life

Misplaced Love.

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Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:10 ESV

John has made it perfectly clear that, as children of God who enjoy the love of God, we are expected to share that love with one another. We are to love as we have been loved. When we allow the love of God to flow through us, His love is perfected or completed in us. We become conduits of His love to those around us. Paul tells us, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). Jesus was the expression of God’s love. He made God’s love visible, tangible, touchable and knowable. In the garden on the night He would be betrayed, Jesus prayed to His Father, “I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them” (John 17:26 NLT). Jesus revealed God. That was an act of love. He shared God’s love with those who desperately needed it. And we are to do the same thing. But the problem is, we can easily misplace and misuse our love.

John warned his readers that love for their brothers and sisters was going to have competition. There was going to be the temptation to share their love in the wrong ways and in the wrong places. He wrote, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world” (1 John 2:15-16 NLT). In reality, he warns them, love of the world is not really misplaced love, it is an altogether different kind of love. It isn’t God’s love flowing through us. It is a self-centered, self-absorbed kind of love that uses and abuses. It is a love of self, not a love for others. And it is the greatest danger we face as believers. It is why Jesus prayed, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:15 NLT). Jesus knew that we would be under constant attack and face the unrelenting temptation to love this world and the things it has to offer. The enemy wants to keep our focus on ourselves, on our personal pleasures, rights, and needs, all the while feeding our sense of self-importance. While God wants us to learn to die to self, Satan wants to keep us self-obsessed. The three areas John warns us about all have to do with self – “a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions” (1 John 2:16 NLT). In essence, it isn’t really a love of the world as much as it is a love of self. It is all about self-gratification, feeding our sinful desires; self-indulgence, fulfilling our insatiable appetite for more; and self-glorification, making more of ourselves than we do of others, or even God.

When we love the world, we get something in return. It feeds our appetites. It fuels our desire for more. It makes us feel important, significant, and somehow accepted. But as John says, these things “are not from the Father, but are from this world” (1 John 2:16 NLT). This isn’t the love of God flowing through us. This is the love of self sucking anything and everything back into itself like a black hole. That kind of love becomes deadly and destructive. The Dead Sea is a beautiful body of water, but it is a beauty that is deceptive. It is a sea with fresh, clean water flowing in, but no outlet for the water to flow out. So it sits and stagnates, absorbing all the minerals and salts from the surrounding soil, creating a deadly environment where nothing grows. the water is undrinkable and incapable of sustaining life. What an apt illustration of the Christian who allows the life-giving love of God to flow into his life, but never shares it with those around him. His love of self motivates him to keep it to himself, and his desire for self-gratification, self-indulgence and self-glorification causes him to seek from the world a false kind of love that has no outlet and leads to death. We were meant to love. We were intended to share the love we have received with those around us. Jesus told the woman at the well, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14 ESV). Springs give life. They are fresh and refreshing to those around them. They restore and renew. They flow out, never becoming stale or stagnant, receiving a never-ending supply from a source that remains hidden from view. That is the life we have been called to live. But when we fall in love with self and allow ourselves to believe that the world loves us because it feeds our basest appetites, we misplace our love and run the risk of becoming life-robbing, rather than life-sustaining.

2 Corinthians 4:8-18

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An Eternal Perspective.

2 Corinthians 4:8-18

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we now see will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

Life on this planet can be tough. And nobody knew that better than Paul. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ, doing the work of God, and spreading the Good News around the world, and yet he suffered relentlessly and regularly for his efforts. He knew what it meant to face opposition, endure persecution, suffer humiliation, and experience the frustration of apparent failure. He described his life in fairly matter-of-fact terms: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT). Paul’s life was anything but easy, and yet he could calmly declare that his sufferings, while difficult, were not fatal. God had not abandoned him. That’s a huge factor in understanding Paul’s perspective on life. When difficulty raised its ugly head, Paul never jumped to the conclusion that he had been abandoned by God. He never allowed his mind to believe that his God had walked out on him. For Paul, the presence of trouble was never to be seen as the absence of God. Paul knew that God was there and that He was going to use the trials and troubles in Paul’s life to perfect him and to reveal the power of God through him.

