GillKeith, Author at Your Personalized Bible

Justice or Mercy?

February 21, 2021 by GillKeith

Balance Several years ago the father of one of my daughter’s friends was murdered during his late night shift at 7-11. A few weeks later I was called for jury duty. Imagine my shock when I was seated as a prospective juror for the trial of the two young men accused of his murder. When I explained the situation to the judge, she asked, “You don’t feel you can be impartial in this case?” I wanted to scream, “Hell, no!” but I was more restrained in my response. As I walked past the defense table I felt a revulsion close to nausea sweep over me.

Certainly God feels that same revulsion toward us when He considers our sin, right? The truth of the Gospel gives a quite different picture. Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV) tells us God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness … but who will by no means clear the guilty…” Sense the tension there? God is merciful and loving but also just. How can both be satisfied? It happens in the person of Jesus Christ.

As a chemistry major I worked with a precision balance. I placed a tiny 0.1 gram weight on one side and then carefully added and subtracted some exotic chemical on the other side to get a precise amount. Ask many people, “ Do you believe you will go to heaven when you die?” and they will likely reply, “I’ve lived a pretty good life. I think the good outweighs the bad.” Most non-Christian religions teach a similar theology on how to be pleasing to God. But how much does a lie weigh? An angry word? A lustful thought? I have to balance those against working at the food bank or a bit extra in the church offering. Which way does the scale tip? It’s pretty scary to think my eternal destiny – heaven or hell – depend on that balance. How do I appease an angry god, how do I cover my sin, how do I escape eternal punishment? The power of the Gospel is the scale was demolished by the cross. Jesus brought His blood to the mercy seat so I don’t have to bring mine.

Daniel as a young man was exiled from Israel to Babylon. Through God’s blessing, he became a respected member of the royal court. One night King Belshazzar threw a big party. When they were all drunk, a disembodied hand began writing on the wall. No one could read the writing until Daniel was brought in. He interpreted, “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27 NIV) Which of our lives could be weighed on the balance of God’s justice and not be found wanting.

During the COVID pandemic of 2020, we learned a lot through the media about how viruses work. We heard about antigens and macrophages and lymphocytes. And this is only one of thousands of processes that are going on continually within my body day and night without my initiation or intervention. Yet some would defiantly declare, “There is no God!” and the balance tips toward eternal destruction. We are undercharged at the grocery store, “Today is my lucky day.” And the balance tips. “It was just a little white lie.” And the balance tips. “Only a one night stand.” And the balance tips. “I am a little buzzed but I’m ok to drive.” And the balance tips.

Atonement can come in two ways: punishment or substitution. The star quarterback is injured, coach will substitute the second string guy. I am out of basil for this recipe; I am going to substitute thyme. The third grade teacher is sick today, there will be a substitute. The justice of God demands punishment for sin. The Law of the Old Testament gave the Israelites a system to address sin as an individual and as a nation. It reminded everyone of the gravity of disobedience and the mercy of God. The Israelites of Old Testament times recognized they couldn’t meet the just requirements of a holy God, so animal sacrifices became their substitute. A spotless, unblemished lamb took their place to satisfy God’s justice. Over and over and over those sacrifices were made because the guilt kept coming. Only a perfect gift for sacrifice could satisfy the holiness of God. Yet any gift we can bring will by nature be imperfect. That is why God had to provide the sacrifice of His Son.

Moses instructed the Israelites in the ceremony of the scapegoat (Leviticus 16). We still use the term today when we want to shift blame for something that goes wrong. The Jewish priest would lay his hands on the head of a goat transferring the sins of the nation. The goat was then led into the wilderness to die. Thus God’s demand of justice was satisfied and the people could receive mercy.

When our dog pees on the floor she can’t offer the cat as a substitute. She must face the punishment. There is only one perfect, spotless life that is a sufficient substitute for the sin of mankind. Jesus is our substitute.

What is the most powerful verse in the Bible? Many would say John 3:16: “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.” (NKJV). Others would suggest John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (ESV) Or perhaps Ephesians 2:8; “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (NLT) I asked the question on Face Book and got these in response: John 13:34, Mark 12:30-31, Colossians 1:27, Matthew 6:14-15, Hebrews 13:8, John 14:6, 1John 4:10 and Proverbs 3:5.

I propose the most powerful verse in the Bible is 2Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (NKJV). The Divine Exchange: the one man in history who never sinned took on sin itself and became so abhorrent that the Father turned His face away. More than the physical pain of crucifixion was that of breaking the bond between Father and Son that had existed from eternity past. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me.” (Mark 15:34 NKJV) My sin caused a chasm between me and God that I could not cross. His justice demanded payment and Jesus paid the price on the cross so I can stand before the throne righteous and justified.

Every year the Jewish high priest brought the blood of bulls and goats to a man-made altar to atone for the sins of the nation. Jesus brought His own blood into the heavenly Sanctuary as an eternal atonement for our sin. Our job is to trust in that sacrifice. If we do, we can come boldly before the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)

What thought comes when you hear grace? A prayer before meals? Grace is so much more. It is God’s hand extended to draw us “up from the pit of destruction.” (Psalm 40:2 ESV) Grace is changing us into the people of God. The truth of the Gospel is carrying out that transformation. What is that truth? Jesus died as my substitute as our atonement so I will not stand in judgement for my sin. Through faith in Jesus I can come before God the Father without fear or shame. Sin always brings shame. Only God can cover my shame.

How do I enter into that gift of grace? One traditional way is the “Romans Road”, a series of Scriptures from the book of Romans that outlines the “road” to salvation:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 NKJV). I acknowledge my sin and make the decision to change.
“For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a NLT). Sin has consequences. I deserve punishment, not reward. No Jesus, no hope.
“But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b NLT). Through Jesus I have the opportunity to live differently, to envision a different destiny. Know Jesus, know hope.
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NKJV). The power that raised Jesus from the grave can work in me to create a new destiny. It has the power to transform me into His likeness.

It is a grave injustice to the Gospel to think that power comes just through saying a prayer; it comes by following Jesus. Belief is a good starting point, but as James pointed out, “Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” (James 2:19b) That’s not very good company. No, it is vital that we follow the prayer with a commitment to growth. And so I will add another verse from Romans:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:2a NLT) Through Bible study, prayer and fellowship with other believers we will grow in knowledge, understanding and obedience.

God urges us to be transformed from the inside out. This is not a means to earn salvation or an attempt to tip the balance in our favor, but the natural response we should have to being saved. More than external transformation, God is looking for a transformation that starts on the inside and naturally manifests on the outside. There are no shortcuts. There is no magical formula for renewing our minds. We must fill our minds with God’s Word. As Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17 ESV)

I understand those two young men were sentenced to life without parole. Fortunately I do not have to stand before a jury of my peers to have my life judged. When it comes time for me to stand before God’s judgement seat, the devil may be there to bring accusations but Jesus will be my defense attorney. Isaiah 53:5a (NIV [with my additions]) tells us, “But he was pierced for our transgressions [our outward actions], he was crushed for our iniquities [our inner thoughts].” He went to the cross to satisfy God’s requirements of justice and it was there He declared, “It is finished.”

Filed Under: Character, Freedom, In Christ, Mercy

Slumber Party

August 2, 2018 by GillKeith

The other day we were working on a new recipe for dinner. It was zucchini and penne pasta with ricotta cheese. As we went down the list of ingredients we found we didn’t have some and we considered how we might substitute. It took me back to an evening many years earlier. It was 1966. My girlfriend (and future wife) was hosting a slumber party for her friend who was going away to college. And I decided it would be a good idea to raid it. (Give me a break; I was 19.) I recruited two friends who also knew most of the girls at the party and we made our plans.

We started at the home of one of my fellow raiders to bake a cake for the celebration. I wanted a two layer cake but only had mix for a single layer. No problem, just add flour to make up the difference. We’ll throw in some sugar for good measure. Not much sugar available, so we can substitute salt.

Time for the mixer. This was the first time I had used a hand held mixer but how hard could it be. Whirr! The mix is looking pretty good. Whirr! I guess I’ll pull the mixer out and check it. Whirr! I guess I should have turned the mixer off before lifting it out!

Into the pans. Into the oven. Hum? Not raising like I’m used to seeing with my mother’s cakes. Are they supposed to be thin on one side and thick on the other? Oh well, nothing a little frosting can’t cure… or maybe a lot of frosting. The cake was out of the pans and hard as a brick. This is not going well. We let them cool and started frosting. We wanted candles but the only thing we had was a 12” taper. The cake was so hard that we had to hold the candle up with string. And a taste of one corner told us if we were expected to eat it we were in trouble. We cut a corner off and implanted a cupcake so at least we could cut that portion if needed.

Finally we were ready, a bit behind schedule but on our way. We were each dressed in black from black shoes, black slacks and shirt, and black watch cap. A regular cat burglar outfit. I had warned my girlfriend’s dad what we had planned so he would stay up and make sure everyone was modestly attired. He was also to leave the back door unlocked so we could come in without being observed. Unfortunately, someone took out the trash, locking the door behind them. Compounding the problem, her dad fell asleep on the sofa and no amount of tapping on the window would rouse him.

We retreated to a street corner down the block to discuss an alternate strategy when we saw two police cars coming slowly up the street with lights flashing and spotlights scanning. Apparently someone in the neighborhood didn’t like three cat burglars lurking on their street corner. I said, “That’s it. We go in now!” We ran across the street, up the side of the house and into the back yard. “Surprise!!” Fortunately the girls let us in and we didn’t have to explain to the police what we were doing.

