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Grace: MT episode 24

There is one word that appears in the book of Ruth. It is a word that one would not expect in this story. The word is grace, or favor, depending on the translation being read.

As we continued our study of Ruth yesterday, we found that word grace used not one time but three times. For just a few moments today I would like to focus on that word.

Grace defined is unmerited favor. That is a way of saying, unearned gift. You are given something, in this case, by God, and it is not pay back for something you did.

When you work at a job, your wages are not grace. Wages are paid for work rendered. If you do not go to work, you would not receive pay.

As believers, when we read through the Bible, it is very easy to place some of the Bible characters on a pedestal. In a way, they are like superheroes because many of them perform supernatural type activities.

By doing this a hierarchy is created, most often unknowingly. God, Moses, us. God, Noah, us. God, Abraham, us.

Yet Scripture teaches differently. Take Noah.

In the days of Noah, was Noah chosen because, on his own because he had a righteousness that pleased God? Did all the world descend into crazed evil but Noah (and family) were the only ones who did not?

Genesis 6:8 says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah did nothing to merit this. Noah did nothing to earn God’s grace. It was not payment for something Noah did. Rather, it was God’s gift to Noah.

Noah was just like you and me. Even more, Joshua tells us that Abraham was an idol worshiper when God called him. Abraham definitely received God’s grace.

I take great comfort in this and so should you. Why? God has and does use small, weak and flawed men and women, all through Scripture and did mighty things through them. Those small, weak and flawed men and women did nothing to earn God’s grace or favor.

When we better understand these things, it not only takes the attention off us, but also it brings more attention and praise to our God. And rightfully so.

S.D.G.

Fanning the Flame part 2: MT episode 22

Two weeks ago, we had looked at Paul’s words of encouragement to Timothy, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.” (2 Timothy 1:6) I want to share a way in which we can do this and that is to put yourself in a position to be successful. Let me explain it this way.

When I was young man my two friends Chris, Kenny and I came up with an idea to begin camping.  It was not May or August when the urge hit us to set up a tent, but rather February.  We set the date for our first campout on a night when the temperature was to be in the teens. 

We had the site cleared and a fire ring in place with a small collection of “wood” for the fire.  With all the ambition and excitement in the world we took our snacks and sleeping bags and began our first night of roughing it.

A book could be written about the numerous adventures we had that night.  For today, one stands out and it was the fire.

In our inexperience, we had not gathered the proper amount of wood.  We had a nice large stack of what would be defined as twigs.  They produced enough heat to keep us warm, but only for a few minutes at a time. 

By 1030PM our wood supply was gone.  Which prompted a constant search for more wood and in the dark of night.  More twigs for temporary heat. What was needed was something big to supply a lasting fire.

We had to restart and fan the flame of that fire many times.  We were not prepared! 

With that in mind, if you want to grow in this faith, you must be thoughtful and be deliberate and prepared.  Put yourself in a position to succeed.  How is this accomplished?  Humble submission.

Often, we can get started in a daily time with God but then lose focus.  The flame dies out.  Our fire is weak with twigs. In my experience, humbly acknowledging that I need help to be consistent is key.  This comes by just admitting this in prayer.  God will supply.

Growing in your faith can only come by daily feeding.  Fanning this faith into a flame (as our text states) is by God’s Spirit, within us.   Seek help to consistently spend time in prayer and reading.  Otherwise, you will be constantly in search of twigs and reviving a smoldering, smokey faith.

S.D.G.

Every Breath

Once while driving home, in the dark of night, near Indianapolis, IN the traffic was heavy.  The Indianapolis 500 had just concluded, and many people were filling the interstate and making their way back home.

It was in this traffic that I heard a very odd noise coming from the engine.  It was not a constant noise but would occur about every 10 to 15 minutes.  I began a silent prayer, “Lord, just let me make it home.” 

Fortunately, I did make it home and for those who care, I later found that it was an A/C compressor issue.  But I think of this moment in my history because it highlights an important notion, which is we only take the big things to God.

