“Watch Your Words”
James 3.3-12
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
The Bible has a great deal to say about guarding our words. Watching what we say is one of the most difficult and yet crucial aspects of our walk with Christ. This is something the Church does not teach enough, and it is blatantly obvious. This is harsh, I realize, but necessary. Every day I encounter dozens of Christians who do not keep a tight reign on their tongue. Curse words, gossip, hurtful words against a brother, complaining, bitterness, and all sorts of evil spew out of the mouths of God's children. It is completely unacceptable and in violation of the sort of gentleness and love to which Christ has called us. It is a subject we must address seriously and directly.
This is not a new phenomena. James addresses it in James 3, and this was over 2000 years ago. He begins by stating that there are all sorts of thing man has learned to tame—various animals and ships. They are all controlled by a “very small rudder[s]” or “bits.” The tongue, also, is small just like these things, and it controls the entire body. Unfortunately, the tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” This means that one wrong move with the tongue can set to fire an entire forest--“consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”
We all have seen what devastation has been caused by our careless words, and yet we continue to engage in carelessness. Why? The reason is that we do not obey the old adage: “think before you speak.” I have been guilty plenty of times of saying something I knew would get me into trouble because I did not allow the Holy Spirit to test my words. Speaking without thinking is like drinking muddy water without a filter—our words will come out raw, unsanitary, and bitter.
The solution, then, is to get the correct filter. The most obvious filter is the Holy Spirit. Every time we must comment on something, we need to say it first in our heads. Would Christ Himself say it? Is it going to build others up or tear others down? God's word is very clear that we must “not let any unwholesome talk come out of [our] mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4.29). Will our words instruct, create, improve, and most importantly glorify God? Or are they designed to merely demonstrate to others the pain or rage we are experiencing internally? Think about it.
I do not know where your tongue stands today. If you have no issue with this, then pray that the Lord will help you to continue speaking wholesome and truthful words. For most of us, though, we need to work on keeping our tongues pure. We need to use the filter of the Holy Spirit. If you need that filter, come and ask God, who, as James says, “gives to all liberally and without reproach” (James 1.5b). Control your tongue so that it may only speak words that bring glory to God! Let us “[b]e very careful, then, how [we] live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5.15-16). Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Sign of His Covenant
A Sign of His Covenant
Genesis 9.12-16
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
By Genesis 9, God has already established a few covenants with mankind. He promised Adam the covering of sins via the coats of skin in Genesis 3.21. For more information on this, see here. He had also promised Noah and his family redemption from the destruction of the earth(Genesis 6.18). In Genesis 9, we see another covenant between God and man, this time in the sign of a rainbow. God “set [His] rainbow in the clouds, and it [is] the sign of the covenant between [him] and the earth.” Whenever God “[brings] clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, [He remembers His] covenant between [Him] and [Creation].” He promises that “never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”
There is a lesson to be learned from the giving of the covenant here in Genesis 9—God's promises are clear and personal. In both the Old and New Testaments, God aims His promises to direct, individual men who are willing to serve Him. The rainbow is a rather simple but elegant display of the Lord's promises. Even today we can look up and smile at the faithfulness of God.
But God has made a covenant with us, beloved—a covenant of grace. That continues to unfold each day. We see it in our failures, mistakes, anger, bitterness, joy, love, and elation. Like a rainbow, that covenant arches over us, as if to shield us from our sinful nature. Each color demonstrates how, though there are many different facets of our lives, each one is present in God's promise. He has everything we need covered—we need only to trust Him.
I'm sure God's covenant with you will never cease so long as you choose to remain in Him. Remember His promises each day. Write them down or think about them. What is it God has for you today that will bring Him glory? Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Genesis 9.12-16
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
By Genesis 9, God has already established a few covenants with mankind. He promised Adam the covering of sins via the coats of skin in Genesis 3.21. For more information on this, see here. He had also promised Noah and his family redemption from the destruction of the earth(Genesis 6.18). In Genesis 9, we see another covenant between God and man, this time in the sign of a rainbow. God “set [His] rainbow in the clouds, and it [is] the sign of the covenant between [him] and the earth.” Whenever God “[brings] clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, [He remembers His] covenant between [Him] and [Creation].” He promises that “never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”
There is a lesson to be learned from the giving of the covenant here in Genesis 9—God's promises are clear and personal. In both the Old and New Testaments, God aims His promises to direct, individual men who are willing to serve Him. The rainbow is a rather simple but elegant display of the Lord's promises. Even today we can look up and smile at the faithfulness of God.
