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At my retirement reception many very encouraging words were spoken to Connie (my wife) and me.  Although appreciated I felt awkward.  I’m uncomfortable being the center of attention or preaching for that matter.  I’ve preached for decades but not because it brought me pleasure.  My pleasure has come from doing what the Spirit calls me to do even when it was not enjoyable. 

In my journey through life, I’ve thought a multitude of negative things about myself and even verbalized them.  I know I’m not as gifted of a speaker as many of my colleagues and I’ve questioned God as to why He called me to do a task that He didn’t naturally shape me to do.  Some have called me wise when in fact I fumble with senseless words unless the Spirit prompts me in what to say.  That doesn’t make me a bad person, nor does it mean I’m an apple short of a bushel.  I am ashamed to admit that all through the years I have thought more about my inabilities than my abilities.  I see what I think I’m capable of while others see God’s grace at work in me which makes it appear as though I am far more capable than I am. 

Have you wrestled with relentless, self-demeaning inner voices? As I consider this menagerie of voices echoing in the hallways of my mind, I can more clearly see that I have lived in a false sense of humility that I’ve interpreted as my reality and holiness!  I hope you can relate in a small way with me because if so, I have good news for you.    

It is hard to admit this, but the truth is, my listening to the continual inner talk of my inability has been an insult to my Creator.  That gets my attention!  If you can identify with my weakness, please try to understand.  You and I must get into the habit of examining in the sight of God the things that sound humble before men.  When we do, we will be amazed at how the lamenting of our own incompetence is a slander against God’s grace.   If we keep telling ourselves we are falling short of God’s expectations, in reality we are saying God’s mercy and grace are impotent because they don’t function in our lives.  Such talk may sound respectfully humble before men, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

As for me, if I will ACCEPT God’s grace and mercy and fully apply them to my thought life, not only can I find relief and hope, I will also be grateful for what He has done and IS DOING and will yet do in me.  Paul wrote aware of his imperfections, …whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace (1 Corinthians 15:10, NLT2).  The fact is, I’m probably much closer to being what people see in me because of God’s grace than I am to what my fallen mind continues to tell me.  The same is probably true of you too.

Yes, all of us are certainly imperfect in performance.  But thank God He doesn’t judge us based on our performance.  He judges us on how cooperative we are with His continual efforts to change us.  We all, with unveiled face, beholding [reflecting or contemplating] the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV).  We are not what we were or what we will be. Rather, we are God’s work in progress destined by Him to be transformed into the image of Christ.  Will join me to work harder to “get over our self” and praise God for how He is changing you and me?  The subsequent joy and gratitude can better bring honor to Him.

One of the residual effects of creating cameras on cell phones is the exposure of what we think about the most—our self!  I’m amazed at how many of us take selfies.  When at Disney World last summer with my family, while waiting for the princess to step out of her castle to give the morning greeting, a young girl with her friends got up on the steps and took selfies.  One was especially obsessed with herself because she even had her friend take pictures of her with her camera while she tried to make what she thought were glamorous poses.

Interestingly, some of the recent cell phone cameras create better pictures than those of a semi-pro camera while being as capable, easier to carry and use at a moment’s notice.  Why?  Because the designers of the cameras observed people like to take pictures, especially of themselves or with a friend.  What a person doesn’t realize is that how they use the camera exposes how highly the person thinks of himself/herself.

Another thing most all of us do that exposes how we think of ourselves is in how we judge others! When we fell threatened with another person we criticize or judge them.  In reality we are tearing them down in order to build up how we feel about ourselves.  How low we cut them down shows how desperately we feel we need to build up our self-image.  When the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were calling Him a blasphemer, knowing their thinking,  ..He asked them, “Why do your have such evil thoughts in your heart?” (Matthew 9:4, NLT2).  What were these men doing that is so different from how we attribute evil motives to someone else’s appearance, behavior or speech by saying something sarcastic or cynical about them? 

The sad truth is, we meet with failure when we attribute evil motives to the actions of others by saying something like, “He said, but he meant.”  In Paul’s letter to Titus he wrote, Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted (Titus 1:15, NLT2).  What might this be saying about highly critical people or our criticism of others? 

It is important for us to look beyond the one we are making to look less than us and realize that to attribute improper motives to others means that we are doing Christ as well as the other person a disservice.  How?  We are destroying Christ’s image in that person.  We must believe that His Spirit is working in him as well as in us. Judging others is the grossest form of self-worship. It says God is working in only me.  Ouch!  I feel convicted just writing these words! 