Paul knew that his suffering was nothing compared to that which Jesus endured. Jesus’ entire life was a journey toward death. His suffering throughout His three and a half years of ministry was part of the process of His sacrifice that led ultimately to His death. Jesus came to suffer and die. And Paul knew that his suffering was, in a way, allowing him to “share in the death of Jesus.” Paul knew that he could die at any time for what he was doing. In fact, he stated, “we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:11 NLT). But he also knew that even if death was inevitable, so was eternal life. Jesus’ death resulted in eternal life for all those who believed in Him. So Paul knew that his suffering was sharing in Jesus’ suffering and, if he was to die, he would share in Jesus’ life, eternal life. Paul knew that “God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you” (2 Corinthians 4:14 NLT). So any suffering he may have had to endure was simply part of God’s overall plan for Paul’s life and the Kingdom’s cause.

Paul had developed the attitude that allowed him to view his present circumstances as temporary and small when compared to what God had in store for him. He had learned to see trials and troubles as opportunities to watch God work, rather than setbacks or evidence of God’s absence. He knew that anything he suffered on this earth was nothing when compared to what was to come. So he chose to focus his attention on future glory rather than present suffering. He chose to trust God and view his circumstances as simply part of God’s overall plan for his life. As long as the gospel was being spread and people were coming to faith in Christ, Paul was willing to suffer. He had an indomitable spirit. He refused to give up. He would not allow any amount of trouble in his life distract him from the call on his life. As long as he was doing the will of God, he would gladly accept suffering as coming from the hand of God. Jesus had done the same thing, and that more than enough for Paul.

Father, suffering is one of the hardest things we have to endure in this life. We hate it. We do everything in our power to avoid it. We somehow think its presence in our lives is evidence of Your absence. But Paul makes it clear that nothing could be further from the truth. You are with us at ALL times. You use suffering to perfect and purify us. You know that it is temporary and that if we would learn to focus on the glory of what’s to come, the suffering in this life would become insignificant in comparison. But too often, our perspective is limited and our vision is short-sighted. We think this world is all there is and so we expect all our blessings in his life. Give us an eternal perspective. Help us to fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 132 – Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71

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The Next Morning.

Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71

Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law – the entire high council – met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman Governor. – Mark 15:1 NLT

As the new day broke, Jesus was brought before the high council of the Jews one more time. This august assemblage of Hebrew religious leaders looked on Jesus with contempt and disgust. To them, He was anything but the Messiah. He was a trouble-making nobody from Nazareth who had somehow managed to garner Himself a following among the poorer and less intelligent common people. He may have been the poor man’s Messiah, but He was not theirs. So they asked Him one more time, just to make sure, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?” (Luke 22:67 NLT). They wanted to hear Him say it one more time. Perhaps He had time to think about it during the night and was willing to recant His statement from the night before. But Jesus boldly and defiantly responds, repeating what He had said just hours earlier: “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand” (Luke 22:68-69 NLT).

If Jesus was trying to get a reaction from them, He succeeded, because they all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?” (Luke 22:70 NLT). They wanted to hear Him say it one more time, because His claim to be the Son of God was the one thing for which they could accuse Him. It would be His only crime. And Jesus confirmed it when He said, “You have said it” (Luke 22:70 NLT). That was all they needed. From there the entire high council led Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. With their robes flowing and their heads held high, they led the Son of God, their very own Messiah toward His ultimate execution. They had to take Him to Pilate because under Roman rule, the Jews were not allowed to put anyone to death. For Jesus to be killed, they were going to have to convince the Romans that Jesus was a threat to the peace and security of the nation. As the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate would have a special interest in anything or anyone who might be stirring up trouble, dissent, or possible insurrection among the Jews. The last thing He wanted was trouble among the Jews. His was an appointed position and he could lose it if it appeared that he was losing control of those under his jurisdiction.

So off they marched, the Jewish religious leaders leading the way, and Jesus, beaten and bloodied, following in their path. It was the beginning of the end. But things were far from over. This was all part of God’s divine plan. At no moment was He out of control or wondering what was happening. He and His Son were fully in charge of the proceedings that morning, in spite of what the religious leaders may have thought. Isaiah had predicted, “But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands” (Isaiah 53:11 NLT). Jesus was walking not just to His death, but toward His destiny. With each step He took, He drew closer to the very purpose for which He came. He was born to die. He lived so that He might give His life away. Jesus had always known that this was the reason for His incarnation. He had made it clear on numerous occasions. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 NLT). The time was drawing closer. The days of His earthly ministry were coming to a close. The redemptive plan of God the Father was about to be unveiled.