A fun story but are their spiritual lessons to be learned? I think so.

Raiding a slumber party might not have been such a good idea, but maybe the idea of a slumber party has its faults. Proverbs 6:10-11 (NLT) warns, “A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.” The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1Peter 5:8 ESV) Our defense depends on our being sober-minded and alert. Jesus is coming again. Am I ready? Luke 12:40 (NIV) says, “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
What kind of friend encourages you to raid a girls’ slumber party? Yea, they were 19 too. We need others in our lives. More importantly we need the right others in our lives. Lazarus came staggering out wrapped in grave clothes. His friends’ reaction could have been, “Where do you think you’re going? I’ve known you since you were a corpse. You’ll never change. Now get back in there.” Do you have friends like that? Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) teaches, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” We need those who will encourage, challenge and work to reveal the new man. We need the Barnabas, the mentor who guides, instructs and corrects. We need the Aquila, the companion, the coworker. We need the Timothy, the next generation who we can pour our lives into. And most importantly, do I see myself as God’s friend or am I so wrapped up in guilt and shame that I can’t see beyond it? In John 15:15 Jesus says, “I call you friends.” Let that soak in.
Have the Right Recipe. If I don’t put in the right ingredients I can’t expect the right end product. Do I try to substitute popularity or pleasure in place of passion for God? Drugs for dedication? Alcohol for accountability? Respect of others for righteousness before God? Culture for the Cross?
Follow directions. As a man, I hate to stop and ask for directions. I’d rather drive around an extra half hour than admit to a stranger that I’m lost. I use a technique on the computer called “poking around”. My wife asks for help on a problem with a computer program and after a bit I show her what to do. “How did you figure that out?’ “I poked around!” “Grrrr.” We have the directions for a successful life, but are we willing to read and obey? I want to lean on my own understanding, my own ability but I’m sure somewhere in the instructions it said to shut off the mixer before lifting it out. Proverbs 3:5-6 promises, “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 straight your paths.” Let’s be willing to ask for and follow the directions.
Frosting may do the job of covering mistakes on a cake, but what will cover the blackness in my life? God gives us the key to His frosting: Love. 1Peter 4:8b says love covers a multitude of sins. It’s better than frosting. 1Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV) describes love: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” It’s the best kind of frosting.
It can take many forms: anger, unforgiveness, pride, even indifference. It can result from betrayal, grief, disappointment. Whatever the form, it prevents God’s truth from penetrating and changing us on the inside. In Jesus’s Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) the hardness of the wayside is one type of soil. It prevents the seed from taking root. So hardness of heart prevents the Word from penetrating and taking root in our soul.
We embedded a cupcake in one corner. Did that make the whole cake edible? If I go to church on Sunday does that mean the rest of my week will be blessed? Psalm 34:8 (NIV) says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” He is a feast every day of the week. 1Peter 2:2 (ESV) encourages us to “like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.”
My girlfriend’s dad slept through the whole thing. Not helpful. Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1Kings 18). He accused their god of being asleep, but when he called on the Lord, the answer was immediate. No sleeping there. Psalm 121:3-4 (NIV) promises, “He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” We are in good hands.
Dressed in black, we wanted to blend into the darkness. Today I want to shine a light. Darkness brings bondage; light brings freedom. John 3:20 NLT “All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.” Those police officers used a spotlight to penetrate the dark corners of that block. May my light shine in such a way to illuminate the dark corners of this fallen world. In that I want to have the right motives. How often am I saying, “To God be the glory” but internally I’m crying out, “Notice me, affirm me.”? Something to think about.
Finally, God isn’t surprised. We are bound in this dimension called time. He is boundless. Jesus wasn’t surprised by Judas’s betrayal or Peter’s denial. John 10:18 (GWT) “No one takes my life from me. I give my life of my own free will.” God has never looked at what we have done and said, “Whoa, I didn’t see that coming!” On the other hand, we are in for a surprise. 1Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Isaiah 43:19a (NKJV) declares, “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth.” Surprise!

He is my Rock and I want to build my life on that Rock. Psalm 18:2 (NIV) says, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” He knows me. He knows my weaknesses, my failings, my fears, my darkest shameful secrets. In spite of that He calls me His beloved. He welcomes me to come boldly before Him. He embraces me as His son.

My objective is to point you to the Bible. It is the recipe for a successful life. In this book are the ingredients for spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace… Galatians 5;22), for our thought life (true, noble, right, pure… Philippians 4:8), for prayer (Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6:9-13), for living godly (faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control… 2Peter 1:5-8), for spiritual protection (armor of God Ephesians 6:10-17). Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” For a generous serving of success, we go to God’s Word.

Slumber Party: I think that is an oxymoron, you know, like jumbo shrimp or hot chili? Slumber zzzz Party Yea Slumber zzzz Party Whoopi. Now is not the time to slumber or to party. We have work to do. It’s time to get out the recipe and follow the directions. His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

Filed Under: Character, In Christ Tagged With: anger, darkness, directions, friends, laziness, light, love, pride, unforgiveness

Shame Off You

December 23, 2017 by GillKeith

Shame

Has anyone said to you, “Shame on you!” or “You ought to be ashamed!”? Shame makes us feel small, flawed, not good enough. Shame adversely affects our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. It hinders our ability to experience God’s unconditional love.

The good news is there is power in God’s Word to break through the lies I have believed. Breaking free from the bondage of shame is not an instant event or even a quick-fix, three-step process. It is an ongoing adventure of discovering the depths of God’s love and the scope of God’s power to transform me. God has new life, new freedom available on the other side of this journey.

Do I still have shame and condemnation on my conscience? As long as the past is my focus, I won’t dare to draw near to God. But Jesus paid for my guilt and bore my shame. In fact He overpaid – enough for everyone alive, has lived or will live. He carried it all to the cross. And He left it there!

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were more than enough for all of us. When He emerged from that tomb, He was no longer clothed in the sin and shame of this world. Sin and its shame were left in the tomb: conquered, paid for, redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. It is finished. The blood of Jesus has healed us. The blood of Jesus has set us free.

The Israelites had an eleven-day journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. It didn’t have to take forty years, but they chose grumbling, complaining, resisting the work God wanted to do in them. We all have some version of the wilderness to go through. It’s a season that exposes how defenseless we are. It’s how God prepares us to be able to overcome the giants in our lives. It’s a place we cycle through over and over again in our lives—but in different areas—always getting freer and freer from shame each time. We just have to be willing to follow where He leads.

God’s goal for us is freedom, true spiritual freedom. It is a life no longer bound by the weights of shame’s guilt and regret, no longer haunted by shame’s fears and worries, no longer captive to shame’s old habits and addictions. God’s goal for us is not to change our circumstances; it is to change us!

More than once the children of Israel lost focus of how bad life had been when they had been in bondage and they wanted to turn back to Egypt (Exodus 16:3. Exodus 17:3, Numbers 11:5, Numbers 14:2, Numbers 20:5, Numbers 21:5). How quickly I can forget when the wilderness feels too dark and too hard for too long. There are times when I forget how hard the life of shame was and I yearn for the familiar and am tempted to go back to old ways.

We decide it’s time to open a bottle when an unforeseen disappointment surprises us, rather than call the sponsor who is committed to helping us stay on course. Or we grow tired of the discipline of believing who God’s Word says we are over the lies of mean-spirited people who have always said, “You’re just a loser and you’ll always be a loser.”

No matter how bad our past, it’s always easier to revert to old behaviors than to forge new ones. The reality is there is no drive-through breakthrough. We all must go through the wilderness to get to freedom so we are strong enough to defeat the giants who fuel our shame.

Jesus died to secure our freedom from sin and death. Adam and Eve lived unashamed in daily fellowship with our loving Creator and each other. In heaven we will fully enjoy that ultimate freedom. But we don’t have to wait to walk in freedom: Jesus offers us freedom from sin’s slavery now.

I cannot change my past, but I can make decisions now that will change my future. Not just for me, but for the generations who would come after me. I am not powerless, helpless, useless. I have the power to choose freedom.

When I choose to focus more on what Jesus has done for me than on what others have done or said to me, I have the faith to stand up and start moving forward. Without Him, I will inevitably become weary and run out of steam. It is God’s power that is made perfect in my weakness, not my own (2Corinthians 12:9).

The key to moving from a damaged, shame-filled life to a whole, shame-free life is allowing the healing power of the love of God to permeate every corner of my wounded soul and bring healing, wholeness, and strength. It’s not about my doing more for God; it’s about giving God more access so He can do more in me.

The devil will do everything in his power to keep me from getting on the right train of thought. Casting Crowns has a great song, “The Voice of Truth”. Part of the lyrics go:

But the giant’s calling out my name and he laughs at me Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed. The giant keeps on telling me Time and time again, “Boy, you’ll never win! “You’ll never win.”

But the voice of truth tells me a different story, And the voice of truth says “Do not be afraid!” And the voice of truth says “This is for My glory.” Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

Romans 12:2 says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” I have to be committed to retrain my thinking. I have to work at believing God’s voice spoken through His Word, more than all the other voices that have spoken into my lives (including my own).

We were touring in Italy and were taking the train from Rome to Florence. The Rome train station was massive with dozens of departing trains and tracks. We couldn’t just climb on the first train we came to. We had to choose carefully. I have decided to begin each day by first checking the destination board and picking the right train of thought. I ask myself, “Where do I want to end up today?” And then set my course going in the right direction. This is the process of renewing my mind. Through it, I become someone who thinks and, consequently, lives differently than the world.

