Three Aids to Optimism

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” (Psalm 100: 4, 5)

Jesus Christ does not want your attitude held hostage by circumstances. He does not want circumstances to control your attitude. Rather, He wants your attitude to influence circumstances.

When He ransomed you, He ransomed all of you including your spirit, your attitude. The believer can rejoice because Christ met our worst enemy, Satan, and overcame him. Because of Christ’s victory, we work from victory not for victory. It is Christ’s victory that enables us to be victorious.

The King of Kings has defeated the “prince” of this world.

Don’t ever step into a never-before-lived-day without a spirit of optimism.  

Our Lord knowing this has provided numerous uplifting influences to enable us to regain our footing when knocked down. Psalm 100 notes three.

I.   EXALTATION – VS. 4A “Enter His gates…and into His courts” (Vs. 4a)

These were expressions by the ancient Hebrews that spoke of public worship. Public worship puts God in focus. Worship enables us to get God in focus and things to fade. Public worship is intended to lift the spirit, giving it wings while challenging the will..

II.  EXULTATION – VS. 4B “Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

It is not the happy people who are thankful.

It is the thankful people who are happy.

Happiness doesn’t produce thankfulness, rather thankfulness consequences in happiness. Do you always feel thankful? The honest answer from all of us is “NO!” 

Psalm 116:17 – 19 speaks to such an emotional moment: “I will offer You the sacrifice of thanksgiving…”  A sacrifice is something we give that costs us. Sometimes the sacrifice is “thanksgiving” and it costs us dearly. Often thanksgiving comes as an act of faith, not from elation over circumstances. 

For God to be God in lives a sacrifice of thanksgiving is necessary. What is the threat to God on the throne of your life?

III. EXPLANATION – VS. 5

“God is good…”  He always is. Things aren’t always good, but God is. Complexity consequences when we fail to distinguish between God and things. As a result, we often end up feeling it is God Who isn’t good.

Grace is God supplying what we don’t deserve. The good.

Mercy is God sparing us what we do deserve. The bad.

His mercy is everlasting.

“…His truth endures to all generations…”

To such perplexed people God offers truth that stabilizes. As there are rules that remain constant once a game is begun, so there are spiritual concepts that don’t change in the game of life. Get in the game as never before and play by His rules.

Integrity: No Price Too Great

“For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.” (Proverbs 2:6 – 8)

Jesus posed the ageless question, “What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”  This speaks of the priceless qualities of integrity. It is best defined by some synonyms, such as, “honesty,” “faithfulness,” “sincerity,” and “innocence.” It means having a mind free of subterfuge and deception.  The writer of Proverbs used the Hebrew word for integrity, which when anglicized is “tom.” In the text is translated “walks upright.” It is an axiom that means “one who has a lifestyle free of a hidden agenda.” It means, you don’t have anything to hide. It means being willing to put yourself on trial to be judged by God’s standards and refusing to be deluded and deceived by self-exoneration.

We must have an integrity GPS set on a true spiritual north. That setting is Jesus Christ. We must be locked on to Him or we lose our direction.

Proverbs 25:19 gives a graphic description of a person lacking integrity: “Confidence in an unfaithful man in times of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint.”

The text speaks of God saying, “He is a shield to those who walk upright,” that is, “in integrity.” It is not integrity that is a shield; it is God Himself Who is the shield for the person who manifests integrity. As a shield takes the blows on itself intended for another, so our Lord takes our potential injury on Himself. 

The fact a shield is needed clearly implies warfare. A person who dares to maintain a lifestyle of integrity can expect to be engaged in spiritual warfare.  The person who valiantly and virtuously maintains integrity will not lack for a Helper nor an ultimate reward.  

Observe “He who walks in integrity walks securely…”  (Proverbs 10:9) “Walks” is a word for “lifestyle.”  This is an appeal to maintain a lifestyle of integrity. When life is over God will not measure our integrity by our moments of brilliance, but by our consistency. To do so, a word within the word integrity speaks of a characteristic needed. It is “inteGRITy” It takes GRIT. 

The glory of Jesus Christ is involved in every temptation by which we are threatened, and for His sake, if not for our own, we must stand firm.

When we become more concerned about pleasing God than people, integrity prevails.

When we are more concerned about who we are than what we have or can get, integrity prevails and God is glorified. It is now time for your integrity check.

Where There Is No Vision

“Where there is no vision the people perish.” (Proverbs 29: 18)

The New King James translates it, “Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint…” Meaning, if people don’t know what to do, they don’t do anything or they do their own thing. Cause and consequence are explained in this text.

The word translated “vision” is CHAZON. It is not a reference to the ability to see the future. It refers to the will and purpose of God being made known.

God has not left us without inspired guidance. He has given us His divinely inspired word, the Bible. Where it is not known and/or applied, it has a natural consequence. It is summed up in the word “perish.” The meaning of the Hebrew word for “perish” means “let loose, run wild.” That is, resenting and resisting authority. When restraints are cast off there is chaos in the life of individuals and anarchy in society. Thus, in keeping with the word meaning, they “perish.”

You may ignore the instructions in a cookbook recipe and find the result not as tasty as it would have been if you had followed it to the letter of the law. 

The last portion of the text raises questions. First “…but happy is he who keeps the law.” (Vs, 18b) The expression “keeps the law” is a reference to doing God’s will.  It means obedience. What is your answer?