Father, it is difficult to understand just why it had to happen this way. Everything in us makes us want to think it could have been done differently. But You knew there was no other way. You knew that the penalty of sin required a high price and a perfect sacrifice. Nothing and no one could satisfy Your just and righteous demands, except the death of Your own sinless Son. While I can’t fully understand it, I do appreciate it. I am grateful that You did for me what I could never have done for myself. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Proverbs 13d

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Easy Money.

“Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.” – Proverbs 13:11 NLT

The Proverbs are all about inner character that reveals itself in the way we live our lives. These are not helpful tips on better parenting, improving your marriage, growing your business, or how to win friends and influence enemies. No, this entire book is about a relationship with God that manifests itself in changed hearts, a new perspective on life, and reformed behavior that is motivated from the inside out. The Proverbs expose the inherent weaknesses in mankind. It reveals us as we really are: lazy, foolish, stubborn, prone to selfishness, flattery, gossip, and self-promotion. It shows what man tends to become apart from God, and it is not a pretty picture. The amazing thing is how accurate it is in its portrayal of mankind. It lays open for all to see our painfully obvious shortcomings and encourages us to seek God’s way in place of our own. But the difficulty is that we usually prefer to do things our way. We choose outer circumstances over inner character virtually every time. Take today’s topic for instance. There is something built into us that makes us long for easy money. Rather than work hard to achieve financial success, we would prefer to dream about ways in which we could cash in quickly and easily. The success and popularity of the lottery system in this country is evidence of that. People purchase tickets with money they can’t afford to do without in the hopes of winning millions of dollars, but at million-to-one odds. Their chances of winning are next to nothing, but it doesn’t keep them from trying and hoping. They look for the easy way. They see the money as the goal, when God sees hard work as the real objective for our lives. Solomon tells us, “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper” (Proverbs 13:4 NLT). This is not just an indictment of the poor. While we all know there are plenty or poor people who will spend their last ten dollars on a lottery ticket when they really need gas of food, there are just as many well-to-do people who waste their time and money dreaming of striking it rich with a scratch-off ticket. They rationalize their behavior thinking that they can afford to squander a few extra dollars on the lottery. But their actions reveal something about their heart. Their hopes of winning are motivated by a desire to gain without pain, to prosper without putting in any effort. It is always about the heart.

One of the interesting things about today’s verse is it reveals the reality about easy money. When it comes to wealth gained without effort, it’s almost always easy-come, easy-go. “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears” (Proverbs 13:11a NLT). It’s here one day and gone the other. The stories of those who have won the lottery only to end up in bankruptcy are sad, but true. There is something to the idea that what we have to work hard for we will value. What comes easy, we treat with an air of flippancy and disdain. But “wealth from hard work grows over time” (Proverbs 13:11b NLT). God’s design is that we value hard work over easy money. He is much more interested in our inner motivation. Think about the Israelites. When God set them free from captivity in Egypt, He promised to bring them to the Promised Land. Now God could have miraculously transported the entire nation of Israel directly to their destination. After all, He’s God. But instead, He chose to have them WALK across the wilderness and put in the time, energy and effort required to reach their goal. And all along the way, God revealed Himself to them, guided them, protected and provided for them. And He attempted to transform their hearts and change their behavior.

The point of all this is not to ban the lottery, but to cause us to examine our motives. This Proverbs deals with a principle inherent in all of our lives. We tend toward taking the easy road. We forget that God is all about transforming our inner character and we focus far too much on external circumstances. We think that if we can change our circumstances (more money), we will be happy. But God knows that quick-fixes produce short-term results.

Father, there are so many things in this life that can distract me from what You are trying to do in my life. It is so easy to buy into the lies of this world and look for the easy way out. It is so tempting to take shortcuts to get where I think I want to go. Keep me on Your path and following Your ways. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Proverbs 6c

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The Value of Godly Counsel.

“Wherever you walk, they’ll guide you; whenever you rest, they’ll guard you; when you wake up, they’ll tell you what’s next.” – Proverbs 6:22 MSG

There is an art to listening. All of us can hear, but not all of us know how to listen well. And the few of us who do know how to listen sometimes struggle with doing something with what we hear – especially when it has to do with obeying the wise counsel we receive from others. This is especially true of young people. Which is why so many of the Proverbs are addressed to sons. Solomon wants his children to know the value of listening to godly counsel. In Proverbs 6 the assumption is that the commands and instructions given by the father and mother are godly and worth listening to. The son is told to obey the commands of his father and to not neglect the instructions of his mother. He is to value them and personally apply them to his life, keeping them in his heart and keeping them close like a valuable necklace or an expensive ring tied to a cord and hung around his neck.