Several members of our church agreed that we would take time every morning before breakfast to read the Bible. With very few exceptions over the last 10 years, I have started every morning filling my mind with the Word of God. When I am armed with the truth of His Word, I am able to contend with the attacks of fear, doubt, negativity, and lies that the enemy throws at me every day.

Knowing who I am in Christ and what I have in Christ is vital to staying on track every day. Jesus said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV) We love to declare, “The truth will set you free!” But it is only the truth that I know that will set me free. And the only way to know God’s Word is to read it, meditate on it, study and apply it to my everyday life.

The walls surrounding the city of Jericho were impenetrable. Jericho had heard the Israelites were coming, so the place was on lockdown. The Israelites could see that the situation they faced was impossible. Seven days of marching around the walls only emphasized it. Then Joshua told them to shout. “Yea, right. Like that’s going to make a difference! Where’d we find this guy anyway? I’m heading back to Egypt.”

God wanted the Israelites to see not with their eyes but with their faith. He wanted them to see that even though the circumstances were impossible, He would give them the promised victory, because “all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

Learning to trust takes time. But here’s the great news: God knows how to grow trust. He knows how to plant it, how to nourish it, how to repair it when it’s been broken, and how to restore it when it’s been lost. God is in the trust-growing business!

Do you know what He uses to grow our trust? He uses the very tool that the enemy uses to try to stop us. He uses our fear. Fear exposes the limits of our present trust level, but not our potential capacity. Trust building is a process, a journey.

Trust calls for putting more faith in what I know about God than in what I don’t know about the future. It is then I will walk in obedience, trusting that God is good and there is no darkness in Him at all (1 John 1:5). He can only do good and only good will come of the things He asks me to do.

Ephesians 5:8 (NKJV) tells us, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” When I bring what is hidden in the dark—my shame and guilt—into the light of God’s merciful presence, they lose their power over me. He gently shines His healing light on all my wounds. Psalm 118:6 (ESV) says, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.” He will never shame or humiliate me. He is good, merciful, and kind. He didn’t cause my pain, but He’s ready to help me through that pain.

God is at work transforming me into the kind of Jesus follower who spreads grace and builds others up in the Lord. The next time someone hurts me—and they will—or I hurt someone—and I will—rather than hide from the pain and the shame, I can expose it to God’s light and experience healing and grace. This is living in hope rather than returning to the old cycle I dwelt in so long.

I want to see what God sees! I choose to focus on the freedom that is coming once I drop my old baggage, to focus on where God is leading me. The next time all that shame comes piling back on, let’s take a moment to catch sight of the freedom to come when we slay that giant.

I have made the decision to trust and obey rather than running back to the wilderness to grumble and complain. I choose to be confident that God will be faithful to lead me to complete freedom. Freedom comes when I see myself as God sees me! When I see the victory ahead, when I see the freedom that is coming, I am not only willing to endure, but I am eager to press forward into that freedom.

Let’s declare together:

Jesus has set me free.
I am free from condemnation.
I am free from guilt.
I am free from shame.
Shame off me!

Filed Under: Freedom, In Christ

It’s The Thought That Counts

August 23, 2017 by GillKeith

I girl THINKING can be born again but my life can still look like something out of Loony Tunes, right up until “Th- th- that’s all, folks!” Inside, I’m perfect―born again in the image of God Himself. But on the outside I find myself falling frustratingly short. What am I going to do? The answer lies in renewing my mind. Romans 12:2 (NIV) commands, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Instead of conforming to the world’s image, I seek transformation into the image of the reborn spirit within me. (Ephesians 4:24)

Wishing for it is not enough to bring about change. My mind is where the battle takes place. Whatever I allow to dominate my mind will rule my life. Will it be the Word of God or the lies of Satan? My choice.

James 4:7 says to “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The devil is going to attack my mind and cause me to wrestle with thoughts of fear, shame, guilt and rejection. How can I resist the devil? Jesus showed the way in Matthew 4 – combat the devil’s lies with the Word of God. When fear comes that I am going to fail, I remind the devil Jesus already won the victory! Every lie of the devil has a corresponding truth from God’s Word, so I will use the Word as my weapon and fight until the devil flees. The Word of God is my sword (Ephesians 6:17).

Jesus healed a blind man by spitting in the dirt and spreading mud on his eyes. (John 9) Gross!
That whole process certainly would have made the man uncomfortable, but there was a miracle on the other side of the discomfort. We went through a remodel of our home. It was not comfortable: no bedroom, no kitchen, workers in and out, a constant mess. Transformation is not comfortable but it is worth it. Breaking from destructive relationships is not pleasant. Mind renewal is not easy. But there is a miracle just on the other side.

Feeling bad about my current circumstance doesn’t mean I am going to get better. We deceive ourselves by thinking if I really feel bad about the way things are, then I’ll do something about it. I can look at the scale every morning and say, “I really should do something!” But there is no motivation, no energy. Nothing will change. I just go back to my Twinkies. Being dissatisfied doesn’t mean I will change. Being unhappy about where I am doesn’t mean things will get better.

Renewal leads to a better place. Renewal gives me a new thought, a new goal, a new vision, a new dream and that will bring change to my life. I can look at what the Lord has for me and move toward that hope. That brings energy and passion into my life. Then I am not stuck in my past but rather moving with expectancy into my future.

Mind renewal is a battle against the strongholds and mind sets that have taken root in my soul. What is my story? Not the one I tell the world but the one I tell myself. That is the one that will pull me down or enable me to climb higher. I can put up a front to the world of confidence and godliness but behind closed doors I’m on internet sites I shouldn’t be or I’m focused on failure, self-pity, unforgiveness. If I can change my thoughts, I can change my life. New thoughts will bring me to new places.

I find myself in the middle of a failure again and I am surprised and shocked and shamed. I ask myself, “How did this happen?” The truth is, it started with a seed thought that I didn’t capture and it grew into something I never intended it to be. Is there an area in my life where I’m asking myself how I got there, how I let it get so bad or so out of control? There is a way out! “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)

I don’t have to think every thought that comes into my mind. Just because I have a thought doesn’t mean it’s beneficial for me or that I should dwell on it. We should test thoughts and throw them out if they aren’t taking us where we want to go. 2Corinthians 10:5 tells us to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. When a thought crosses my mind that is negative, destructive or damaging, I am to test it against the truth of God’s Word and watch what happens. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think on whatever is noble, pure and lovely. I plan to think about what I’m thinking about and find ways to focus on the good. If I think like Christ I will live like Christ.

I have one shirt that I love. It is comfortable and sturdy so I can wear it for any job in the garage or the yard. But I can’t tell you how many times I have rescued it from the give-away pile because my wife hates it. In the same way, strongholds give me a sense of familiarity and comfort. My mind is going to go to what is comfortable and familiar in times of difficulty. A stronghold can be the most comfortable thought I have. I have thought it so many times that I don’t even realize the power that stronghold has! The Word of God is given to us in order to help us break free from the comfort zones that ensnare us.

Christians (even non-Christians) love to quote part of John 8:32; “The truth will set you free.” But the full verse makes it clear it is the truth that I know that sets me free, and the verse before sets an important condition: “If you continue in my word.” “Continue” is key. There’s a depth of revelation that comes from consistency that the inconsistent person will never see. Joshua 1:8 admonishes us that if we want to experience success, it comes by meditating on the Word.

When my wife and I were dating, she played a trick on me. She called me on the phone but put her girlfriend on to speak to me instead. This other girl answered, “Hi, sweetheart. It’s so good to hear from you.” I was oblivious and carried on the conversation as normal until I heard the giggles on the other end. They both thought it was great fun. (I wasn’t laughing.) Jesus said “His sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger.” (John 10:4b-5 NIV) Do I know God’s voice or have I listened to the devil’s voice for so long that he is not a stranger so I follow him easily? It is time to make God’s Word an integral part of my life so that I know His voice and the devil becomes a stranger. The Spirit of God will never guide me in opposition to the written Word of God (John 16:13). So, if I’m not familiar with what the Word says, I will find it more difficult to discern His leading.

The faucet in our garage sink was leaking. When I turned it on, water sprayed all over. That’s the kind of job I like. I went to Home Depot, bought some parts, grabbed my tools and a couple of hours later, all fixed. I felt accomplished and the good news was the next day I went into the garage, turned on the faucet and it worked perfectly. Unfortunately mind renew isn’t like that. It isn’t a once-and-done type of thing. It’s a daily process. Also, it’s a process that I must welcome the Holy Spirit into.

What does a Holy Spirit directed mind look like?
1. Decided. In Joshua 24:15, Joshua declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” An overcomer makes up his mind and is not sidetracked. In 48 years of marriage we have had the opportunity to be sidetracked by hurt, unforgiveness and self-focus, but we have remained decided. It takes backbone. It means standing when everyone else is running. Daniel’s friends faced the fiery furnace but they refused to run. Romans 1:16 says we are not ashamed of the Gospel. The “decided” mind makes the decision and sticks with it.
2. Disciplined. Living any ol’ way does not produce a champion. The attitude, “Mañana, mañana. Tomorrow I’ll take care of it.” That attitude is for the loser. The “disciplined” mind has integrity and humility. It is uncompromising. Daniel in the Old Testament exhibited it; Timothy in the New Testament also. Godly character is to choose to live by Godly principles. Problems are not going to go away. Battles will continue. The devil will continue to be after you. But discipline wins.
3. Diligent. We are constantly bombarded by the world. We may joke about the picture of a demon on one shoulder and an angel on the other whispering in our ear but reality is the devil is whispering to me all the time. Am I goin’ with the flow or am I fighting upstream? Colossians 1:23 (NIV) tells us to “continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” Thoughts motivate actions; actions repeated become habits; habits collectively show character; character determines destiny. What is the foundation of your destiny? Are you built on the Rock?
4. Dominating. The enemy is defeated. It is time to stand up and enforce our inheritance. When we take up the whole armor of God (Eph 6:10-17), we will experience the truth of Romans 8:37 (NIV): “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” We have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelations 12:11) Jesus is King of kings.

