THE POINT OF PRAYER

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. -- James 4:8

God is never far away. 

(From a theological perspective, it would be impossible after all, since he is by nature omnipresent.) 

There are times however, when we feel God is absent, or at least distant. Sometimes in our struggles or fear we do not sense his presence. At times of darkness or loneliness we are unaware of his nearness.

Three truths:

#1 We cannot hide from God's presence. 

David wrote:

Where shall I go from your Spirit? 

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.

-- Psalm 137:7-10

#2 We learn to seek God most when his presence is felt the least. 

We don't seek out what is right in front of us. We take it for granted. But when something we need seems lost (picture your keys, wallet or phone), we seek. We search - until we find. We are to seek this God who is present, yet is at times hard to find; this God who is near, yet seems distant. Because in the seeking he is quietly building a character of perseverance and hope within us (see Romans 5:1-5). 

#3 The point of prayer is not to tell God stuff he is unaware of, or to ask him for things we need or want (and all of these are fine - but not the point). The point of prayer is to get to know God. 

James writes:

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions... But God gives more grace. Therefore it (the scripture) says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God... Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

-- James 4:3-8 (selected)

God is never far away.

Humbly draw near to him. He is closer than you think. 

God, I will draw near.

For now...

D

WISDOM

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 
-- James 3:17


We make choices every day, moment by moment. And each of our choices individually - and even more so, cumulatively - affect both our lives and those of the people around us. These choices are based on our perspective... our judgement... our wisdom.

The Apostle Paul writes that we are to ...have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ (Philippians 2:5). He adds that as believers, ...we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Therefore...

• our perspective - what we (choose to) see...
• our judgement - how we think and discern...
• our wisdom -  the understanding upon which we base our perspective and judgement...

...Are to be shaped and molded by Christ himself. 

As 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a description of Godly love, so James 3:17 is a description of Godly wisdom. (And isn't it odd how closely these resemble each other... and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23?)

Godly wisdom is not the norm of our times. Look again at the description...

pure... peaceable... gentle... reasonable... merciful... 

producing good fruit... impartial... sincere...

One need only to watch 15 minutes of television to see these qualities are in short supply; and worse, that they are not valued. 

However, these qualities - this wisdom - is attractive and compelling. It is especially so to those who are hurting, to those who are worn-out by life, to those who understand their need for something deeper and more meaningful. To them, this wisdom, this love, this fruit is a promise of peace and rest. It is also a challenge to purpose and greater destiny. 

Let our choices be truly based on the wisdom from above. It is promised to those who seek. 

God, let my choices be yours.

For now...

D

THE MERCY OF FAITH

Mercy triumphs over judgement.
-- James 2:13

James famously lays out an argument for true faith in the second chapter his letter. Faith, he says must do. It must produce. True faith - living faith always does. Faith that does nothing is dead faith. It is not faith. It is anti-faith.

True faith does. 

Remember for a moment that in the original writings there were no chapter designations, there were no breaks with subheadings (and for that matter, there was no punctuation!). Read verse 13 again and immediately move into verse 14. 

One of the products of true faith is mercy. A mercy that is powerful and triumphs over judgement. Faith is the bridge of relationship to the One who has loved us, and loves us. And it is in this relationship with the lover of our souls that we truly understand mercy. God is merciful to those who seek mercy. He is merciful to those desperate for mercy. And we receive his mercy by faith.

And the full circle:

Those who most need mercy... 

those who long for mercy... 

are those who receive mercy.

And they who have received mercy...

Extend mercy.

And in doing so...

Live their faith!

God, be merciful to me; and give me faith to be merciful.

For now...

D

LACKING NOTHING...

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.     -- James 1:4

Happiness and joy are related. But they are distant cousins. One is a result, the other a cause. One is a feeling, the other a choice. One is emotion, the other a state of heart.

The root of the word happiness - hap - was an ancient word basically meaning luck, or fortune. One of the "cousins" we get from the word is happenstance. The idea is that at times (and on some) luck smiles and fortunes are good. At other times (and on others), a frown. The result is that the person being smiled or frowned upon is happy, or not, according to forces completely beyond his control. Therefore, at its origin happy was most closely akin to lucky. 

I am going to make two contradictory statements, but hopefully we can reconcile them. 

