By a Nose

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9 (New American Standard Bible)

Have you ever really listened to how dysfunctional the words of the song “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer” are? Rudolf didn’t do what the other reindeer did plus he had a shiny red nose. The other reindeer made fun of him and ostracized him from their group. Their affection and care were not based on the natural and living worth of the red nosed reindeer but was withheld because it was based solely on performance. We all know the story. Suddenly one foggy night Rudolf’s lighted nose helped Santa and the reindeer deliver Christmas. Then how the reindeer loved him. Based only on Rudolf’s performance was he accepted by the other reindeer. He was only as good as he could perform. If the fog hadn’t socked the North Pole in ol’ Rudolf would still be sleeping in the corner of the barn.

I cringed the first time I realized the strong message of conditional acceptance that song conveyed. It sounded a lot like how I can be. Those who know me best know I certainly can be particular in how I give my total acceptance. I wish I could say I don’t struggle with this tendency. But I do-constantly. Jesus was always grinding the Pharisees for that attitude. A “sinner” was someone who didn’t act in the spirituality of one of the religious elite. In the eyes of a Pharisee someone of a lower spiritual class did nor even merit touch. Look at how Simon the Pharisee judged Jesus when a woman considered a “sinner” anointed The Lord’s feet with her tears and costly perfume (Luke 7:39). I can be magnanimous with some people’s sin. In fact in my high-mindedness I can be so filled with pride that I will actually gloat over how spiritual I am. Until someone comes along with a problem I consider a real sin. I think the Lord loves tossing these situations through my houses of glass to shatter my ugly conceit.

Jesus was always showing Himself to be the center of loving activity among those thought to be hopeless and totally lost. Think what most of us would tell that woman taken in adultery in John 8. You know you really are a whore and you’re only suffering the consequences of your choices. Now get Christ in your life and start going to church. That’s a 2 line sermon that in that kind of circumstance most of us couldn’t resist preaching. The grace of God said, “I do not condemn you either, go and sin no more.” Thank God He doesn’t look upon us with conditional acceptance. We’d all be in the corner with Rudolf. Grace. It is a concept that is hard to get our minds and hearts around. It is acceptance and merit that are undeserved even through our mistakes and omissions. Let them who have eyes to see and ears to hear learn this lesson. No shiny noses required.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Rejoice!

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Psalms 96:2 (New American Standard Bible)

We have come into the season of Advent, the four weeks leading up to our celebration of the birth of Christ. This is a festive time and one of good cheer. We celebrate with family dinners, church and office pot lucks, decorating our homes with holiday garland, decorated trees, lights on the house and within, and the giving of gifts. It is not only a time of fun and remembrance but a time to reflect on the meaning of God’s greatest gift to humankind, the gift of His Son.
We ponder just what kind of a Being would give so deeply of Himself to redeem a horribly sinful and rebellious race as we humans. It can bring to us a deep sense of wonder and awe. No other god in any religious belief has done this. Any religious being who has even come close to doing this for us has only sacrificed himself and never risen from the dead in all Power, Authority and Honor as has our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Psalmist writes, “All the gods of the nations are idols” (96:5).

This story is astounding in its notion, rich in its concept and fully stunning in its completion. It is entirely life changing in its power. Jehovah God became a flesh and blood human and walked among us, tasting of life as we know it, experiencing every aspect of dirt, dust, heat, cold, and sorrow from birth to death to triumph from the grave. How perfect is it to have another human being representing our case to the Father over an angel or other spirit being? Astounding doesn’t even begin to explain it. Being 100% God and 100% man He fully understands us.

During this time it is often said “Tis the season to be jolly.” As we consider what God has done for us it is also a season to rejoice. This is indeed tidings of great joy to the entire world. So rejoice; take heart and be glad for this child given to us has become our salvation, bringing us from darkness into glorious light. He has broken all our chains and opened the doors of our prisons and poured out on us the present of God’s love to those who call upon the name of Jesus. It is truly a time of laughter and light for those who believe on Him. Light is sown like seed for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the Lord you righteous ones; And give thanks to His holy name (Psalm 97:2).

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Walking Works of Art

For we are His workmanship, created for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (New American Standard Bible)

Do you believe you are a work of art? It helps to understand exactly where the word ‘workmanship’ comes from. It is taken from the Greek word poiema (poy-ay-mah). It is the root word from which we get our English word ‘poem.’ You are His work of art; His beautiful love poem. How does that make you feel knowing the Creator of the universe has made such a stunning statement about you in Christ? How lovely you are to Him.

