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Buying and selling stocks intrigues me but my naivety about the subject has kept me pretty much on the sidelines.  I don’t like to lose money!  It was in a moment of intrigue I remember trying to decide if I should buy a certain stock, and if so, should I buy it now.  I tried to ask God what I should do,and it was like my phone had died — He didn’t pick up the phone — not even a ringtone!  My guess is I wasn’t even asking the right questions of my God!   Has that kind of thing happened to you when you felt like you really needed to hear from God about something?  Asaph, one of the writers of the book of Psalms, wrote Psalm 83:1 (ESV), O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!  Can you relate to that desperate cry to have God speak to you? 

Although primitive, what we used to call “Bible roulette” is still practiced by some today.  That is when you desperately want to hear from God, so you close your eyes, open your Bible and put your finger down somewhere on one of the pages.  You read the verse closest to your finger then try to figure out how that verse might be God’s answer to your prayer.  Can it work?  It is not impossible.  However, it is not the quality of communication that satisfies God’s heart or ours.

From my experience and study of scripture, I’ve found that only right perspective and close, daily relationship with God can provide the appropriate context for life-giving dialogue between us and Him.  As with most friendships, that level of exchange can occur anywhere, at any time, or while in any posture.  And, whatever He says will be suitable to our particular life and circumstance.  It will bond our life with His as well as our spiritual family. 

When Jesus was born, the Jews had not heard a word from the Lord for 400 years!!  Why?  Jesus made it quite clear that while they talked a great talk and had a lot of religious activity, their perspective of God and relationship with God was very different than His.  Is that so different from what is happening today? 

All too many today see their God as someone who doesn’t judge or allow us to suffer but rather is more like Santa Claus and their relationship with Him reflects that lack of respect.  That wasn’t Jesus’ perspective.

Peter points out not all suffering is the same.  It is the “why” part of suffering that changes it hue.  A mother about to have her baby even understands that difference.  Peter illustrates in 1 Peter 3:19 suffering motivated by one’s unwavering devotion to God is an indicator of authentic love for Him.  He went on to write 1 Peter 2:21, For to this [suffering] you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  Paul understood that suffering concept because he wrote, Philippians 3:10, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.  Any variation from that perspective of God will skew one’s relationship with God and thereby distance him/her from enjoying the communication with God and joy of Jesus had.

Authentic Christianity is all about dying to our sexual preferences or fantasies, our self-centered affluent desires, our independence and secret habits in order to love and serve a God in Whose presence we kneel in silent awe.  I am so humbled when I think of Christ who left what we dream of, to be born into poverty and be willing suffer so you and I can have life!  This is the level of devotion to which I too am called.  I am convinced that the more I embrace a heart like His, the more clearly and frequently I will hear His life-giving words.  Oh God, melt me and mold me to be more like you so I can have intimate communion with the Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.

Ouch!!  Although I don’t know that it showed, I recently felt a jab of pain when a person I was trying to help misunderstood what I was trying to say and responded with defensiveness.  We’ve all at least flinched when we felt misunderstood, falsely accused or treated with disrespect or even contempt haven’t we?  I wonder how God felt when He saw the choice Adam and Eve made in the garden to mistrust Him.  Their defensive response of blame exposed the fruit of their crucial choice.  Adam even bit the hand that fed him and blamed God for giving him Eve who he said led him to eat of the forbidden fruit!  Each of us to some extent have followed their model and indulged in one of its many expressions.

I’ve clearly seen the defensive response to guilt in my grandchildren, myself and most every adult I’ve encountered. When one of my grandchildren has broken something or has done something wrong, he or she has blamed his/her sibling and made up some excuse that has relieved his or her guilt.  As an adult I’ve felt jealous of others more gifted than I, and instead of accepting that God shaped me with different skillsets, I made up some reason why I was not as successful; I blamed my parents, my social class, where I was educated or the teachers/professors, etc.  Instead of owning the neglect or foolish mistakes I made, I even took the high road of the same defensiveness and essentially told myself I was more spiritual than those preforming better than me.  You know what I’m writing about because you’ve most likely done something similar as well.

Peter wrote to Christian slaves who apparently took the more “spiritual” spin on when they felt the pain of their master’s discipline.  Instead of owning what they failed to do on their job and the natural consequences for it, they made themselves feel better by believing God would bless them for having had to experience the pain.  Their pride prevented them from receiving God’s true blessing.  To that response Peter wrote, Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you (1 Peter 2:20 NLT2).