My circumstance was dire.  It was late.  It was dark.  It was over two hours from home.  If I were to be stranded, it could easily turn into a very long night. 

My hope was the Lord just let the car make it.  This is out of my control.  Please help me.  Please just let me get home and I can get it repaired later.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that prayer.  I am so thankful God said “yes” to that prayer. 

I do not think I am alone when I say that my typical practice is to really depend on God for the “Big Things” which tend to be, things out of my control:  Rough engines at night when far from home, or bigger medical procedures. 

Yet I am more prone to handle things “In my control”.  No need to bother God with this.

Now, my words are not to be to the extreme that when we clip our finger nails we must pray to the Lord.  That is absolutely not the purpose. 

Rather, it is more an attitude that we must adopt.  Every single breath is a gift.  The simple act of breathing, God is in control. 

The old hymn, I need thee every hour – I have adopted at times, Lord, I need you every second.  I am utterly, totally dependent upon You.

From Psalm 73 God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Keep that in mind!

S.D.G.

A Hero in God’s Hand: MT episode #21

While reading through any Biblical story it is quite easy to place ourselves as the hero. We like the little boy David who killed Goliath. Let me be that little boy who went and found five stones and with no fear, faced the giant.

In the study of the first chapter in Ruth it is so easy to look negatively at Orpah, who after weighing the options, said to herself maybe sticking with Naomi is not in my best interest. The preference is to be Ruth. It takes courage to be Ruth.

Her statement “Where you go, I will go, where you stay, I will stay . . .may nothing but death separate you and me.” That is a movie line. That is a best-selling theme right there. I want to be that.

But in the moment, on my own strength, I fail. I’m not the hero. I am more like faithless Peter than faithful Ruth.

The lesson throughout Scripture is the greatness our sin BUT the greaterness of Jesus. The truth sometimes stings. As much as I want to be Ruth and David, when real life faces me, I am more like Orpah and Peter.

Here lies the beautiful paradox – let me repeat that: this is The Beautiful Paradox. You and I, on our own, are more like the denying Peter. But when, IN CHRIST, we grasp that truth – we become more heroic like Ruth and David.

How? Because our God is a great God. He is a God who in a few weeks took the denying faithless Peter to the proclaiming faithful Peter of Pentecost. He is a God who works in small weak men and women all the time. He is the God that turns small, weak men and women into David and Ruth’s.

We can do great things because our God is great. You and I bring nothing to the table but trouble. When there is submission to that, when there is understanding of what God’s strength can do, is when we begin to be powerful in His hands FOR HIS GLORY.

S.D.G.

Fanning the Flame: MT episode #20

I was having a conversation with someone recently about physical fitness. We chatted the struggle of consistency.

There have been moments where I have been more fit than others In a joking manner I said, “I was doing really well last year until I began visiting the Dr.” They said, “Dr.?” I said, “Dr. Pepper!”

I do greatly enjoy fitness. It helps my thinking, I am more focused, less anxiety . . life is better all the way around. But somedays I am more motivated than others. It takes a little time and occasionally it needs to be put off to the next day or something may come up that needs immediate in focus.

Then there may be a visit from the Dr. Yes! Dr. Pepper tastes so great but in reality it is anti anything related to fitness what about our Spiritual life?

If spiritual growth is a desire, it is imperative that you spend time DAILY with Jesus.

The Apostle Paul wrote two letters written to a beloved son in the faith, named Timothy. It is from the second letter that he says this, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you”.

The words here for Timothy are to fan the flame! (anazopureo) The whole phrase is one word in the original language.

Ana = again

Zoe = life

Pur = fire

Bring to life the fire, the life of faith in God. It is stated in a way of a progressive (ongoing) continuous action.

This is far, far more important than any physical activity. This body will eventually fail, your Spirit is forever I encourage you – fan the flame – Keep the life going inside of you that is brought on by God through the Spirit.

Next Thursday we will consider ways in HOW you can invest time spiritually. Until then, Go to Church on Sunday and I will see you there!

