Meekness

Two weeks ago I was asked to give a short explanation of why I understand the Lord's assignment for me at this time to be the under shepherd of IBC Munich. My reply was an honest but brief recounting of how my wife and I came to this unquestioned understanding. In the context of my reply I made a statement I have since come to regret. I stated I had to consider the life circumstances I was enjoying at the time as I was prayerfully considering the call back to Munich. I stated, "I was living the good life."

The "good life" was a reference to the fact that I was enjoying adequate and stable income; I was enjoying developing relationships; I was becoming more and more comfortable in the church we had joined; my job security was as reliable as it could be. In short, I was comfortable. We think of these as the characteristics of the "good life," but such thinking reflects the common values of a culture not conditioned by the ways and will of God. When we accept this definition of the "good life," it forms the foundation for our purpose and pusuits in life. We seek it by pursuing wealth or desiring to gain and assert power or influence in order to advance ourselves as we long for true happiness. More often than not we become self-centered, self-reliant, arrogant and consequently unhappy without even knowing it.

Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks a word in Matthew 5:5 which explodes this myth or mirage of our world. He declares wisdom which flows from the heart and nature of God as He says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Imagine inheriting the ability to live with a sense of fulfillment, of contentment with ourselves, and with an ever-increasing sense of love for others--to enjoy the beauty of this world as we experience the goodness of our Heavenly Father in Christ Jesus. It seems to me this concept of "inheriting the earth" brings a state of blessed joy and happiness which can be correctly defined as the "good life." Obviously standing between the words Blessed and the inherit the earth is the one character trait which enables one to experience "God's good life." It is meekness.

In both the Old and New Testaments meekness is always associated with quietness, gentleness, submission and humility. It has been defined by some as a quiet strength under the control of the Spirit. The study note in the ESV Study Bible describes the meek as "... those who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strength, but who will nonetheless inherit the earth because they trust in God to direct the outcome of events." Yet, another description of meekness is "the ability to live life with commitment to fulfilling the will of God as one lives in the ways of God and recieves His response with gratitude."

Meekness is a powerful life source, yet one cannot simply decide to be meek, for true meekness is bestowed by God in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Meekness is dependent upon one's faith in God, and one's faith in God will always result from an ever-increasing growth in one's understanding of the Heavenly Father's nature (His glory) as revealed by and in Christ Jesus.

To be blessed through meekness one must repent of unbelief and trust God for the forgiveness of unbelief based upon the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. To grow in this character trait of meekness one must continually seek knowledge of the very heart and nature of our Heavenly Father. Therefore, let us abide to live the true "good life."

Two Choices for Life

For serveral days now a very curious statement made by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians has been coming to mind over and over. It is found in Galatians 2:20. In Chapter 2 Paul adamantly declares that no one is justified by keeping the law of God, but that one can only be justified (declared to be just by God) by one's personal belief in Christ Jesus. Yet, Paul is very concerned that those who are true recipients of an additional birth by the Spirit of God do not think they can simply do as they please without regard for the holy nature of God. They simply cannot go on sinning, rebuilding those sinful habits, attitudes, and values; but rather they are to live a new life which is only available to them as followers of Christ. Thus he declares, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (ESV)

This statement of Paul in Galatians is similar to the one he makes in

Romans 6:9-13.

9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. (ESV)

These verses from Paul's teaching in Romans 6 and from his own personal testimony in Galatians 2 make it abundantly apparent that everyone has a choice of two lives to live. One choice has devastating implications for life. A person can refuse any connection with God, either by ingnoring Him as the giver and sustainer of life or by relying only on one's ability to satisfy the law of God for acceptance with God. For those who would make this choice, they have only themselves to depend upon.

Those who make the choice now to accept Christ Jesus by faith have the ability to turn from the futility of life lived without hope or direction. They are the ones who do not rebuild the life of sinful attitudes, habits, or values; but rather they live by faith in Christ. They become aware of the soul-satisfying nature of the God of Creation, and His glory changes them into Christ-likeness and changes them to live in His ways, reflecting His glory.

The poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is often used to emphasize these choices which are available. The last stanza of his poem challenges each of us to consider how we will look back on life in the end. It reads,

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I wonder today what road we are choosing to travel, what life we are choosing to live. For those of you who are belivers in the Lord Jesus Christ, let us abide in the One who is living in us. For all of the members of our church, let us live unto God by faith in the One who has loved us and given Himself for us.

Two are better than one

Most will recognize the title of this blog as a quote from Ecclesiasties 4:9-12 in which we are reminded of our need for companions as we move through life. I was reminded of this wonderful life truth as I was contemplating a sermon I heard yesterday. The illustration of the Sandhill Crane was used to explain the relationship between those who lead and those who are led. One highlighted characteristic of these migrating birds was the fact that when one of the birds in someway becomes unable to fly and must land, a second bird drops from the sky and lands to be with the crippled or incapacitated bird. This illustrates that "two are better than one."

After declaring that two are better than one, the author of Ecclesiasties goes on to explain the benefit of having with us a friend, spouse, accountability partner, or other person who is abiding in Christ as we journey together into the presence and heart of God. The author says if one falls, the other can lift him up; the warmth of true Christian friendship warms the cold and difficult moments in life; there is a strength for the journey which rises from such true fellowship.

The value of such fellowship has been proven in my life as recent as this week. I was ill for a couple of days, I had not been sleeping well, and I had begun to think in critical and ungrateful ways. This led to my sharing with a friend, who challenged me to rethink life from the Lord's perspective and encouraged me toward a more thankful heart. Such a blessed experience should be shared by all of the Lord's children. At times one will be the weaker, the other the stronger. These roles reverse at other times. Let us not only abide, but let us abide together. For as we do so, we will form a three-fold cord with each other and our Lord; this cord is not easily broken. We are in fact a gift and provision to one another, given by the Lord for our journey together through life into the heart and presence of God.

Fruits as indicators

Enmity, strife, and divisions are discouraging and even devastating when conditioning relationships between family members, friends, Christians, and churches. I wonder what the causes are. The letter written by James in Chapter 4 informs us that the causes of war and strife are the unsatisfied selfish desires we have. He even explains that seeking only to fulfill one's own desires, ambitions, or agendas reveals we are not living in humility in relationship to our Heavenly Father.
Paul in Galatians 5:19 explains our attempts to justify ourselves or advance ourselves will always produce "fruits of the flesh," among which are counted enmity, strife, and divisions. Knowing these are the product of a life dependent on own efforts to fulfill God's will or advance oneself or one's agenda or unrepentent sin should challenge us when we find we are experiencing these "fruits of the flesh."

Perhaps we should look to see if we are truly humble before the Lord. Do we truly recognize how poor in spirit we are? Do we truly know the work of the Holy Spirit? The major questions we must ask are, are we truly alive in the Spirit and do we seek to keep in step with the Spirit, or are we doing our own self-exalting, controlling thing? James tells us God has a better life for us and then challenges us to humble ourselves unto Him. (James 4:1-11)

These things are a matter of daily prayer. Let us abide with a humble attitude, seeking to keep in step with the Holy Spirit of God.

Faith in Action

Hebrews 11:1 declares, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the convictions of things not seen..." This statement provides a simple way to live life with confidence and at peace. It is by faith. Faith however is not some abstract concept, nor a logically deducted conclusion, nor is it based on a fleeting feeling . When we look at the list of the those who exercised faith in the remainder of the chapter, we are assured that faith is not founded on circumstances. Faith is centered in one's understanding of the very nature of God--to know Him in His power, in His holiness, in His steadfast loving kindness, and in His redeeming grace. Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."

We see Jesus

• in His compassion for all those who do not understand the nature of their God.
• as He calms the waters of the storms.
• as He provides for multitudes with the most meager of offerings.
• as He heals the sick.
• as He hung on a cross out of His love for us.

And we see Him in the power of His resurrection, all to glorify the Father as He redeems those who will trust in Him.

Let us hear the Lord say, "Come unto Me, learn of Me, and find rest for your souls..." (Matthew 11:25-30).

