(excerpt from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)
UNFORTUNATELY, ALL TOO often we lose sight of the treasures God has in store for us, and we continue to search for trinkets we perceive to be valuable. While we work against what God wants to do in our lives, we continue to assert our way over His will. Gratefully, God installed a warning system that can be used to determine when things are not going as expected. Anger is evidenced when either God’s expectations are being violated or when my personal expectations are being violated.
Some of us grew up in homes where we were taught it is a sin to be angry. With harsh tones we were reprimanded: “Don’t you be angry. Don’t you know it is a sin to be angry?”
During our first years of marriage I (Melanie) found myself angry frequently. I really did not want to be sinful, but it seemed as though I could not control my anger. Very little was what I expected it to be.
Is your anger about a personal expectation or God's expectation?
In my desperate search for peace, I decided to take the year to read through my Bible in search of God’s perspective on anger. My goal was to read from Genesis to Revelation. Each time I encountered the words anger, angry, or wrath I would circle them. I began circling in Genesis. More references in Exodus and Leviticus. By the time I was in Numbers I realized I had been doing a lot of circling and decided to see what kind of themes were popping up. Who was getting angry? What were they angry about? What happened when they got angry?
To my great surprise I noticed that anger was mentioned most frequently in relation to God! How could this be if it is a sin to be angry? God cannot sin! Apparently I had learned some false theology!
Psalm 4:4 (NLT) sheds some more light on the topic: “Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” This passage is reiterated in the New Testament: “In your anger do not sin” (Eph. 4:26 NIV). Verse 27 emphasizes the reason why we should not let anger control us: “for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” Since I really do not want the devil to have a foothold in my life, I must be diligently cautious to make sure God is in control of my anger, not I.
It seems apparent that there are times we can be angry and sinful, but there can also be times we can be angry without being sinful. So what is the difference?
Deuteronomy 6:15 (NLT) states, “The Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth.” But wait a minute! God is jealous, too? I thought that was another character trait that was sinful!
Webster’s dictionary defines jealous as “intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness.” God can be jealous because He has no rival! In like fashion, God can be angry and not sinful because He is the only one who has a right to expect anything! Since He is God, He created the world and all that is in it. He established the order of all that is. Therefore, He knows exactly what to expect and has every right to expect things to go according to His blueprint.
Anger is a God-given emotion designed to assist in addressing issues. We get angry as the result of unmet expectations. Something we expected to happen did not occur. Our anger is not sinful when we expect the same things God expects. Sin enters the scenario when we expect our self-centered expectations to be met. As Creator and Sustainer, God is justified in having His expectations met. However, because I am not God, I have no right to demand that my expectations be fulfilled. When we assert that our way must be followed, we are usurping God and elevating ourselves above His position. This idolatry is sin, and the anger that results from expecting to get our own way is also sin.
Once again we see our need to be desperately dependent on God to empower us to live a godly life. Apart from God we have no rights. Apart from His way we can have no peace. In our own strength, life will never be what we want. We are incapable without Him. Therefore with repentant hearts, we must submit ourselves to His plan and allow Him to direct every path.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5–6 NKJV).
Are you angry about a personal expectation or God's expectation that has been violated?
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
What Is God's Job in My Life?
(excerpt from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)
ANOTHER CHILDHOOD ADVENTURE invited us to search for hidden treasures. With coded map in hand we attempted to calculate the incomprehensible wealth that could be obtained if we deciphered all the cryptic symbols. Movies depicting desolate caverns filled with overflowing coffers fueled our lust for all that is tantalizing.
Somewhere along our journey we came to believe that our dreams could be satisfied by God; He would give us everything we wanted if we could just decipher all the cryptic symbols. The good news is that Christ has provided an incomprehensible treasure, but it is a treasure of His design, not necessarily a fulfillment of our wishes.