One definition of sin is “missing the mark.” That is, not being on target with God’s will for you. Aristotle said, “We stand a better chance of hitting the target if we can see it.” Knowing God’s word enables you to be on target.

One reason so many Christians are missing the mark of God’s will is that they haven’t studied the Word to understand His will on various issues.

One of Eugene O’Neill’s characters is made to say: “You can’t build a marble temple out of mud and manure.” That is so obviously true that it seems strange that we still try. The word of God is the substance for building. Second question, is the Lord well-pleased with your work? Does He find great delight in your diligence in study of His word? Is He pleased with your attitude over the vision of the church to reach, teach, win, and develop people? Is your spirit of cooperation pleasing to Him? Is He pleased with your dedication? The cost that counts is the service that costs. Are you willing to pay the cost of service?

“Happy is he who keeps the law.” A literal translation would be: “He who obeys the will of God finds true self-fulfillment.” Self-fulfillment? Yes!

Do you have it? Do you want it?  You can have it.

“… happy is he who keeps the law.” (Vs, 18b)

Service, the Natural Result of Holiness

Isaiah 6:1-8

The ancient prophet Isaiah had an encounter with the Lord. It is presumed he was engaged in worship at the time. As a result he said, “I saw the Lord…” His attention was undivided. This is essential in order to enjoy a meaningful experience with the Lord. It begins with contemplating His glory.

He heard an unearthly antiphonal choir composed of seraphim sing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord…” It is repeated three times, indicating the Trinity. Though we should not expect an exact physical experience as he, we should realize a sense of God’s holiness.

I Thess. 4:3 records, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” The Greek word for “sanctification” is hagios. It is the same root word from which comes the word holiness. 

Actually, holiness and sanctification mean set aside for the Lord’s use. That is what we are set aside for. You only fulfill your function when serving the Lord, that’s why you were set aside.

He exclaimed, “Woe is me, for I am undone…” (Vs. 5)  Ego vanished. A sense of God’s unlimited and undiminished holiness made the prophet aware of his own sinfulness. It does the same for us.

He experienced an awareness of his society, “I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips…” (Vs. 5b)  He became aware of the sinfulness of sin. When we become aware of the holiness of God, we become sensitive to the sinfulness of sin. We realize we are a people of unclean lips.

The angel removed a coal from the altar, the place of worship. Touching the lips of Isaiah he said, “Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is purged.”

Only when our lips are clean are our ears open. Only when there is assurance of forgiveness is there a willingness to serve.

The Lord now, as then, was looking for someone to serve Him. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Note the US, a reference to the Trinity. Isaiah’s response is that of one who has had a true encounter with Christ. The person who has been cleansed is one who serves freely and gladly.

Consistency counts for more than capacity. A secular minded Fredrick Nietzche realizing this wrote, “The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is… that there should be long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.”

For too long the mandate of many has been to come out of the world into the church and be set aside. Good advice, but set aside for what? Too long it has stopped there. A new mandate needs to be heard. Come out of the church, after being equipped, and into the word to serve the Lord with gladness. Get out where your salt can be felt and your light seen.

Thank God For Stress – Part Two

Jesus said don’t “have an anxious mind.” Take these steps to renewal. First, some physical ones and then some spiritual ones.

Sometimes a chemical imbalance exists, causing a person great stress and anxiety. Often this requires good medical attention and proper counsel. A person with extreme stress and anxiety should start at this point. This field is a marvelous modern arena of healing and renewal. Then – – –

* Aerobic exercise is expedient. Some seem to think it is the panacea. However, exercising the major muscle groups reduces the stress level and helps clear the mind. Get your heart rate up to a level suitable for your age group and physical condition. Twenty minutes a day three times a week will not build physical stamina, but it will help maintain your level of physical fitness and relieve stress.

When you exercise vigorously your body produces and releases a group of hormones known as endorphins. These are natural pain-killers and mood-elevating chemicals that are associated with feelings of happiness. Put your endorphins to work for you. 

* Calm yourself by eating foods high in complex carbohydrates found in grains, beans, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables. They have a calming effect because they increase levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain, which helps you feel more relaxed.

* Establish a quiet time during the day. A minute vacation can help clear the mind and relax the body. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, relax your shoulders. Deep breathing increases oxygen in your brain and body, helping to relax muscles and calm you. Flood your mind with Scripture promises. Simply thinking about your work won’t help.

Now some spiritual solutions.

*  Confess all the sin in your life. Make sure nothing stands in the way of a close personal relationship between you and the Lord.  Throw overboard what doesn’t belong on board.

*  Explain your stress to God in detail, just like He doesn’t know about it.  Believe me, He does.

*  Believe that He is right now working out the answer. Don’t simply believe He is going to. Accept the fact that He is already at work on the project and the project is you.

*  Search the Scripture. Make it a point not only to study the Scripture daily, but add this additional discipline. Memorize a new verse every day and go back and review all previously memorized. Then you can truly say, “Thy word have I hidden in my heart.”

In considering your stresses, all of them, consider the application of these steps.

Perhaps you have lost some of your life’s joy, have become more edgy, dissatisfied, and critical without realizing the reason to be you have gotten away from the Word. Return to reading it daily. Remember: “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”  (Isaiah 26:3) Now comes the hard step. Apply these concepts.