Holy Spirit, please remind me of what Jesus taught about the mote and the beam.  It is more evident now that I see motes in others only because I have beams in my own eyes.  If I truly saw the evil in my own heart, I would not condemn; I would confess.  My faultfinding means I have more to learn, more to grow, and more to do to become like Him.  I am reminded of Paul’s words in the Message, So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit (Romans 14:10, MSG).  Watch out for what those selfies are revealing in you or others.

A man was exposed to pornography in his pre-teen years.  It became a part of his life damaging his perspective of life, marriage relationship and spiritual life.  He was seriously warned to stop engaging in using it and received some counseling but not sufficient enough to completely separate him from the addiction.  Eventually, it cost him far more than he intended to pay.

Pornography, although it is far from healthy, is not the point.  This story could be applied to a multitude of addictive practices such as gossip, lying, an eating disorder, drug abuse and the list could go on and on.  Interestingly, our sin or weight will not necessarily be like someone else’s. Not because that attitude or behavior is less sinful, but rather because each personality has its unique temptations and sins, and we are accountable for what is uniquely ours.  The Holy Spirit used the writer of Hebrews to pen let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1b TLB).  

Numbers 6 begins by explaining a person who made a vow unto the Lord’s active service was to separate himself from wine and strong drink or even vinegar of wine or strong drink.  The point wasn’t that such drink was a sin but that it was not to be a part of the person’s life as long as he was active in God’s service.  Interestingly, that level of separation became old fashioned as the Hebrew culture moved on, and it became culturally acceptable for the prophets and priests to consume alcohol while in their rotation of service unto the Lord.  By Isaiah’s day the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by [addicted to] wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.  For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left (Isaiah 28:7b-8 (ESV).  The Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to seriously warn them, but they mocked him – probably for his old-fashioned mindset. 

By chapter 30, the Holy Spirit instructed Isaiah to write a very serious warning in a book that all through the ages yet to come would read of how sins would ultimately destroy a person or people.  He gave us this word picture. 

this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant.  It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern (Isaiah 30:13-14, NIV).

When growing up and mom wasn’t sure I was telling the truth, she would quote to me be sure that your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23b, NIV).  She never condemned me, but she certainly made that way of God very clear, and I’ve never forgotten those words!  This genius of God still applies to each and everyone of us.  When His Spirit convicts (not a human trying to be the Holy Spirit) anyone of something they are doing or should be doing, He is not wasting His Spirit’s convictive efforts.  If we procrastinate in responding to His conviction, His voice may grow faint, but His consequence does not!  We can justify our secret motivation or behavior, but we must remember it will become like the bulging wall at the end of the day.  Because I know I’m prone to forget I need others around me to remind me from time to time of God’s perspective for such things.  I want to minimize bulging walls in my life.  How about you?

Jesus said the greatest commandment is you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength (Mark 12:30, NLT2).  The operative word in this verse that has intrigued me for decades is “all.”  How much us “all”?  If I paid my utilities or any other bill, one penny short of the full amount my bill would remain unpaid.  If I had even an emotional affair with a different woman than my wife, she would consider it adultery.  “All” to a creditor means paying every cent, and to my wife it means keeping myself ONLY unto her. 

To accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord means far more than you and me typically think.  I can’t call Him my Lord (Master) if I fail to resign myself completely to His Lordship.  That means surrendering all that I am to Him which makes you and I a servant and not the King.  That is where the rub comes for each of us!  Jesus modeled for each of us what that meant in more specific and practical terms.  From Him I see it means surrendering my rights to my reputation ([He] made himself of no reputation (Phil. 2:7, KJV); surrendering my rights to choose my place of service As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem  where He knew He would die (Luke 9:51, NLT2); surrendering my rights to my possessions  “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Luke 9:58, NLT2); surrendering my rights to make demands [He] came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28, NLT2).  To be clear, He gave His all for every one of us and asks each who intends to be His follower to do the same.  His disciples understood that definition and followed His example of servanthood by giving their all. 