Genesis recounts the story of how the treasure was lost. Beginning in the Garden of Eden, humanity purposed to reclaim the lost treasure but continuously sought for fleeting satisfaction rather than the ultimate treasure. Even in the garden God provided the clues that would lead to His abundant storehouse, and the way was revealed by the cross.
The work of the cross enables us to inherit the riches of Christ if we accept His work on our behalf. “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3 NASB). His coffers overflow with abundant provision sufficient for every need as we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. A divine treasure spills over with inexhaustible wealth awaiting acquisition, and as God’s children we are heirs to His vast treasure. A closer look at 2 Peter 1 gives a definitive outline of the work that has already been done and the treasures that await those who diligently seek Him. God is our Savior, sustainer, and benefactor.
Unfortunately, when we consider God’s job in our lives, we think we are merely saved from hell and destined for heaven. But God has provided so much more for us. The salvation Christ offers is not merely for escape from hell, or membership in heaven. Rather, it is an invitation to a relationship with the living God! Through His great and precious promises He enables us to experience abundant life now and an eternal inheritance beyond comprehension.
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. —1 Cor. 2:9–12 (NLT)
What do you need from God to get through your day?
ANOTHER CHILDHOOD ADVENTURE invited us to search for hidden treasures. With coded map in hand we attempted to calculate the incomprehensible wealth that could be obtained if we deciphered all the cryptic symbols. Movies depicting desolate caverns filled with overflowing coffers fueled our lust for all that is tantalizing.
Somewhere along our journey we came to believe that our dreams could be satisfied by God; He would give us everything we wanted if we could just decipher all the cryptic symbols. The good news is that Christ has provided an incomprehensible treasure, but it is a treasure of His design, not necessarily a fulfillment of our wishes.
Genesis recounts the story of how the treasure was lost. Beginning in the Garden of Eden, humanity purposed to reclaim the lost treasure but continuously sought for fleeting satisfaction rather than the ultimate treasure. Even in the garden God provided the clues that would lead to His abundant storehouse, and the way was revealed by the cross.
The work of the cross enables us to inherit the riches of Christ if we accept His work on our behalf. “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3 NASB). His coffers overflow with abundant provision sufficient for every need as we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. A divine treasure spills over with inexhaustible wealth awaiting acquisition, and as God’s children we are heirs to His vast treasure. A closer look at 2 Peter 1 gives a definitive outline of the work that has already been done and the treasures that await those who diligently seek Him. God is our Savior, sustainer, and benefactor.
Unfortunately, when we consider God’s job in our lives, we think we are merely saved from hell and destined for heaven. But God has provided so much more for us. The salvation Christ offers is not merely for escape from hell, or membership in heaven. Rather, it is an invitation to a relationship with the living God! Through His great and precious promises He enables us to experience abundant life now and an eternal inheritance beyond comprehension.
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. —1 Cor. 2:9–12 (NLT)
What do you need from God to get through your day?
Monday, February 14, 2011
God Is Love, Therefore He Is Compassionate
(excerpt from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)
One of my (Melanie) earliest childhood memories recalls pumping my legs passionately to swing to the clouds while singing, “Yes, Jesus Loves Me.” This elementary song saturated my soul, but even in adulthood it is difficult to comprehend the depths of that simple truth.
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:6–8 NLT).
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?…No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Rom. 8:35–39 (NLT)
The truth of God’s love is not just a fact; it becomes a reality when we can recognize that because God loves us, He cares about every area of our lives. Not only does He care, but He also understands our deepest struggles, and He desires to be the solution for our every problem.
“This High Priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testing we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb. 4:15–16 NLT).
Erroneously we believe the deception that if God really does love us and really does care, He would make everything easy with smooth sailing. How can crisis and tribulation be evidence of a loving God? But even God’s gift of love to us required grief, agony, and despair. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).
