A War Within

     My favorite Uncle, Paul Engel, was not only a dentist but a great Civil War buff.  He loved collecting guns from the era and also participating in reenactments.  He could recite all sorts of information and had many books on the topic.  Since I loved history, I always enjoyed listening to him as he recounted stories of battles.  To be certain, it was a terrible war with a high cost in human life, and the worst part was that it was a battle within our own country.  The scars left took a long time to heal.  While this was a terrible conflict, there is a battle going on today inside each one of us that we have to face on a daily basis.
     In Peters first letter to believers (Chapter 2), he is addressing young Christians and encouraging them in their walk with Christ.  Verses 9-12 remind us to whom we belong and how special we are in God's sight.  It also reminds us to be ready for the battle against our flesh which is at war with the new person we are in Christ.  "9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."  John Owen (Voices from the Past, pg. 63) puts it this way:  "The general nature of indwelling sin is that it is always at enmity with us.  There can be no terms of peace.  It must be abolished and destroyed, every part and parcel of it.  Every drop of poison is poison, and will kill; and every spark of fire is fire, and will burn.  We can admit no terms of peace or compromise."
     John Owens goes on to say that some people give in to sin because it persists until they relent.  However, when we give into sin, it only brings more sin our way.  For example, if we tell a lie, we know it can often lead to more lies until we are caught in our own web.  When the truth comes out, it is often more painful for us than if we had merely been honest to begin with.  This is a struggle all Christians face and we will not be free from that old sin nature until we are face to face with the Lord.  However, the Good News is that "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20).  To put it another way, we do not have to listen to the old sin nature any longer.  We are a new creation in Christ!  The only way the old nature can bring us down is if we give in to it and indulge once again in a sinful conduct or habit.
     Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told his disciples He would send another comforter who would be with us and in us.  We know Him as the Holy Spirit who is our guide, our strength and who brings to mind the Scripture just when we need it.  Yet, for the Holy Spirit to effectively work within our hearts that are often weak, we need to immerse ourselves in God's Word.  The more we read the truth about God, sin and our salvation the stronger we will become as believers.  Think about this.  How can the Holy Spirit bring Scripture to our mind when we are tempted if we never read it?
     Furthermore, we need to bathe our hearts in prayer to God each day.  He refreshes our souls as we spend time talking to Him.  Jesus knew this and often retreated to a quiet place to spend time praying.  It is a pattern for us.  Likewise, Jesus was also tempted in all ways such as we are, but He never sinned.  Yes, He was perfect, but in Peter's second letter, he wrote these words:  "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence..."(2 Peter 1:3).  The Lord has given to us the Bible, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us so that we may be overcomers even as our Lord was.
     We do not not have to lose the war within.  We
 have to study to show ourselves approved of God and labor to rise above the lusts of our flesh.  This is a journey we are on which requires our effort to put to death those old patterns we lived before we became a Christian.  Praise God, though, that He has given us all the tools at hand and His very presence within to help us every step of the way.  Take heart for each day we can have victory in Christ as we seek His wisdom in the battles we face.  Selah!

I Would've, Could've, Should've.....

     How many times do we do things without really thinking about the possible consequences before we do them?  It can be something simple like eating an extra cookie we don't need or more painful like pushing yourself beyond your limits after you have had surgery.  Yes, I qualify in this department and it isn't the first time.
     Yesterday, I was feeling pretty good on my new and improved knee so I practiced walking around the house without a cane.  Thinking this was a sign of better days ahead, I decided to vacuum a portion of the house today.  My inner German housecleaner came out in full force because I cannot stand a gritty floor thanks to our dear dog who loves to walk in the black sand.  However, after I finished, my left knee started screaming at me that maybe this was not such a good idea after all.  Its only been three and a half weeks post surgery.  I felt good about the clean floor...but not so good about my knee.  Now, I just need to take it easy for a while so I can calm the knee down.  My husband reminds me often that "No pain means no gain" when it comes to rehab.  He is right and I need to remember to count the cost before plunging into a daily activity.