It seems to me that the first act of faith is to abide in Christ through Bible study, prayer, and submission. In this we learn of the very nature of our God, and to know Him is to trust Him. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the convictions of things not seen..." and faith rises from knowing the Father in His Son. From this we will live according to His ways, as we serve in His strength and are fruitful for His Kingdom.

Let us abide with Christ.

Lessons for the tongue

As I consider putting things behind me that are behind me, I have been reminded of the power of the tongue. About three years ago I was invited to serve in an important position. I accepted in the hope I could satisfy a long-standing desire to support people attempting to plant churches. Shortly afterwards I attended a conference for which a well-known, very knowledgable, and committed person was invited to speak. I was excited and anticipated being part of a wonderful experience in kingdom growth. The conference opened with a worship service. What I recall from the worship service was my being publicly ridiculed by a person I had never met before. The next evening I once again gave way to allowing myself to being wounded as I overheard a guest leader publicly asking what I was even doing in the room. Needless to say I did not benefit from the remainder of the conference. In fact I learned a significant lesson on the power of the tongue. I allowed these two experiences to so condition my attitude that several months later I resigned the position. The focus on my hurt did grieve the Holy Spirit. My hurt contributed to the hurt of others and denied the body of my support. Today I am grateful for the redeeming grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for I and I alone am responsible for my response to the hurt I felt.

The lessons to be learned are significant. We must understand the importance of walking in the ways of our Lord as we experience the inevitable offenses that come our way. We must remember to bless those who would curse us (Matthew 5:43-47). We must forgive others (immediately) as we ourselves are forgiven (Matthew 6:12). Failure to observe these ways of our Lord will complicate our lives and lead us to be agents of hurt in the lives of others. The greatest impact this experience has had on me is the power of the tongue. It is an example how the use of the tongue can spark a fire which will generate compromise in the lives of people and taint the witness of the gospel of Christ. It is a flame which can spread from one person to another creating hurt and compromise that no follower of Christ who spoke it would desire and could never forsee. Once again the ways of God and instruction from scripture are vitally important.

This experience has profoundly impressed the truth of James 3:1-12 on the tablet of my life. It has reminded me of the importance of the Apostle Paul's counsel in Ephesians 4:29-32. As we abide let us put that which behind us behind us. Let us reach out for the upward call in Christ Jesus as we are careful to edify each other, to be forgiving and tenderhearted toward each other, and to be mindful that we will give account of every word spoken. To do so will bless our lives, and it will ensure we do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

New Growth Philippians 3:12-17

Our return to Munich was marked by edification and encouragement. We were met with much love and enthusiasm. The evening we arrived we were blessed to meet new people and be re-acquainted with others as the Lord was praised. We were encouraged through a word from our Lord as children quoted entire passages of scripture for us. The fellowship was positive and conducted prayerfully. The blessings continued. We moved through registration and official documentation easily, thanks to the preparation made before our arrival. Our return was capped by a wonderful worship service provided by our music leader and the members of the praise band. We focused on the "steadfast love of God" and authentic love for others in Bible study and in the worship message.

Our Lord also blessed us with a "chance" meeting with a fellow pastor along the way, who welcomed us back with great enthusiasm. Then as we entered the worship center, I was embraced by yet another fellow pastor and his wife as they affirmed their ongoing friendship and support of us. The deacon of the host church was next to embrace us with a welcome. Truly we have been edified by the heart and love of our Lord's people.

As we begin a new ministry, I am very much conscious of the need to seek my Lord and allow Him to examine my heart in order to discover anything which I must put behind me. Then I must put it behind me in a manner which honors the nature and ways of our Heavenly Father, i.e., granting or seeking forgiveness, repenting, seeking healing of the Lord, etc. As I appropriately put all that is behind me behind me, I must focus with a daily renewal on the upward call in Christ Jesus.

The more I grow to know and understand the heart and character of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father revealed in Him, the more amazed I am at the privilege of calling the one true God, the Creator and Sustainer of all reality, "Father." To know Him is truly to love Him, and it is the only power which purifies His followers continually. Let us join in prayer for each other that we will continue to abide as we stretch out for the upward call in Christ Jesus.