But God has made a covenant with us, beloved—a covenant of grace. That continues to unfold each day. We see it in our failures, mistakes, anger, bitterness, joy, love, and elation. Like a rainbow, that covenant arches over us, as if to shield us from our sinful nature. Each color demonstrates how, though there are many different facets of our lives, each one is present in God's promise. He has everything we need covered—we need only to trust Him.
I'm sure God's covenant with you will never cease so long as you choose to remain in Him. Remember His promises each day. Write them down or think about them. What is it God has for you today that will bring Him glory? Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Scaling the Walls of Life
Scaling the Walls of Life
Psalm 18.6
"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."
Psalm 18.29
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."
The Byzantine Empire was the last beacon of hope in the Dark Ages. As the western half of the Roman Empire fell to the Germanic tribes, the eastern half, particularly the city of Constantinople in modern day Turkey, remained a stronghold for the Roman and Christian way of life. But the threat from invaders forced the last Roman emperors to secure the city. The result were the walls of Constantinople--the greatest defensive wall structure in the ancient world apart from the Great Wall of China. With three layers of limestone wall, some being six feet thick, the city of Constantinople was virtually impossible to conquer externally. The enemies would have had to scale or penetrate three layers of defense and then conquer one of the 97 towers that surrounded the city. Here is a diagram of what these walls look like.
The concept of walled barriers were very common to the ancient world. It is no surprise, then, that the Psalmist alludes to it here in Psalm 18--a psalm focused on emphasizing the Lord's provision and protection from enemies(commonly thought to be when David was escaping from Saul.) The Psalmist asserts that "in [his] distress [he] called to the LORD." "From [the LORD's] temple he heard [the Psalmist's] voice" and his "cry came before "[the LORD], into his ears." As the LORD answers the Psalmist's plea for safety and redemption from his enemies, he rejoices in the confidence that the Lord provides. He boasts that "[w]ith [the LORD's] help [he] can advance against a troop" and that "with [his] God [he] can scale a wall."
Isn't that true, beloved? Ought we not to trust in the Lord just as the Psalmist did? Do we cry to Him in our distress, and do we trust that with Him we can do all things? I have no doubt that with my God I can scale the walls of Byzantine or advance against the mightiest army. For our God is mighty and powerful, and His provisions for our lives are more than enough to sustain us. That is why the Scripture says in Philippians 4.13 that "[We] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]." Beloved, we simply need to trust that Jesus will provide for us. I realize this is rather abstract and vague, but it is meant to be. Literally every area of your life can be solved by putting Christ at the center. Pray to Him. Open up His word. Cry out to Him and bow before Him in your brokenness and distress. Just as He answered the Psalmist, so too He will answer you!
I pray that we will scale all the walls in our lives that we must face. Whether it be how we will pay the bills for this month, how we will handle that co-worker or student or friend or family member with whom we are struggling, or how we will deal with grief, the Lord will provide for us in the way He has chosen. That may NOT mean that it happens as we wish, but it does mean that God will get us over that wall into the promised land to which He has promised us. What will it be, beloved? Will you put your trust in the Lord today to provide for you? Let's do so! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Psalm 18.6
"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."
Psalm 18.29
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."
The Byzantine Empire was the last beacon of hope in the Dark Ages. As the western half of the Roman Empire fell to the Germanic tribes, the eastern half, particularly the city of Constantinople in modern day Turkey, remained a stronghold for the Roman and Christian way of life. But the threat from invaders forced the last Roman emperors to secure the city. The result were the walls of Constantinople--the greatest defensive wall structure in the ancient world apart from the Great Wall of China. With three layers of limestone wall, some being six feet thick, the city of Constantinople was virtually impossible to conquer externally. The enemies would have had to scale or penetrate three layers of defense and then conquer one of the 97 towers that surrounded the city. Here is a diagram of what these walls look like.
The concept of walled barriers were very common to the ancient world. It is no surprise, then, that the Psalmist alludes to it here in Psalm 18--a psalm focused on emphasizing the Lord's provision and protection from enemies(commonly thought to be when David was escaping from Saul.) The Psalmist asserts that "in [his] distress [he] called to the LORD." "From [the LORD's] temple he heard [the Psalmist's] voice" and his "cry came before "[the LORD], into his ears." As the LORD answers the Psalmist's plea for safety and redemption from his enemies, he rejoices in the confidence that the Lord provides. He boasts that "[w]ith [the LORD's] help [he] can advance against a troop" and that "with [his] God [he] can scale a wall."
Isn't that true, beloved? Ought we not to trust in the Lord just as the Psalmist did? Do we cry to Him in our distress, and do we trust that with Him we can do all things? I have no doubt that with my God I can scale the walls of Byzantine or advance against the mightiest army. For our God is mighty and powerful, and His provisions for our lives are more than enough to sustain us. That is why the Scripture says in Philippians 4.13 that "[We] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]." Beloved, we simply need to trust that Jesus will provide for us. I realize this is rather abstract and vague, but it is meant to be. Literally every area of your life can be solved by putting Christ at the center. Pray to Him. Open up His word. Cry out to Him and bow before Him in your brokenness and distress. Just as He answered the Psalmist, so too He will answer you!