A memorial to a Covenanter in Scotland who gave his life in the
cause of Christ

     Jesus also spoke to His disciples about counting the cost, thinking about consequences, and determining if they had what it takes to follow Him.  Luke 14:25-34 is the passage that describes His discussion with the disciples following Him.  He made clear to the crowd that they would have to leave behind father and mother or perhaps their wife and children.  They might even lose their own life in order to follow Him.  Many today, in the persecuted church, have had to do just this.  Others who convert from some religions have been put to death for becoming a Christian.  So the Lord made it clear that there would be a cost for following Him.  He didn't promise rainbows, happy days and endless material gains.  He offered them a cross, self sacrifice, and asked them to count the cost.  The key verses are 28-33:  "28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’  31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."
     Somehow in this day and age, people who come to Christ and follow Him often expect life to be different.  They expect no illness, heartaches, or troubles.  Yet, Jesus plainly laid out in this passage and others that trials and tribulations are a part of  life i
n this fallen earth.  However, He did promise to be with us through all those valleys.  He told us He would never leave us or forsake us, but there is a cost to being a disciple.  We may lose old friends or even family members may cut ties, but the rewards and joy we receive in Christ are eternal.  They outweigh the hardships we may face.
     While we might not suffer the same fate as those in closed societies around the world, Jesus asks us to count the cost.  Are we willing to follow Him no matter where, when or how He calls us to serve Him?  There may be sacrifice required so we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to push on and take up our cross and follow Him.  Just as there is no gain in my ability to use my new knee without discomfort, there is no growth in the Christian walk without the commitment to face whatever God asks of us.  Our rewards and citizenship are in heaven.  We will see Him face to face one day and all we have suffered and lost will fall away in the light of His glory.  Though the cost is high, the blessings are without end when we follow our Master.  I may have been a bit foolish today when it came to overdoing it with my knee, but in 48 years of serving Christ, I have never had any regrets.  I am all in for Jesus Christ...are you?  Selah!
     

Only One Sovereign

     What's your view of God?  Do you see Him as sovereign over all the affairs of men?  Many see Him as merely a power that started the great machine of the universe and then stepped away to let it run as it will with no interest in individual lives.  Others see God as a "cosmic bell boy" as R.C. Sproul used to say.  He is merely a benevolent power who always loves us and is ready to bail us out of any circumstances we face.  However the only source with correct and true information is the Bible.
     Unfortunately, today, many people do not take the time for daily study of God's Word.  Even in some churches, there is more talk about how to have a better life than how to know the Lord who made us and the Universe.  Perhaps this is one reason why so many seem to disregard "The Ten Commandments" and treat them as suggestions.  Or why many laugh at Christians who desire to walk in harmony with the Lord and obey His teachings.  We are called old fashioned, bigots, and many other names because we believe the Bible is the truth and cannot be compromised to make others feel comfortable about their sin.

The Castle at Warwick England

     Of course none of this is new.  Since the Garden of Eden, man has rebelled against God's reign and chosen to go his own way.  Psalm 2 depicts this effort by nations and rulers to disregard God's sovereignty.  As Solomon wisely pointed out, there is nothing new under the sun.  Verses 1-6 paint a picture for us: 1 "Why do the nations rage
                         and the peoples plot in vain?
                    2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
                        and the rulers take counsel together,
                       against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
               3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
                         and cast away their cords from us.”
               4 He who visits in the heavens laughs;
                       the Lord holds them in derision.
             5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
                        and terrify them in his fury, saying,
              6 “As for me, I have set my King
                        on Zion, my holy hill.”
     Like Wiley Coyote trying everything he can to catch the Road Runner, the world leaders, movers and shakers often think they do not need to take God seriously.  They gather together to conspire and consolidate their power not realizing that the Lord sees their efforts from His throne in heaven.  These leaders think they know more about setting an agenda for mankind than the Creator does.  They do not need to follow God's commandments and teachings so they strive to create their utopian world according to their fallen natures.  However, the Psalm tells us God's reaction.  He laughs at them.  He established His Kingdom ruled by His Son Jesus Christ.  One day, they will face His wrath and see Christ return to set up a kingdom that is fair and just according to the Word of God.
     The Psalm concludes with these words in verses 10-12:  "Now therefore, O Kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled.  Blessed are all who take refuge in Him."  A wise ruler as well as a wise person would do well to take to heart the instruction of God.  We are here to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.  His ways need to become our ways and His thoughts need to become our thoughts.  If we want to live a life of grace, peace and joy, it will not come through any human government or political party.  This only will arise when we have a new heart given to us by God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  God is sovereign and His Word is true.  We cannot add to it or take away from it.  Our place is to seek Him first who rules over all powers in this universe.  Let us pray for our nation, our world and all leaders that they may acknowledge the only true Lord and Sovereign over all countries...the Lord Jesus Christ.  Selah!