No more of this!

"No more of this!"  Jesus

Recorded in all four Gospels, there is just something about this incident that fascinates me.  What I am writing is not history but rather it is about a moment in history that, I believe, is more important than we think.  But for the providence of God, everything could have gone south in these moments..

Really read these passages:

Matthew 26:47-54 ESV
While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. [48] Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; seize him." [49] And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him. [50] Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. [51] And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. [52] Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. [53] Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? [54] But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"

Mark 14:43-45, 47-50 ESV
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. [44] Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard." [45] And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him. [47] But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. [48] And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? [49] Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled." [50] And they all left him and fled.

Luke 22:47-53 ESV
While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, [48] but Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" [49] And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" [50] And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. [51] But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him. [52] Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? [53] When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

John 18:3-11 ESV
So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. [4] Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" [5] They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. [6] When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. [7] So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." [8] Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go." [9] This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one." [10] Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) [11] So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you see "this"?  Is "this" clearer to you now?  Do you think you could see "IT" in your day to day life - the commonality of your Christianity.  Or do you just ignore "this" and and float through your day doing what you think appropriate?

Oh - what is "this?"  "This," is relying upon your understanding and ability to address life in all it's wonder and woundings.

"This," is, though having many opportunities to grow in your knowledge and understanding, being content to remain in ignorance and to operate by what you "feel" or "think" and not upon the truth which is available for the taking.

"This" is that bad habit we have ot thinking God needs our help with anything.
"This" is engaging "our" solution and not waiting upon the Lord to lead.
"This" is fighting a spiritual battle with fleshly weapons.
"This" is trying to "make up for" one error with a worse one (or one at all).
"This" is wacking off an ear trying to instigate a confrontation so, "things can come to a head."  (Attacking the "faith" those who oppose our faith.)

"This" is pride, hubris, vanity, ignorance, impetuosity, impulsivelness, arrogance, shallowness . . . .

"This," is sin.

We are learning . . . .

Old thoughts and reflections worth remembering!

Written during our wilderness time in Texas

Just thinking about being out here in Texas and not knowing why.  Oh, we thought we had a reason but the sinfullness and duplicity of man put a quick end to that.  So we're out here, away from family and friends, with no idea what God has planned.  But I read too much to be without faith that He is in charge and will indeed work this thing out for our good and His glory.

But I would warn you, when you sense God's leading, take a nap.  Give it a break.  Don't charge forward.  We really ought to have prayed more, gotten more council and really investigated what we were getting into.  Had we done that we might well have chosen to live in our car in Greensboro rather than make the move.

But there is some up sides to this situation.  We have far less, though still too much, junk than we did.  We got to experience the kindness, care and support of family and friends as we prepared to move.  We really know we are loved.  We experience God's providence moment by moment.  We are learning about the sinfulness of our hearts and what He wants us to work on.  We get to miss people which is hard but wonderful.  We get to remember all the blessings of the past and look toward those of the future.  We get to find out new things about each other and our marriage.  We get to trust Him better each day.  We get to be convicted and to repent.  We get to discover new and awesome things about living for Him.

Being here is kind of a left-handed blessing.  The bitter with the sweet.  The good and the bad without the ugly.  Daily we confront small crisis and get to see Him resolve them.  Moment by moment we get to experience His comfort in our anxiety.  Night by night we get to sleep (that's day by day since I work nights.).  We get to enjoy learning to pray more deeply and more wisely.  We get to wait and rest.

Oh, I could complain, and do, but I feel foolish when I look at the sum total of our lives here.

All we thought would be a blessing once we got here went south on us.  It has been and is painful so we're learning to deal with anger and bitterness.  We're also learning to deal with pride, learning to see it from new and different directions.  We are learning to not murmur.  We are learning to trust Him way more than we trust others.  We are learning not to assume, suppose and accept on face value.  We are learning to not settle for anything but His best.  We are learning to pray openly and honestly laying our wants at His feet and holding out for them unless we are shown they are off base.  We are learning that we can not do it on our own.  We are learning that sometimes you just have to push forward.

Oh, I could complain, and do but then I just feel silly and foolish.

We are learning that the best cure for anxiety and worry is serving others.  We are learning that depression does not always win and that you can do more than you think even when the depression is at its worse.  We are learning that panic attacks always fail.  We are learning that we are weak and frail by design. We are learning a lot!

