Obedient Unto Death

"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:8

 Lately, I've been struck again with the thought of Christ's obedience. It seems that we groan and ponder over many of the things we are called to do be or do for Christ. We have a hard time putting others interests above our own, we fight for our own justice and hold back on forgiveness, we don't want to give that much time to charity. In reading this verse again, we are once again given an outstanding, a perfect example that once again humbles, and bringing us to our knees . Christ...became obedient to death - even the death on a cross. So what is it that we can't obey?

Even Christ...

"For even Christ did not please himself..." Romans 15:3 NASB

It's easy to get up in the morning thinking "What does my day look like?, ultimately asking myself what would bring me happiness for that period, especially on days off of work or school. Is that not that the focus of most? We wear whatever we feel like, we eat whatever we want, and we make time for those we want to make time for.  While Christ does want us to live in fullness of Him and have the inner joy of His Spirit, he also gives us an example to follow - one that is selfless. That's right. It's not about us. Our life. Our desires. Rather it's about burying ourselves into His will and following His footsteps. Prior to the verse it says "Each of us is to please his neighbour for his good, to his edification." When the focus is on Christ, the focus is on others. Read it again "For even Christ did not please himself..." Want to be like Christ...?

Purpose of Prayer

"Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone." Isaiah 37:20

Not long ago, I touched on effectual prayers - coming to the Lord in worship, praying according to His will and trusting in His way. In this passage, Hezekiah is pleading with the Lord to not let Israel be destroyed by the threatening Assyrians.  His brief, but touching prayer, is full of worship and humility, recognizing how wrong his people had been, yet pleading for God to preserve them. I believe the verse above brings forward another important element. The final aspect of his prayer stood out - where he defines the purpose of his prayer, that "the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone." The goal of Hezekiah's prayer request was that God might be glorified.

How often are our prayer simply selfish and to fulfil our own desires, rather than requests that will exalt the Lord. In a recent Bible study, James 4:3 was pointed out - "You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." Finally, someone spoke up and said the very words I had written earlier that day - "Whatever we ask of the Lord, the ultimate goal is that the Father be glorified."

Higher than I

"when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2 

One of my greatest comforts in life, is being able to look up to One Who is so much greater and more powerful than me - Someone who sees all, knows all and has everything in control. I recently noticed a friends "religious" status on facebook that said "I believe in myself." It must be so limiting to never be able to look past what you know and can perceive of your own mind and body. It must be really frightening, never being able to rest your mind in a trustworthy God when things are out of control, or ask for strength from above when too weak to go forward. Human beings have so many limitations, and would already be completely powerless outside of God. Therefore, in all my short-comings and limitations, I am so thankful that when I am overwhelmed and faint in heart, I am able to be directed and led to Someone Who is so much greater than anything I am. Alone I am nothing: With Christ I have everything. May we take the focus off our limited selves and seek the One Who is Above.

With Hearts Guarded

“Guard your heart, for above all else it is the wellspring of life”

I have prayed so many times that the Lord guard my heart in situations, and looking back I'm not even sure if I knew what that meant. Yes, we're told to guard our hearts but how? Perhaps I had asked this statement through prayer, but what if my actions were to remain unchanged. Then someone shared with me the verse “The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,”* showing me it was God's peace that would keep hearts from leaping down the wrong tracks. How are we kept at peace with God? "You will keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee."Getting closer to Him through reading and prayer, and therefore setting our mind on Him. In reading and prayer we seek His will and come to know Him more, finding peace in Him. Our hearts are guarded through His peace when our minds are directed towards Him, our hearts are seeking His will. I know God's peace will flood my heart in decisions that are not only for Him, but in Him.

*Philippians 4:7

Everlasting Arms

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27 NKJV

There are countless trials in life that bring us back to Christ, and on return, we find He has been there all along, holding us in our grief. An eternal God, who always was and is and will be, carrying us through with everlasting arms. It's an immeasurable amount - arms that are not to short, neither to narrow, and not without a continuing strength to bear every burden that we have been through, are enduring, and will one day face. "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." Isaiah 53:4, and what sorrows can an Eternal God bear with His everlasting arms!

