Clothe Yourself With Christ

Today Sarah writes about putting on Christ. There is much said in Scripture about being clothed in righteousness and putting on that which is indicative of our living in a relationship with Jesus.  In John 15:4-5 we read, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

This is really what “putting on” is all about; living in constant dependence on Him with a constant awareness of His presence, His lordship in our lives, and His direction for our steps. In Ephesians 4:22-24 we are told to put off old things in lieu of the new as we come to understand God’s truth and His direction for our lives. In Ephesians 6:10-18 we are told to put on the full armor of God (Jesus Christ) so that we will be able to stand firm, realizing that our ability to live victoriously rests fully in being dressed and equipped fully in Christ and His Word.

In Galatians 3:27 we are told that if we have been baptized into Christ (saved) that we indeed have clothed ourselves with Christ. In Luke 24:49 we even read the instruction of Christ for his followers to remain until they are clothed with power from on high (the Holy Spirit), and in Galatians 5:16 we are told that if we walk by the Spirit we will not carry out the desires of the flesh. And this clothing we also read will keep us sealed (Ephesians 1:13) until such time that we are clothed with our building made in eternal in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:2-4).

Scripture is rich with teaching concerning our relationship with Christ, the constant working of the Spirit, and the power of the Word. Integral to all of these passages is how we walk in dependence on Him. It is here that we find fullness, direction, blessing, and even reward. It is here that we are pleasing to our God who gives us so much. One of my favorite passages describing this relationship and how this abiding relationship works its way out in our lives is Colossians 3:9-17:

Colossians 3:9-17 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (5/27)

Seek My face at the beginning of your day. This practice enables you to “put Me on” and “wear Me” throughout the day. Most people put on clothes soon after arising from bed. Similarly, the sooner you “put Me on” by communicating with Me, the better prepared you are for whatever comes your way.

To “wear Me” is essentially to have My mind: to think My thoughts. Ask the Holy Spirit to control your thinking; be transformed by this renewal within you. Thus you are well equipped to face whatever people and situations I bring your way. Clothing your mind in Me is your best preparation for each day. This discipline brings Joy and Peace to you and those around you.

When You said, “seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Psalm 27:8 (NKJV)

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans 13:14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

Untangled Knots

I use Dragon Speaking talk to text for some of my typing, and when I was speaking today’s reading from Sarah Young and got to Psalm 34:19 this is what I got, “The righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from THE MALL.” (emphasis added to show typing variation)

The world we live in has so much going on and there are so many pressures pushing in and there are even our desires grasping out. In all of them there is a great potential for becoming anxious. Whether it is wanting to do something and being unable, or not wanting something but being required to deal with it. There are plenty of times in all of our lives when ability and opportunity don’t come together, just as there are times that permissibility may not match with right or best.

Today Sarah writes about how all of this stuff can tie us into anxious knots, and how we need to bring all of these things to God and surrender them to Him as He gives us the ability to endure, respond, make choices, and rest.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (5/25)

The world is too much with you, My child. Your mind leaps from problem to problem tangling your thoughts in anxious knots. When you think like that, you leave Me out of your world-view and your mind becomes darkened. Though I yearn to help, I will not violate your freedom. I stand silently in the background of your mind, waiting for you to remember that I am with you.

When you turn from your problems to My Presence, your load is immediately lighter. Circumstances may change, but we carry your burdens together. Your compulsion to “fix” everything gives way to deep, satisfying connection with Me. Together we can handle whatever this day brings.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:7

The righteous man may have any troubles, BUT THE LORD delivers him from them all. (emphasis added) Psalm 34:19

The Joy Of New Life

Today our third grandchild, a third granddaughter, is being born 300 miles away, and while we can’t be there in person we know that our God is. This is an amazing thing. Yes, the birth of a new child is indeed an amazing thing brought with great joy. But it is more amazing to know that our God who created man and woman and who intended them to come together and add to those numbers is the God who is present with us in the process and whose strong hands are wrapped around the parents and the precious new baby.

Sarah writes about that extra spiritual dimension that goes beyond our three dimensions of space and the fourth of time. In this spiritual dimension we have a relationship with the God who created time. It is also in this spiritual dimension that our God can be fully with us here in Grants Pass while He is fully present in Longview, Washington. We look forward in hopeful anticipation of holding this little girl, and being able to do this is itself governed by us being in the same place at some point in time. This is the way it is because our God created us in time and space, while Himself abides outside of it.

But when we needed His great help He sent His Son into these dimensions to also be born as a baby, raised as a son, grown into a man, and die as our Savior. But it didn’t end at the cross, because in laying down His life for our sins He also took it up again on the third day, and with that we also have been assured of eternal life. Yet while we await eternity and joining His presence, He asked the Father to send another – the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and actively participate in our growth and our relationship with our God whom we cannot see.

As parents await the birth of their child and to see his or her precious little face and hold that wonderful little life, so we as those who have believed in Jesus Christ for our salvation await that day when we shall see Him face to face and enjoy Him forever.