We are learning that you can feel sorry for yourself when appropriate but that it passes as you lean on Him.  We are learning that sadness is not a bad thing as long as it is not over much.  We are learning  that tears are often very appropriate.  We are learning that the disciplines of the faith are crucial.  We are learning that living the life takes practice, consistent practice.  We are learning that orthopraxy is only good with orthodoxy (lol).

We are learning that a little crazy is a good thing.  We are learning to be discriminating in our activities and pleasures.  We are learning that we can be too inundated by the world (this election stuff).  We're learning that what goes in the ear can really mess with the head...not to mention what goes in the eyes.  We are learning that Ruko is a blessing.  We are learning to love radio.

Philippians 4:8 ESV
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Thoughts on Self-examination

Put yourselves to the test and judge yourselves, to find out whether you are living in faith. Surely you know that Christ Jesus is in you?—unless you have completely failed.

(2Co 13:5)

We are (hopefully) aware of our sins.  But I have discovered that I tend to focus on a few sins that are consistently troubling me and missing others.  That's the beauty and facility of self-examination.  It is a dedicated, focused, intentional thing and not some cursory activity.

I have not trouble seeing my pride and idolatry or even lust for that matter - they are glaringly obvious.  But I miss or avoid many others.

An example is found in Matthew 12:36-37:

"You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. Your words will be used to judge you—to declare you either innocent or guilty."

(Mat 12:36-37) GNB

"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

(Mat 12:36-37) NASB

The word translated "useless" or "careless it the Greek word ̓argos meaning free from labor, at leisure

or  lazy, shunning the labor which one ought to perform.

The implied imperative is that we should actually "labor" before we speak.  I tend to yell at clumsy drivers when I am in the car.  My wife cringes when I do this.  It's careless/useless, sinful.  I give no thought to what's in my mind and heart I just let fly.  This is not good.

What about OMG (Oh my God).  There's a show on TV called Clean House where a team goes into a badly cluttered home and straightens it out.  Then they "reveal" what they have done to the owners who have been away at a hotel.  Almost to a person when the finished work is revealed they say OMG, never thinking about what they're saying.

We all have little saying we use to express pleasure or disdain and these need to be examined for, well, holiness, usefulness, carefulness.

But careless speech is just one of the "sins" we rarely think about.  Our thought life is an area where we are remiss - we fail to:

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,  (2Co 10:5)

I know that this used of this verse is a stretch but I think the principle is sound in the instance.  We need to think about our thinking.

And what about our feelings.  they can get pretty nasty as well but we have thm and we rarely take the time to examine them or their source - Why do I feel _____?

Self examination is a critical component of our /Christina walk and we need to take it seriously.  I am read the journals of David Brainerd an missionary in the 1800 and am convicted by his sensitivity to his sinfulness.  Of course he was of a melancholy disposition and that played a part but he really "discovered" his vileness in the light of Christ.  If it's OK to envy good things, I envy him.

We need to take the time and really examine our Walk.

What about our use of what God has given us?  Do we use it for our pleasure and gratification (or measuring up to others) or do we use it to bless the Church and the needy.  Is your 10% the best you can do - maybe for you it is but for most of us we could do a lot better.

In my years as a Leadership consultant the most difficult thing I had to teach people was how to say "No," when "NO," was the right answer.  How about saying no to ourselves.  We see it  we want is was expend recourses to get it.  We don't say "No," to ourselves - hence we sin when we squander God's provision.

Jesus was very clear;  "Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.  (Mat 6:19-21)

Self-examination has to be broader and wider and deeper than we usually do it.  It takes time and effort but how can one repent of a sin that one is only vaguely aware of it=f at all

But then. some of us don't want to examine ourselves.  To do so would lead to conclusions we are not comfortable with.  

Better than "Yes!"

 1 John 5:14-15 ESV

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

See, that's the kicker, discerning if my request is according to His will.

A lot of things seem "good" and "fair" and "just" and they well may be but that does not mean, at least in my experience, that they are according to His will.  They may be outside His will or even contrary to His will.  It depends on the circumstances and, well, His will.

Ephesians 5:10 ESV
and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, 17-18 ESV
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. [15] See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We always pray, "Your will be done." But all too often, for me at least, it's my way of confessing that I am absolutely clueless as to whether or not my request is in His will.

Then there is the kicker:

James 4:3 ESV
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

There's the.  I assume that many of my personal prayers are not answered in the way I hope because somewhere underneath all the solumn prayer words there lurks some selfish motive that thwarts, not His answer, but my asking.  I ask wrongly.