On a particularly desperate day, the simple fact of God’s love for me (Kirk) became a powerful, relevant truth. Submitting to lifetime ministry did not isolate us from crisis and tribulation. The fiery darts of the wicked one inundated us with unrelenting force. The battle was fierce. It was the kind of spiritual warfare that challenged every fiber of my being.
As I was driving en route to pay a bill, I looked up and said to God in the privacy of my truck, “Lord, I’m at my end. I think I’m finished. There is nothing left in me to carry on. I don’t have anything else to give.” I was beaten. I had no more stamina. No more ability to endure. I was not depressed; I did not want to die. I was, however, pressed beyond my measure to continue the fight. I was exhausted.
“God,…I am finished! I don’t know what will become of me or how I will continue into tomorrow. God, unless You do something, it’s over for me.” My prayer to God was as tired and devoid of emotion as it could have ever been and still be articulated. All I could do was to look to God and say, “Please help me.”
God had me right where He wanted me. It was at this broken place I received from God the greatest gift I could ever have—His love! I have placed this event in the annals of the most significant experiences with God I have ever had.
God’s Spirit opened my mind that day to all verses of Scripture, sermons, and songs I have ever read, preached, heard preached, or sung, testifying to His great love for me. I began to be flooded with the love of Christ beyond anything I have ever known or thought was possible. His nurturing was powerful and tangible; I could feel His presence. As I was being cocooned within His love, the peace of God surpassed my understanding while I was serenaded by the very songs of how much He loves me. All my worries, my fears, my concerns for life, and how I would make it past today were enraptured in the vortex of His person. I was now strengthened with His might. It was at this moment that I wanted nothing more than what God wanted for me.
Immediately I began to sob from the depths of my soul, the apathy now vanquished. My tears flowed in praise to my God, my Deliverer, my Lord and Savior, who really, truly loves me. These tears of praise continued for hours. I sobbed until the sobbing could no longer be sustained. Then I would sob some more. That day I was rejuvenated by the hand of God and taught that I could live only through His power. It became clear to me: I must see Jesus as relevant to all areas of my life; I must understand that He cares about every area of my life. I have never forgotten this, nor have I ever been the same.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’” (Matt. 11:28–30 NLT).
“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob,
all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born.
Yes, I carried you before you were born.
I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.” —Isa. 46:3–4 (NLT)
Make an extensive list entitled "I know God loves me because..."
One of my (Melanie) earliest childhood memories recalls pumping my legs passionately to swing to the clouds while singing, “Yes, Jesus Loves Me.” This elementary song saturated my soul, but even in adulthood it is difficult to comprehend the depths of that simple truth.
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:6–8 NLT).
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?…No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Rom. 8:35–39 (NLT)
The truth of God’s love is not just a fact; it becomes a reality when we can recognize that because God loves us, He cares about every area of our lives. Not only does He care, but He also understands our deepest struggles, and He desires to be the solution for our every problem.
“This High Priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testing we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb. 4:15–16 NLT).
Erroneously we believe the deception that if God really does love us and really does care, He would make everything easy with smooth sailing. How can crisis and tribulation be evidence of a loving God? But even God’s gift of love to us required grief, agony, and despair. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).
On a particularly desperate day, the simple fact of God’s love for me (Kirk) became a powerful, relevant truth. Submitting to lifetime ministry did not isolate us from crisis and tribulation. The fiery darts of the wicked one inundated us with unrelenting force. The battle was fierce. It was the kind of spiritual warfare that challenged every fiber of my being.
As I was driving en route to pay a bill, I looked up and said to God in the privacy of my truck, “Lord, I’m at my end. I think I’m finished. There is nothing left in me to carry on. I don’t have anything else to give.” I was beaten. I had no more stamina. No more ability to endure. I was not depressed; I did not want to die. I was, however, pressed beyond my measure to continue the fight. I was exhausted.
“God,…I am finished! I don’t know what will become of me or how I will continue into tomorrow. God, unless You do something, it’s over for me.” My prayer to God was as tired and devoid of emotion as it could have ever been and still be articulated. All I could do was to look to God and say, “Please help me.”