S.D.G.

Tapestries & Suffering: MT episode #19

Have you ever looked at the other side of something embroidered or a tapestry? I have a little piece here from our home. You can look at one side and see this beautiful image. Yet flip it over, and there is an ugly collection of criss crossed threading that seems to make no sense at all.

You can make out like a little thing here and there but overall, about 95% of it is just a mess.

It is not strange how the two sides can be so different? The back side an utter mess and the visible side, an artful image.

This is a great visual explanation for suffering.

Sunday, we began a study on the book of Ruth and considered those opening sentences in light of the sovereignty of God. God IS good and God IS sovereign AND importantly, for the believer, all things work to the glory of God.

When we are suffering it can appear a lot like this back side. There is just a huge collection of threads in our life that seem to be going nowhere in particular. Things seem to be a mess and disjointed and we can’t find a purpose in any of it.

There is a side that so often we do not see until the work is complete. And it becomes the image that the creator was desiring to make. This is a beautiful thing to consider.

S.D.G.

Lessons from Southern Ohio: MT Episode 18

Psalm 1:1-3

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates both day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither.”

I grew up in southern Ohio, right on the mighty Ohio River. Summertime in the late 80s, we had a long period where there was no rain. I am unable to remember how long the drought lasted, but it was long enough that crops began to wither and die.

Except those farms that boarded the Ohio River. Hundreds and thousands of acres that shared a bank with the river were able to use their tractors as pumps and siphon water to their crops. I can remember driving up State Route 7 and seeing the vast landscape with sprinklers spraying lifegiving water. Those fields were beautiful and green.

As we begin a new year I wanted to share the purpose of Monday Thursday. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to listen to these short messages but they are written with the believer in mind. My hope is to encourage you and with Biblical insights and observations maybe help you grow your faith.

Through this year we will come back to this Psalm on occasion to be encouraged. This is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. There are MANY things which this Psalm can teach us but today learn the lesson from the 1987 drought of southern Ohio. Those farms near the stream of water, that is the Ohio River, not only survived but thrived.

Delighting in God’s word IS spending time IN GOD’S WORD and this is the picture of being planted by a stream of water. As a believer, if you want to survive, if you want to thrive, even when it is difficult, let this word be a constant source in your life. Daily.

I look forward to occasionally coming back to this Psalm this year and I certainly look forward to spending more time with you on Monday’s and Thursday’s. For now,

Happy new Year

S.D.G.

The Sunday Message: Hebrews 2:5-9

There are some minor and occasional audio issues in this presentation. We do apologize and we are working to correct the issue for future sermons. Thank you.

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,

“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
    or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
    you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8     putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:5-9

A Peculiar People: MT episode 17

On Monday’s episode I closed our time together noting that while it is great Christ that was born into this world, it is more important Christ be born in you.  Let’s consider this thought further and from a different angle.

“Jesus, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous for good works.”  Titus 2:14

I picked this passage because it uses the word “peculiar.”  As Kenneth Weust says, “Christians are the peculiar people of God.”

This is a word sometimes we use for people who are odd or strange.  I have definitely met some people who claim Christ and are strange but that is not what is meant here. 

The word here in the original language is a compound of two words, “around” and another word “to be”.  Mentally, picture a circle with a dot in the middle.

As the circle is around the dot, so God is around His people.  He has the dot all to himself.  These people are His own unique possession. Peculiar!

There are days when my obedience and pursuit of God, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would put at a 7 or 8.  Then there are those days or seasons, where things just are not going well.  I might put it at a negative 5.

God is the constant.  In speaking about the believer’s security, Jesus says, “My Father, who has given me (the sheep) is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:28

Good seasons and bad, we are circled by the Father.  Keep that picture in your head and let it be and encouragement.  As a believer, we are God’s circled people. His possession.

So, the different angle is, this season, it is not only to have Jesus in us (Colossians 1:27) but also, us in Christ (Colossians 2:6).  What a beautiful gift!

S.D.G.