I pray that we will scale all the walls in our lives that we must face. Whether it be how we will pay the bills for this month, how we will handle that co-worker or student or friend or family member with whom we are struggling, or how we will deal with grief, the Lord will provide for us in the way He has chosen. That may NOT mean that it happens as we wish, but it does mean that God will get us over that wall into the promised land to which He has promised us. What will it be, beloved? Will you put your trust in the Lord today to provide for you? Let's do so! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Serving God's Kingdom
Serving God's Kingdom
1 Corinthians 3.6-9
6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Matthew 28.19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Why is it that we serve God? Is it for fame, for riches, to make sure we stay out of hell? It is a reasonable question that deserves a reasonable answer. Actually, it is probable that many of us have never stopped to consider why it is that we dedicate our lives to God. Perhaps we have always been in the Church, and we have never thought otherwise. It is possible that we use doing the will of God to harbor emotional stability within ourselves(i.e. it makes us feel like we do not owe God anything anymore). None of these reasons suffice, however. The main reason we serve God is to build His kingdom. This is echoed throughout the New Testament. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, his last words were for us to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [He had] commanded [the disciples]." The most crucial point He wished to make was not how they would eat, afford to pay the bills, live in safety, decide what physical foundation upon which the first church would lay, or any other possible reason we as modern Christians often demonstrate are most important to us through our actions that we take each day. The most crucial point of the Gospel is that it spreads--that God's Kingdom is built one soul at a time. Paul, too, states this. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses to the church at Corinth the division which had caused many to say "I follow Paul" or "I follow Apollos." He illustrates the futility of such rubbish reasoning with the point that "[Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." Beloved, we as Christians need to internalize such information into our hearts and minds. The true purpose of our ministry is to build God's Kingdom. We are to "plant" and "water" with "one purpose:" building the Kingdom of God.
Let us now address two areas in which this can be applied. The first is this: we ought to serve God with newness in our ministry. I do not mean newness in the sense that all of our buildings must be new, all of our songs must be the latest and greatest, and we must make as much use of technology as possible. These are trivial, internal areas of building God's Church. What is meant by newness in this context is that we be reinvigorated in our service to God. We must serve Him with a mindset that our actions, thoughts, and attitudes reflect the overall goal of building the Church. This can be further illustrated with an illustration. When we clean the tables of the church dining hall after a function designed for community outreach to feed the hungry, what is our mindset? Many of us maintain a negative mindset. Our thoughts are, why do people make such a mess? Why won't people help me? I have to do everything myself. Beloved, this sort of mindset is sinful and in serious error to the truth of how we should think and how we should act as we build God's Kingdom. The wise man reasons with Himself in a sense of newness: My job may be small, but it is a piece(function) of a ministry that will be used to help the helpless and bring them to be saved. That man is keeping his mind fresh with a renewed purpose of the Kingdom of God, whereas the other man only wishes to harbor up bitterness and feelings of self-importance and superiority to his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Secondly, we serve God with purpose and gladness. By purpose and gladness, I mean that we do not merely maintain a mindset of mindless action, but that we are able to see the overall goal in God's Kingdom and that we are able to enjoy being a part of it with a spirit of gladness and humbleness. The man above who saw his action as being a small piece in an incredible ministry is an example of someone serving the Lord with purpose and gladness. Purpose and gladness imply that we keep our minds in constant motion--that we are always attempting to see the big picture while focusing on the small implementations. Taking out the trash is just one step in saving a soul. A smile to a bitter man's heart is but a small step in "sewing the seeds of the Gospel" into his life, as Pastor David Platt puts it. When we see the large picture, we cannot help but smile and be filled with gladness, joy, awe, and humbleness in the work that God is doing through His Kingdom.