So what’s the value of godly counsel? It can provide guidance life’s journey. Wise counsel is experienced counsel. It is based on the wisdom of God and has been proven out in real life. Wise counsel tends to speak from experience. It is able to say, “Do as I do, not just as I say.” The godly counsel of parents and other well-traveled Christ-followers can save us a lot of pain, trouble, and wasted time from taking wrong turns and ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. But not only does godly counsel guide, it guards and protects us – even in our sleep. Even when we’re inactive, godly counsel makes sure we’re save and sound. We can rest easy and sleep well knowing that we have made the right choices and followed the right path in life. We don’t have to live anxiously or nervously waiting for the other shoe to drop and the walls of our life to cave in. We can know that we’re on the right path and headed in the right direction. Finally, godly counsel speaks to us. It’s amazing how the wise advise of others can crop up and pop into our minds at just the right moment. When we wake up in the morning, we have a repository of wise advise to which we can turn. It speaks to us. It counsels us. It prepares us for the day ahead. Like a lamp, it lights our path and shows us the right way to go. It keeps us on the straight and narrow and out of the high weeds of life.

Wise counsel is like good, nutritious food. It not only feeds us for the moment, but it equips us for the journey. It gives us the strength, energy and stamina to face all that lies ahead. It encourages, educates and equips us for life in this world. Without it we are lost, vulnerable to attack, and clueless as to what we should do and which way we should go.

Father, give me an insatiable desire for wisdom. Let me seek it from Your Word and also from Your people. Bring those into my life who have walked the path before me and who have strayed away but returned. Let me learn from their mistakes, grow from their experiences, and be guided by their wisdom. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

 

Proverbs 20

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The God-Directed Life.

“The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” – Proverbs 20:24 NLT

Those who say they are following Christ are really allowing God to lead their lives. To say I am following someone sounds like this is my decision and I am the one determining my own way. But when I follow Christ, I am walking the way of God, the path He has chosen for a righteous, godly life. That is the path that Christ took and when I get in line behind Him, that is the way I go. Only He knows the direction, so I must follow closely. If I choose to wander off the path and go my own way, it will not go well for me. The godly life is a God-directed life. It is allowing Him to direct my steps, determine my way, and then empower me as I take each step. Solomon seems to have known this truth, because it permeates the Proverbs. He realizes that the godly person is one who recognizes that God directs his life. But Solomon knows that, as human beings, we struggle with the seeming loss of control. In Proverbs 20 he asks us “the Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” (Proverbs 20:24 NLT). We want to know where we are going and we want to know why we have to go there. Sometimes we find our circumstances difficult and we want God to explain what happened. At times we find ourselves going through a rough patch of life and we demand that God explain how He got us there. But God is not obligated to explain Himself to us. A prerequisite for following anyone is TRUST. Especially if we don’t know where they are taking us. Along the way, we may encounter difficulties, but we have to trust that God knows what is best. But not only do we have to trust God for the direction of our lives, we have to trust him for strength for the journey. All along the way, we will have countless opportunities to stray and take the path of the drunkard, the fighter, the swindler, the sluggard, and the fool. Solomon deals with these individuals repeatedly. They illustrate the life of the person who has decided to follow their own path rather than God’s. We can easily become self-deceived when we live self-directed lives. We can even think we are doing well, but Solomon warns us, “Who can say, ‘I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin?'” (Proverbs 20:9 NLT). This is obviously a rhetorical question and the answer is “no one.” Only God knows our heart and only God can cleanse it. Only God can direct our lives so that we end up living lives of integrity and wholeness. Only God’s way will reveal a life marked by godly behavior. “The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive” (Proverbs 20:27 NLT). As God directs our lives, He will use the activity of the journey to expose what is going on inside of us. He will reveal weaknesses and sinful habits that need to be repented of and removed from our lives. He will change our hearts and alter our behavior, and it is our God-directed behavior that will reveal to others that we are His. “Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right” (Proverbs 20:11 NLT). When we follow God, others will see our walk and know by our behavior and the direction of our lives that we are godly.
Following God requires trust for more than just direction. If somewhere along the path we are attacked and hurt by someone else, our natural tendency will be to strike back and seek revenge. But we are warned, “Don’t say, ‘I will get even for this wrong.’ Wait for the Lord to handle the matter” (Proverbs 20:22 NLT). That requires trust. If things don’t appear to be going well, trust God. If you find yourself feeling lost, trust God. If you begin to feel tired and weak, trust God. The purpose of the journey that God has us on is NOT just to get to the final destination. The journey is really about getting to know ourselves and getting to know Him. The path from Egypt to the Promised Land was designed to help the Israelites learn to trust God and not themselves. It was intended to build dependence and reveal weakness. They would have to learn to follow God even when things looked bleak and the journey seemed pointless and directionless. God knew what He was doing. As important as the destination might have been, the task of getting there was just as vital. We are on a journey too. We are following God. We have a final destination, but our time on this earth is designed to increase our dependence on God and reveal to those around us that we are on a different path, led by a God who loves us, guides us, protects us, and strengthens us all along the way.