That's a tough nut to crack!  I can well understand why the Puritains were so determined concerning the need for self-examination.   We really do have to accept that our hearts are deceitful and that we are the ones we deceive most  often.  We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that we are being selfless and submissive in our prayer and that they are according to His will.

Right now I have a very specific prayer request before Him.  I've kept it simple, short and sweet.  I don't believe is it greedy or self-serving but rather fair, good and reasonable.  BUT there is a lurking doubt in the back of my mind because I will benefit from a "Yes  It is a prayer about me, for me.  It is a prayer and also a test.  I have asked for X which is a fair request and consider a "Yes" as an answer to another request/query.  In short I have figured if He grants X then Y is in His will.  Make sense?

But then that old....ask wrongly and don't test God thing comes up in my mind and I doubt not His goodness but the rightness of my prayer.

So I come to:

Philippians 4:5-7 ESV
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This does not promise a "Yes," to my prayer.  What it does promise is His peace in His answer which will in turn guard my heart and my mind.  And isn't that better than a "Yes"?

On Fear

Prayer is the best outlet to fear: where is the Christian that cannot set his seal to this direction?   Flavel, John (2010-08-03). Keeping the Heart (Kindle Locations 669-670).   Kindle Edition.   

Psa 118:5  Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.  ESV

In times of danger  no matter its magnitude  fear is natural.  Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the acting upon it.  What greater thing could we do than to go to our Father with all our fears.

Isn't Christ, our intercessor and Great High Priest, seated with the Father speaking of us and for us?  Does not Christ appreciate and understand our weaknesses and vulnerabilities?

If, as we see in the quote above, Satan knows and exploits our fears, does not our Father know more and better?  In all things fearful is it not enough that nothing can separate us from the love of God?  Surely upon that assurance we can stand.

But we are weak as babes in our walk with Christ  as we should be.      Though we lived in the wiles of the Devil and the fantasies of the flesh, we do not know living in the security and power of our Lord.  So we tremble and quake as Satan and our budding/immature faith both work to our distress.

Trusting God is not something that just comes.  It is gained by experience, informed by His Word and enhanced by His Spirit.  I have trusted God in many situations and yet every new situation raises the hair on the back of my neck.

I wonder, God was faithful there and then but this is here and now.  Even though I know that when it was then and there for me, He was already readying here and now for me.  But I still fear.

 
I've noticed something, though, about that fear.  It is characterized by the question, What am I (or we) going to do”?  Perhaps that's where we get tripped up.  We face a circumstance and supposing we must or can do something, we start with ourselves.  Seeing no help for or in ourselves, we fear.  Because we are already afraid we think we don't have faith.  Because we think we don't have faith we doubt God will help us.

Perhaps were starting at the wrong place.  Perhaps we need to take the circumstance (and our fear) to Him immediately and ask Him what we need to do (if anything).  Perhaps we need to slow down, examine the circumstance and take our thoughts and concerns to Him and have a talk. 

 
I wonder if at times I irritate Him (LOL).  I try to take circumstances to Him and leave them with Him but it doesn't work very well.  I've found that I need to stay before Him and take the time to pour out my ideas and thoughts concerning the circumstance.  If I don't, I find myself fretting and distracted.  So I try to go to Him and just babble out my ideas, my tangential concerns, my solutions, my fears.  It seems that this process has a quieting effect on my soul.

But just recently, I've discovered that I rise from prayer too swiftly.  I'll pray and then get into bed and I'll just go on trying to fix the problem in my head.  I think that, at those times, I need to get back on my knees and continue the conversation  obviously, I wasn't done (or maybe He wasn't). 

 
Ok  for those of you who are thinking, Do I have to be on my knees,  Ill just tell you that I do.  As I've intentionally worked on my prayer life, I've discovered that it just feels more like prayer when I'm kneeling.  Do I have to?  I don't think I have to for Him  but I do for me.  That's just me  and we all know I'm just not right. 

 
Prayer is worship  but it is conversational worship.  I speak, He listens.  How He responds is unclear to me  I haven't heard voices yet.  But I trust Him to respond because He always has.  Either through the Word, a change of circumstance, another believer, a random sermon I hear, a random book I read, or even a random thought, He answers.  Oh, I know none of those things are really random.  They are intentional and purposeful  so maybe utterly unexpected is a better term.  But the point is, He answers.

Concerning the verse I used above.  Notice that the writer says that God set him free.  The term distress has the sense of tightness, like when your chest gets tight when you are anxious.  Now the writer doesnt say what his freedom looked like.  Was the circumstance changed or was his anxiety relieved?  But would we complain of either?  I hope not.