God had me right where He wanted me. It was at this broken place I received from God the greatest gift I could ever have—His love! I have placed this event in the annals of the most significant experiences with God I have ever had.
God’s Spirit opened my mind that day to all verses of Scripture, sermons, and songs I have ever read, preached, heard preached, or sung, testifying to His great love for me. I began to be flooded with the love of Christ beyond anything I have ever known or thought was possible. His nurturing was powerful and tangible; I could feel His presence. As I was being cocooned within His love, the peace of God surpassed my understanding while I was serenaded by the very songs of how much He loves me. All my worries, my fears, my concerns for life, and how I would make it past today were enraptured in the vortex of His person. I was now strengthened with His might. It was at this moment that I wanted nothing more than what God wanted for me.
Immediately I began to sob from the depths of my soul, the apathy now vanquished. My tears flowed in praise to my God, my Deliverer, my Lord and Savior, who really, truly loves me. These tears of praise continued for hours. I sobbed until the sobbing could no longer be sustained. Then I would sob some more. That day I was rejuvenated by the hand of God and taught that I could live only through His power. It became clear to me: I must see Jesus as relevant to all areas of my life; I must understand that He cares about every area of my life. I have never forgotten this, nor have I ever been the same.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’” (Matt. 11:28–30 NLT).
“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob,
all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born.
Yes, I carried you before you were born.
I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.” —Isa. 46:3–4 (NLT)
Make an extensive list entitled "I know God loves me because..."
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Truth about God
(excerpt from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)
WHILE VIEWING THE portrait of God, our perceptions become perverted by the lens of Satan’s lies.
“You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (Eph. 2:2 NLT).
“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Cor. 3:16–18 NLT).
With “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2 KJV) as our firm foundation, God establishes three pillars of Christianity that provide a stable structure for our lives. These truths affect how we encounter, embrace, and experience God as we mature in our relationship with Christ:
• God is real; therefore He is relevant.
• God is love; therefore He is compassionate.
• God is sovereign; therefore He is trustworthy.
All He is accomplishing in our simple lives is for the purpose of establishing a deeper relationship with Him so that we may evidence Christ’s work.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. —2 Cor. 4:7–10 (NLT)
God is real, God is love, and God is sovereign; therefore, He is relevant, He is compassionate, and He is worthy of our trust. All who have given themselves to Him in brokenness, repentance, submission, and obedience benefit from His transforming power that is conforming us to His image. The fruit of His Spirit emerges as our own personal attributes reflect the fact that Jesus Christ is at work faithfully keeping His promises.
His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. —2 Peter 1:3–4 (NASB)
What evidence is there in your life that God is real?
WHILE VIEWING THE portrait of God, our perceptions become perverted by the lens of Satan’s lies.
“You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (Eph. 2:2 NLT).
“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Cor. 3:16–18 NLT).
With “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2 KJV) as our firm foundation, God establishes three pillars of Christianity that provide a stable structure for our lives. These truths affect how we encounter, embrace, and experience God as we mature in our relationship with Christ:
• God is real; therefore He is relevant.
• God is love; therefore He is compassionate.
• God is sovereign; therefore He is trustworthy.
All He is accomplishing in our simple lives is for the purpose of establishing a deeper relationship with Him so that we may evidence Christ’s work.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. —2 Cor. 4:7–10 (NLT)
God is real, God is love, and God is sovereign; therefore, He is relevant, He is compassionate, and He is worthy of our trust. All who have given themselves to Him in brokenness, repentance, submission, and obedience benefit from His transforming power that is conforming us to His image. The fruit of His Spirit emerges as our own personal attributes reflect the fact that Jesus Christ is at work faithfully keeping His promises.
His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. —2 Peter 1:3–4 (NASB)
What evidence is there in your life that God is real?
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