Don's Devotionals: Learning to love God

Romans 12:14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

What does it mean to be persecuted?  Consider the examples of Charlie and Erika Kirk – both the horrific assassination of Charlie this week and the loving, Godly responses both have manifested! Their Christ-centered lives are being proclaimed and honored around the world!!

Can we think of a time or times where we believe we’ve been persecuted?  Do those experiences, if we had them, seem more like they fall in the categories of insult or disrespect?  Or, do they fall into the category of physical threat or intimidation?  Were our lives at risk?   Do we view persecution to be more of a general category where Christians as a group are ‘persecuted’ by being discriminated against?  Might the Supreme Court decision in 1963 banning organized prayer in public schools be an example of such ‘persecution’?

When it comes to persecution, here in the West, it’s a different world than that which many Christians deal with particularly in the Middle East, parts of Africa or the Far East.  Although currently in the West the radical escalation of institutional intolerance and rejection of Christianity is stunning.  I think it’s accurate to say we would prefer to be prohibited from publicly reading or displaying our Bible than to be arrested for having one. Likewise, we would rather be ridiculed for our faith than to be imprisoned and tortured.

Think of being forced to choose between Jesus and a son or daughter or spouse.  If you choose Jesus, the likelihood is that you will never see your family member again in this life.  This is happening today and has been happening for decades in other parts of the world.  Think of Nigeria where 300 girls (nearly all are Christian) were kidnapped by a terrorist group and research has revealed that over the last 20 years 100,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria as well.

Persecution runs the gamut from being picked on or discriminated against to martyrdom.    The amazing thing is that our response to those who do the persecuting is to be the same – we are to bless them.  Hating them or cursing them isn’t an option.  Not even cursing under our breath.  This means that annoyance, anger, disgust and other ‘fleshly’ responses are off limits too.

I cannot help but think of two different scriptures that speak to this topic.  Jesus’ statement in Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”  Then there is the wonderful attitude expressed by the Apostles in Acts 5:41 “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”

We must learn to bless those who persecute us.  We must learn to be the expressions of the Kingdom of God that He wants us to be in the face of opposition.  Our goal must be to do it His way – bless and not curse!

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Years ago my mother had a powerful experience with the Lord.  It involved the death of a good friend.  He was a younger man with a wife and a young son.  They attended the same church with Mom and Dad and had been dear friends for years.  His wife had been Mom’s nurse when I was born.  Mom had a strong relationship with the Lord but she just couldn’t understand how this young Christian man could die and this family suffers such loss.

I remember so clearly her describing the experience afterwards.  She was downstairs in the basement doing laundry.  She was overcome with sorrow over the death of this friend and just couldn’t understand how it could happen.  He and his wife were so young; life was there to be lived with his family; how could this happen?

She was standing in front of the washing machine, tears coming down her face, repeating over and over to God, “I just don’t understand.”  Into that moment, the Lord spoke to her so suddenly and clearly, that she never doubted that it was Him.  He said, ‘Louise – You don’t have to understand.  You have to trust!”

This had an immediate and profound impact on Mom.  While she still didn’t understand, she turned to the Lord, and released it to Him.  In Him, the edge of the pain dissipated.  In Him, she found peace.  In Him, she found refuge.  She was no longer a tormented ‘prisoner’ of having to understand this death.  She was able to mourn in a healthy place.

Today, while we remember 9/11, we are stunned and heart-broken by yesterday’s assassination of Charlie Kirk!  The stunning reputation he had as a faith-filled lover of Jesus is known throughout the world!! His legacy is priceless. While praying and struggling with his death, I thought of Stephen, the 1st Christian martyr (Acts 6 & 7). He was a Godly young man about the very same age as Charlie! His legacy had a profound impact on the world. Charlie’s legacy is being used and will always be used too!!

So often we struggle with trying to understand events that happen. Today’s verse is a powerful answer – not a cop-out.  Proverbs 3:6 continues, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.  We must look to God in all things.  Hopefully we have made it a way of life to trust in Him. 

2 Timothy 3:12 Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it.  The Message

Today’s verse is of the prosperity likely to come to those who want to live all out for Jesus – although it’s not the kind of thing we typically think of when the subject of prosperity comes up.  This talks about trouble, and lots of it.  Why on earth would godly, Christ-like people attract trouble?

We’re not talking about being obnoxious with our faith, or pushy or reflecting unrighteous behavior of any kind.  This is talking about doing it right!  To put it in terms we all can relate to, we are surrounded by people who will have an allergic reaction to our loving Jesus.  It’s not due to us doing anything wrong.