Father, I want to learn to trust You more. Forgive me for demanding explanations and for wanting to “backseat drive” along the way. I know You don’t need my help. Give me the peace to take the next step and trust You for strength along the way. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Psalm 86 – Day 1

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Learning How To Really Live.

“Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.” – Psalm 86:11 NLT

Most of us think we know what we want out of life. We have a general idea of the kinds of things it takes to get the most out of our time on this planet. And they usually include some or a lot of the following: Possessions, pleasure, prosperity, popularity, and power in some form or fashion. We have been sold a bill of goods that those things are what make life meaningful and bring joy and contentment. But David, as the king of Israel, had all of those things. He was powerful, rich, influential, and popular, but he had learned that all of it was meaningless and incapable of bringing him peace. He knew there was more to life and He knew that God was the source. So he prayed, “O Lord, teach me how you want me to live!” (Psalm 86:11 NET). The Hebrew word David uses conveys the idea of a journey or path. He is asking God to show me which road to take that will lead to the right destination. David has an end in mind, a destination. Possessions, pleasure, prosperity, popularity and power all lead somewhere, to a destination, but is it where God wants us to end up? Will they help us arrive at the place He has in mind for us? These things tend to lead us down the path that ends up in pride, self-sufficiency, enslavement, discontentment, greed, covetousness, jealousy, fear, anxiety, and so much more. So David asks God to point him in the right direction, show him the right path to take that will get him where he needs to be.

David continues his prayer: “…that I may live according to your truth.” The Hebrew word translated “live” in this verse is actually a word that means literally “to walk” or figuratively “to live you life.” David knows that living according to God’s truth requires walking down the right path. We can’t live according to God’s will for our lives if we keep doing things our own way or pursuing our own agenda. David understands that it all begins by having God point us in the right direction. We have to know the right path if we are going to walk in the right direction and discover the right way to live. Over in the book of Ephesians, Paul writes to the Gentile believers there reminding them that, “You used to live (peripateo) in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil – the commander of the powers in the unseen world” (Ephesians 2:2 NLT). The Greek word peripateo means “to walk or live your life.” He is telling them that there was a time when they lived just like the rest of the world. But now they know a different way of life, a different path to take. “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life (peripateo) worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God” (Ephesians 4:1 NLT). Now they are to walk differently, according to God’s road map for life. This path produces different results. It leads to a different place. It leads to holiness, humility, gentleness, peace, patience, kindness, and unity. It leads to selflessness, not selfishness.

Finally, David asks God, “Grant me purity of heart” (Psalm 86:11 NLT). The NET Bible translates this request, “make me wholeheartedly committed to you!” He is asking for an undivided, fully committed heart that will stick to the path that God has shown him. Possessions, pleasure, prosperity, popularity, and power will always be beckoning to us along the way, tempting us to step off of the path pointed out to us by God. We need God to equip us with a single-minded devotion and commitment to remain true to His path and not deviate. His path and His path alone will get us where we need to be. His path will allow us to reach the destination He has in store for us. Any other path will take us places we really don’t want to go.

Father, keep me on Your path. Help me take my eyes off those other ways of life that can sometimes look so appealing. Constantly remind me that it is Your way that leads to life. It is Your path that is the only true path to joy, peace, contentment, hope, help, happiness, and eternal life. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org