I’ve recently been humbled as I reflected on Jesus’ human response to the deep, deep pain He endured.  In His humanity He patiently endured suffering for only doing good!  How did He do that?   Paul explained His secret, …[He] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (Philippians 2:7-9 ESV).  What a stunning contrast to Adam and Eve’s defensive response and my all too common response!!

How might things be different if when we find ourselves with a poor work ethic or neglecting efforts to build our skill set, etc.; we humble ourselves, own what we could do but haven’t been doing, then recalibrate our trust in our heavenly Father to sort out the details and honor Himself through our depraved humanity?  That is not to say there will not be times when the Holy Spirit, in contrast to our defensive ego, prompts us to stand tall as Jesus and speak righteously in love instead of anger when confronted by our accusers.  It seems we might be much better off in mental health and spiritual power if we rightly discerned the difference and remember James 4:6, …God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

It seems in recent years birthdays, anniversaries and special holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter are coming before I am ready for them.  Connie just said when putting our fall decorations away and bringing out Christmas ones, “Didn’t I just get my fall décor out?”  If she wasn’t so good about making those seasonal transitions, I would not remember the next season is coming!  Even then, if Connie didn’t get me involved in bringing up the tables and chairs from the storeroom when the family comes over for dinner, I suspect that special day would still slip by me.  I guess age does that to a person.

I find Paul’s words very interesting in the context of being ready for the Lord’s return.  1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 (ESV), Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  He wasn’t too concerned about how the believers might be like the five virgins who knew but still weren’t prepared for the groom’s coming.  I can’t speak for others, but I suspect I’m not as fully aware as I would like to be.

It seems like Paul is revealing one of God’s ways when he wrote the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  For reasons fully known only to Him, it appears He likes to come to us when we don’t expect Him.  Perhaps He hopes to catch us doing good when we don’t think He is noticing.  Possibly He wants to see just how genuinely we believe He is alive, what He has said is true and/or if we have faith that He will show up.  This unique way of God also manifests itself in the way He comes to meet with us in our daily life.  Today while driving to the office, He just unexpectedly showed up while I was driving.  It was such a wonderful time with Him.

I wonder what it might take to alert us to His next visit with us personally or even in our worship services.  It might help me if He would do something like Connie does in changing the décor of the environment to alert me to be expecting His interaction with me.  Jesus did reference the signs of His coming, the décor, to be increased persecution, contempt for Christians, rampant sin, and a decreasing passion for God.  Yet, Amos 5:18 essentially says the day of the Lord will not look like what we expect.  Paul said it will be as unexpected as a thief invading your house at night.  The Jews missed Christ’s first coming because it didn’t happen as they expected.   Could that happen to us too?

I suspect God wants us to have such a love for Him that He, above absolutely everything or everyone else, is foremost in our mind.  When Connie is gone overnight, I may get busy with other things, but the moment the busy roar dulls down, my mind reverts to Connie and when she will be back home.  I don’t need any reminders!  My mind just naturally goes towards her and her return.  Could it be that is the type of love Jesus was talking about us having for Him when He quoted the Old Testament law as the greatest commandment? Mark 12:30 (ESV), And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  When we honestly love Him with that level of intensity, we will not only be looking for His return, we will be looking for any and every message that comes from Him while He is preparing for His return.

When pastoring in Ainsworth, NE, while I knew that was where God had planted me, I still had times when I felt alone.  Ainsworth has a population of about 2,000 located in the North Central part of Nebraska, about three hours from reasonably good shopping.  For many, their closest neighbor was at least a mile away.  Moving there was a cultural shock in various way compared to serving in California and Oregon.  It took me a while to figure out why a farmer or rancher would raise one finger when I passed them on a street or highway.  I thought they were warning me of a sheriff patrol ahead when it was only their way of saying “Hi, neighbor,”.

In that kind of environment, it’s easy to become detached from people in larger communities and very independent which I know is the antithesis of Christianity.  When Connie and I would go to a state-wide, church function, that detachment became more evident.  That mentality stands in stark contrast to the idea Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT2), The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.  He went on to write 1 Corinthians 12:19-21 How strange a body would be if it had only one part!  Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.  The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

While God does speak to each of us as individuals, it is striking to think that what He tells us is only unique to us because we serve a different role in building His kingdom.  Another analogy He uses is that each of us all lively stones but only together we make up His temple that serves one single purpose to glorify Him.  It might be similar to a factory that produces one product but employs hundreds that must collaborate in order to produce that product.