His Breath in Our Lungs

"Then God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils  the breath of life, and man became a living being." Genesis 2:7 NASB

"With your breath in our lungs, we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise to you only." are the lyrics from a song written by All Sons and Daughters. While listening to the lyrics, I couldn't help but think of a sense of entitlement we can feel towards anything we have. We have "rights" to our house, car, clothing, electronics, food and it's easy to get edgy when others use our things without consulting the owner. We might say we feel "used". Therefore, it's humbling to think that everything we have we've been given - down to our very breath. It's God's breath in us, that He first breathed and sustains with every minute. Therefore, how must God feel when we use this breath in anger, gossip or praising anything that points away from Him? Remember to Whom you belong, and use what has been given to voice praise back to the Giver.

Perfect Peace

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

It's an amazing promise that we're given – perfect peace. The condition? A mind that stayed on the Lord. I remember the first time I took this verse to heart and was amazed. There are so many things to be worried about, discouraged by and whereby we can be tossed in confusion, yet God simply reminds us that we are abe to have perfect peace with a mind stayed on Him. Why? Because God is someone who knows all that is happening around us, the things we control and may fail at, and the things outside of our control. With these things, He is ultimately in control and told us He has a perfect plan; therefore, we can rest in Him through trusting. Furthermore, “He is our peace”. As believers who are in Christ – He is the Peace in us; and this is something we deeply sense and feel when we dwell on Him.

The Cheerful Giver

"Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given...And when they had finished it [the temple], they brought the rest of the money..." 2 Chronicles 14:10,14 

In this passage the temple is being repaired by God's people, and a definite attitude stands out. They all were willing and rejoiced in giving, and when they were done giving the first time around, they gave more. It is clear that the people were happy to contribute to the temple - excited to build up the house of the Lord. What if we acted like that in the church today? What if we were excited about giving on Sunday morning? What if we were willing and to give what we had in order to build the church of Christ. What if we were not only willing, but rejoicing to give and if asked, would give the remainder of what we had to the cause of Christ - whether money, material, time or energy? Too often I count my 10 percent to the dot, from my earnings; rather than focusing on the joy of giving back what already belongs to God. "Each one must give as he has decided on his heart; not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver"*..and we know that it is possible to be one! 
*1 Corinthians 9:7.

Never Alone

"I will never leave you, nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

There are a lot of lonely people in this world. I stood in church on Sunday, and saw a widowed man, sitting alone after the service, watching the young children run around - him unnoticed. In the hospital, an elderly woman left alone outside radiotherapy in a cold corridor, called out from her stretcher in pain, tired, and needing someone to take her to her room. Ten floors above in my ward, I'd turn to leave my patient's room when she called after me, "Is there anyone...someone who could come talk to me in the evening?" I thought of all the staff, volunteers and nurses who habited the floor around the clock - surrounded by people, but so alone. It hardly seemed right that those, widowed or elderly, who have been through much more than me, had no children or family by their side when they seemed to need it most.

I smiled when I saw the porter coming off the elevator and called back "You'll be upstairs soon", and when the hallway lights had dimmed, I creaked open my patient's door to see if she needed a listening ear. On returning home, I saw a note propped up on mom's dresser. In her fine handwriting she had written a reminder from her own Physician "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Elderly, widows, married or single, we long for reminders of the only One who makes whole to the gap in our soul, and walks with us in the solitary moments of our lives. I pray God gives me His eyes to see the needs around me, and His ears to attend to the voices that tug His heart, so I can freely offer reminders of Him who fills the loneliest of places in every heart.

Love Without Hypocrisy

"Let love be without hypocrisy..." Romans 12:9

If you're anybody who lives to please, or has a keen sense of what others are feeling or thinking, you may also have wrestled with this verse. Times I've probably struggled most in my Christian faith, is when it involved making others happy. I aimed to go along with their first choices and attempted to keep their comfort bar level. I can remember the moment this verse struck a chord with me, because I'd been dealing with the question of integrity in going along with activities with which I may not have felt comfortable, in order to spend "quality time" with another person. Essentially, this passage in Romans spoke in a way that said "If you are trying to love someone in a way that is turning against what you believe in, than essentially you are not loving them because you will be pointing them away from the Truth - Jesus Christ, Who is the definition of love." Jesus was key at teaching the truth in love. They go together. As a follower of Christ, it's only hypocritical to try to show love to someone, by stepping away from what we believe in - outside the realms of truth. Because Christ desires us to love one another, trust Him to reveal His way of loving those around us.