When was Jesus most miserable while living on this earth?  It was in the garden when in agony His humanity sweat great drops of blood while trying to negotiate His rights praying Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  That agony disappeared when He proceeded to say Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done (Luke 22:42, ESV)  Whenever I get pushy, irritated, offended or defensive, it is my alarm system going off reminding me that I have inadvertently chosen to reclaim some of my rights I thought I had surrendered to Him.  Those are also the times I have been most miserable and have made others around me miserable!  It is noteworthy that as soon as Jesus’ humanity submitted to His Father’s will He was able to say only a few words when facing the extreme taunting and torture and crucifixion.  One time it took me about a year and a half of passively resisting the Spirit’s call before I finally accepted God’s will.  When I finally did, I experienced His incredible power working in and through me.  It is true, a seed must die before it can live and becomes fruitful.  (John 12:24) 

No one is immune to experiencing the constant battle of our self-nature arguing with our Creator about things related to our precious personal rights.  The best way to minimize that conflict is to proactively seek to live in authentic humility before God and man.  The rewards far exceed the pain to our ego at the end of the day.  He allows and even empowers us to experience FAR MORE pleasure and satisfaction in life than if we would have insisted on fighting for our puny rights. Remember this fact, Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20, ESV).

What might the new decade of 2020 have in store for you?  Strangely enough, while we don’t know what is ahead, yet the reality is you and I are in the driver’s seat.  It is like a sports game.  There is no certainty as to who will walk away with a win.  On the other hand, the team that best prepares their skill set with excellence, maintains an optimistic and authentic team spirit, is flexible in responding to whatever comes their way, and each team player is determined to do their very best, that team has the upper hand on experiencing a win.  By that I mean how you prepare yourself to respond to opportunities or tragedies in in your hands, no one else’s.  You know going into it there will be bumps in the road (even chug holes!), and there will be golden opportunities.  Each will be what you make of them.  I’ve learned a vital key for myself is to prepare by practicing a close relationship with the One who already is in tomorrow because He knows the best path through the obstacle course.   

Paul gives us some elementary ground rules for preparing for tomorrow.  He wrote, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1, ESV).  For most of us, it is our natural sin nature packaged in our bodies that will be the source of the lion’s share of the distracting, potentially defeating experiences.  Think about it, how much do you sacrifice your body to God?  OK, how about consistently exercising through the whole year to fulfill your New Year’s resolution?  What normally stops you?  Most would say things like “my time doesn’t allow it.”   The reality is we find time to do what we want to do even when our body is tired.  Hunters get up early in the morning, go out and sit in a cold tree stand in freezing weather, to try to shoot a deer.  Interestingly, they will sacrifice their body to hunt but not exercise their body. 

So, what would presenting your body as a living sacrifice to God look like in your eating or exercise habits, gossiping tongue, lustful eye (gals lust involves more than sex doesn’t it?), neglecting the reading of His word, or righteous time management?  Your body triggers all kinds of camouflaged justifications or excuses to do whatever is more preferable, comfortable, productive, or pleasurable.  It is the struggle to overcome those defenses that is interpreted as an authentic living sacrifice in God’s eyes.  

New Year’s resolutions in themselves are like taking two aspirin to fix your appendix that is about to burst.  A more sustainable motivation for a resolution would be to take the first three months to intentionally fuel the flickering flame of hunger that you do have to know God more deeply.  The result would be an enflamed passion for knowing and loving God having reached a new level.  Because our behavior follows the passion in our heart, we would naturally want to sacrifice our body unto God to eat healthy (and smaller portions), exercise our body, etc.  These behaviors would become our expression of love to Him just as mowing the lawn or washing clothes is an expression of love for our spouse or family. 

I’ve been musing on words I heard in a book that I’ve been listening to as I drive.  Thomas Watson, an old Puritan wrote, “The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind on God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of God.”  That means to me, giving into that wisp of a whisper of an inner desire to chase after God is how I can show myself and God that I DO love Him.  When He sees you expressing THAT love, He will add His inspiration to draw you closer to Him. 

Seven years ago, Connie and I had our minds set on retiring—not from ministry but from occupational ministry.  However, that wasn’t what God had in mind, although He never told us until a council election was held.  Perhaps you thought you would marry someone different than you married, but that relationship melted away before the vows were exchanged.  Do you wonder where you might end up ten years from now?  What seems like a simple daily decision can later end up being a decision that changes the course of your future.  There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (Proverbs 14:12, ESV). 

A young Israeli (Daniel) was literally taken east to the city of Babylon as a captive.  There the people worshipped a different god than he worshipped.  They worshipped Mardook.  Because he was gifted with wisdom above his years, the Babylonian king appointed him chief governor of the city of Babylon.  While there, he developed a reputation in his generation for worshipping Jehovah God and was able to influence some Babylonians to also worship Jehovah. 