When Moses was all alone in the desert, God spoke to him out of a burning bush. I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6a).  God always speaks to an individual in the context of what He has done or is doing in the lives of others.   His assignment for Moses was not independent from the other Hebrews but rather vital to His plan for them and their coming generations.  When Moses finally grasped that fact, it humbled him to the point, …he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.  (Exodus 3:6).

When I feel like I’m alone, it is stunning and humbling to me when the Holy Spirit reminds me that my environment or thought life is not as real as it feels.  In His eyes, although I am separated by miles, culture, economic status or race, I am still a part of a much larger body with a much larger purpose than what it appears.  In contrast to what our current culture tells me, my life is not about me!!  Therefore, I cannot act independently and do my own thing.  Everything I do must in some way fit in to His body that has a purpose far, far greater and more important that my finite mind can comprehend.  That gives me a sense of dignity, worth, purpose and confidence in doing whatever He has assigned me to do.  Even though my assignment may be very small, it is vital to moving His awe-inspiring purpose along to its fulfillment.

Paul was writing to servants or slaves who felt like “nobodies” when he wrote, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (Colossians 3:23 NIV).  No one is a nobody when working on His assignment, dressed in His dignity and with His anointing.  You may literally work or feel alone, but you are NOT alone!!  You are a vital function of a much larger body fulfilling a God-designed purpose!

I encountered a friend in Menards who asked me, “Why do you think we don’t see many millennials in our churches today?”  Great, thought provoking question!  Is it because our church facilities are old or they don’t look like a rock concert hall?  Or, could it be because we cling to our 60’s or 70’s songs or even hymns?  A short while back Barna Research studies found those outside the church, especially the millennials, were not looking for skilled guitarists, smoke, lights or anything close to that.  They hadn’t given up on God or Jesus Christ.  They had given up on the church because so much of what they saw was mere lifeless tradition.  What they wanted to find when they chose to attend a church was people with notable life-change and authentic passion to know and serve God.

When considering all evangelical churches today, it appears to me they all have the same people mixture as the seven churches in Revelations 2-3.  Each church then had a percentage of worshippers called “overcomers” with the remaining consisting of what we might call tradition worshippers.  These tradition worshippers knew Christ, the truths in the Bible and practiced all the religious rhetoric.  They simply had lost the fire in their belly and had become content and distracted with the cares of daily life.  Of course, this stopped them from continuing to be changed or going from glory to glory as Paul called it.  It was like they had somehow become weary in well-doing and fossilized.  Again, the seven churches seemed to have a different percentage of each type of worshipper.  I clearly see that today.

Each and every one of those churches mentioned in Revelations have now closed their doors.  I wonder if part of the reason they no longer exist can be traced to once lively church attenders having spiritually fossilized.  This resulted in young people giving up, not on God, but on the church.  The younger generation was searching for solid evidence of a God who still literally changs lives.  Beyond lifeless tradition, the church then no longer had anything to offer their young people.  Therefore, without that strikingly intangible yet real, divine quality of fire in their belly—passion to know God and make Him known, they eventually died.

I’ve been so inspired and encouraged when I encounter those in many of our churches who, although now past their prime years, are still very fervent in their desire to know God in a more personal way AND dream of sharing that fervency with others, so they too can have the joy, hope and excitement they are experiencing.  I’m reminded of Peter who first described Jesus Christ as “a living stone,” then in the very next verse said, “… you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple!!” 1 Peter 2:5 NLT2.  That inspires me!  That challenges me!  Am I a living stone, or am I a petrified rock getting in the way of living stones?  It is my sincere prayer that I remain connected to the vine and pass on to others who cross my path the life-changing power, hope, divine peace and joy, so they can enjoy the truly good life.  Candidly, I get excited each time I encounter someone in Menards, a restaurant or church who loves to talk about what our great God is doing in their life today.

I want to say to those of you I encounter who have authentic passion; “Thank you, for being a “living stone whom God is using to build His temple today.”  I want to be placed in His temple among people like you and be His light on the hillside.  I choose to believe you are the type of people who can and will inspire young millennials today to joyfully give their all to build His kingdom instead of their own.

It is kind of hard to believe, but Connie and I have two great-grandchildren!  Our newest one is a girl who they said was born hungry!  They said she, being the queen of her new kingdom, wanted to eat NOW and let everyone know that!