• Statement 1: Unlike happiness, joy is not conditional. In other words, it is not based on circumstances.

• Statement 2: Joy is conditional. Struggling with the contradiction? Stay with me. Joy is conditional in the sense that it is based on the condition of our heart. And it is based on our perspective. 

Happenstances, by definition, happen; many within our control, most beyond. Joy however, is within our control. And joy is not based on outward circumstances or conditions (i.e. happenstances). 

Jesus said this about a joyful perspective:
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these other things will be added to you. -- Matthew 6:33
To this Paul added that we are to run the race of life and faith by, ...fixing our eyes on Jesus. 
This is the JOY PERSPECTIVE. 

Jesus said about a joyful heart:
"Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" -- John 7:38
This is the JOYFUL HEART. 

So back to James chapter one. Joy perseveres through all circumstances; through the roller-coaster emotions of happiness and grief. Joy overcomes because it is subject only to our perspective - our focus on Christ;  and our heart - his presence within us. 

I once heard a preacher say:

No Jesus... No joy

Know Jesus... Know joy.

(Not bad)

God, I choose joy.

For now...
D

ACT LIKE MEN...

...stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 
-- 1 Corinthians 16:13

I can vividly picture in my mind a full-page illustration from the first Bible I owned as a child. A menacing and armored giant of a man with a scowl and raised sword loomed over a much smaller young man. The simple young man, with an undeterred - and unimpressed - expression had a resolution that spoke of confidence and courage.

Obviously, the illustration was of the epic, though brief, battle between David and Goliath.

The fact is that Goliath, at nine feet tall, and with hundreds of hand-to-hand kills under his belt, had zero chance. David had weaponry that Goliath couldn't defend. David had courage that Goliath had never faced. David had faith that made Goliath minuscule.

David ... stood firm in the faith, he acted like a man, he was strong.  (To this day multitudes of baby boys are named David, I can only think of groupers named Goliath.)

Paul wrote (and lived), "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (Philippians 4:13). And though there is a specific context to the verse, there is also a universal principle at work:

What God calls us to...

He empowers us for.

(and I am perfectly aware of ending subsequent phrases with prepositions)

The plain truth is there exists a desperate void when it comes to Christian men. Real Christians... Real men! There exists a need in the church and the world for true men of faith and action. Bold men who, when called upon stand before undefeated giants with sling in hand. Men who ...stand firm in the faith, act like men, are strong. 

God, count me in, and strengthen my heart.

For now...

D

THE POWER OF VISION

Therefore my beloved, be steadfast, immovable... knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. -- 1 Corinthians 15:58

Vision is a powerful thing. Without it, Solomon stated, "the people perish," (Proverbs 29:18). We'll come back to a possibly better translation of the ancient proverb in a moment.

A compelling vision helps us to stay the course in the midst of adversity. It drives us to risk and to attempt. It both stretches and grows our faith. As the author of a jesusculture.com article put it, "Vision gives pain purpose."

A man without a vision is a man without a future. 

A man without a future will always return to his past. 

-- P.K. Bernard

Vision is not just what we see, but how we choose to see it. Impaired vision is not a condition of the eyes, but one of the heart. I say this because first and foremost, the focus of our vision is to be Christ himself.

The writer of Hebrews put it this way:

... let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, 

and let us run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus... 

-- Hebrews 12:1-2

Back to that famous Proverb (29:18). It might be better translated:

Where there is no revelation - of God himself and his purposes - 

the people lose heart and are discouraged.

(My transliteration considering multiple versions). 

Let's turn the verse around:

When we look to Christ, and seek to know him and his purposes, 

we find joy, meaning and passion. 

1) When our eyes are fixed on Jesus self-focus and selfishness diminish.  

2) When our eyes are fixed on Jesus comparison with others dies. 

3) When our eyes are fixed on Jesus we are powerfully and immovably about our purpose and mission. 

God, open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you.

For now...

D

RIGHT-SIDE-UP...

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts...
-- 1 Corinthians 14:1

The common colloquialism is Getting the cart before the horse. I call it Flying upside-down (I'll explain in a bit).

Whatever terminology we use, the error is at times comical. In some areas of life however, it can affect relationships, impact our purpose and alter our destiny.