Don’t let Satan bind you with the grave clothes of yesterday’s sin and defeat. You’ve been raised with Jesus. Like Lazarus (John 11), come out of the tomb and start living resurrection life! “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV) That’s a promise to get ahold of.

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A Moth or a Cockroach

June 23, 2016 by GillKeith

Moth-Cockroach Everyone who hears the truth of the Gospel behaves like a bug. Which are you: a moth or a cockroach? Let me share two experiences that illustrate the behavior of these two insects.

When we were on vacation on a Caribbean island we went to dinner at an outdoor pizza parlor. We had never before seen an outdoor pizza parlor and we were about to find out why. After eating about half of the pizza we noticed these strange lumps in the cheese. It turned out that the pizza was kept under warming lamps while waiting to be served. Being outdoors, moths were attracted to the lamps, be killed by the heat and fall into the pizza. We complained to the management and, since we had already eaten half of the pizza, they offered us a 50% refund. My stomach still does flip flops at the memory.

The second episode dates to 1972. We rented a cottage at Wrightsville Beach, NC for a month. One night I came into the kitchen quite late and flipped on the light only to see a dozen or so big black bugs scurry quickly to their hiding places. Cockroaches!

When you turn on a light, a moth is immediately attracted to it. The opposite reaction happens with a cockroach. He will scurry away to hide. People are the same way with the Gospel. John 3:19-21 (NIV): “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

For someone who is fully enjoying their life of sin it is difficult to turn away. Sin can have a tight hold. For those of us who have given our hearts to God, we are to be drawn to the Light of truth as a moth is drawn to a light. Eph. 5:8-9 (NIV) “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” In short, be a moth and not a cockroach!

The Bible says a lot about light, darkness, and the people who prefer one over the other. John wrote, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Paul described Jesus as “the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:6). Jesus described Himself and His followers like this: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).

Darkness is a common biblical metaphor for sin. Jesus also spoke of darkness as something the natural, sinful person prefers above light. He said, “The Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-21).

You are either like a moth or a cockroach. You either love the Light and find peace in His presence, or you are repulsed by the Light and prefer hiding in the darkness of your sin.

The non-Christian has a defective compass. Rather than helping him find his way to safety and security, it makes him more lost, more enslaved. John 3:19,20: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” Just as a cockroach by nature prefers darkness over light, fallen man by nature prefers sin over Jesus.

The true Christian, on the other hand, has a compass that has been renewed by God. The Holy Spirit dwells in him, giving him new desires which lead him away from sin and toward righteousness. No matter what the world insists is better, this person knows there is nothing better than Jesus. The light of truth has entered his heart so that he sees “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Sin has an ever-decreasing appeal. John 1:5 NLT “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

Just as we might use a sanitizer for our hands, there is Purell for the heart. Our hearts can be sanitized. As David prayed in the 51st Psalm, we can ask God to “wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within us.” God has the ability to sanitize our hearts, cleaning out the filth and grime of sin, through forgiveness offered by his Son’s death upon the Cross. We don’t have to remain in the shadows.

God calls us to be light, a light that has the power to transform us and others. We welcome the light of a new way of thinking and living. Our hearts can be filled with a new outlook as we experience His peace.
Pick up a cockroach and place it in a lighted room; what happens? It will scurry for a dark corner as quickly as possible. A change of nature is needed before the light is accepted. The same with people. We all know those who run from the light.

But don’t we each run from the light in some are of our lives that we have not yet surrendered: pride, selfishness, lustful thoughts, anger, unforgiveness? When we came to the Lord, our soul was filled with cockroaches. It is a lifelong process to bring light to those dark areas.

Paul said in Ephesians 5:11, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness.” In Colossians 1:13, he said, “[God] has rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” That’s past tense. It has already happened. He sees us already complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10), new creations (2Corinthians 5:17), partakers of His divine nature (2Peter 1:4) and more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). That doesn’t sound like a cockroach to me.

We are separated from the light by veils of guilt, shame, unforgiveness and disappointment. In Christ, we enter a new and living way. The veil has been torn in two and we can step into the Holy Place.
The news reported recently about a man who had escaped from prison in North Carolina in 1968 but was captured in Connecticut after applying for social security. Someone who escapes from jail is free but looking over their shoulder. They are not free indeed. A runaway slave was free but not until he reached Canada was he free indeed. The Israelites escaped Egypt but they were looking over their shoulder as the Egyptian chased them. Going through the Red Sea meant they were free indeed. God wants us so free we are not looking over our shoulder wondering when our yesterday will catch up with us. Free but the drugs are chasing me. Free but I still have a temper out of control. There are bars I can see and bars I cannot see. Jesus declares me free indeed.

Romans 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” If God’s Word says that we are more than conquerors through Christ, then we are. We are not going to become, we already are. We may be experiencing some failures or setbacks in life right now, but only good will come out of our situations because God says that “in all these things we are more than conquerors”. We have the victory!

God has placed us in Christ, whom He has exalted to the highest place in the universe. We are not trying to get to victory. We already have victory. We don’t speak God’s Word to get victory. We speak His Word because we are victorious.

The moment you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are born again and the new person inside you is more than a conqueror. Born again is not doing God a favor. I gave my life to God. It was so rotten He had to throw it away and give me a new life.

Perfection is what we are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for perfection is not an impossibility. We can only do the best we can under the conditions that exist. That is what counts.

If you don’t cleanup your kitchen, the cockroaches are going to move in. If you don’t cleanup your life, demons are likely to consider you their best friend and bring you all kinds of trouble.

Recognize that demons are not to be feared. They run and hide in the shadows and darkness when confronted with the light of the Holy Spirit. When I think of Satan, I am reminded of the wizard in The Wizard of Oz. He tried to be intimidating and scary but in reality he was a little guy behind a curtain. Isaiah 14:16 (NIV) describes Satan, “Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: ‘Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble?’” Someday we will see the devil for who he is and say, “Why was everyone so scared?”

The devil will try to steal our victory. He will come against us with lies and fears, and cause us to be conscious of our failures and weakness. “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith.” (1 Peter 5:8,9) Who can he devour? How do we resist him? He devours the one who has separated himself from community. We resist him by staying connected to others who will support and hold us accountable.

No one has it all together but together we have it all. I will always meet the negative crowd on the way to a miracle. The road to transformation will be lined with scoffers. Who I run with is a prophesy of my future.

The devil will shout, “Who do you think you are? Look at your past!” God has something to say about my past: “Get over it.” What is keeping me from taking the next step forward? Phil 3:14-14

The rule of Satan is broken. Romans 6:6-7 declares we are no longer slave to sin. The old man died. A new person is living here. Someday we will stand before the Judgement Seat. The prosecutor will be Satan but our defense attorney will be Jesus and has never lost a case.

My job is not to push out darkness, but simply to turn on the light. I must let go in order to move forward. I am not chained to the past, I am choosing to hold onto it.

You say you want to get ahead. I ask what head do you want to get: the head is addiction, pride, pornography, anger? David had to confront Goliath to take off his head. To conquer in any area of my life, I must first confront it then pick up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and take its head off.

We face decisions every day in the areas of relationships, integrity, forgiveness, purity, in living the Good News. Light or darkness. Moth or cockroach. Your choice.

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Close to the Fire

November 9, 2015 by GillKeith

The Pogo comic strip appeared in the1970’s featuring a possum and an alligator. It’s most famous quote was, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” I have faced many enemies: the pitcher who wanted to strike me out in grade school, the young man who tried to steal my girl in college, the boss who cut me down behind my back. Then there is the continuing lure of the flesh, the snare of unforgiveness. The most dangerous enemy I will face is me: my beliefs and my thinking. “I’m a failure. I’m worthless.” My mind wants to go back to what is known even if it is destructive. I know how to eat right but do I do it? I know I should drive the speed limit, but… It is mind renewal that produces change. Mind renewal is like learning to drive. It’s overwhelming at first: brakes, accelerator, mirrors, traffic. Oh My! But eventually driving became natural.

When I first came to God, I had a closet full of worldly attitudes, misguided beliefs and negative thoughts toward myself. I was born again but there was still that closet. The nation of Israel left Egypt in body but not in mind. That kept them from entering the Promised Land. We each face a lifelong process of going back to that closet and attacking another shelf. Who holds the keys to my closet? I do.

Jeremiah 12:5 (NIV) warns, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” Am I ready for the next level or do I want promotion without the process? Bishop TD Jakes says, “If I learn to do great things in a small place, I will be ready for greater things.” I am not ready for promotion without practice. Without the rehearsal, I will not see recognition in the performance. Without the practice, game day will be a flop. Yes, practice is boring. Yes, it is painful, but I must be patient with the process. If I compromise on the practice, come game day I will still look great in my uniform until I step out on the field and have to face an opponent. In case of fire, we are told don’t take the elevator. God wants a fire in my life. There is no elevator to my destiny. I must take the steps.