Jesus spoke to the disciples about this very point:

“If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.”  John 15:9 The Message

Live on the world’s terms and it will love you.  Live on God’s terms and the world will hate you!

Think about how easy it can be to get upset with those who treat Christians as though they had the plague.  Of all the ills in this world, in their minds Christianity is a curse.  (It’s like Jesus is getting a little too close to them.)  Yet these attitudes and these people are to be expected – and the Lord has shown us what He expects of us, both in how we view these situations and how we are to respond:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12

When we live our lives sold out to Jesus, He prepares us for whatever we encounter.  May our responses always glorify Him.

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Question:  Are we focusing more intently upon our Lord as we see the rampant lawlessness, anger and venom that are being exhibited throughout our society?  We must not develop a “hold the fort” mentality in the midst of this – (“Lock the doors and hang on until Jesus comes!”)  As the darkness grows, the light of Christ Jesus within us must shine brighter.  We are His – and are here for such a time as this!

Given Jesus’ warnings about the condition of the world – particularly as we approach the end times, we shouldn’t be surprised to see such behaviors becoming more and more abundant.  And woe to us if these behaviors are found in our lives.  Here is the root of the problem as identified in Galatians 5:19-21a.  These are the actions of the sinful nature:

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

That is what we as followers of Jesus have been freed from.  We have a new nature and the power of the Holy Spirit to live lives that produce righteousness.  Here are the “fruit of the Spirit” that must characterize our lives as described in The Message version of today’s verses:

^5:22-23a But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

No matter what happens, we have the opportunity and privilege to have our life characterized by the fruit of His Spirit.  We also have the responsibility to live such lives.  Lord Jesus – help us to recognize that this isn’t optional for those following you!

Proverbs 17:3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

Where are we?  Where are we going?  And, how do we get there?  Isn’t God good to use testing to show us!  Has the thought crossed your mind that testing is vital to our destiny and is a priceless blessing?  It’s a good thing that it is, because there’s a limitless supply of testing for each of us!

No matter what situations we find ourselves in, God is in the midst of them working in our lives; revealing who we are and where we are in our walk with Him.  Testing highlights our strengths and weaknesses; it shows how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.  It’s like a spiritual GPS – it lets us know where we are.  Fortunately, the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, are the components that give understanding to the ‘where we are’ piece, but more importantly they are also the components that let us know where we are supposed to be going and how to get there.

Think about that.  This process applies to every area and aspect of our lives: our thoughts, habits, idiosyncrasies, mannerisms, attitudes, interactions, etc…  God wants to transform every area of our lives to be like Jesus.  This applies to absolutely everything about us – without any exemptions.  And God uses all circumstances for testing, not just the difficult times.

How do we respond when things are going well?  How do we respond to praise and success?  Do we have a tendency to become less dependent upon the Lord in such times?  Do we walk in humility and grace; or do we become proud of what ‘we’ have accomplished?

When things become difficult, do we blame or question God?  Do we become anxious and stressed out?  Do our lives demonstrate that we are genuinely trusting God?  Are we kind and considerate no matter what happens?

Fortunately, God works with us in everything.  No matter where we find ourselves with regard to any aspect of our lives, He has a redemptive path for us.  Do we need to repent – or are we affirmed because we responded righteously to the situation?  If we responded well, could we have done better?  Do we then glorify Him by properly responding to what the ‘testing’ has shown us about ourselves?

It’s so important that we remember that we are not our own.  We belong to Him and He wants us to be demonstrations of His love and grace.  Just as the crucible and furnace are used to purify silver and gold, God uses the testing to purity us – so that we might glorify Him.

What is this blog really about?

Suppose we had eyes to see that some important things in our lives weren’t what they seemed to be.  Things that we thought were fine and good turn out to be not so good – incompatible with whom we want to be.  Some areas of life are much more obvious when it comes to telling the difference – while others much more difficult.

Think about the word “requirement”.  It’s a word that appropriately applies to many aspects of our lives. What is required to be a student; an employee; a husband; a wife; an employer?  Different things have different requirements – that’s a normal part of life.

But what happens if we misperceive what the requirements truly are of something important in our lives?  We form an understanding of what “normal” is; but that understanding in reality is really sub-normal or contrary to what it should be.

In such situations, what does it take to make us aware that something is amiss in our understanding?  Often it is through encountering information involving that subject that provokes a re-evaluation of our understanding and behavior.  Insights are persuasively presented that often highlight the differences between what our understanding is and what it should be.