I wonder, are you serving God with newness, purpose and gladness? If not, then begin today. The Lord can change your heart, which will change your actions so that you may be able to build on God's Kingdom. As we go through our tasks and plans for the day, treat each encounter with someone, each task you must accomplish, as an opportunity to be a small part in an immense ministry of God. Let us remember that everything we do is a reflection of the plan God has for His Kingdom. That is why we can smile when He says in Isaiah 43.19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 Corinthians 3.6-9
6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Matthew 28.19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Why is it that we serve God? Is it for fame, for riches, to make sure we stay out of hell? It is a reasonable question that deserves a reasonable answer. Actually, it is probable that many of us have never stopped to consider why it is that we dedicate our lives to God. Perhaps we have always been in the Church, and we have never thought otherwise. It is possible that we use doing the will of God to harbor emotional stability within ourselves(i.e. it makes us feel like we do not owe God anything anymore). None of these reasons suffice, however. The main reason we serve God is to build His kingdom. This is echoed throughout the New Testament. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, his last words were for us to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [He had] commanded [the disciples]." The most crucial point He wished to make was not how they would eat, afford to pay the bills, live in safety, decide what physical foundation upon which the first church would lay, or any other possible reason we as modern Christians often demonstrate are most important to us through our actions that we take each day. The most crucial point of the Gospel is that it spreads--that God's Kingdom is built one soul at a time. Paul, too, states this. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses to the church at Corinth the division which had caused many to say "I follow Paul" or "I follow Apollos." He illustrates the futility of such rubbish reasoning with the point that "[Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." Beloved, we as Christians need to internalize such information into our hearts and minds. The true purpose of our ministry is to build God's Kingdom. We are to "plant" and "water" with "one purpose:" building the Kingdom of God.
Let us now address two areas in which this can be applied. The first is this: we ought to serve God with newness in our ministry. I do not mean newness in the sense that all of our buildings must be new, all of our songs must be the latest and greatest, and we must make as much use of technology as possible. These are trivial, internal areas of building God's Church. What is meant by newness in this context is that we be reinvigorated in our service to God. We must serve Him with a mindset that our actions, thoughts, and attitudes reflect the overall goal of building the Church. This can be further illustrated with an illustration. When we clean the tables of the church dining hall after a function designed for community outreach to feed the hungry, what is our mindset? Many of us maintain a negative mindset. Our thoughts are, why do people make such a mess? Why won't people help me? I have to do everything myself. Beloved, this sort of mindset is sinful and in serious error to the truth of how we should think and how we should act as we build God's Kingdom. The wise man reasons with Himself in a sense of newness: My job may be small, but it is a piece(function) of a ministry that will be used to help the helpless and bring them to be saved. That man is keeping his mind fresh with a renewed purpose of the Kingdom of God, whereas the other man only wishes to harbor up bitterness and feelings of self-importance and superiority to his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Secondly, we serve God with purpose and gladness. By purpose and gladness, I mean that we do not merely maintain a mindset of mindless action, but that we are able to see the overall goal in God's Kingdom and that we are able to enjoy being a part of it with a spirit of gladness and humbleness. The man above who saw his action as being a small piece in an incredible ministry is an example of someone serving the Lord with purpose and gladness. Purpose and gladness imply that we keep our minds in constant motion--that we are always attempting to see the big picture while focusing on the small implementations. Taking out the trash is just one step in saving a soul. A smile to a bitter man's heart is but a small step in "sewing the seeds of the Gospel" into his life, as Pastor David Platt puts it. When we see the large picture, we cannot help but smile and be filled with gladness, joy, awe, and humbleness in the work that God is doing through His Kingdom.
I wonder, are you serving God with newness, purpose and gladness? If not, then begin today. The Lord can change your heart, which will change your actions so that you may be able to build on God's Kingdom. As we go through our tasks and plans for the day, treat each encounter with someone, each task you must accomplish, as an opportunity to be a small part in an immense ministry of God. Let us remember that everything we do is a reflection of the plan God has for His Kingdom. That is why we can smile when He says in Isaiah 43.19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 15, 2009
He Renews Our Strength
He Renews Our Strength
Isaiah 40.31
"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Psalm 36.7
"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
These days we all grow weary. Our world moves at an incredibly demanding and sometimes over-bearing rate. Many of us feel enslaved to time. There is never enough time or resources to get things done. During these times we lose our strength. Not simply our physical strength, but our mental and spiritual strength as well. As our physical bodies buckle under the pressure of overworking, our minds become discouraged, and our spirits are weakened. We become discouraged, disheartened, bitter, and overwhelmed.
Is this really how God wants us to live our lives? Not at all. The Lord says that we are to be strong in Him. In Isaiah 40.31 he tells us that those "who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." God renews us, not wears us down. Therefore, it is essential that we examine our activities. Are we overwhelmed? It is not from the Lord. If we are consecutively overwhelmed and weakened, it is time to let the Lord take precedence in our life.
How do we allow the Lord to strengthen us? The Psalmist says that "both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of [the LORD's] wings." Isaiah, too, uses alludes to the imagery of fowl when he says that "those who hope in the LORD...will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Notice the two qualities we must apply in order to not grow weary and to renew our strength: we must "hope in the LORD" and we must "find refuge in the shadow of [His] wings." These are both acts of submission. They do not require more work, which is convenient since we already feel overwhelmed.
