, nor less strange, that my prayers should affect the course of events than that my other actions should do so.  They have not advised or changed God's mind -- that is, His overall purpose.  But that purpose will be realized in different ways according to the actions, including the prayers, of His [people]. 

-- C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) in “The Efficacy of Prayer”

#5589

PERSISTENT IN PRAYER

One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.  A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”  (Luke 18:1-5 NLT)

The parable of the persistent widow is one of the most pixilated pictures of prayer in Scripture.  It shows us what praying hard looks like: knocking until your knuckles are raw, crying out until your voice is lost, pleading until your tears run dry.  Praying hard is praying through.  And if you pray through, God will come through.  But it will be God’s will, God’s way.

The phrase used to describe the widow’s persistence, “she is wearing me out,” is boxing terminology.  Praying hard is going twelve rounds with God.  A heavyweight prayer bout with God Almighty can be excruciating and exhausting, but that is how the greatest prayer victories are won.  Praying hard is more than words; it’s blood, sweat, and tears.  Praying hard is two-dimensional: praying like it depends on God, and working like it depends on you.  It’s praying until God answers, no matter how long it takes.  It’s doing whatever it takes to show God you’re serious. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Circle Maker”

#5588