Perhaps the most amazing aspects of a baby for me are their tiny features like ears, nose, mouth or fingernails formed in such perfection.  When I see them, I think of the size and shape of my features, especially fingernails.  Their tiny features will change a bit as they grow but only in size.  Their hunger level increases as well!  Many babies get so excited when they see a bottle their arms and legs leap into full speed.

Peter must have been thinking of babies when he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write 1 Peter 2:2 (ESV), Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation…  Initially, perhaps the most common interpretation of this verse is that Peter was implying that his readers were infants.  Along with that is the idea that the Word of God is always milk and not so much meat.  However, the word “like” identifies the passage as a simile, so it does not imply the readers as being babies or the Word as always being milk.  After all, they had been facing severe persecution in their world far more intense and abusive than we here in America today can imagine.  It was the Spirit inspiring him to write their prescription (and ours) for handling the heat of harsh harassment.  While much can be learned from this passage, the hot topic in this verse is about the intensity of desire or longing within a person to devour truths and insights as they meditate on God’s Word.

I suspect that most believers, even some unbelievers, go to the Bible when they face a crisis in order to find some comfort or understanding for what they are facing.  Unfortunately, that is like a person attending church primarily on Christmas and Easter or when facing a major challenge.  What happens to a person who only sporadically nibbles on morsels of food, especially junk food?   They are very unhealthy and weak at best, and at worst they soon die.  The same is true of a person who lacks an intense desire for ingesting truth from God’s Word.  They seem to survive spiritually if they are supported by other believers and don’t face any serious personal temptations or full out abuse.  However, we all know that does not describe a normal believer’s life.

All of us face multiple misunderstandings, unfulfilled expectations, attacks from others (even other Christ followers), or very attractive temptations.  We even have emotional ups and downs every day, some being more acute than others.  Jesus promised in John 15:20 (NLT2), Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you, and Paul wrote 2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV), Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

The Spirit is saying to you and me today, nurture and feed the hunger you have within you for knowing personal truths and insights imbedded in God’s Word.  In doing so, like a baby’s hunger, your hunger will grow!  It will be the Holy Spirit whispered revelations as you regularly reflect on God’s Word that will empower, strengthen, energize you and give you confidence, peace and joy that will prepare you to face any giant God allows to cross your path.  What have you been doing with the hunger, no matter how faint it maybe, in your life?  Can you do more to grow it into a stronger passion?  You will NEVER regret investing in increasing your appetite for God’s Word.

After digging deeper into what 1 Peter 1:22 says, I’m in a bit of shell shock.  It has been in the Bible all this time.  I’ve read it many times, studied and even taught it, yet just now I discovered it in a brand-new way!  Has that happened to you before?  I love it because it tells me God is alive and well, I am still learning, and He is still changing me!  PTL!  Let me share a bit of the gold I’ve just found.

Regardless of our belief of the righteousness of our new Supreme Court Justice, I have been appalled at the unjust treatment he was given, just because of his conservative interpretation of the law of our land.  Both he and Christine Ford were seriously abused for totally political purposes.  It is most sobering to think of being publicly abused and accused with virtually no corroboration or due process that our laws require.  I believe this is a snapshot of the persecution we Christians will face in coming days—and we will have far less support from national leaders.  Peter was writing to Christians living in exile and suffering even more physical persecution than Justice Kavanaugh or Christine Ford.

In brief, Peter was affirming them by pointing out perhaps the most defining mark of the initial evidence of spiritual regeneration they were living out. 1 Peter 1:22 (NIV) …you have sincere love for your brothers.  Along this line, Jesus had said, John 13:35 (NIV) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”   John wrote the same thing with different words, 1 John 2:10 (NLT2) Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. He also flipped it around and using extreme words wrote 1 John 2:11 (NLT2) But anyone who hates [has prejudice or ill will towards] another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.  It is clear.  Loving other believers is the primary fruit Jesus used that would identify an authentic believer.  Considering the factions and infighting we have in churches today this is a very sobering revelation!

It is tempting to tighten our belts and determine to try harder to show love for other believers who think differently than we do.  However, this kind of love is a fruit the Spirit of God develops within us not a result of self-discipline.  Peter is saying that one’s spiritual transformation includes the implantation of God’s love, especially for those in His family—our fellow believers.  This love grows within us as we spend serious time soaking in God’s presence.  Then, in those awkward moments when a believer offends us, all we have to do is take our eyes off our misguided expectations or bruised egos and allow His love to leak out of our spirit as …sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.