Dont let yourself think that you should only do this for the big stuff.  Make it a habit to do it with everything.  Pour, it all out to God.  What seems trivial today may loom large tomorrow, so you may as well get a head start on it. 

Back with a vengance

Job 17:11 NASBS
"My days are past, my plans are torn apart, Even the wishes of my heart.

So there ya go, life (right now) in West Texas.  We're lower than a gators belly on a mud flat....and that's looowwww.  But down ain't out and we're still breathling.  But........West Texas???????  Ouch.

Tough times back home were tough but at least we were surrounded by friends and family.

Did we miss-read God's leading in coming out here?

Well...... 

Proverbs 16:9 NASBS
The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Now toss in......

Proverbs 21:5 NASBS
The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

Now we're really concerned!

BUT

Proverbs 16:3 NASBS
Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.

And

Proverbs 15:22 NASBS
Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.

So we commit and wait upon Him and what counsel He will bring us from those whom He leads to do you ---- yeah, that's you all.

Bless you all

"Lend" to the poor.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 ESV
"If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, [8] but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. [9] Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, 'The seventh year, the year of release is near,' and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. [10] You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. [11] For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, 'You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.'

Enough said.  Not enough follow-through

Having been in very real need, I have been blessed by brothers and sisters who heard God's directive and have engaged and followed through.  It was tough to ask and tough to receive but a blessing nonetheless.

"Poor" is a tough place to be.

Notice that this passage does not qualify poverty.  It does not discuss the "why" behind the poverty it simply says that if one of our vrothers becomes poor we are to see that they are provided with sufficient to meet their need.  It says we are to "lend" them  whatever is sufficient for that need.

"Lend ?"   Lend a poor person money?  Yep, that's what is says (and remember the law against charging interest).  It's tough to think of lending a poor person money.  It's easier to just give it to them, and that'66s ok too but when you lend it to them, you are invested in their growing out of poverty.  You have an interest in their overcoming whatever their negative circumstance is and going on to be lifted out of their poverty.  This is a good motivator for the giver to stay engaged in the life of the one in need.

Giving them what they need is a good thing but jt can be a kind of "fire and forget" blessing.  It's real easy to just give and walk away feelimg good about having given.  But, if we take the injunction to "lend" them what they need seriously we can't just walk away.  We take on some form of responsibility with them for the bettermemt of their condition.  That's charity plus!  That is the will of the Lord.  That is part of of the plan.

With many if not most of the "poor," something has occured in their lives to cast then into that condition.  It is God's will that they not remain in  that condition but that they rise from it.  That means that besides the poverty, the cause needs to be addressed.  Thatxs phase two of God's answer to the poor brother's need and one He thoroughly expects us to have a part in.  Whether we take direct and intimate action for their benefit or we help them aquire the connections and resources they need, we are not allowed to "fire and forget" our blessing to them.

The whole notion of lending to the poor is to keep us engaged in their progress.  Charity is tough to give and tough to take but to just drop a gift on them and drop out of their lives is just cruel.  It's saying, "Here's some stuff, lots of luck you are on your own."  Well, being on their own probably contributed to their becoming poor.  Leaving them to their own devices, even with a generous gift, is not going to help them the way they need help!

Having a lending mindset also creates a covenant between you and them. There are legitimate expectations that need to be made clear and carried out.  If one lends, one has the right to expect a return.  But a return is only possible when the one lended to is willing to be helped beyond the lending.  He that is lent to incures an obljgation beyond simple repayment.  They incure the obigation to work to address the cause not just the condition.  We undertake an obligation beyond just the giving.  A good rule of thumb for our role is found in:

1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

This directs us to a broad range of needs and a clear course of action.  One does not take responsibility "for" them but takes responsibility "with" them. We stay engaged and involved.

Galatians 6:2 ESV
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Psalm 16:1-2

Psalm 16:1-2 ESV
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. [2] I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

Boy is this one we do not pray;
Often enough
Loud enough
Humbly enough
Sincerely enough

You really can't expect verse 1 without verse 2

It's tough to hang on to the "no good" of verse 2
We really fight that
Or
Ignore that
Or
Conveniently forget it

It's not a comfortable truth
It pricks our flesh
It irritates the abiding sin in us
It pokes us in our pride
It's an "ouch"

But a failure to remember verse 2
Set us up for failure
Disappointment
Despair
Depression
Confusion
Consternation
Complications

We really don't get the power behind the word "Lord"
We forget that to call Him Lord
Is to surrender
Abdicate
Give it all up

We want to be preserved
Our way
Under our power
In ourtime
For our purposes
Admit it's true

But that gives lie to our calling Him Lord

It's tough
It's uncomfortable
It's even a little scary
But
It is imperative

Takes commitment
Focus
Faith
And remembering
Lots of remembering

Great prayer
But
It demands a lot more than we want to think about

Better than, "Yes."