New life is an incredible gift from God, both the new life of a child and the new life that comes from knowing God. And this knowing happens in a dimension that we largely can’t touch. Just as parents in their spirits experience this great joy, so we in His Spirit can know our God. This extra dimension which we can’t measure or touch is the one that touches us most.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (5/24)

Bring Me your mind for rest and renewal. Let Me infuse My Presence into your thoughts. As your mind stops racing, your body relaxes and you regain awareness of Me. This awareness is vital to your spiritual well-being; it is your lifeline, spiritually speaking.

There are actually more than four dimensions in this world where you live. In addition to the three dimensions of space and one of time, there is the dimension of openness to My Presence. This dimension transcends the others, giving you glimpses of heaven while you still reside on earth. This was part of My original design for mankind. Adam and Eve used to walk with Me in the garden, before their expulsion from Eden. I want you to walk with Me in the garden of your heart, where I have taken up permanent residence.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8

Blessed are those who have learned to a acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. Psalm 89:15

Hope In Our God Who Doesn't Change

All day I have been awaiting the result of a vote at the national membership meeting of the Boy Scouts of America where they were deciding on a new policy for membership opening the doors to openly homosexual youth. They claim that it is only about the boys, but most reasonably informed individuals know that this is only a first step in opening membership to leadership as well. This is something which some on the executive board tried to accomplish earlier in the year but were unable to bring to pass. This time it won't happen by board action or even a vote, but by the hands of a judge.

I've been a part of Scouting for nearly thirty years as they stood for values that paralleled those I found in Scripture. Though many of the units are chartered by churches, Scouting itself is not a Christian organization, but rather one has held that one must merely have some belief in God. As we know there are many who profess to believe in God, but who live as if He doesn't exist or as if what He says in His word is only advisory at best. For them, right is what they determine in their own eyes, and from them we should not be surprised by the vote today which changed Scouting in the most radical of ways. 

As a result of this vote there are some who are coming together to consider forming a new organization which more tightly defines and controls its values, one for which faith in God is not a thing but a reality. There are others who are seeking legal means to protect their beliefs and their charter organizations, yet remain with Scouting. For us, today’s vote, short of a major development, will likely lead to our stepping away by the end of this year. Going to a meeting tonight and seeing the excitement in the boys, yet knowing what is going on at the core of Scouting has made this a very difficult thing for us to watch, but God...

Today Sarah writes about hidden treasures in our day, some of which are intended to shake us free of things and some which are intended to bring joy by their sheer presence. This change to Scouting is one that is a trial in which many will have to kneel before God and ask how He would want them to move forward. But regardless of what happens to Scouting nothing has happened to our God, His Truth, and His Plans. Scouting is not my life, but merely an opportunity to be used by Him to build into others. And if not Scouting, then I know He has something even better.

In this people can become greatly distressed and panic or they can go before God and find hope. The same is true for anything that we are a part of or which we treasure. When those things become so big that changing them rocks our world, then we need to step back and refocus on those things in light of our God. Yesterday I used the word “ominous” when referring to those things of the world pressing in. A friend of mine told me that reading it sent him on a nice journey as he reflected on his omini-God. Here is what he had to say: “It took me to 4 ominis: His omini presence, potency, science and loving. You put those all together and they stand up against all of this world’s ominous actions.”

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (5/23)

Approach each new day with desire to find Me. Before you get out of bed, I have already been working to prepare the path that will get you through this day. There are hidden treasures strategically placed along the way. Some of the treasures are trials, designed to shake you free from earth-shackles. Others are blessings that reveal My Presence: sunshine, flowers, birds, friendships, answered prayer. I have not abandoned this sin-wracked world; I am still richly present in it.

Search for deep treasure as you go through this day. You will find Me all along the way.

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. Isaiah 33:6

From Disappointment To Trust

Robin read “Jesus Calling” to me today, and I acknowledged its message without much comment. Sometimes there is something that speaks in such a way that you just have to step back and think; think of the positive ways in which you have responded to the content and even the times when you've responded not so positively. Not knowing whether or not I would get back to it, I chose to post it earlier without comment. After spending some time meditating on the content and reflecting on God’s strong hand of provision and direction particularly over this past year, but even today, I chose to come back and write something down. 

We all have hopes for how things will go and there are times when those hopes aren't realized exactly as we had envisioned. The problem with this may not be so much that our hopes were wrong or even wrongly placed, but that we look to the future with limited knowledge and even limited control. It is for this reason when we plan that we are to do so with the understanding that God is sovereign over every aspect of our lives and that He will work all things for good for those who love Him and who are seeking after His purposes (Romans 8:28). 

One passage that I've come back to over and over again over my years as a Christian is Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” But along with this there are so many other passages which speak of God’s hand and His watch care over us, that when stuff doesn't shape up as I had hope, and I am tempted to get disappointed and down, it is then that I have to purposely choose to refocus on just who My God is and what He has promised He would do. He never promised to make things easy. He did promise to bring me through it, and I must choose to trust Him in this.

At the same time, doing this also frees me to be able to rejoice in seeing His blessings shown of others. Even as we have engaged in the process of seeking a place of ministry this past year I have seen a number of churches make wise choices uniting themselves with wonderful pastors, who along with their families, have been brought together to grow together in His service. It has been a pleasure and even a joy to pray along with them in their searches, and rejoice with them in their conclusions. I can’t deny that I had hoped in many of the instances that I would have been selected, but I also know that my God is the one directing their steps as well as mine, and in that I am content to search and wait on Him.