He Cares

"For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust - Your heavenly father knows that you have need of all these things - Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." Psalm 103:14, Matthew 6:32, 1 Peter 5:7

It is too easy to get lost on facebook, rave through text messages, talk away worries and concerns in continual complaints, then lie awake wondering why we still feel like nobody understands. If someone does, God does. He understands us to the depth of what we're made of, because he fashioned us together. He knows that in and of ourselves, we are formed of dust - not sufficient on our own. Moreover He, who stepped down and lived as one of us, felt every human emotion that we now possess. Not only does he know our frame, but he remembers this, and understanding everything we need in that very moment, he asks us to turn to Him - not facebook, the phone grown into our palms, or our constant crowd of companions - but Him. Because He knows, He remembers, He understands and He cares - Man, does He ever care.

The Only Remedy

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18

Perfect love, not 5mg of Zyprexa. I couldn't help but think this as I glanced down at my patient's binder, where the doctor had scrawled a problem and solution. The patient in room 15 had "death anxiety" and the most the palliative ward doctor could do was prescribe an anti-psychotic drug. Talk about treating an overlying symptom instead of the root issue. However, it is to be expected from those who themselves claim there is no absolute truth or solution to life after death. The arising symptoms, fear and anxiety, of the unknown are treated so the dilemma itself can be overshadowed, suppressing the gnawing reality of a need for a Saviour.

If only in a lifetime people recognized Him when they'd seen Him, had taken time to stop and listen for answers, and had contemplated the essence of life in itself, rather than succumbing to the growing distractions and quickened pace of the 21st century. All too soon, each person has come to the same place - at the end of their own capacity and answering to another. What is it, "To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge..." Ephesians 3:19. It's a love that compels, humbles, saves and strengthens. Perfect love is Christ - the only remedy that already diminished fear, by conquering death itself.

The Word of God

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 

I believe if Satan had one aim in life, it would be to keep one from reading the Word of God. Although being translated from language to language and passed down over thousands of years, the book contains the greatest of truths, is unpolluted and speaks the very Words of Christ. Though we may listen to good music, attend Christian conferences, there is nothing as impacting as reading the Word for oneself. While the former can be man's interpretation of God's message, the latter is left for us to interpret through the Holy Spirit, where God can impress on us His truth. In prayer we can talk to God, and through His Word He can respond. I have not ceased to be amazed, how many times I have gone to the Word seeking, or simply reading, and how many times I've received either answers or peace, relevant to my current or daily situation. Although written so many years ago, the Bible is as it says - "living and active" - guiding, teaching and turning even the slightest of willing hearts. God, who knows our daily and weekly circumstances, our deepest thoughts and desires, is alive, living and waiting to speak relevance into our lives.

We Lay Our Crowns

"The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying "Worthy are you, our Lord and God..." Revelations 4:10-11

In the Bible we're told of differently heavenly crowns awarded to believers in heaven. This particular passage in Revelation tells of the twenty-four elders who receive their crowns, and then cast them right back down at the Lord's feet, recognizing that all they were on earth and now have, are completely due to Christ's love and sacrifice for them. There's a song called "We Fall Down" by Chris Tomlin that sings "We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus."  I think it is fair to assume that we, like the elders, will be laying our crowns before Christ's feet, totally in awe of His majesty and our unworthiness. But why do we wait until heaven to give back? The blessings He has given us on earth are innumerable; and in reflection of His mercy and abundance towards us, we should see that all we have is from Him. Daily, we should be willing and ready to give back to the cause of Christ, that which we never deserved in the first place. Don't wait until heaven to lay your crown at His feet, when opportunities are now.

How to Pray

"And behold, a leper came to Him, and knelt before Him saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." Matthew 8:2 ESV

We can learn a lot about prayer through the simple approach of this leper to Christ - How he sought Christ, knelt before Him, submitted his own desires to Christ's will, and asked in faith.

Although he was physically numb to the world around him, the leper recognized his need for healing, seeking the Healer. There can be a tendency in life to "hope that things will get better", but what if God is waiting for us to "ask Him for things to get better?" This is often be the beginning of prayer - in realizing we have a need and seeking out the Lord.

Secondly, the leper knelt before Christ. Like Isaiah who had an overwhelming realization of God's glory in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-4), this leper knew his place before His Creator, Saviour and Great Physician. He acted in a way that portrayed humility before the Lord, therefore, putting Christ in His rightful place. When we bring our request before the Lord, we should also recognize the position He holds as Lord in our life. Remember the death we've been saved from - the mercy we've been shown, and the grace He keeps pouring in our lives, yet also the Holy and righteous God He is. Know who you are asking.

Thirdly, the Leper asked "if you will", projecting trust that God's plan was best. He wasn't demanding or bargaining with Christ, yet he simply laid His request for the Lord to measure alongside the will of the Father. 1 John 5:14 says "And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." When praying, do we continually push our own way, or are we looking to place our will in His own?