I once heard a speaker repeatedly say throughout his message:

THE MAIN THING IS TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!

(He focused on Paul's powerful vision from Philippians 4:10-14)

The idea is that our primary objective... our goal... our pursuit must always be clear. We are created for a reason. We must be about purpose. Our fulfillment and joy come as we are on-mission. 

And it is easy at times to Fly upside-down. The idea comes from the vertigo suffered at times by fighter pilots. You can read the posts linked below; but the quick version is that sometimes a pilot's senses will betray him. He (or she) might feel he is level when instead the aircraft is banked. His senses tell him he is climbing when instead he is in descent. Ultimately, he might be completely inverted, while thinking all is well. In other words, he is flying upside down (without knowing it). For brief periods it is dangerous, for an extended period - and at over 500 mph - it is catastrophic. 

http://davidmstanleykineticlife.blogspot.com/2014/12/success-vertigo.html

http://davidmstanleykineticlife.blogspot.com/2014/12/steering-out-of-graveyard-spiral.html

http://davidmstanleykineticlife.blogspot.com/2014/12/diamond-crash-graveyard-spiral-addendum.html

So back to the point: Our life focus must be clear, and our pursuit pure. Paul writes that there are many things we can, and should, desire. But our passionate pursuit must be love. Love is the heart of God. Love is the power of transformation. And when we love, we are most like Christ.

God, help me to fly right-side-up, fixed on the horizon of your love. 

For now...

D

LOVE IS... LOVE DOES...

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends (fails).
-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I love my kids. I love the Kansas City Royals. I love God. I love chili.

We toss the word love around pretty nonchalantly. And the concept behind the word - the depth and power of love's reality - can get clouded. The result? Love loses its power. Actually, love never loses power. It is the word itself that loses gusto. And it is our understanding of real love that suffers in the wake.

Read Paul's above description of true love again. It is a description of the character of Christ. It is a picture of how he looks toward us. It is a revelation of the heart of God. And it is a challenge to how we should also love others.

God is love. We are loved. We should love.

God, help me to realize your love and to love more like you.

For now...
D

(By the way... I really do like the Royals and chili.)

THE SELFISHNESS OF SERVICE...

If one member suffers, all suffer together. 
-- 1 Corinthians 12:26

The Christian life is not lived in a vacuum. The life of faith cannot be spent in the ivory towers of religion, nor in the isolation of personal growth (for the mere sake of personal growth).

It has become a bit cliche, but I will state it anyway:

We are created for community. 

(By the way, most cliches become cliche because they are well-known and repeated truths. Truths that have often lost their punch.)

The Christian life - and being human in general - takes place within relationships. We are redeemed through relationship with God in Christ. We are transformed in relationship with Christ's abiding Spirit. We grow in faith in the midst of relationships with other believers. We grow in maturity in relationships with those whom we serve.

In a mysterious and wonderful way, there is 

a relational thread that connects us. 

Throughout the New Testament various metaphors are used to describe this community of faith. It is likened to a house, a family, a flock and a bride. The Apostle Paul's favorite word-picture is that of a body. A body, Paul writes, has many parts with various functions. Yet these parts make up one body. Each is necessary to and for the others. 

Paul writes that each of us is to operate in our God-given gifts and abilities. And there are two distinctive hallmarks of effective Christian service: 1) A love motive, and 2) A selfless desire to build the body. 

So why the title: THE SELFISHNESS OF SERVICE? Well, it's actually a little tongue-in-cheek. The idea is that as we serve, the community of faith becomes more healthy. The weak are strengthened. Those who suffer are comforted. And then these also serve, further strengthening the body - of which we are a part.

I don't mean this in some sense of what goes around comes around karma. Nor should we serve with wrong motives; eg., giving so that we get. Jesus himself said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve; and to give his life a ransom for many" -- Mark 10:45. And Paul tells us to: Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus... -- Philippians 2:5.

No one should suffer alone. Because when one hurts, we all are injured in some way. (For that matter, no one should rejoice alone!)

God, help me to serve others as if I am serving you... because I am.

For now...
D

Imitation...

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.  
-- 1 Corinthians 11:1

It is a bold statement: Watch me... do as I do...