A few years ago while camping with our men’s small group I participated in what came to be known as the skunk dance. We were all seated around the campfire when one man gave a startled yell, “Look!” Down the trail toward the campfire came a very large skunk. We all jumped up and huddled on the opposite side of the fire. The skunk started around the fire one direction and we all shuffled to keep the fire between him and us. He turned and went the other way and we shuffled the opposite. This went on for a couple of iterations before he got bored and ambled back up the trail. The fire of God’s presence keeps the devil away. The devil is seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). We will not be counted in that category if we keep the fire between us and the devil.

Suppose a couple of minutes earlier I had excused myself to go down that trail to the restroom. I might have come back with a whole lot of stink on me. James 4:7 (ESV) says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” If I try to resist the devil on my own, he has no obligation to flee. It is when I come close to the fire of God’s presence in submission that I can stand against the devil’s attacks.

Fire signifies the presence of God. The pillar of fire led the Israelites (Exodus 13). Fire came down to consume Elijah’s sacrifice at Mt. Carmel (1Kings 18). Tongues of fire descended on the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2). The fire is not just words on a page in a book we call the Bible. It is the living Word written on our hearts. The fire is the Holy Spirit that leads us and guides us into all truth (John 16:13).

Ever experienced being handcuffed? Daniel 3 tells the story of three young Jewish men who were handcuffed and thrown into a furnace for not bowing down in worship to the king’s statue. What burned off? The ropes, the bondage. Isaiah 43:2b (NIV) promises, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” What will burn in that fire? The bondage, the addictions, the guilt.

One of the most repulsive insects I have encountered is the tick. Thinking about them makes my skin crawl. In grade school I had a pet dog names Butch. He loved to roam through the woods near our home but he would come back infested with ticks. Those little suckers (literally) would swell up to the size of a dime. Is my soul burdened with ticks of anger, unforgiveness, lust or greed sucking the life blood out of me? Do you think those ticks can stand the fire of the Holy Spirit? I don’t think so!

Without glasses I don’t see a clear picture. I want to see myself through God’s glasses. The prodigal son was unable to forgive himself thinking, “I’m not worthy, I will just be a slave.” The father wouldn’t even listen to him. My worth is not based on my performance. Others may look at me that way, even those in the church may look down at me, but my worth is based on my relationship with the Father.

In order to grow spiritually I must understand who I am in Christ. It was by His mercy that my sins are forgiven and more than that I have received His righteousness. As I understand that, I will gradually do more things right. God has put a seed in me, a seed of patience, a seed of integrity, a seed of love. Now my job is to nurture that seed so it will grow strong. Inside an acorn is everything needed for a tree. It may just look like a nut but it is in there. I don’t need people who look at me and say, “He’s a nut!” I need people who will see the tree inside, the potential inside, the destiny inside and celebrate it.

I have downloaded music to my phone. It’s in there but I must take certain steps to get it to come out. God has downloaded His character into me. I am patient. I may not act very patient but I have it inside me. I just need to learn to let it out.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is in me. I have the ability. In 2Corinthinas 12:9 (NIV), God tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” His grace empowers me.

Paul tells us to “press toward the prize.” (Philippians 3:14) Why does he say “press”? Because there will be resistance. I need to push against the pressure to go back. I am forgiven. I need to confess that; speak it out. Revelations 12:11 says, “They triumphed over him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Our two year old grandson is just learning to talk and his mother frequently reminds him, “use your words.” I need to use my words to enforce the victory.

Growing up I was taught not to talk back to my elders. Now the devil is older than me, but it is OK for me to talk back to the devil. I may not feel righteous; I may not feel victorious; I may not feel loved. Will I believe my feelings or believe the truth? I can’t wave a magic wand over you and make all those feelings go away. It takes a change of thinking.

Philippians 2:12 (NIV): “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” What will you do after you read this? Paul tells me to work out my salvation. (Note: that is not work FOR salvation, but it will take work to see the salvation that is in me to start showing up on the outside.) Keep at it. I can develop muscles through daily weight training. How quickly will I lose them if instead of exercising I lie on the sofa all day munching on chips? Vs. 13 tells us this happens by God’s power not mine. I can’t change myself.

Ephesians 1:4 (NIV) declares, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” Holiness comes from my position in Christ, my identity in Him. From knowing my identity comes a desire to live right. Religion will say, “Better clean up your act, mister. God is really mad at you.” Relationship says, “Come close to the fire.”

From age 22 to about 45, I suffered from migraine headaches. They got progressively worse until I had them almost every day. I learned about God’s healing power and began to cry out to Him, “God, please heal me. Please take these away.” But nothing happened. Finally I said, “OK, God. If you want me to have these, I accept that. I just want to worship you; I want to come close to you.” A few weeks later I stopped and realized I hadn’t had a migraine in over two weeks. The fire of His presence had done its work.

The fire of God’s presence produces change. God is not interested in your quitting drugs; He is interested in your getting close to the fire. God is not asking you to stop sleeping around; He is asking you to get close to the fire. God doesn’t care if you throw out the pornography; He wants you to get close to the fire. God is not looking for you to become more humble, more loving or more forgiving: He is looking for you to get close to the fire. He is not so much concerned with our actions as He is with seeing a change of heart. If you feel drawn back to alcohol what is the problem? What is the solution? You have pulled back from the fire and you need to again draw close. You don’t need to try to change; you just need to get close to the fire.

There are those reading this today who struggle with addiction to alcohol, to meth, to coke. God is not expecting you to change. He is calling you to get close to the fire. The fire will bring about the change. The fire will burn out addictions. The fire will restore relationships. The fire will produce the transformation we each need. Do you want your life to be better? It won’t happen by just trying harder. It will happen when you come close to the fire! Worship Him. Seek His presence. Our goal is obedience. Our goal is the walk with Him. That will happen when we come close to the fire.

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Let the Fire Fall

August 24, 2015 by GillKeith

When I was five, my folks took me camping in Yosemite National Park. At that time, each evening visitors would gather at Camp Curry in Yosemite Valley and the ranger would call out, “Let the fire fall.” 3,000 feet above the valley on Glacier Point, a huge bonfire had been built and on that signal, bulldozers would begin pushing it over the cliff forming a spectacular fire fall in the darkness. Today if you visit Yosemite and ask the ranger, “When does the fire fall?” he will respond, “I’m sorry, the fire doesn’t fall here anymore.” How often is that a picture of our lives? There was a time when I said, “Lord, come into my life.”, a time when I was full of hope at what God could do in my life, but perhaps today the flame has dwindled and faded and is almost out.

When our children were small we camped frequently and I was always responsible for the campfire. I love the sound of a crackling campfire first thing in the morning, the warmth in my face and hands to chase away the morning chill. Each night we would have a big campfire with roasted marshmallows and s’mores, but in the morning the fire was only embers. I would dig down through the ashes to those embers, add some paper and wood, blow on it and soon the fire would be crackly and warm again. In 2Timothy 1:6 (NIV) Paul says, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God.” Don’t let the flame go out; keep it bright.

I can’t say I ever completely walked away from God, but there were long periods where the fire was down to embers buried under a lot of ash. My 20’s were a particularly cold period with a worldly focus, spiritual stagnation and putting God in a Sunday box. I was the proverbial submarine Christian: I surfaced on Sunday but the rest of the week I spent under the surface. Praise God the last 30 years have been a time of reigniting the fire and moving from glory to glory. Today ministry in our county jail motivates me to keep the fire hot. Charles Spurgeon, a British preacher in the 1800’s, said, “If there is no fire in the sermon, throw the sermon in the fire.”

Matthew 25 tells the story of five foolish young ladies at a wedding feast who did not bring enough oil for their lamps as they waited for the bridegroom to arrive. When he finally arrived they found that their flames were dying. That is a picture of our lives when we let the oil of the Holy Spirit run low and we can no longer burn brightly in a dark world. Stir up the flame. Let the fire fall.

One of my favorite Bible stories is recorded in 1Kings 18. The prophet Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Two sacrifices were prepared, one for the Lord and one for Baal. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to pray to their god to send fire to consume the sacrifice, but they could not. Elijah prayed and God answered with fire. The result was revival within Israel.

The people of Israel made a choice; I must make a choice. I choose my thoughts. 2Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” What is my self-talk: “I’m a failure. Nobody cares about me. Nothing will improve.” And the flame dies down. “I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am more than a conqueror. Nothing can separate me from the love of God.” And the flame burns bright. As our late pastor put it: “I cannot consistently act in a way inconsistent with the way I see myself.” I can put up a front for a while but inevitably I will fall back in line with how I think. We need the fire of God. Let the fire fall.

Have you seen the electric fireplaces with fake logs and lights to imitate flames? That is a picture of our spiritual life when we just put on a show. As I described, I was just fake logs for many years. In 2Timothy 3:5 (NLT), Paul warns, “(There will be those in the church who) will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” Only the fire will burn out addictions. Only the fire will heal families. Only the fire will make the snake run. The devil runs from the fire. He knows he will experience the flames soon enough. We are not called to put up with the devil’s oppression, to just hang on till Jesus comes, to live in depression and hopelessness. Instead let the fire fall.

Proverbs 26:20 (NLT) observes, “Fire goes out without wood.” Pretty profound, huh? If my life is in ashes, I need to ask what fuel have I given my spirit? Have I neglected Bible reading, prayer, worship or forgiveness?

I don’t need a fire that only lasts during a Sunday service. I need a fire that comes from the depth of my soul. I can’t afford to depend on someone else to pump me up. It’s got to come from deep within. I need fire in the way I worship, fire in the way I love my wife, fire in the way I do my job, fire in the way I wash the dishes. Fire! The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy: to steal the fire, to kill the flame, to destroy the passion.