Hoping in the Lord means that we give all our worries and struggles to Him in prayer and in our actions. When we are overwhelmed, we ought to tell the Lord and ask for His strength. You will be surprised how He responds. He may even ask you to give up some things that may be causing you to grow weary. Perhaps you are taking on too many activities or, though this may sound shocking, you are involved too deeply in too many ministries. Remember that God puts others in our lives to help us. We must not allow ourselves to become overworked. When we do, we will begin to feel bitter. We will say to ourselves, "Why is no one helping me? Don't they know how much I do for them?" But be careful, beloved. This attitude indicates that perhaps our service is more for us or for a reputation than for the Lord. We need to pray and ask God to adjust our attitude whenever such thoughts arise.
Are you putting your hope in the Lord today? Are you allowing Him to renew your strength? If not, come and rest in the shadow of His wings. Find refuge in Him, and you will "run and not grow weary" and "walk and not be faint." The Lord is our refuge and strength--are we trusting in Him to provide for us? Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Isaiah 40.31
"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Psalm 36.7
"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
These days we all grow weary. Our world moves at an incredibly demanding and sometimes over-bearing rate. Many of us feel enslaved to time. There is never enough time or resources to get things done. During these times we lose our strength. Not simply our physical strength, but our mental and spiritual strength as well. As our physical bodies buckle under the pressure of overworking, our minds become discouraged, and our spirits are weakened. We become discouraged, disheartened, bitter, and overwhelmed.
Is this really how God wants us to live our lives? Not at all. The Lord says that we are to be strong in Him. In Isaiah 40.31 he tells us that those "who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." God renews us, not wears us down. Therefore, it is essential that we examine our activities. Are we overwhelmed? It is not from the Lord. If we are consecutively overwhelmed and weakened, it is time to let the Lord take precedence in our life.
How do we allow the Lord to strengthen us? The Psalmist says that "both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of [the LORD's] wings." Isaiah, too, uses alludes to the imagery of fowl when he says that "those who hope in the LORD...will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Notice the two qualities we must apply in order to not grow weary and to renew our strength: we must "hope in the LORD" and we must "find refuge in the shadow of [His] wings." These are both acts of submission. They do not require more work, which is convenient since we already feel overwhelmed.
Hoping in the Lord means that we give all our worries and struggles to Him in prayer and in our actions. When we are overwhelmed, we ought to tell the Lord and ask for His strength. You will be surprised how He responds. He may even ask you to give up some things that may be causing you to grow weary. Perhaps you are taking on too many activities or, though this may sound shocking, you are involved too deeply in too many ministries. Remember that God puts others in our lives to help us. We must not allow ourselves to become overworked. When we do, we will begin to feel bitter. We will say to ourselves, "Why is no one helping me? Don't they know how much I do for them?" But be careful, beloved. This attitude indicates that perhaps our service is more for us or for a reputation than for the Lord. We need to pray and ask God to adjust our attitude whenever such thoughts arise.
Are you putting your hope in the Lord today? Are you allowing Him to renew your strength? If not, come and rest in the shadow of His wings. Find refuge in Him, and you will "run and not grow weary" and "walk and not be faint." The Lord is our refuge and strength--are we trusting in Him to provide for us? Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Love Gives
Love Gives
1 Corinthians 13.4-8a
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.
The qualities of love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13 all share a common property--giving. Each attribute of love involve giving something, not receiving. Patience, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, forgiveness--these are all evidence of our giving for someone else. This is exactly the sort of thing Christ has called us to do--give. If we could sum up our responsibility to demonstrate love, it would be in these two words: love gives. This is quite contrary to our society today. Love, to the world, is about receiving. In the most common instance, it involves someone saying "I love you" because it makes them feel good. It may be accompanied by sexual encounters or gift-giving. This type of attitude is "self-seeking;" it is not love.
The Bible very clearly commands us to give love. This is a complete 180 degrees from what we expect, but that is why it is true. God's concept of the action of love is entirely different than man's, but we are to obey it. We are to give love. This involves a major attitude adjustment. Love must no longer be a sense of entitlement. It must not expect anything in return. That is the fundamental problem with the world today. But the love that comes from God expects no "favors" in return. In computer programming, there is a concept called a return signature. Basically, a function can be written that expects some specific type of output--be it a number, a series of letters, etc. But there is also a signature called "void" that performs some action but returns nothing. In a way, we must be like a void function--we must love God and the world with all of our hearts, but we must expect no output.
1 Corinthians outlines several ways which this is accomplished. We see that love is "patient, kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres." We can not adequately describe each of these attributes in detail here, so the best we can do is to memorize them, study them, meditate on them. Ask God what these attributes of love look like when carried out. How does each of them give something?