Finally, the outcast of society made an incredible statement of faith - "you can make me clean." Perhaps he'd seen the healings, maybe he had heard, but he had total faith. Remember that God "is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think. Eph 3:20." It seems easier to waver back and forth on whether God will actually fulfil requests or not, rather than simply recognize and have faith that he absolutely can and will if it's according to His plan.

In recognizing his need and coming to Christ, in kneeling and therefore acknowledging Christ's place, in trusting the Lord's plan by submitting to His will, and in having complete faith, it comes as no surprise that the healing hand of the Lord stretched forward in restoration. Let this be an example in how we come before the Lord in prayer.

"God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong." 1 Corinthians 1:27

More Grace

"But he giveth more grace..." James 4:3

After James addresses a group of believer's quarrels, selfish desires for sensual and earthly things, and their lack of devotion before Christ, this remarkable statement is written: "But he giveth more grace. It doesn't say "And God will judge you" or, "And you will experience the consequences...". It very well could have been; but rather these words are a display of Christ's heart of abundant grace. When more grace is needed, there is more. It isn't too short to extend, and it doesn't run dry. It makes me reflect on my first response to others, who I may feel have acted in the wrong. Do I first display grace, or am I quick to declare judgement from a source that is not my own? "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  God will be the ultimate judge, yet our desired first response should always be to extend the grace from above.

In the Mind

"...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." 1 Corinthians 10:5

It starts in the mind - thoughts. We can choose to dispel them, or cultivate them. Whatever we dwell on in our mind is like giving water to a tree that grows. Our thoughts mature, and like the tree that produces fruit, our thoughts display themselves in our words and actions. We are warned in scripture to "no longer walk as the gentiles do, in the futility of their minds." Ephesians 4:7. The verse doesn't mention bad words or evil actions, rather the warning is pointing towards a recognized process that begins in the mind. If we are to be set-apart as followers of Christ, walking in the newness of life that we've been given, the process of change and renewal needs to be first governed in the very personal thoughts of our mind. People have said, that a true test of character comes when one is alone. In our minds, we feel entirely alone and that is where a difficult test begins. Will we surrender our own thoughts to God, weighing them in His balances, or will we cultivate them and allow this to be a place of weakness, producing equally bland fruits in our life. Remember that true transformation in Christ happens by the "renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

Humility

"If then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet: ye also ought to wash one another's feet." John 13:14. 

Someone once commented on this passage - "It's hard to follow Christ when He stoops so low." You can say that again. Somehow it's easier to think of following Christ in the important tasks, or when there is personal status involved. Yet following this example of washing the disciples feet, Christ says "Happy are ye if ye do them." John 13:17. We can have joy when we follow Christ's will and desire for us, because we are adapting an attitude that brings us outside of ourselves - Christ's attitude of humility. In doing this, we come into communion with Christ which brings us joy, even difficult circumstances surrounding us.

Justified by Jesus Christ

"Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." Galations 2:16. 

Sometimes I intently focus on keeping the law to follow Christ, and therefore resort to "grading" myself on what I've kept or not. However, this verse vacates any benefit from justifying yourself through "works of the law". We are justified by Christ only, and it is nothing in ourselves. I once heard someone say, "If we focus on the law, we are focusing on sin; whereas if we focus on the Spirit, our focus is on Christ" - thereby, directing our focus and thoughts upward. This doesn't mean the law is bad as it is what brings us to repent, recognizing our place, before Christ. However, we are no longer slaves to the law - we are freed from it's curse of death and we can look to Christ for guidance and direction, remembering that He died to reconcile us to Himself. He wants our hearts - a relationship with us. Not a set of good deeds, in exchange for a pat on the back in keeping them. Our focus can change. It's not about what we can or can't do, but about following the One Who gave everything to save us, and Who loves us unconditionally. And when we look up, we will want to follow Him, He will help us keep the law through Him, and we will see our justification comes from Him, and Him only.

King David

"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me." Psalm 49:15

I wonder if King David knew the weight of his own words. It seems like it would have taken an immense amount of faith, or divine insight, to make a such a statement. At this point in time, there was no revealed hope that Christ would one day die and be resurrected, redeeming the soul of mankind from hell. However, David had a close relationship with the Lord, and was able to claim a coming promise, in confidence. In reading this, I don't doubt it that he is called the "man after God's own heart." Talk about faith.