Ho hum just doesn’t cut it. Ho hum doesn’t produce victory. Revelations 3:16 (NIV) says, “So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” In Luke 24, Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He opens the Scriptures about Himself to them and suddenly vanishes. In verse 32 they respond, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Ever had heartburn? We need our hearts to burn. We need the fire.

Several years ago forest rangers in Redwood National Park became concerned because a new generation of redwoods was not growing. Study showed that the cause was fire control. Redwood seeds have a hard shell that must be burned away in order for the seed to germinate. Years of tight controls on forest fires in the park had prevented the seeds from experiencing the fire they needed for life. We need the fire to burn off the hardness of our hearts.

What have I given up on? Where have I invested more than I got back? When have I been better to people than they have been to me? When have I served others but haven’t received the help I need or sacrificed for a spouse or girlfriend and they have not been faithful? I worked 22 years for the company, faithfully doing my job, making sacrifices, working extra hours when needed, rarely taking a sick day and then one day my boss called me in and told me I was being let go. Short changed. We raised our son, nurtured him, protected him, taught him. We dreamed together with him of a future full of promise until all the dreams were ended in an instant by a drunk driver. Short changed. Life is not fair and I have to deal with the hurt of being short changed. If this hadn’t happened… If that hadn’t happened… I have been short changed and the fire runs low.

In 2Samuel 9, Mephibosheth, grandson of King Saul, son of David’s best friend Jonathan, is living in Lotibar. Wikipedia translates Lotibar as “the place of no pastures.” There is nothing green, nothing growing. It is a place of silent frustration, because I have given up and tried to make the best of a bad situation. The Lord has not forgotten. He has you on His mind. Don’t stay in Lotibar. I don’t care if you have to crawl out. You have been down long enough. You have cried long enough. It is time for the fire to fall again.

A windstorm will blow down trees with weak roots. There will be storms in life that will shake us. Whether we stand depends on our roots. Ephesians 3:16-19 (NKJV) says, “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Am I going through things I would rather not go through? Am I stuck in a place I would rather not be? Our suffering doesn’t glorify God but our attitude in suffering does. A tree with deep roots looks the same to our eyes whether rain storm or drought. It is not defined by circumstances.

Trying times are not the times to stop trying. Read that again: Trying times are not the times to stop trying. In Isaiah 48:10 (NIV), God says, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” Silver is put into the furnace and melted so the impurities will float to the top and be scraped off. The only way I will know how deeply rooted I am in God is to go through the trials. I want to pass the test so I don’t have to take it over. I can hear the Word, I can jump up and down and shout amen but if I don’t take it in deep, meditate and let it roll around on the inside, squeeze it for all its worth, I won’t have the roots needed to stand.

If my faith level is low it means my Word level is low. If I ate breakfast this morning and fasted until breakfast next week I would drag myself through the day with hallow cheeks and dark circles under my eyes. I do the same for another week and I will be needing a wheel chair because I will be too weak to stand. Another week the same and you won’t see me at all because I’ll be dead. I whine because my faith is weak but I don’t pick up my Bible but once a week? Duh!!

There is lust and there is passion. I might go to a classic car show: “Look at that old caddy! Wow, the ’53 Buick is somethin’ else! Look over here!” That is lust. But say I have a passion for Mustangs I will walk into that show and beeline for the Mustang. I get a new car; I’m out there every weekend washing it. A bird flies over it: “Don’t you dare.” A dog walks by: “Don’t even think about it.” Then pretty soon there are candy wrappers on the floor, the weekly washings become less frequent to the point kids are writing “Wash me” across the trunk. The fire has gone out.

It was Dec. 31, 1964. I was at a New Year’s Eve party not expecting a life changing night when this girl walked in. Ooh eeh! Now if I had just stayed across the room and just looked I would have stayed at the level of lust. But instead I met her, focused on her that night, got her phone number and over the years developed passion. I may have started with lust but it is passion that sustains. We celebrated 46 years of marriage this month.

What puts fire in your belly? What is your passion? Women/men, drugs, money, popularity? Where your passion is, there will be your focus and your direction. How do I become passionate for God? How do I get on fire for Him? Unless my passion is all consuming, it will not sustain me through difficult times.

Passion for God takes more than a feeling. “I don’t feel like going to church. I don’t feel like reading my Bible.” That is called lazy and Joyce Meyer says, “Lazy Christians are not victorious Christians.” What will it take to move beyond feelings?

Get to know God: When I first met that young lady in 1964, I wanted to get to know her: what movies she liked, where she went to school, did she have a boyfriend. Our Father is the God of salvation, healing, wisdom, strength, abundant life. Get to know Him.
Communicate: We spent hours talking and talking about family history and future dreams. I speak to God in prayer. I listen to His word in the Bible. If I have passion for God I will spend time with Him. The tragedy of the premarital sex culture is the loss of communication. When the focus is how fast we can get into bed the time for true intimacy (into-me-see) is lost.
Walk in unity: A common vision is needed to move forward. If my future wife had wanted 6 kids and I didn’t want any, our future together was in trouble. If a campfire pops an ember out onto the ground, it soon cools, but return it to the fire and it retains its strength. Acts 1:14 (NLT) describes how 120 believers were “united in prayer” for 10 days prior to Pentecost. The birth of the church came from that unity. What does unity look like?
- Forgiveness. Nothing divides friends faster than unforgiveness.
- Servant spirit. As long as I look for what’s in it for me, I will bring division but if I live the life of servanthood, placing others before myself, unity will grow.
Eliminate the competition: I wear a simple gold band on my left hand. As far as jewelry is concerned, it’s value is pretty low but it represents a marriage covenant. In my relationship with God, there can be no off ramps. If the flame starts to get low I don’t start looking for another campfire to go to; I look for the fuel to build this one back up. I return to the roots of repentance, forgiveness, service and worship.

I don’t want anyone to look at my life and say, “He was on fire once, but the fire doesn’t fall here anymore.” Maintaining the passion, keeping the fire takes a daily decision. I want the fire of the Holy Spirit to be the hallmark of my life. Let the fire fall.

Filed Under: In Christ Tagged With: 1Kings 18, 2Samuel 9, 2Timothy 1:6, 2Timothy 3:5, Ephesians 3:16-19, firefall, Isaiah 48:10, Lotibar, Luke 24, Mephibosheth, Revelations 3:16, Short changed, Yosemite

There Will Be Willow Days

June 25, 2015 by GillKeith

The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration of a successful harvest season at the same time being a reminder of God residing with His people for 40 years in the wilderness. Leviticus 23:40 (NLT) commands, “On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees–palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the LORD your God for seven days.” Leafy trees I think represent provision and abundance. The palm in Scripture spoke of victory and success. Think Hawaii; think happy dance. The willow, on the other hand, represents tears, trials and adversity. Life is a combination of all of these. We have palm days and willow days. I will not have palm days all the time; I will not have weeping willow days all the time. Life is a mixture but through it God is the same, unchanging. His goodness is with me all the time. He is not just the God of palm days. God is there in the valley, in the tears.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) says, “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Willow days do not mean I am out of the presence of God. Happy days, experiencing His blessing, are good but they are not a sign that God is with me more strongly. He is unchanging. I need to learn to rejoice through it all. Paul in Philippians 4:12 (NIV) said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Whether in a palace or a prison, Paul made the decision to praise. How is that even possible? He goes on in verse 13, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

A palm day can switch to a willow day in an instant. I might be enjoying a beautiful spring day cruising down the street until the blue lights start flashing in the rear view mirror. About 4 years ago I was walking into church anticipating a great service. There was a light dusting of snow that covered an icy patch. Down I went fracturing my pelvis. Palm to willow in the blink of an eye. Philippians 4:4 commands, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” There are days when I feel tore up from the floor up, but even if it is a willow in my hand, God says rejoice.

Ever notice how we make a bigger deal of our willow days than our palm days? We whine, complain and make sure everybody feels sorry for us (not that anybody cares because they are too busy focused on their own problems.) Is the only time God can get my attention is when I am in trouble? Is that why I am so often in trouble? Reality is that in good times we tend to coast. Over 40 years ago, I broke my hand playing volleyball. Today I can still feel where the break occurred, not because it is still broken, but because it grew back even stronger. Our trials make us stronger.

I tend to think of palm days as no big deal while I make a big deal about my trials. I need to make a big deal about my blessings too. We ought to shout so much about our blessings we get on our neighbor’s nerves. How do we pray? Is it always needs and petitions (willows) or do we focus on worship and thanksgiving (palms)?

There is man-made pain: war, crime, hated and prejudice. There are natural disasters: floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, also sickness and disease. Where is God in that suffering? Isaiah 53:5 promises, “By His stripes we are healed.” Yet our Pastor died of cancer. My son was killed by a drunk driver. Nearly every day we read of terrorist attacks, bombings or beheadings. Psalm 23:4 says we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Aren’t we under the shadow of death our whole lives? From the day I was born I was on my way to leaving this world. James 4:14 (NIV) tells us, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV): “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…” Wouldn’t it be nice if the verse ended there, but it goes on, “if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” We like to skip over the “suffer” part. I don’t suffer for the victory Jesus achieved on the cross, but I will face negativity, face my own laziness and face the desires of my flesh. I can say Jesus is Lord but am I willing to go through the challenges of serving Him as Lord?