Ultimately, we must remember that giving is a reflection of Christ's giving. The ultimate display of giving love was demonstrated by Christ's willing sacrifice for the redemption of man. That, then, must be our model for giving love. Let us give love today like Christ gives to us. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 Corinthians 13.4-8a
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.
The qualities of love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13 all share a common property--giving. Each attribute of love involve giving something, not receiving. Patience, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, forgiveness--these are all evidence of our giving for someone else. This is exactly the sort of thing Christ has called us to do--give. If we could sum up our responsibility to demonstrate love, it would be in these two words: love gives. This is quite contrary to our society today. Love, to the world, is about receiving. In the most common instance, it involves someone saying "I love you" because it makes them feel good. It may be accompanied by sexual encounters or gift-giving. This type of attitude is "self-seeking;" it is not love.
The Bible very clearly commands us to give love. This is a complete 180 degrees from what we expect, but that is why it is true. God's concept of the action of love is entirely different than man's, but we are to obey it. We are to give love. This involves a major attitude adjustment. Love must no longer be a sense of entitlement. It must not expect anything in return. That is the fundamental problem with the world today. But the love that comes from God expects no "favors" in return. In computer programming, there is a concept called a return signature. Basically, a function can be written that expects some specific type of output--be it a number, a series of letters, etc. But there is also a signature called "void" that performs some action but returns nothing. In a way, we must be like a void function--we must love God and the world with all of our hearts, but we must expect no output.
1 Corinthians outlines several ways which this is accomplished. We see that love is "patient, kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres." We can not adequately describe each of these attributes in detail here, so the best we can do is to memorize them, study them, meditate on them. Ask God what these attributes of love look like when carried out. How does each of them give something?
Ultimately, we must remember that giving is a reflection of Christ's giving. The ultimate display of giving love was demonstrated by Christ's willing sacrifice for the redemption of man. That, then, must be our model for giving love. Let us give love today like Christ gives to us. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Fearlessness Among a Feared God
Fearlessness Among a Feared God
Joshua 1.5,9
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Proverbs 9.10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
We live in a world where we could be afraid of a great many things. War, nuclear weapons, pandemics, economic collapse, poverty, droughts and famine, the loss of a loved one, our own health issues, the loss of a job. This is, of course, nothing new, but the reality of fear is quite real in the hearts and minds of all people on Earth. This is not Biblical, however. Fear of anything apart from God is ungodly because it demonstrates two things: we are in direct violation of God's commandment to not fear, and that we are demonstrating a lack of trust for God's provisions for our lives. These two things will chip away at our spiritual fortress until fear throws open the city gates and sacks our hearts.
God's Word is very clear, however, that we should not be afraid. Towards the end of the book of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the book of Joshua, God becomes especially personal to Moses and Joshua. In this I mean that we see Him speaking a great deal of comfort to them. Why? Moses was faced with impending death, and any great leader will naturally fear for the safety and guidance of his people. Joshua, on the other hand, could have feared crossing the Jordan, soon overtaking the city of Jericho, and establishing an empire built by the very hand of God. But God is direct and transparent. He tells Joshua that "As [He] was with Moses, so [He would] be with [Joshua]." He assures Joshua that He will "never leave [him] or forsake [him]." All God commands Joshua to do is to "be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD [His] God [would] be with [Joshua] wherever [he went]." What comfort!
There is a lesson to be learned in God's message to Joshua--we must not fear the things of this world. Whether it be armies, crossing the river into an unknown land, or simply getting through the various trials of our day, we are commanded by God to not be afraid. The popular science-fiction novel Dune says "Fear is the mind-killer." That is true. Fear can turn our lives into a nervous wreck. It will cause us to lose trust in God and others. It will disturb our spirits, our minds, and our bodies. As Christians, we need to recognize that every event in life is guided by the hand of God. Yes, even the moments of great sorrow and suffering are known by God. He has all the answers to help us work through them. Notice I said work through them, not get out of them. Often, God does not remove the situations that cause us fear, but He changes our mindset so that we no longer fear them.
What, then, should we fear? Beloved, the only thing we should fear is God. Proverbs 9.10 says that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." When we learn to fear God, we begin to live lives focused on Him. We obtain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding needed to live lives fully dedicated to Jesus. By fear I do not mean fear that God will strike us down with bolts of lightning. I mean fear that we will, as Pastor David Platt once put it, let God down like a grown son fears letting his father down. Fear here really means deep admiration and respect for the sovereignty of God. We should desire to make sure everything we do is holy and pleasing to God. That means we desire to live lives of holiness and love--lives to which Christ has commanded us. When we do so, we will be pleasing the Father.