We all know its tongue-in-cheek counter statement: Do as I say, not as I do. (And the reality is, we might be more comfortable with it!)

A golf instructor may say to the student, "Watch me... do as I do." 

The professional on Dancing with the Stars might say to the star, "Watch me... do as I do."

We say to our children often (whether it's teaching them to mow a lawn, fold a sheet, or to shave), "Watch me... do as I do."

But what about praying? How about serving others? In matters of faithfulness, charity, worship and discipline, will we say, "Watch me... do as I do?"

Someone... somewhere... is watching. And someone will do as we do. The fact is, we may be the closest thing to a church they will ever observe. We may be the only scripture text they ever read. We may be the closest representative of this Christ with whom they come in contact.

Now, there is grace. We will fail. We will at times be poor examples - marred portraits. But that should not extinguish the desire. The depth and completeness of God's forgiveness should only fuel the passion to:

Be imitators of God, as beloved children. -- Ephesians 5:1

God, I will watch you... and do... Forgive me when my words and life don't match.

For now...

D

Beam me up, Scotty...

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. -- 1 Corinthians 10:13

Star Trek ran for 79 episodes. Not once did a character say, "Beam me up, Scotty." Nor did Humphrey Bogart's Rick ever say, "Play it again, Sam," in Casablanca. Both are commonly attributed to the originals. But they are not there.

Nowhere in scripture is it written that God will never give you (or allow) more that you can handle. We hear it all the time. And it is as cliche as Beam me up Scotty.

The fact is God will again and again allow us more than we can handle. (Stay with me, it get's worse... then better!)

Paul wrote of his struggles: For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself (2 Corinthians 1:8). David writes much the same: I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart (Psalm 38:8).

Ultimately, 11 of the 12 disciples were martyred for their faith. The twelfth, John, was boiled alive in oil (and lived), and then exiled - where by the way, he had the incredible Revelation of Christ and wrote the letter of the same name.

I often face circumstances, burdens and pain beyond what I can bear. Please re-read the very last part of that statement.

... beyond what I can bear. 

There are two lies born out of the statement, God will not give you (or allow) more than you can handle. The first is that YOU can handle it. You. By yourself. You can and must be strong. 

The truth is, eventually you can't. There must be WE. The life of faith cannot be lived in isolation. Paul writes that we are to, bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2). When we cannot lift another's burdens, then we must lift the person who carries the burden. Christianity is lived in community; never in isolation. 

The second lie is much like the first. It centers in the bearing of burdens. We are not human pack-mules destined to trudge through life weighted down. That is not the joy inexpressible and full of glory Peter writes of (1 Peter 1:8); or the fullness of joy Jesus speaks of (John 15:11). 

As a matter of fact it was Jesus who said:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest... you will find rest for your souls. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

-- Matthew 11:28-30

(I told you it would get better!) 

I've often heard well-intentioned people say, "That's just my cross to bear," in speaking of a struggle or burden. But crosses are not for carrying. They are for dying. And when we are daily, crucified with Christ, as Paul wrote, we are also daily resurrected with him. It is only the pains, the struggles, the burdens, and the sin that remained nailed to the cross. 

God, because you are with me I can walk through any valley...

For now...

D

RUN...

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.     -- 1 Corinthians 9:24

Thesaurus.com lists antonyms of the complacent as: unhappy, unsure, concerned, discontent, discontented, dissatisfied. 

I must have missed something. I can understand these to be the opposites of contented, not not complacent.

The Bible calls us to be contented; but never complacent. Paul speaks to the power of contentment. It is this very attitude that gives context to his statement, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). And the value of contentment is driven home by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: Be anxious for nothing... and consider the birds of the air... (Matthew 6:25-26).

Contentment and complacency are vastly different. One is a blessed satisfaction. The other is a lack of desire and caring. Contentment is a settled heart. Complacency is a lack of heart.

Paul utilizes action metaphors is describing his passion for Christ and his mission: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal... (Phil 3:14). He likens the life of faith to training for a boxing match, running a race, and fighting a battle. These are not word pictures of complacency.

Complacent Christianity is not true Christianity.

Growth and progress should be the norms in our relationship with God. Stagnation is the alternative; and that is no way to live.

God, I have my running shoes on...

For now...
D