The passage continues with verse18, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.” I have lost a child, but that pain does not compare to the joy of being reunited in heaven. I will not minimize or trivialize the pain we go through: it’s bad. God is not expecting us to ignore the pain or deny the hurt. But that does not compare to the glory to come. Yes, life here sucks. But there is more to life than here on earth.

David had his share of struggles. His older brothers looked down on him. King Saul used him for target practice with his javelin. He spent years running for his life. But 1Samuel 30:6 says David encouraged himself in the Lord. In our battles if we will turn to God we will be strengthened to find joy and peace. Isaiah 43:2 (NKJV) says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” There is a key word here, repeated three times. Did you catch it? When you go THROUGH…

Romans 8:19 tells us we lost union with God at the Garden and all creation was placed under a curse. Now all of earth groans because the door was opened to the devil. My spirit is reborn but my body will still struggle with negative habits, destructive desires, addictions. If I’m a Christian, why do I still deal with all this junk? That’s my flesh. There is a battle, a fight of faith. Satan is trying to destroy me. He won’t stop with a pornographic web site or an attack on my marriage or filling me with fear and depression. Those are just little steps along the way. He wants to see me lose my hope and my faith in God.

Romans 15:13 (NLT): “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.” My joy and peace don’t come from my circumstances. They come from faith. If I let go of hope because of the circumstances, what is left? I won’t get better, only bitter. Look at someone who is full of hope and joy. Is it because their life has been easy? No, they have learned that circumstances do not define them. We groan within ourselves because this world is rough. But that is not the end of the story. Breathe in, breathe out. If you could do that, God’s not finished. Our hope is not in the world, it is in God.

Some problems we bring on ourselves. Some are just part of life. In 2Corinthians 11:23 Paul defends his ministry. He doesn’t talk about his theology degrees or his CD’s or how many come to his services. He points to his suffering. What do you think his back looked like? Whipped 5 times, beaten with rods 3 times, stoned once. If I had to go through even one of those beatings, you can keep ministry; I’m out of here. To Paul it was normal Christian life. In 2Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) the Lord assures Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

If I got a new job, I’d be happy. If I got a bigger salary… If I moved to a new town… Spoiler alert: I’m still won’t be happy until I change me. I am focused on my comfort while God is more interested in my character. Everything we see is temporary. If I define myself by what I own or where I live or how much money I make, my world view is messed up. 1Corinthinas 15:51 says this will all change “in the twinkling of an eye.” Everything I think is so important in this world becomes nothing the moment I put on that glorified body. I am not looking to get out of here, but I want to keep my priorities right as I am on this journey. The negatives in my world may never change but I can rise above them by trusting God.

We can get stuck in our problems and they define us more than our relationship with God. The problems I face may never get better, but I can get better. The mountain in front of me can become a barrier to moving forward or it can be the path to a higher life. The problems in life may never be fixed, but I can rise above them in Christ and not be defined by them. God isn’t going to fix everything. I don’t know why, He didn’t check with me on that. There will be times that aren’t fun. But that doesn’t mean He has left me or that He is finished with me. I can get stronger and climb that mountain. James 1:2-4 (NIV): “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” That won’t happen by running from the negative circumstances. When those struggles come do I look to the Lord for help or do I get angry and distant? I choose to press in and find joy and peace in Him.

2Timothy 2:3 encourages us to endure hardship like a good soldier. Life is a battle. We have an enemy. The bad day is not the time to skip Bible reading; that’s the day to spend extra time. “The Lord let me down. He didn’t come through when I prayed. I’m going to go watch TV.” Who am I punishing? Do I expect God to feel bad because I am mad at Him? God is not my problem; He is the answer to my problem.

I refuse to let my whole being be defined by one tragedy. Shortly after our son was killed we were encouraged to join Mothers Against Drunk Driving. We attended a meeting where a speaker from out of town described her experience. She spoke with such bitterness and pain that we thought her loss must have been recent. Then we learned it had been 13 year before. That tragedy consumed who she was. My wife and I agreed we would not let that happen to us. Romans 8:37 promises I am more than a conqueror. How do I introduce myself? My name is drug addict. My name is divorced. No, my name is child of God, a joint heir with Christ, forgiven and redeemed.

Let’s read these verses together (NKJV):

Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Psalm 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!”
Psalm 115:18 “But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”
Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Don’t throw in the towel during the night. A palm day is coming. God won’t leave me in my darkness. If I am willing to praise Him in the willow days He will bring the palm days.

Let me leave you with one final verse, Revelations 7:9 (NKJV): “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” What is missing? No willows. No more tears, no more trials. That’s God’s promise.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Someday I Will Hear This Heart Again

April 27, 2015 by GillKeith

On March 4th, 2000 our 22 year old son Paul and his fiancé Amy were struck by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the interstate. Amy was declared dead at the scene. Paul was airlifted to the hospital where he was declared brain-dead 3 days later, and we signed his body over for organ donation. (That was an easy decision because he had made his wished clear at 14 when is older sister was signing up for her driver’s license.)

Fast forward now to November of that year. I answered the phone one evening and I thought I recognized the voice on the other end as a friend who had moved to New Mexico a couple of years earlier. He asked if he and his wife could come over. I said, “Sure, it will be great to see you.” A half hour later the doorbell rang. When I opened it I faced a couple with their 5 children and I had never seen them before in my life. While my wife took the kids downstairs, I brought the couple into the living room and asked, “Who are you? Why are you here?” The wife’s name was Linda and she was Paul’s heart recipient. Recognize that the organ donor organization discourages contact, but a friend of Paul had left the funeral and was driving through the city where Linda lives. He stopped to visit another friend there and mentioned Paul. The friend knew of Linda and put the dates of Paul’s death and her transplant together.

Just before leaving the hospital we had each taken a few minutes to say goodbye to Paul. When I was with him, I put my head to his chest, listened to his heart and declared, “Someday I will hear this heart again.” That night eight months later, I heard Paul’s heart again.

Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT): “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” The first heart transplant by men occurred in 1967; God has been doing them for 2000 years. The recipient of that first heart lived 18 days; God’s transplant brings eternal life. Of course, I’m not talking about the cardiac muscle that pumps blood through our body. God’s transplant affects the essence of who we are, the spirit and the soul.

You may say, “But Gill, I am born again.” The reality is that we each have stony places in our heart. I may come to God and say, “I surrender all… expect the pride. I give you my heart… but I’m not ready to look at the unforgiveness just yet.” Today we might be soft hearted or hard hearted, open and loving or distant and untrusting of God with a heart grown cold. The good news is He loves you just the way you are. But He won’t leave you there.

The cells in my fingers and in my toes receive oxygen and nourishment from the blood pumped from my heart. The old spiritual heart was corrupt. Mark 7:21 warns, “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, etc.” What happens to a body that has been in the grave several days? In John 11, Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, has died and been in the grave 4 days. When Jesus asks that the tomb be opened, Martha objected, “There will be a stench.” Decayed, putrid: that is our condition with the old, dead heart. 2Corinthians 5:17 declares that I am a new creation, the old things have passed away. With a new heart I receive life and peace throughout my spirit, soul and body.

Let’s look at some Bible stories where God caused a change of heart:

Gideon (Judges 6) was so fearful of the Midianites that he hid his wheat in a winepress. In his heart he was already defeated. He wasn’t just in the pit of a winepress; his heart was in the pit of despair. When an angel showed up and called him a “mighty man of valor” he needed a new heart to believe it.
Elijah (1Kings 18) experienced a great victory against the prophets of Baal but when Jezebel threatened to kill him, he lost heart and fled. In his heart he had given up. Despite the victories fear dominated. God ministered to him in the wilderness to restore his heart.
Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1) heard about the destroyed city of Jerusalem. The dreams and hopes of the Jewish people lay in ruins, but God gave Nehemiah a heart to work and rebuild.
Jesus designated Peter as His right hand man yet when the pressure was on, he caved and denied even knowing Him. (Luke 22) He was consumed by guilt and self-recrimination that overshadowed everything he had experienced in his years with Jesus. His heart had sunk into a pit of failure. And Jesus reached out with forgiveness and restoration.
The Apostle Paul had a religious heart that lacked intimacy with God until he had an encounter on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)

But not everyone will accept a new heart:

Cain had a jealous heart that pushed him into a choice to kill his brother Abel. (Genesis 4)
Korah and Dathan had rebellious hearts that chose not to accept Moses’s leadership and it resulted in the earth opening and destroying them. (Numbers 16)
Saul was selected by God to be the king of Israel but his proud heart lead to his defeat. (1Samuel 31)
Judas realized his sin in betraying Jesus but his unrepentant heart resulted in suicide. (Luke 22)

Matthew 22:37 tells us to love the Lord your God with all your heart. That doesn’t leave room for the old man, the old thinking. God does not tolerate competition. Matthew 6:24 (NIV) warns, “No one can serve two masters.” The old heart has to go.

I spoke with your doctor and the prognosis is grim. Your only hope is a new heart. What is required for a heart transplant?