Fast forward in the Bible to when Jesus was born.  About that time some wise men [astronomers] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2, NLT2).  They had found in their records a prophecy that had been left by Daniel.  Do you think Daniel imagined what influence he left would later motivate men to take a journey that would lead them to encounter God’s Son?  I highly doubt it.  He simply followed the gentle voice whispering deep within his heart.  Do you think the astronomers centuries later imagined that their career might lead them to encounter Jesus?  I highly doubt it.  They simply followed what intuitively seemed the right thing to do.  It is fascinating to think the Bible refers to that same gentle leading as the work of the Holy Spirit.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future (John 16:13, NLT).

God’s timing is not like ours.  He works in the background, so when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman (Galatians 4:4, NLT2).  You see, 1,000 years earlier there was no common language that would enable many nationalities to hear about Jesus.  But providentially through the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Greek language was introduced as the common international language of that time.  There were also pirates on the seas and a very poor road system 1,000 years earlier.  Limited travel meant few people would hear the truths Jesus would teach.  In preparation for His time, He orchestrated for the Roman Emperor Augustus to bring peace to this vast area while the Roman navy swept pirates off the seas making maritime commerce and travel safe.  Plus, for commerce purposes, in the 2nd century B.C. the Romans began establishing 50,000 miles of well-built roads that God ordained for His agenda.

God knew when the world was ready for His truth to march on (Galatians 4:4). The fascinating part is selfish, godless men were involved; God used their selfishness to bring about His plan—even when the person He used never came to know Him in a personal way!  His truth marches on no matter what!

Our God has a perfect plan and time to use each of us in His incredible plan.  My role won’t be as dramatic as Daniel’s, but however obscure, it will be something that I need to do.  Only God knows what my part will play in the future of His kingdom.  The very same thing is true for you. The only way you can come to see the eternal good your word, your deed or attitude will have in the future is by being careful to do exactly what Jesus said, ‘… you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength’ (Mark 12:30, NLT).  Today’s small decision can determine your tomorrow and that of many others you won’t meet until you are in Heaven with Christ.  Isn’t there a strong desire within you to say or do just the right thing, so His plan will be perfectly fulfilled?

Among the first things a child learns to ask is “why”.  It is a sign their mind is beginning to compute more abstract things.  In the midst of this, incessantly asking the same question can be very frustrating to a parent for various reasons.  This is particularly true when they continue to ask where the unborn baby in mommy’s tummy comes from.  I’ve heard some parents try to satisfy the child by explaining that it comes from the watermelon seed mommy ate! 

Through the years I’ve been intrigued with the term discipleship.  I’ve learned people (including scholarly ministers) have a very wide range of what the discipleship process looks like in real time.  Some have come up with different methods of how it should be done.  However, few have really thought through a good answer to the common question a child is known to ask, “why”.  What is the objective of discipleship?  Is it all about Bible or theological knowledge, heritage, sensational experiences, or a special skill to persuade a person or an audience that God is real, and they need to accept Him as their God?  Or, is more about their behavior?  Or, could it be while all those things are good, they are only window dressing or the tangible elements of something much more vital?

Paul wrote a letter to Philemon in which he writes For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother (Philemon 1:7, BBE).  Wow!  It is common belief that Philemon was a wealthy man who came to develop a deep love for God.  One striking element was how he valued serving others in spite of his wealth.  And his love for God was not expressed in his knowledge or sensational experience base or even in his speech or actions—not suggesting they were bad!  Instead, His mark of being a Christ-follower was in the mysterious, hidden, spiritual effect of who he was and had on others!  Since he wasn’t a teacher/preacher, he didn’t increase the knowledge of the saints, yet he made their hearts strong again.  Do you have a reputation for leaving that kind effect on people around you?  This really challenges me!  Let me be clear.  Even Jesus was known for making some so upset that they killed Him.  What I’m challenged by is what might be called the ‘afterglow’ Jesus left on the hearts of those open to Him.  They were so deeply moved they literally sacrificed jobs, family and friends to tell others of the kingdom of God Jesus had taught about.

Philemon illustrates the central objective (the why part) of discipleship.  It is all about becoming so much like Jesus the disciple leaves the aroma of His presence wherever they go.  If the very fiber of our inner life isn’t being so transformed that the Christ within makes others strong again, we have missed the point of discipleship.  Paul explains the tale-tell sign of a spiritually mature disciple is ..measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13 NLT2). This was illustrated in how the enemies of Christ were so astonished that they had to [recognize] that they [Jesus’ disciples] had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13, ESV)

I don’t know exactly what Paul was referring to in the words he wrote Philemon, but I do know I long to have those words said about me.  It is not what we teach or preach nor in what religious accomplishments we achieve; it is all about the life lived.  Is that your goal too?  Let’s together determine to set our faces, not towards a mission but towards continued life-change into His image.