Getting back to that word “requirements”, we often don’t associate it with our Christian faith.  We tend to focus more on grace and mercy – particularly with the passing of time.  We often fail to recognize that our salvation experience was just the beginning of God’s work in us, not the “we have arrived” moment.

We’re not talking about earning salvation; nor are we talking about legalism.  We are talking about loving God and all that implies – and the implications are enormously wonderful.  The net results are not culturally acceptable living patterns.

My goal isn’t to hit readers in the side of the head with a 2 x 4 to get them to change.   My goal is to present the glorious truth of the Gospel in such a way that readers hear the Holy Spirit speaking to them and encouraging them to respond to Him.  Consider Paul’s powerful instructions in Romans 12:1-2 (MSG),

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Scripture at the end.

Our son Andrew is a wonderful actor.  He’s also a very busy businessman.  Some years ago he played the role of Satan in The Thorn, a marvelous Easter production in Colorado similar to the Passion of the Christ.  In costume, makeup and mask, he was hideous.  The mask had been made by professional artists and made him appear so very real!

Given his athleticism and gymnastics background, his movements made your skin crawl.  He was able to give the appearance of evil incarnate.  Satan’s greatest moments were those from Jesus’ arrest to his death on the cross.  As Jesus and the cross made their way through the audience to the crucifixion site, Satan was behind him slinking, gloating and celebrating.

Andrew had prayed that the Lord would use him in this vile role of Satan however He would.  Later Andrew discovered just how profoundly the Lord did use him in one young man’s life.  There was a high school student, who was sitting in the front row of an aisle that the procession went through.

This young man had a teacher who happened to be a Christian.  A few days earlier she became aware that he was getting involved in drugs and warned him of the evil he was getting involved with – and he dismissed it.  She then told him that he needed to come “face to face with Satan” in order to recognize the reality of what he was messing with.

It was this same young man, sitting in the front row, watching as Jesus, the soldiers and the cross went by.  Then as Satan and the demons started to go by him, the Lord moved on Andrew to go nose-to-nose with this particular young man!  So Andrew – as Satan – immediately spun, faced him nose-to-nose; and inches apart, let loose a hideous, blood-curdling scream – and then moved on. It was over in an instant, but the young man had come “face to face with Satan”.  This directly resulted in his repentance and salvation!!!

Many of us share a similar type of problem with that young man.  We are dabbling in things we shouldn’t – and we don’t recognize who or what we are messing with, or the consequences of our behavior.  We think we love Jesus – but we live lives that are entwined with the world and its ways.  We too, need to recognize the true reality of our lives.  The Apostle John puts it this way,

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity. 

(1 John 2:15-17 The Message)

Ephesians 3:17-18  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

The Lord of the Rings is a marvelous trilogy.  In the 1st book, The Fellowship of the Ring, there is a scene where the group encounters the stone entry doors into the ancient land of Moria.  They must enter and get through this vast dwelling place of the dwarves under the Misty Mountains in order to continue their journey.  But in order to get the stone doors to open, they have to figure out a subtle riddle that is inscribed on the doors,  “The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, speak friend and enter.”

Gandalf spends quite a bit of time speaking every password that he can think of.  Finally, Frodo comes up with the answer:  Mellon, the elvish word for ‘friend’.  It was there right in
front of them.  Gandalf speaks “Mellon” and the stone doors open in the nick of time and they enter this underground world.  Their reality was that they couldn’t enter in until they came up with the key to open the door.

This morning I woke up thinking about Jesus.  I was aware of how everything that we do is about Him.  But more than that is the awareness of His love and sacrifice for me.  Earlier I have written about Donna’s experience when God gave her a vision of Jesus on the cross:

“As she looked on, she noticed blood dripping from His hands.  Suddenly it was personally real to her that Jesus had died for her! She began to weep and couldn’t stop as she realized that Jesus had loved her enough to die for her, not just “the world” but her, personally.”

Jesus is right in front of us.  He is the way we enter in, when we through faith allow Him to enter into us.  How often are we like Gandalf, trying to think of some way in – when the answer is right before us?  When we embrace Jesus, we enter and experience first hand His incredible love for us.

One of my favorite stories is told of Dr. Karl Barth.  He was considered by many scholars to be one of the most brilliant theologians of the 20th Century.  Once when he was lecturing at Princeton Theological Seminary, a student asked him what was the greatest truth he had ever learned. Dr. Barth thought for a moment and then said: “The greatest truth that I have ever learned was at my mother’s knee, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’”

It sounds so simple yet it unlocks the most incredible door to love vast as the ocean.  Such is the love of Christ!