Are you afraid today? What struggles are there in your life that are causing you needless fear? God says not to be afraid. We must "be strong and courageous," not fearing anything Satan throws at us in this world. Our God is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving. He will protect us in the midst of our many struggles through life. What is it you need to turn over to Him today? If fear is controlling your life, turn it over to God. Ask Him, "Lord, I don't want to be afraid anymore. Grant me your heavenly strength to endure this day and this life without fear. Let me only trust in You, and your provisions for my life." Allow God to remove the fears in your life today, and he will replace that fear with comfort and strength in Him. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Joshua 1.5,9
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Proverbs 9.10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
We live in a world where we could be afraid of a great many things. War, nuclear weapons, pandemics, economic collapse, poverty, droughts and famine, the loss of a loved one, our own health issues, the loss of a job. This is, of course, nothing new, but the reality of fear is quite real in the hearts and minds of all people on Earth. This is not Biblical, however. Fear of anything apart from God is ungodly because it demonstrates two things: we are in direct violation of God's commandment to not fear, and that we are demonstrating a lack of trust for God's provisions for our lives. These two things will chip away at our spiritual fortress until fear throws open the city gates and sacks our hearts.
God's Word is very clear, however, that we should not be afraid. Towards the end of the book of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the book of Joshua, God becomes especially personal to Moses and Joshua. In this I mean that we see Him speaking a great deal of comfort to them. Why? Moses was faced with impending death, and any great leader will naturally fear for the safety and guidance of his people. Joshua, on the other hand, could have feared crossing the Jordan, soon overtaking the city of Jericho, and establishing an empire built by the very hand of God. But God is direct and transparent. He tells Joshua that "As [He] was with Moses, so [He would] be with [Joshua]." He assures Joshua that He will "never leave [him] or forsake [him]." All God commands Joshua to do is to "be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD [His] God [would] be with [Joshua] wherever [he went]." What comfort!
There is a lesson to be learned in God's message to Joshua--we must not fear the things of this world. Whether it be armies, crossing the river into an unknown land, or simply getting through the various trials of our day, we are commanded by God to not be afraid. The popular science-fiction novel Dune says "Fear is the mind-killer." That is true. Fear can turn our lives into a nervous wreck. It will cause us to lose trust in God and others. It will disturb our spirits, our minds, and our bodies. As Christians, we need to recognize that every event in life is guided by the hand of God. Yes, even the moments of great sorrow and suffering are known by God. He has all the answers to help us work through them. Notice I said work through them, not get out of them. Often, God does not remove the situations that cause us fear, but He changes our mindset so that we no longer fear them.
What, then, should we fear? Beloved, the only thing we should fear is God. Proverbs 9.10 says that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." When we learn to fear God, we begin to live lives focused on Him. We obtain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding needed to live lives fully dedicated to Jesus. By fear I do not mean fear that God will strike us down with bolts of lightning. I mean fear that we will, as Pastor David Platt once put it, let God down like a grown son fears letting his father down. Fear here really means deep admiration and respect for the sovereignty of God. We should desire to make sure everything we do is holy and pleasing to God. That means we desire to live lives of holiness and love--lives to which Christ has commanded us. When we do so, we will be pleasing the Father.
Are you afraid today? What struggles are there in your life that are causing you needless fear? God says not to be afraid. We must "be strong and courageous," not fearing anything Satan throws at us in this world. Our God is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving. He will protect us in the midst of our many struggles through life. What is it you need to turn over to Him today? If fear is controlling your life, turn it over to God. Ask Him, "Lord, I don't want to be afraid anymore. Grant me your heavenly strength to endure this day and this life without fear. Let me only trust in You, and your provisions for my life." Allow God to remove the fears in your life today, and he will replace that fear with comfort and strength in Him. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 1, 2009
How Does Holiness Act? Part 4: Purity in Thought
How Does Holiness Act? Part 4: Purity in Thought
Romans 13.14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
James 1.14-15
[B]ut each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
So far we have talked about how we should act in holiness. Nevertheless, acting holy is impossible if we do not keep a mindset of holiness. Christ is very clear on this matter. He says in Mark 7.21-23 that "from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " We tend to think that the temptations around us are what make us give in to sin, but they can no more make us sin than a glass of wine sitting on the table can force itself into a man's mouth; it is within our own thoughts that we determine our sins.
To understand this, we need to understand a little bit about biology and, at least how current theory perceives it, the body's interaction with the soul. Humans are a trinity, just as God is. We have a spirit, a mind, and a body. All three of these work together in a two-way, procedural process. The body takes inputs through the senses, feeds the information into the brain, which interprets it, then feeds it somehow into the spirit. This is, at least at the present moment, how we believe the process works. That is how input is received. Output works the opposite way. The spirit, receiving input, interacts with the brain to make a decision, then sends that decision back to the body. That is called output.