As a leader I was presented with a no-win situation that was above my pay grade.  I inquired of my authorities for a correct response and then did my best to follow their guidance.  When the situation turned worse, I again called those over me, and I felt they moved the goalpost on me.  I felt betrayed after how hard I had tried to handle the situation correctly.  Instead of accepting their judgment and moving on, I withdrew.  My trust in my authority withered leaving me feeling ashamed of my response.  Is that how God wants us to respond to Him when He exercises His sovereignty over us?

The Bible records God frequently expressing His love for the Hebrews (Jews) and Jerusalem.  God repeatedly promised Abraham that He would bless his seed in various ways.  The main storyline is about a love story between God and Abraham’s offspring.  David captured Jerusalem and called the city Zion.  Later David wrote, As for me, I have set my King on Zion [NTL2 Jerusalem], my holy hill. (Psalm 2:6, ESV) and For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it (Psalm 69:35, ESV).  These verses and many others express God’s strong love for His people and His city, Jerusalem.  However, He didn’t just say it.  He spent a lot of grace over several millennia showing His love towards them.

It helps to understand that true love isn’t always tender.  There is what is called tough love.  Out of authentic love, the Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to call out the Hebrews for their empty religious behavior and words.  Isaiah continues to prophesy warning for them to change the attitude of their heart towards God.  Here is what really messed with my thinking!  God comes to the point where, through Isaiah His prophet, He calls His beloved city Ariel.  The Hebrew word Ariel may mean “lion of God” or it may also mean “altar hearth”, the top of the altar where fire continually consumed the sacrifices.  The next verse interprets it as the latter meaning by speaking of heavy disaster coming upon God’s chosen people living in Ariel (Jerusalem).  The people will experience weeping and sorrow.  The striking part is in chapter 29 is who He says will bring this disaster!  While He used the Assyrians as His instrument, He said I will besiege…I will surround Jerusalem and attack its walls.   Imagine Isaiah’s inner feelings having to prophesy such harsh things to God’s chosen people and city.  What has become of our gracious, loving, longsuffering God? 

Here, confusion deepens.  The Spirit then abruptly shifts from speaking destructive words to speaking redemptive words—perhaps in the next breath!  In veiled language Isaiah tells them (Is. 29:5) how God will remove the Assyrian army “suddenly, in an instant” which is precisely what happened to Sennacherib’s army (Isaiah 37:36). 

Try to imagine what was going through Isaiah’s head when said these things.  I highly suspect he himself was confused with God as He radically and rapidly reversed Himself.  I wonder if Isaiah might have felt like Jonah who sternly warned the people of Nineveh only to have God suddenly turn and be gracious to them.  Consider this, God knew of the deliverance He was going to bring to His people and the city while He was inspiring Isaiah to prophesy harsh judgment! 

What might this tell us about God’s sovereignty?  His thoughts are not like ours and He can and will do what He wants when He wants and has good reason for doing it even when we do not understand.  As I was praying through these thoughts, it became clear how God wants me to respond to Him when He exercises His sovereignty over me.  I must choose to be a tool in God’s hand to say and do whatever I am told because I love Him and believe He knows what He is doing even if it is totally insane to me.  It made me very aware that I cannot predict what my Sovereign King will say or do.  Have you come to that level of love and trust in the King of Kings?  If not, that is the level of love and trust that will please Him.

Normally we are attracted to those who share our passion for art, music, a specific sport/hobby, or belief system.  An employer will hire a person because they the candidate has common core values as well as determination, conviction about or a passion to do whatever may be needed in his/her business?  That passion does not necessarily equate to being gregarious, high energy or extraverts because introverts can have strong passion as well.  Such people have something that lights up within whenever a subject is brought up that they are zealous about.  Some have called that passion a ‘fire in their box’. That was one of the qualifying factors I used to look for when considering asking someone to join our ministry team.   

Paul boils down the walk of faith with Christ to these essential principles Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:11-12, NIV).  This verse describes a person with fire in their box. People are drawn to those with a burning fervor for Christ that can be channeled but not contained.