1 John 5:14-15 ESV
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

See, that's the kicker, discerning if my request is according to His will.

A lot of things seem "good" and "fair" and "just" and they well may be but that does not mean, at least in my experience, that they are according to His will.  They may be outside His will or even contrary to His will.  It depends on the circumstances and, well, His will.

Ephesians 5:10 ESV
and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, 17-18 ESV
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. [15] See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We always pray, "Your will be done." But all too often, for me at least, it's my way of confessing that I am absolutely clueless as to whether or not my request is in His will.

Then there is the kicker:

James 4:3 ESV
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

There's the.  I assume that many of my personal prayers are not answered in the way I hope because somewhere underneath all the solumn prayer words there lurks some selfish motive that thwarts, not His answer, but my asking.  I ask wrongly.

That's a tough nut to crack!  I can well understand why the Puritains were so determined concerning the need for self-examination.   We really do have to accept that our hearts are deceitful and that we are the ones we deceive most  often.  We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that we are being selfless and submissive in our prayer and that they are according to His will.

Right now I have a very specific prayer request before Him.  I've kept it simple, short and sweet.  I don't believe is it greedy or self-serving but rather fair, good and reasonable.  BUT there is a lurking doubt in the back of my mind because I will benefit from a "Yes  It is a prayer about me, for me.  It is a prayer and also a test.  I have asked for X which is a fair request and consider a "Yes" as an answer to another request/query.  In short I have figured if He grants X then Y is in His will.  Make sense?

But then that old....ask wrongly and don't test God thing comes up in my mind and I doubt not His goodness but the rightness of my prayer.

So I come to:

Philippians 4:5-7 ESV
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This does not promise a "Yes," to my prayer.  What it does promise is His peace in His answer which will in turn guard my heart and my mind.  And isn't that better than a "Yes"?

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

What a GREAT verse!  In the Lord, our labor is not in vain.  Boy, did I need to hear that or what.  What a POWERFUL encouragement, especially when we feel our work is small and has little positive effect!  It is great to know that "in him," our labor is never in vain.

But, there is kind of a caveat to this.  We need to be steadfast, immovable and constantly abounding in His work.  

Now a lot of us will balk at the, "in the work of the Lord."  We will think that this verse applies only to those "professionals" who serve in some fulltime ministry.  As a great friend of mine would say, "That is a lie right out of the pit of hell!"  We have to get away from this incredibly narrow view of what is His work. 

A Christian mother and wife is engaged in His work as she cares for her family.  She does not have to ever leave the home to be in fulltime service.  Everything she does is, "in the Lord," and hence, it is His work.  As children obey and respect their parents they are engaged in His work.  As husbands and fathers labor to provide subsistence  for their families, they are engaged in His work.

Anything we do, "in the Lord," is His work and is NEVER in vain!

But we do have to be steadfast (keep on keeping on), immovable (bloom where you are planted) and abounding (what your hand finds to do, do)!

We also need to examine ourselves and our labor to be confident that we are doing it. "In Him."  Sure, you'll find a lot of messy mixed motives as you examine this but you look for the light not the shadows.  Whatever you find in the mix, if love for Christ is there, you are good to go.  You're gonna find a lot of your own stuff mixed in there.  Do not let it stop you or hinder you in any way.  He is in the business of refining us and all we do do. Don't sweat it, do it and do it for Him.

Now, notice I don't say do it perfectly.  You're not gonna.  Not gonna happen. You're gonna move forward in fits and starts, ups and downs, homeruns and foul balls.  But you gotta be doing it for Him to be refining it.  Sure, perfection is a great and worthy goal.  We aim at it, constantly secure in the knowledge that wherever we fall short, He covers the shortfall.

A great lesson concerning our labor is found here; 

1 Corinthians 3:6-7, 9 ESV

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. [9] For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

Oh, dear ones, if we would only carve that on our consciences!  We always tend to take on that which is not ours to fulfill!  None of our labors in Him can ever be in vain when the conclusion of the effort is in His hands!

