Ruthless

Here below find the words of John Baillie as written in his "A Diary of Private Prayer." The language may be archaic at times, but as I read it, I found myself wondering how many of we Christians today would be willing to submit ourselves daily to such a ruthless self-examination of the practice of our faith in Jesus. All I could say after I read this was "Lord have mercy on me, a sinner."

O merciful Father, who dost look down upon the weaknesses of Thy human children more in pity than in anger, and more in love than in pity, let me know in Thy holy presence inquire into the secrets of my heart.
Have I today done anything to fulfill the purpose for which Thou didst cause me to be born?
Have I accepted such opportunities of service as Thou in Thy wisdom hast set before my feet?
Have I performed without omission the plain duties of the day?
         Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.
Have I today done anything to tarnish my Christian ideal of manhood?
Have I been lazy in body or languid in spirit?
Have I wrongfully indulged my bodily appetites?
Have I kept my imagination pure and healthy?
Have I been scrupulously honorable in all my business dealings?
Have I been transparently sincere in all I have professed to be, to feel, or to do?
          Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.
Have I tried today to see myself as others see me?
Have I made more excuses for myself than I have been willing to make for others?
Have I, in my own home, been a peacemaker or have I stirred up strife?
Have I, while professing noble sentiments for great causes and distant objects, failed even in common charity and courtesy toward those nearest to me?
         Give me grace to answer honestly, O God.
O Thou, whose infinite love, made manifest in Jesus Christ, alone has the power to destroy the empire of evil in my soul, grant that with each day that passes I may more and more be delivered from my besetting sins.
Amen.

Moving the Stakes

         

Fred Craddock often told the wonderful story about that remarkable evening during his childhood when his father called him out into the backyard of his home in Tennessee. Fred's father asked him to lie down in the summer grass beside him and to look up at the stars... and then he asked, "Son, how far can you think?"

            And Fred said, "What?"

            His father asked again, "How far can you think?"

            "Well, I don't know what you mean."

            "Just think as far as you can think up toward those stars."

            And so, said Fred, I screwed my imagination down, and I said, "I'm thinking... I'm thinking... I'm thinking."

            His dad said, "Think as far as you can think now."

            After a while Fred said, "I'm thinking as far as I can think."

            "OK then. Drive down a stake out there at that point.  In your mind, drive down a stake.  Have you driven down the stake?  That's how far you can think?"

            Fred said, "Yes, sir."

            And his father said, "Now, Fred, what's on the other side of your stake?"

            Fred said, "Well, there's more sky."

            And his father said, "Then, you'd better move your stake." 

            (from a sermon by Robert Dunham)

Lately I've been reading far more than I have in a long time. Most of the year is an exhausting blur where I bounce between tasks like a steel ball in a pinball machine. Contemplation gives way to a pragmatic "Git R' Done" mindset.

But it's summer, now.

And God is at work... calling me to examine who I am in Him and how faithfully I am carrying out His purpose.

When I think I've "moved my stakes" about as far as I dare, then that still, small voice whispers "more." 

I wonder if that's what Peter felt that night when Christ called him to step out of the boat?

How Long?

For many years, the period every day when I stopped and read Scripture and listened and prayed was ordered by a method first popularized by Billy Graham. He supposedly has used this for many years for his own devotional time. It is very simple. Whatever day of the month it is, read that Psalm and Proverbs. You can vary it with the day x2 etc. for the variations to keep it from being rote, but it puts your mind and spirit under the authority of some great Scripture every day.

Today's Psalm 13 is one of those that I remember and echo at times in my prayers.

13 For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?

How long will you look the other way?

2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,

with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!

Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”

Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

6 I will sing to the Lord

because he is good to me.

And here is U2. I love it when believers bring their faith to work. :)

So Where ARE You?

Does God seem to be hiding from you? Would you respond "yes" immediately if someone asked you if your faith was growing?

Every now and then, we all need to stop and take an inventory of what we have become. One of the best classes I have ever taken was a Spiritual Formation class with Dr. Robin Jumper at the New Orleans Seminary extension in Graceville. He helped us, probed and prodded us,and really kind of got in our face about what we, pastors and future pastors were doing to measure how we were growing in our faith.

We read several books on Spiritual Formation that semester, and my least favorite is actually the one I'm posting an excerpt from today. Donald Whitney is so dry (IMO) that I have trouble staying focused on his work. That's a shame because he really has solid content. Problem could very well be on my end.:)

Donald Whitney, in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, provides ten questions to help evaluate spiritual health:

1. Do you thirst for God?
2. Are you governed increasingly by God’s Word?
3. Are you more loving?
4. Are you more sensitive to God’s presence?
5. Do you have a growing concern for the spiritual and temporal needs of others?
6. Do you delight in the Bride of Christ?
7. Are the spiritual disciplines increasingly important to you?
8. Do you still grieve over sin?
9. Are you a quicker forgiver?
10. Do you yearn for heaven and to be with Jesus?

Might be worth spending some time over, friends.

Indeed

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

—Margaret Mead,
noted anthropologist

Who are God's people, really?

5:1-12 When Jesus saw the large crowd, he went up the hill and sat down. His students gathered around him, and he began teaching them. This is what he said:

"The spiritually humble are God's people, for they are citizens of his new order.
"They who are deeply concerned are God's people, for they will see their ideas become reality.
"They who are gentle are his people, for they will be his partners across the land.
"They who have an unsatisfied appetite for the right are God's people, for they will be given plenty to chew on.
"The generous are God's people, for they will be treated generously.
"Those whose motives are pure are God's people, for they will have spiritual insight.
"Men of peace and good will are God's people, for they will be known throughout the land as his children.
"Those who have endured much for what's right are God's people; they are citizens of his new order.
"You all are God's people when others call you names, and harass you and tell all kinds of false tales on you just because you follow me. Be cheerful and good-humored, because your spiritual advantage is great. For that's the way they treated men of conscience in the past.

Clarence Jordan, Cotton Patch Gospels

We've been looking at the "red letters" for the last few weeks at New Hope, and I think Clarence Jordan would approve. He was famous for writing about "Jesus' Doings' and Sayings'"

I was wondering a little while ago about the effect on a person who knew nothing about Christianity, Jesus, or the church if you were to give them this as a guideline as to what a person who wanted to relate rightly to God would find themselves doing.

Would they turn out as the typical person who joins the church does?

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

My brother Reggie McNeal's incendiary book "Present Future" is on its fourth reading here this week. The copy I have here at home is dog-eared and full of notes and tabs I put there to be able to find certain quotes. It looks a little weird, frankly. Fits its owner I guess.

In our men's group last Sunday, we were going through the week's readings in My Utmost For His Highest and somehow got into a short discussion of the book of Acts and specifically the early church's growth. One of the men, John Anderson was making the point that the early church had nothing we have today - no buildings, no programs, not even a Bible to tote around.

What they had, was Jesus. And that's what they shared.

Reggie writes (pg 82) "Evangelism that will introduce Jesus to this culture will flow from people who are deeply in love with Jesus."

We've tried to sell everything we could think of to get people to come to church - great music, great children's and youth programs, excellent Biblical teaching, even relaxed styles of dress and coffee and donuts.

When the only thing that will satisfy man's deepest need isn't church at all.

It is Jesus.

What if...