But even though our beauty outshines the stars we weren’t meant to just stand around and look pretty. Our spiritual light was made to glow within a shadowy world. Christ has not only created us as His very own masterpiece but He has given us the power to do good works through Him; good works He has created beforehand for us to walk in. People enjoy things of beauty and when they see the beauty of the risen Christ in us they are touched and influenced, whether they admit it or not. Ever have someone say to you, “Man, there’s just something different about you”? People are reading us all the time and most people love a good story.

You are God’s beautiful poem to a curious world and one that even a child can read with great depth and understanding. It’s a splendor for ashes story that cannot be rivaled by any other dimension or idea. You are such a beautiful masterpiece created by Christ Himself to walk in good works. There is so much ugliness in the world that when something of rare beauty comes along it stands out like a sparkling diamond on black velvet. Christ can make torn and damaged pages into beautiful poems that tell of old lives becoming new creations in Him. When God wants to display His very best He opens our pages to a world starved for the beauty of His Spirit. In Christ you are indeed a thing of rare beauty. You are His workmanship; a page redeemed from ruin and decay to a poem written in gold for the entire world to see.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

What He Did and What He'll Do

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. Revelation 21: 3, 4 (New American Standard Bible)

Did you ever notice how there is a Christian emphasis on the redemptive work Christ did on the cross and not much is said about what is in store for us in eternity? The account of our redemption is a marvelous story; one crowned by the glorious resurrection of Christ Jesus from death and the grave. However as beautiful as that story is it is only the beginning for us Saints. In doing a recent series for our church youth on the End Times I again had a chance to once again sift through the rest of the story; a story that touches on total redemption. Not only will our souls and bodies be redeemed but there will be redemption of the entire universe (Revelation 21:1). When Christ comes the second time with all honor, glory and power we Saints who return with Him will have already been translated into resurrection bodies, immortal and completely geared for living in an eternal environment. Our new and eternal bodies, instantly received when we are taken up in the harpazo, the translation of the believers to heaven, will be patterned after Christ’s own glorious resurrection body. Of that the Apostle John says we are the children of God and shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is (1st John 3:1, 2). And again the Apostle Paul says Jesus Christ will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Our glorified bodies will be undying bodies of flesh easily recognized by one another and made to withstand the rigors of standing before the throne of God and even exploring the universe.

Unlike our bodies now, our glorified bodies will not be weak of frail. They will be imbued with great power and glory while remaining corporeal and substantial. They will never age, be sick or die. As our pattern Jesus gave us brief insights into what a resurrected body could do. There are many strange qualities which He demonstrated which are difficult to reconcile to a body like His. For instance He was able to vanish and reappear at will (Luke 24:31). He was not limited to space or time and could teleport Himself wherever He wished as He wished. This was demonstrated when He ascended to heaven (Acts 1). He could handle objects (Luke 24:30). He could eat food even though He no longer needed to (24:43).

And then He puts the icing on the cake as He throws in a high end residence for us. He told His disciples He was going to the Father to prepare a place for those who believe in Him, adding if He went away He would return again to receive us to Himself so that where He is we could be too (John 14:3). It sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? It must, as the Lord has to remind us twice these things are faithful and true (Revelation 21:5, 22:6). He will dry our tears, stop our pain and our crying and end death and all mourning. He holds within His power great gifts which He will lavish upon us with fondest delight, even as a parent does for a child on Christmas morning. We have believed in God and in His Son (John 14:1). Because of that we can be excited and sure He has readied eternity for us and the best is yet to come.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Like the Stars

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1 (NIV)

In a time of fear and discouragement Abram received deep comfort and encouragement from the Lord of Heaven. Abram and his wife, Sarai, were childless and were greatly advanced in years, well beyond the normal ages for bearing children. It looked like the line of Abram would end with him and there would be no male heir to carry on the family name. Not only did God tell Abram not to be afraid He promised him a great blessing. In her old age Sarai would bear Abram’s son. To put the finishing touch on the promise the Lord took Abram outside his tent into the night and told him to look up at the stars and count them if he was able (15:5). Imagine in that time without all the earth’s light pollution just how the nighttime sky must have blazed in its fullest glory with millions of stars, the dazzling stars proclaiming the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). This son God was going to give Abram and Sarai would have a family line that would be as numerous as those millions of sparkling points of light above him. I can imagine that in the quiet of that night contemplating God’s promise and those stars that Abram must have been nearly overcome to tears.