Now, this is quite important, for if we can understand this, then we can understand how sin works. You see, it is not the brain or the body(unless a physical or mental disorder is present) that makes the decisions. The old adage of "I just couldn't help myself" is invalid. You and I CAN control our actions. Our thoughts can choose what we want to DO with that input and what we want to output. It therefore becomes crucial that we keep a filter in our minds to guard against that which would be unholy. There are serious consequences to allowing polluted thoughts invade our minds. James mentions this in James 1 when he says that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Notice the synonymous philosophy of both Jesus and James--it is our thoughts that cause sin. Unholiness is a choice, and that choice is made by how we choose to act.
Thus, if we keep impure thoughts, the temptations to act upon them will be incredibly overbearing. That is why Christ commands us to keep holy minds. For example, Jesus says in Matthew 5.28 "that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Lust is an excellent example of how keeping unholy thoughts will cause one to sin. If we keep these sorts of sinful desires within us, Satan will slowly twist them into seeming honest. He will say things like, "It's alright to look at her; it's only natural" or "That white lie is alright; you did it to prevent pain" or "It's alright to do that; everyone who want to reach the top at this company has to do something they're not proud of." There are literally thousands of examples that Satan bombards us with everyday. What is the trick? Keep a pure mind. Next time we will see three key ways we can keep a pure mind: the Word of God, prayer, and relying on other Christians to help us stay holy.
For now, let's examine our hearts--are we keeping them pure with holiness? Are we allowing sinful thoughts to linger and grow until they don't seem so bad? If so, then we need to come to God and lay it down to Jesus. We may not have even acted upon them, but accepting them in our thoughts means we have done them already. Beloved, even if you are not struggling with temptation through unholy thoughts, pray to ask God to help you keep a pure mind. This is a crucial part of holiness. We need to make our thoughts holy--mirroring the thoughts of Christ in everything we do. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Romans 13.14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
James 1.14-15
[B]ut each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
So far we have talked about how we should act in holiness. Nevertheless, acting holy is impossible if we do not keep a mindset of holiness. Christ is very clear on this matter. He says in Mark 7.21-23 that "from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " We tend to think that the temptations around us are what make us give in to sin, but they can no more make us sin than a glass of wine sitting on the table can force itself into a man's mouth; it is within our own thoughts that we determine our sins.
To understand this, we need to understand a little bit about biology and, at least how current theory perceives it, the body's interaction with the soul. Humans are a trinity, just as God is. We have a spirit, a mind, and a body. All three of these work together in a two-way, procedural process. The body takes inputs through the senses, feeds the information into the brain, which interprets it, then feeds it somehow into the spirit. This is, at least at the present moment, how we believe the process works. That is how input is received. Output works the opposite way. The spirit, receiving input, interacts with the brain to make a decision, then sends that decision back to the body. That is called output.
Now, this is quite important, for if we can understand this, then we can understand how sin works. You see, it is not the brain or the body(unless a physical or mental disorder is present) that makes the decisions. The old adage of "I just couldn't help myself" is invalid. You and I CAN control our actions. Our thoughts can choose what we want to DO with that input and what we want to output. It therefore becomes crucial that we keep a filter in our minds to guard against that which would be unholy. There are serious consequences to allowing polluted thoughts invade our minds. James mentions this in James 1 when he says that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Notice the synonymous philosophy of both Jesus and James--it is our thoughts that cause sin. Unholiness is a choice, and that choice is made by how we choose to act.
Thus, if we keep impure thoughts, the temptations to act upon them will be incredibly overbearing. That is why Christ commands us to keep holy minds. For example, Jesus says in Matthew 5.28 "that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Lust is an excellent example of how keeping unholy thoughts will cause one to sin. If we keep these sorts of sinful desires within us, Satan will slowly twist them into seeming honest. He will say things like, "It's alright to look at her; it's only natural" or "That white lie is alright; you did it to prevent pain" or "It's alright to do that; everyone who want to reach the top at this company has to do something they're not proud of." There are literally thousands of examples that Satan bombards us with everyday. What is the trick? Keep a pure mind. Next time we will see three key ways we can keep a pure mind: the Word of God, prayer, and relying on other Christians to help us stay holy.
For now, let's examine our hearts--are we keeping them pure with holiness? Are we allowing sinful thoughts to linger and grow until they don't seem so bad? If so, then we need to come to God and lay it down to Jesus. We may not have even acted upon them, but accepting them in our thoughts means we have done them already. Beloved, even if you are not struggling with temptation through unholy thoughts, pray to ask God to help you keep a pure mind. This is a crucial part of holiness. We need to make our thoughts holy--mirroring the thoughts of Christ in everything we do. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)