In that, Peter is compelled to go on to exhort them (and us today) to love each other deeply with all your heart 1 Peter 1:22 (NLT2).  This command indicates believers in that day, and still today, became so self-focused they restricted God’s love for their fellow believer from flowing out of them.  It is no wonder Jesus and Paul tells us to be alert.  What we cannot do through our flesh or self-discipline we CAN do by being alert in striving to increase our intimacy with Christ.   As we spend time in His presence we start believing what He believes and loving who and what He loves—even those who abuse us.

As you reflect on the revelation I have passed on to you, how has it affected you?  If you are like me on this one, my core has been challenged as well as inspired.  It inspires me to consider that He has allowed me to actually see an example of His continual life-changing work in me.  I see that as His invitation to join Him in that effort.  How about you?

Whether we I like it or not God designed life to bring continued changes in every area of our life.  Knowing that, Connie and I intend to grow old gracefully.  The only exception to involuntary changes is in our spiritual life. Although He purposes for each believer to become like Jesus, our daily decisions determine the pace of that spiritual formation process and whether we will endure to the end.

Peter, Jesus’ outspoken lead disciple, wrote, … if you call on [God] as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 1 Peter 1:17 (ESV).   We may think we judge impartially, but we invariably respect some more highly than others and treat them accordingly.  God does not prefer one over another because He has nothing to hope or fear from any of His creation.  So how is it that He will “judge” us if He is impartial?

Did you notice that Peter pointed out God will judge … according to each one’s deeds and not according to Christ’s deeds on our behalf?  Now that is thought provoking.  On which of our deeds will He focus His attention and make His judgment?  Paul added some insight here when he wrote For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… Rm 8:29 (ESV).  If God purposed for each believer to be conformed to the image of Jesus, then anyone not continually becoming more like Jesus will be judged for not allowing the Holy Spirit to reshape them.

Here is a revealing paradox.  The sobering judgment challenge is set in contrast to the incredibly desirable hope of being conformed to the image of Jesus.  It is stunning to think of being able to literally be like Jesus as when He endured all He did between His resolution prayer in the garden to His final breath.  He hardly said a word, certainly NOTHING evil to his abusers!  Plus, to think I can literally experience the intense pleasure of His joy (Jn 15:11) along with the other fruit of the Spirit.  Who could possibly look askance at those things?!

The Bible teaches healthy fear and love for God result in the same promises and fruit in our lives.  Both are essential for authentic faith in God just as two sides of the coin are needed to validate its value.  The difference between healthy and unhealthy fear is unhealthy fear focuses on you potentially getting hurt while healthy fear focuses on not hurting others—God in this case.  Peter is saying the latter type of fear is essential to living the acceptable Christian life.

On the fear side of the coin, if I’m understanding what Peter is writing, God will judge each of us according to how far we have allowed the Holy Spirit to take us in our spiritual reformation.  If we allow ourselves to stall in our progressive changes, He will judge us for decisions surrounding that resistance.  It is in that context Peter writes …conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your [time on this earth] 1 Peter 1:17 (ESV).  The loving God side of the coin leads to being …filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 1 Peter 1:8 (NIV) and growing …to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Ephesians 4:13 (ESV).   It all boils down to which side of the coin we focus our attention on.  When we chose the latter, fear fades into the shadows.

I, more than anyone else, know that I have a long way to go in my spiritual reformation.  I allow the unhealthy fear to affect my life far more than I would like.  But I take great comfort when His Spirit challenges me to change in one more area of my life—in fact it gives me great confidence!  I want to mature to the full stature of Christ.  How have you been doing in the process of being changed into the image of his Son?  I urge you to come grow with me.

What happens when you have developed a routine of reading the Bible and praying every day and then take a two-week family vacation?   Most of us mean well yet end up drifting away from our quiet time with God for those two weeks.  Imagine being forced to walk more than a hundred miles to live as captives among people who don’t speak your language and with no place to worship God—not for two weeks but for seventy years!   Do you suspect that maybe the practice of your faith would begin to become a fading memory?  This was exactly what happened to the Hebrews.

It was sometime in October or November of 445 BC, all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey  Nehemiah 8:1 (NLT2).  The Book of the Law of Moses consists of Genesis through Deuteronomy in the Bible.  If you’ve read those books, you’ve probably found it is easy to get bogged down in the last three of them.  Imagine listening to a solitary voice reading those books and trying to explain what the words meant.