God does not change. In the 4000 years since Abram stood outside that tent and gazed up at that beautiful nighttime sky the earth and its people have changed a lot but God has remained the same. His Holy Character, Attributes and Power are as great and spanking new as they were then. He is as interested in you and I now as He was in Abram way back when humanity was young. Are you waiting for a promise? Waiting sometimes is the hardest part. Abram waited longer than any person who wanted to be a father had to wait but still he believed the Lord and it was accounted unto him as righteousness (James 2:23).

You are as precious to the Lord as righteous Abram was. You may be working through your long wait with no expectation that a spiritual promise will be fulfilled. The Lord has not changed in the last 4000 years or even a speck in eternity past. He is the same yesterday, today and yes, forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is our shield and very great reward. His compassions and mercies never fail. He is not a God who just offers us the moon. Because He is our shield and our very great reward He gives us the stars.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

Like a Boomerang Only Better

So shall my word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 (New American Standard Bible)

What do you do as a parent when you want your kid to live in the City of God and they consider it the City of Snoresville? The things of God are a justifiable aim to them but just not something they want to take a shot at just now. The greatest heartache any parent can have is to watch a child make choices that will bring them nasty consequences. For us experience and insight make 20/20 hindsight guaranteed and from that we can pretty much know when they are heading down the track toward the 5:14 from Toledo.

But it isn’t a lost cause. They’re hearing, even if it seems like they aren’t listening. And they’re watching even if it seems like they’re glued to their cell phones. The word of God is so powerful that it is compared to a razor sharp two-edged sword that pierces the division of the soul and spirit, ably judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). That word and example when it is thrown out, like a boomerang, will go out in all its power and begin to come around again.

We can only count on the faithfulness of the Lord to apply His word to the hearts of our children as He judges their receptivity. Sometimes it takes what seems a short time and for others its years of the 2000 yard stare. That sword never loses it edge and it continues to work even when it looks like the Lord is choppin’ and no chips are flyin’. The Lord is faithful in His work and we don’t know the last thoughts our kids think before they close their eyes at night. Perhaps there are thoughts of wonder or even surrender. God’s sword is a work in progress for us all and like a boomerang it faithfully returns and accomplishes everything He desires.

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com

An Independent Service Provider

Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. John 13:16 (New American Standard Bible)

Slaves and servants are both expected to do what they are commanded with no back talk, argument or debate. I am not always a good bond servant. I have holding me back from total faithful service a national American mindset of personal independence and a nature that is both fallen and more than ready to demand my own rights.

I find it is helpful for me to share some of my struggles in this area. Many of us share it equally so hopefully my sharing might serve as a source of encouragement in helping others see they are not alone in this. This week I clashed with my Master in my role as a bond servant. Many of you know I manage the facilities at my church and have for the past 12 or so years. Over the years one of my pet peeves is people using chairs and not stacking them after they are done with them. Stacking them against the wall helps make cleaning the carpets easier. I’m hesitant to mention this as some may think I’m pointing fingers but I’m not. The only thing I’m pointing out is my encounter with my Master this week when I felt the need to exercise my “rights” as an Independent Service Provider. Upon beginning my week’s cleaning the first room I encountered had unstacked chairs sitting on the floor. I and our Kidz Zone Director are constantly asking Sunday School teachers to stack the chairs in their class rooms at the end of their hour. This particular day my patience had worn thin. In my righteous indignation I said to myself, “OK, if the chairs are down I can’t clean the carpet. Tough. So I’ll just move on to the next room.” Well I’d not gone five feet when an inner voice said to me, “You say you’re my bond servant, Ken. Don’t you know a servant does whatever he is commanded? You cannot be selective in your obedience for a servant has no right to refuse any commands that aren’t well-liked. A servant serves the one who commands him. You may think you're cleaning this church for the people but you are cleaning it for Me, your Master.” I returned and stacked those chairs while eating some crow. I even managed to do a little extra cleaning for that particular room not to my own credit but to the Holy Spirit’s prompting.

I don’t know if any of you ever deal with that but I do all too often. My “rights” are particularly dear to me and when I feel they are being trampled on it can really make me itch. But a lord never makes suggestions to a servant but instructs and, yes, even commands that his will be done. How can I call Him Lord and not do what He tells me? Can I be a true bond servant when I say “Sorry Lord, I’m not willing to follow that command”? When coming to the point of true servanthood I can only understand I am not my own. As a true servant I cannot be selective in completing all I am called to do. As the Lord commands me so must I obey in every circumstance. It comes down to a matter of the heart. After all, does a servant
do whatever his Lord tells him or file a 1099 as an Independent Service Provider?

Ken

www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com