Diagnosis

A heart transplant is reserved for the most critical cases.
I must recognize the devastation of my life brought by sin. Our original state is that our heart is sick, diseased and filled with sin.
I do not need an adjustment but rather a transformation. In Romans 12:2, Paul calls for us to be transformed, metamorphosis. It is the word used to describe the change a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly, no small thing.
Once the diagnosis was clear, Linda had to be ready at any time. Once the heart is removed from the donor it begins to die so there is no time to lose. She even had once where she was made ready for surgery and then the medical team decided it was not a good match. Am I ready for God to move on my heart?
If my physical heart were that diseased, if I was that close to the reality of death would I hesitate to put my name on the transplant list? Why do we draw back from spiritual rebirth? Romans 13:11 (NLT): “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

Doctor

Transplants are performed only by highly trained and specialized teams.
In the 70’s I owned a VW Bug and with it I had The Idiot’s Guide to VW Repair. Today you can get an idiot’s guide to investing, politics, world history, even quantum physics, but there is no idiot’s guide to heart transplants. I can’t perform the surgery on myself. “Nurse, hand me the scalpel.”
I can try to change behavior on the outside, but that doesn’t go deep enough and as a result it doesn’t last. That is why in Psalm 51:10 David cries out, “Create in me a clean heart.”
God already knows what is inside me. He is looking to do major surgery.

Donor

The donor must be carefully matched to the recipient for a transplant to be successful.
Jesus the only one with a true heart of flesh. A transplant requires a donor’s death. Our son Paul didn’t die voluntarily but Jesus did.
Heart transplants are extremely expensive, over $1 million. (How is your medical insurance?) I am a total charity case. There is nothing I can do to pay for a spiritual heart. I must depend on God’s free gift.

Diligence

If your heart fails because of the high fat diet or your lungs are destroyed by smoking or your liver succumbs to chronic alcoholism and you are able to get a transplant but don’t change your lifestyle, the new organ will likely fail as well. Whatever lifestyle choices that led to destroying the first heart will destroy the new one as well. I recently flew to Orlando. I walked down the jet way, into the terminal and who did I find there? Me! Wherever I go there I am. A change of heart without a change in actions will lead back to destruction.
Exercise will strengthen the new heart. Spiritual exercise is prayer, worship and meditation. I must develop a hunger for God. That is not a hunger for church, but for the presence of God in my life and for His Word. I attended church for over 30 years but I did it out of duty and social acceptance rather than a true relationship. 2Timothy 3:5 (NIV) says, “Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” Since I received a new heart, do those around me notice a change in my lifestyle? Would anything change in my life if I truly let Jesus be in control?
I had better take my medicine. The transplanted organ faces enemies: infection and rejection. The body will attack the new organ. Our old beliefs will attack the new beliefs. The medicine I need is Gos-pills.
Checkups with the medical team will detect problems. Ecclesiastes 4:9 promises, “Two are better than one.” We need others to give us perspective, accountability and correction.

With a new heart I can have peace in spite of circumstances, joy amidst tragedy. With a new heart, His love directs my choices, His priorities control my actions. Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.”

March, 2000 was a time of great loss for our family but we take comfort in the knowledge that out of our loss came life. Before the transplant, Linda was confined to a hospital bed, barely able to get up and walk across the room. Her days were numbered without that heart transplant. If I hadn’t received a spiritual heart transplant, I would be dead spiritually, without hope.

I got to hear Paul’s heart beating inside Linda. God wants to hear the heartbeat of His Son in each and every one of us. What is that area that God wants to revive? Maybe there is a relationship that has been severed by betrayal. God can revive that relationship or entirely new one is on the way. There was a dream of reaching new heights but the dream has fallen to the ground and God wants to breathe new life into it. Perhaps it is the hunger inside to be right with Him but you have never felt a real connection. God can restore a joy of life and a sense of purpose. Listen, listen. Thump thump. Thump thump. That’s the new heart. Are you ready to accept it?

In conclusion, let’s reflect on Psalm 51:1-2 (ESV)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Filed Under: Discipline, In Christ Tagged With: 2Timothy 3:5, Dathan, elijah, Ezekiel 36:26, Gideon, heart transplant, Korah, Psalm 51, romans 13:11

The Glass Wall

March 28, 2015 by GillKeith

I recently rented the movie Divergent. It takes place in Chicago sometime in the future. The world has been devastated by war. To keep from falling into chaos society has been structured along strict class lines: farmers, factory workers, intellectuals, government officials, warriors. Each youth upon coming of age must declare for a specific class and then go through training. The heroine in the story declares for warriors. Part of her training is to enter a drug induced series of hallucinations where she must face her worst fears. She finds herself in a glass chamber which is filling up with water. (See the clip at https://youtu.be/X70hGbGc2ZM) She pushes against the glass. She kicks and beats on it without success. Finally the chamber is full. She is drowning without hope and suddenly she realizes, “This isn’t real.” Repeating “This isn’t real”, she taps on the glass with her finger. It cracks. As she continues tapping it breaks and collapses, releasing her.

In your Christian walk, have you ever been going along pretty good and suddenly: Wham! You hit a glass wall. Something from your past is stopping you from going forward. Grief can be like that. 15 years ago our son and his fiancé were killed by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the Interstate at 2:00 in the morning. Recently we were driving home from Seattle, a 3 hour drive from 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM. My wife was asleep and I was left alone with my thoughts. I found myself studying every pair of lights that came at me to be sure they were on the right side of the highway. I was reliving all of the feelings and memories of that tragedy. Forgiveness is a choice I make to put something behind me, but sometimes a word, a picture, even a sound can trigger a memory and the hurt comes back. Then it is time to choose not to go back there. For me another area is pornography. That material was common in my home growing up and set a hook in a young boy’s mind. It is not nearly as strong now but still a book passage, a TV ad, a movie image will try to pull me back. For many smoking can be that wall. The physical need may be broken but the mental bondage is still there pulling them back over and over.

2Corinthians 10:4 (NIV) promises, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” The prison of the mind is self-created. In god we have the weapons we need to break out of that prison. “This isn’t real.”

I could get my dream job but with the wrong thinking it will be a disaster. I could marry my dream girl (and I did) but with the wrong thinking it will be misery. Matthew 12:33 warns us to make the tree good and the fruit will be good. Look at the root rather than the fruit. If my heart is broken, weak, confused, the fruit of my life will be bad. “Why does bad stuff keep happening to me?” Maybe it is the fruit of what is inside. Change the root and change the fruit. Change the thinking and change the outcome. If I change everything changes. I like the promise from Leviticus 26:13 (NLT), “I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.”

Romans 12:2 commands me to be transformed by the renewal of my mind. The battle is in my mind. The more I change my mind for the better, the more my life will also change for the better. The devil wants my thoughts. Why? Thoughts product actions, actions develop habits, habits determine character, character establishes destiny. Romans 8:6 (NLT) tells us, “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

Stuff happens. Events occur in our life and we create a story to explain them. Being the oldest child is an event; feeling responsible for others in the family is the story. Abused is an event; seeing myself as unworthy or unwanted is the story created to explain it. The death of loved one may be seen as abandonment. The good news is I made up the story; I can change the story. The bad news is I tend to look for more evidence that I was right in my story.

D. L. Moody, a famous evangelist of the late 1800’s said, “I have never met a man who gave me more trouble than myself.” I will talk to a lot of people today but the most important person I will talk to today is me. What am I saying?

Repetition changes subconscious thinking. The key to change is to stick with it until the instinctive reaction changes. I drop a dish: “Oh, sh**.” I make a wrong turn: “What an idiot!” That is instinctive reaction. I will only change that instinctive reaction through repetition of truth.

There will always be resistance between me and breakthrough. It is easier to go back to where I am comfortable. The Israelite nation was delivered from slavery in Egypt by great miracles, yet they repeatedly complained about how good they had it in the “good ol’ days”. Well, let me tell you about the “good ol’ days.” They weren’t that great. I know because I was there and I would much rather be here.

Philippians 3:13 (NIV) tells us we should be, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” In other words, don’t be looking at behinds. The past never sees the future. If I keep speaking my past I have not forgotten it.

Old habits will not see me through a crisis. As forces increase on the outside, I need to increase the force on the inside. Crisis is the opportunity to grow, to excel, to shine. Think about it: If David had not faced Goliath he would have remained a shepherd.

In Luke 7:36-38, when the prostitute broke the jar of perfume, that represented her earnings from her profession. Breaking the jar represented her break from her past, turned it into worship. I will not leave the presence of Jesus the same. In the presence of Jesus is the power to break the bottle of my past. Religious people will see my worth based on my past performance. Jesus sees my worth based on future potential.

If I didn’t drop nothin’ when I met Jesus, I didn’t get nothin’. Still got your stash of weed? Still got the numbers of your suppliers? Still got a condom in your wallet? What do you need to drop? John 8:36 promises, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” It’s time to experience that freedom through new thinking.

There is power for transformation in the Word. I was taught to have a Scripture verse for each finger. When someone flips me off I will know what verse goes with that. Individually a finger is weak but all together they have a special strength.

What is that wall for you? Smoking or alcohol? Meth or cocaine or prescription drugs? Pornography or adultery or fornication? Anger, pride, unforgiveness, jealousy? There is no shortage of areas where we can hit that wall. Let me help you get started. You need your own Scripture verses for the wall you face, but let me give you a starter kit. Stand up. Picture that glass wall in front of you. (Whoa, are you still sitting down? What’s with that? Let’s get with the program.) Here we go:

Hold up your right thumb: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” (2Cor 5:21)
Hold up your pointer: “Forgetting those things that are behind I press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:14)
Hold up your middle finger (carefully): “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” (Rom 8:1)
Hold up your ring finger: “I am a new creation in Christ.” (2Cor 5:17)
Hold up your pinkie: “Nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:39)
Put your left hand on the glass wall.
“This isn’t real. Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. (1John 4:4) By the power of God’s Word.”
Now make a fist. POW!!

Filed Under: In Christ Tagged With: 2Corinthians 10:4, addiction, Divergent, Leviticus 26:13, Luke 7, Matthew 12:33, Romans 8:6, This isn't Real

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