How are you doing with the situations in your life right now? I know there must be some painful ones and some that seem very ominous. But at the same time I know our God is capable and trustworthy to handle them. Won’t you place them in His hands? After all it is His hands which enclose you before and behind and He is the One who knows absolutely everything about you. 

Psalm 139:1-5 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (5/22) 

When things don’t go as you would like, accept the situation immediately. If you indulge in feelings of regret, they can easily spill over the line into resentment. Remember that I am sovereign over your circumstances, and humble yourself under My mighty hand. Rejoice in what I’m doing in your life, even though it is beyond your understanding. 

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In Me you have everything you need, both for this life and for the life yet to come. Don’t let the impact of the world shatter your thinking or draw you away from focusing on Me. The ultimate challenge is to keep fixing your eyes on Me, no matter what is going on around you. When I am central in your thinking, you are able to view circumstances from My perspective. 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he made lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Fragile Lives In Tender Hands

This morning many people in the heartland of our country awoke with broken hearts, hearts that were torn over the loss of their home, and hearts that were greatly grieved over the loss of loved ones and particularly so many children. And behind the loss was the terror of the wind against which they were helpless. There are some in this group who will find a deep comfort in knowing that even this terrible wind is not outside of God’s powerful hand, and that even in it He is very present and active.

While we cannot answer why one person dies or loses a home and why another person next to him or her doesn't get hurt or a house a block away isn't destroyed, what we can know is that our God is good and that even this did not happen out of His sovereign control. What we also can know is that God truly is the Creator of all that we see. But what we see is not as He created it. A lot has changed since the garden, from those pesky weeds to and including the changes in our climate following a cataclysmic worldwide flood which changed everything – a flood that was brought about by man’s rebellion.

God has not washed His hands of mankind and his world, but has chosen to work through this broken world to hold it together until such time that He brings a full renewal. In the meantime He saves and protects and it is He that gives us hope. In this we have opportunities to show His compassion and His mercy to those who are suffering. In this we have opportunities to bring aid to those who are needy. In this we can show His great love and even receive His comfort and know His peace.

Today’s devotion from Sarah is about our Creator God who is for us and in whom we trust. While it was not written with her having this specific day in mind or even the intensity of these events, it was written knowing that we all have times of adversity in different ways and in different degrees. It is in these times when our minds are prone to search for solutions and become anxious. But it is also in these times when we can stop and surrender to His hand, His leading, His help, His provision, His comfort, and the hope that comes from Him.

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (5/21)

I, the Creator of the universe, am with you and for you. What more could you need? When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level. I offer abundant Life; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything.

It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events. Your mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the results you desire. Your thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves. Determined to make things go your way, you forget that I am in charge of your life. The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to My Presence. Stop all your striving, and watch to see what I will do. I am the Lord!

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

But as for me, I watch and hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7

Forgiven

It’s an amazing thing when you consider before you were ever born that God knew every aspect of your life, including what we might consider the worst of our sins. And yet He with full knowledge chose to send His Son pay the penalty for our sins (all of them) and bring us a full and eternal redemption. All we had to do was believe that Jesus is He that God sent and call upon His name (ask) for our salvation. This salvation is full and complete when it comes to our sins. While there may be consequences to these sins, there will never be a repeated judgment from God. The price was paid in full at the cross by Jesus.

So, when you sin and you realize that sin, turn to God and admit it, even regret it, and thank Him for His forgiveness and commit with Him afresh to walk in full dependence on Him trusting Him to direct your steps. And you know what, when this happens again come to Him again. Realize that there is a real accuser, but that accuser is not God. Rather, sitting at the right hand of God is our Advocate - Jesus Christ. And if you've never asked His forgiveness in the first place, its very easy to do. Just talk to Him about the same things mentioned above and ask. He will give.

This does not mean that we can take obedience callously or carelessly, but realizing that our God has given us a new life which is to be lived in a new way. Scripture tells us when we realize what we are doing to be wrong we are to put it off and then put on that which is right, and see what He does as He conforms us to the image of His beloved Son through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:22-24 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

There are generally two types of places in our houses where we put our clothes. The clean clothes go in one type (dresser, closet, etc.), and the dirty go in another (hamper, laundry room, “floor,” etc.). When you choose to get dressed each day from where are you going to get your clothes to wear?

Today in “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (5/20)

When your sins weigh heavily upon you, come to Me. Confession of wrongdoing, which I know all about before you say a word. Stay in the Light of My Presence, receiving forgiveness, cleansing, and healing. Remember that I have clothed you in My righteousness, so nothing can separate you from Me. Whenever you stumble or fall, I am there to help you up.

Man’s tendency is to hide from his sin, seeking refuge in the darkness. There he indulges in self-pity, denial, self-righteousness, blaming, and hatred. But I am the Light of the world, My illumination decimates the darkness. Come close to Me and let My Light envelop you, driving out darkness and permeating you with Peace.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12