In these verses Paul reveals to us three essentials to living this kind of life: 1) Be joyful in hope, 2) patient in affliction, 3) faithful in prayer.  It needs to be understood that, like many common words today, the word translated hope here has been redefined through the years.  The original usage was not the same as I hope I will get this job, win the lottery, or that my investment makes 50% this year.  The hope Paul writes of is a strong expectation God will do what He says—like come back to take us with Him to Heaven. It’s not wishing; it’s confident believing, a deep, inner conviction that He loves you and is always working for your good—even if it is best for your future to go through a trial victoriously.  When a person has this kind of hope an inner joy wells up that endures the bleakest of situations or environments. 

The next essential is patient in affliction.  Although we don’t like to think or say it, Jesus prophesied about our future saying, Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33b, NLT2)  The Bible doesn’t say God will keeps us from trials and sorrows, but it DOES say He will always be with us just as He was with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace.  You and I can have patience in difficult times by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame (Hebrews 12:2, NLT2).  

The last essential is learning to be faithful in prayer.  Please remember, prayer is more than a position we put our self in, although a humble position may assist us in prayer. Jesus didn’t always kneel to pray.  Prayer is a lifestyle in which prayers flow deep within our spirit, through our head or out of our mouth as commonly as we breathe.  Simply put, prayer is communication with Christ which, when our hope is genuinely in Him, flows naturally.

Ironically, sustainable joyfulness, patience in affliction and faithfulness prayer are not attributes we can manufacture out of sheer willpower.  All are like a shadow that follows when walking in the light.  Fire in our box flows only out of authentic oneness with Christ—not perfect behavior and certainly not out cold religion.  The Pharisees’ religious words and behavior lacked genuine love for God.  The writer of Hebrews offers a map for developing a fire in your box for Christ.  It says let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1, NLT2).  What might it be the Holy Spirit has been prompting you to lay aside in order to win the race with spiritual fervor? 

In the last decade or so, the younger generation typically accuses the older generation of being “old school”.  An “old school” method of transportation may be described as horse and buggy or train whereas the up-to-date alternative would be automobile or airplane.  Obviously that type of contrast could be made for methods of education, mores, style of homes or clothes.  Indeed, there is a measure of truth in that phrase, so it would be appropriate to use in various situations.  If used improperly, it could also be interpreted as discriminatory or condescending. 

The more adventurous, entrepreneurial type among us prefer eating different breakfast foods or lunches rather than the same old, same old.  Obviously, that is not a bad thing only different than those who don’t really care what they eat because life consists of more than food, so they eat only to keep from getting hungry.  Albert Einstein was known to put on two different colors of socks and even different shoes because what he wore was unimportant to him.

This desire for something new or updated can go astray when it comes to a marriage relationship.  Exploring an intimate relationship with a different spouse is extremely destructive to more than just the adventurous mate.  Not only does that lead to a painful divorce, it damages others around them, especially the children.  By the same token it is not acceptable in a relationship with God or faith in Him.  He requires a much narrower bandwidth of thought.  As Moses wrote You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you (Exodus 34:14, NLT2).  

Isaiah was a prophet in a time when the worship of God had become limited to an empty ritual with empty rhetoric.  It had become so bad that the priests and prophets staggered and reeled due to alcoholic addiction to the point their tables were covered with vomit.  Isaiah prophesied against that warning them of God’s judgment, but they mocked his “old school” way of thinking and method of teaching.  They essentially wanted him to tell them things they wanted to hear.  In this context Isaiah said to them For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people (Isaiah 28:11, NKJV) a verse Paul virtually quotes in 1 Corinthians 14:21.  Isaiah said that since they would not learn the simple truths of life from God’s spokesmen, they would learn them from the lips of Assyrian taskmasters and at the end of their whip and prod.    

What might that say to us today about adapting to new teachings or new ways of doing things?  From this it seems quite clear that we can adapt to new cultural ways of doing life, but there are unbending limits that separate what we can change and what we cannot change.  We CANNOT deviate from “old school” righteous attitudes and teaching of the ways and values in God’s word.  God’s method of teaching, even though it sounds “old school” and some will mock it, was modeled by Isaiah.  His critics described it as He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there! (Isaiah 28:10, NLT2). 

This concept leads me to wonder just how much have I conformed to this world in areas where I instead need to be transformed by His Spirit (Romans 12:2)?  How might you have inadvertently done the same?  Holy Spirit, PLEASE open our eyes to what is near and dear to YOU, even if it makes us peculiar compared to our society.