Instead of drifting off to sleep, Ezra had to tell them “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law  Nehemiah 8:9 (NLT2).  What in the world would cause them to cry when hearing those books read?

There is a huge difference between studying words on a page and having the words on the page study you, getting such a grip on your heart that it would cause you to weep!  I’ve literally had that happen to me.  I clearly know the difference between intellectual curiosity and being overcome by an invisible power and knowledge much bigger than myself.

Interestingly, if you study the vast history of Christians over the millenniums, you will find in their writings how they too have had the same kind of supernatural experience these Hebrews had.  Trust me when I say that this experience is far more than just reading the Bible.  It not only assures a person the Bible is infallible, it tells us what can happen when you actually connect with the author.  You then are confident God is very much alive and well!!  I literally thrive on this happening to me nearly every time I take time not to read but to reflect on only a few verses.   If you have experienced that in your faith journey, you stand within a large body of believers with a common experience.

It’s my conviction God intends to meet with each one of His children as they take time to meditate on His Word.  If you can imagine a very intimate time with a very close friend, family member or a spouse, encounters with God are like those times on steroids multiplied many times over.

How long has it been since you have had such an encounter with your Creator, friend and lover?  If this is new to you know this, it IS possible to experience.  The French Catholic lady Jeanne Guyon wrote the classic book Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ on how to come to enjoy such encounters.  While it is not perfect, she has been able to best explain what I have learned from personal experience to be very profitable to my spiritual journey.   If it has been a while since you had such an encounter with God, why not schedule a time for solitude with God and His word, cleanse your soul, ask Him to open His truth to you through His Word and then allow yourself to enjoy His incredible presence.   I would love to hear your story of time with God.

Overly polite!  That was the give away!  I met a lady who was overly polite with me, even calling me “Sweetie,” as if she really might care about me.  We’ve all encountered people who are not authentic, but this lady was over the top.  One of my core values is authenticity, so that behavior flipped my recoil switch.  I wanted to politely get away from her as quickly as I could.  Do you recall ever being less than authentic with someone?

It’s no secret that we all put on artificial masks at times.  Unfortunately, we can wear them so often we begin to confuse our true identity with who our mask shows us to be.  Could it be that we are even inauthentic in our love for God and like Moses wear a mask to hide God’s fading glory?  We say we love God, go to church and even contribute our time and money.  But is authentic love for God defined by what we do?  Really?  I believe genuine love for God or another person is far more than how they behave.  I’ve counseled couples going through the motions of being married while their words and behavior betray what they feel in their heart.  A person can discern when their spouse is just going through the motions—just as God can and does.

Peter’s first letter was especially written to believers whom he called elect exiles who were passing through severe trials and enduring serious persecution.  Their homes and property were being stolen leaving them with nothing.  Some were imprisoned or even killed.  Their love and faith were being tested with fire. Peter’s purpose was to comfort them in their trials so they could bear up under their heavy emotional load.

One of the ways to know a person has authentic love for God is how they respond when they face serious abuse, mockery, rejection, or physical pain.  To reassure them as they faced these conditions, he pointed out 1 Peter 1:8 (ESV) Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.  When I read this verse, it causes me to pause to consider, how many Christians today would still love and believe in God to the point of literally rejoicing with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory if they were living in that condition?  I ask myself, would I have that kind of joy in those conditions?

There must be other qualities in the definition of authentic love and belief these believers had that are unfamiliar to us today.  I’ll never forget visiting a bedfast woman who had such severe MS her body hardly raised the sheet covering her.  She had to blow in a tube to turn the TV on.  But like those in exile, she had the most incredible joy and loved to talk about God’s goodness.  It is when our belief and love are put to the acid test that we know if we really believe and love Him and subsequently experience the joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.  It will look and feel like the joy we experienced when we were genuinely regenerated at our point of salvation.

What might it say to us if our joy has lost its luster?  Is it a symptom of having left our first love?  I suspect that the cares of life slowly choke out or otherwise fossilize our first love.  Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT2) Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. When David discerned his love for God had failed the acid test, he cried out to God, Restore unto me the joy of my salvation (Ps 51L12).   If you were to superimpose an acid test on your love and belief in God, would those virtues turn out to be as genuine as you want them to be?  If not, I’m sure David would urge you to cry out to God as he did and have your authentic joy restored today.