WE ARE ALL God's fellow workers, right where He has us doing what He has given us to do.  Whatever a believer does should be considered fulltime service.  That includes both our labor and our leisure.   We are His fulltime, therefore what we do should be His fulltime!

Dear ones, stay steadfast.  Be immovable.  Abound in what He has given you to do.  AND relax and rejoice in the fact that He is the period on all the senteces our lives write.  NOTHING you do in Him is EVER in vain!

Set mind & heart . . . .

Colossians 3:1-2 ESV
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Melancholy, especially chronic melancholy is a strange affliction.  One mo,emt things are relatively fine and the next momemt the melancholy raises its ugly head and smacks you into the dirt.  It is a most unpleasant occurrence.   One never knows when it will strike and determining why can be difficult.

If we accept that there is a neurochemical component to the affliction then the sudden attack can be due to some shift in the chemical balance.  But we do not want to lay all of the blame on some mysterious chemical Russian roulette.  We, our minds and hearts, play a powerful role in this affliction as well.

One of the more simple causes of these sudden drops has much to do with what we have set our minds and hears on.  We have all heard the phrase, "I really had my heart set on ......."  When we set out hearts and or minds on something we have to accept that we may have set ourselves up for a drop, for a deep bout of melancholy.  Therefore, it is important that we guard our minds and hearts from being set on anything that can disappoint.

This does not mean we don't desire things - ever.  But it does mean that we have to moderate the strength of our desires for anything in or of the world.  This means we have to take responsibility and do the hard work of examining exactly what we have set our minds and/or hearts on and to what degree.  When we fail to do this we can expect a drop.

I have been looking for a new job.  We need more income and frankly working nights is getting tougher.  I had submitted two applications for two jobs for, which I believe my skills and experience make me a viable candidate.  One job looks very positive the other is still up in the air.  I received a call from the very positive job today for a second interview and found myself dropping into, that dark place.  Wondering why I! examined my heart and mind and realized I had set my mind and heart on the other job to a greater degree than I had thought even though they have only read my resume and have not offered an interview.  Oh sure, it's a better job and a greater challenge but the mere fact that a call from positive job cast me down made me very suspicious of the set of my mind and heart.

We are admonished to set our mind and heart on things above, and not things below, for a very good reason.  Things above are promised and guaranteed. They are bought and paid for.  Things below, not so much.  One reason that we should not set our hearts on things in and of this world is because they are entagled in that great web of fallenness that so corrupts the whole world.  We are no match for the world, the flesh and the devil, at least not on our own.  We are not capaple of navigating the maze of deceit that works in this world.  And besides, this is all passing away.

We have a great promise concerning ourmhearts and minds;


Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When we earnestly and consistantly pray concernining our needs, desires and concerns (what we set our minds and hearts on) we have the promise of the peace of God.  And this is not mellow sence of well being type of peace.  It is an active and dynamic peace.  It guards our hearts and minds.  It works in us to keep us safe and away from setting our minds and hearts awry.  This is a promise we need to grab hold of and hold so tightly is squeals!  Let God know about everything that concerns your mind and heart and He will guard it!

Melancholy is a mean and nasty affliction.  It seems to abate only to blindside us.  But where we have set our minds and hearts has a lot to do, with its power in our lives.  Our prayer thoughts and life can have a powerful effect upon hooften and how hard it hits us.  Where we have set our minds and nearts plays a powerful role in how and where it hits us.  A key to avoiding these blindside injuries is to work diligently  to keep, our minds and hearts set on things above and to set our concerns and desires above as well.

Too much "in me," in me.

Philippians 4:12-13 ESV
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. [13] I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I know how to be brought low....
Well, I know what it's like and it is no fun whatsoever.  But I have to reflect on why He sees fit to keep bringing me low.  I'm afraid it may well have to do with pride and cockiness and until I learn the lesson in the lowness I keep repeating it.

I know how, to abound....
I don't.  I don't do abounding very well, it tends to mess with my head.  Hence the lessons in lowness.

I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need....
Don't do any of that very well.  Get stupid in one and whiny in the other.  Hence, the lowness lessons.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me....
That's the "secret."  It's the "all things through him" all the time in all situations.  It's never "in me", it's just not going to happen.

"In me," is all the world of abiding sin; all the old man, all the body of death.  "In me," is not good.  "In him," is the only way to learn the lesson and have it stick.  But there is too much "in me," in me.