June 8, 2010 The Glory of Wisdom and Counsel

Today, the glory of God shines forth in two awesome examples of the how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself as wisdom, understanding and counsel (see Isaiah 11:2)-- King Solomon and Stephen.  I never would have thought to connect them, but there it was.  I hesitated to even mention it for fear of it being too obvious.  But then, the glory of God is obvious each and every day when then sun rises and we think our first thought-- but plenty of people manage to miss it.  It's always in good taste to magnify the Lord!

I'm not going to write a big essay on these two, because I think you're intelligent enough to see what I'm talking about.  I'll simply refer you to a few verses to get you started on your own study.  God honored Solomon's request for "understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart." 1 Kings 3:12.  "And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice." 1 Kings 3:28

The Apostles told the people to chose deacons from "men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom." Acts 6:3.  "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people." Acts 6:8  (Notice that Stephen was not one of the Twelve, yet he did signs and wonders).  When he was taken before the council for his "blasphemy", they saw his face shining with the glory!  What was the glory?  The Spirit of God!

In the next few days, when you read about Stephen, look to see how the same Spirit of discernment was working in him as in Solomon when the king judged a case.  Why did he get a different reaction from the same people than did Solomon? How does Solomon's heart for the nation compare to Stephen's?  What does this tell us about the prerequisites for making righteous judgments?

There is great glory in wisdom and discernment!  I want those-- don't you? We can't be sure what kind of outcome we'll have when we function in the Spirit of wisdom and counsel, but I believe it is a great need, not only in our daily lives, but for the nations we represent.  Whatever the turn of events, we can be assured that God's glory will rest on the one who serves Him with faith, love, and humility enough to give His timely counsel with razor sharp clarity of discernment and wisdom.  We could even end up glowing like Stephen did!

May 21, 2010 Extravagant Love

I'm always so moved by the story of Mary's anointing of Jesus' feet.  It was intuitive, it was humble, it was costly, it was intimate, it was symbolic, it was prophetic.  It was an extravagant outpouring of love and gratitude, with no thought of herself.  It could not be missed.

The fragrance permeated the house.  It must have lingered for days!    Not a soul there could have been unaware of it.  Mary's action would have caused a reaction in everyone: some would have been touched, others angry.  Jesus was so moved that He made sure that act of love was memorialized for all time.  I would love to touch His heart that much-- wouldn't you?

When we live our life in loving surrender and worship of our Lord Jesus, holding nothing back, we give a gift more precious than a life savings.  Each person has a different offering, but when given freely from the heart, it is precious to Him.  To give oneself in extravagant worship is to touch the Lord's heart.  It creates a mutual experience that lingers.  The by-product is that the atmosphere of our life is a compelling fragrance that others, depending on their heart condition, are either drawn to or repelled by.  One thing is certain.  Jesus loves it!

Jesus loves us extravagantly, doesn't He?  Let's return His love.

April 28. 2010

The things that Gideon did, and that happened to his family, after he fought off the Midianites are very instructive to me.  It's too easy to let it go to our head when God uses us.  Now, I can't be sure this is what happened to him, but that's the application I see in it for me.  God can use us mightily, but if we don't let God deal with our self-nature issues, our pride can most certainly cause us, and others, to stumble. 

It's particularly dangerous if a person makes lots of money from whatever anointing they may have received, or gain lots of fame and attention from people.  Human beings don't deal very well with these things.  So many people seem to go off the deep end when they're super-successful, whether or not they started out with God.   I dealt with some of that stuff a long time ago (in my miniscule brush with fame), and I may have talked about that a little, I can't remember.  But I am very glad that the Lord has seen fit to keep me hidden from view for a very long time, while He's worked through so many messed-up things in me, to form Christ in me.  I'd like to stay totally hidden until "it's no longer I that lives, but Christ who lives in me."  But really, it's up to the Lord as to what He wants to do with us.  My choice would be to stay out of view, but I wouldn't have much influence that way, and it would probably be like burying the talents or hiding the lamp under a bushel. 

All I can say is, we've got to stay humble and not get a big head when He does something through us.  It's His power and ability, not ours.

Jesus statement on the cross says it all to me, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."  It's not until we can love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength-- and trust Him enough to let go--that we can ever get over our self.

January 28, 2010

I never get tired of Psalm 23! I need some of those green pastures and still waters. I need a table prepared in the presence of my enemies. I need some fresh anointing and for my cup to overflow. Think I'll hang out with the Shepherd.