Do you plan to fight until the end of your life? 2 Timothy 3-4

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul is coming to the end of his life.  I write this in Chicago, on vacation to celebrate my 60th birthday .. two days hence.   I can relate to Paul's words, "I have finished the course."   As  you reach the end of your days (Psalm 90:3-5 tells us that we have 70 or 80 years),  you begin to contemplate your walk before God.   At least that is what the believer does, or should do.   The man of the world approaches his life and simply looks at what he accomplished, stored up, or achieved.  He fails to remember that our lives are mere vapor (James 1).   He fails to recall he is but dust (Psalm 90:3).   He simply works so much and gets so busy that he doesn't have to think about the concept of death and accountability to God.  But, the believer should have the same attitude as Paul.   Can we say with Paul, I have finished the course?   Can we say that we "kept the faith?"   Can we say with Paul that we have looked for and desired His appearing?    Yes, there is a crown laid up for those who believe and live in that minor.    Have we fought a good fight?  Or, have we just fought?   For the believer that is a course to finish and a faith to keep.  Each generation of believer has a responsibility to carry the Gospel fourth.  It is my hope for the final years of my life I can keep the faith even in a slight measure of Paul's example.   

Do you know Christ's Leadership sytle? John 13-15

John 13:12-14

So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

This is a tough passage for the world to grasp.  No one in this world's business schools, athletic worlds, Hollywood scene, or political structure would preach or practice this creed.   In the laying aside His garments our Savior exposed Himself.  Clothing was first made to hide something (see Genesis 3).   To lay aside these outer garments the Son was being fully transparent to those around Him.    No one in this world recommends that we are fully transparent.    By washing their feet, Jesus was willing to lower Himself and kneel before them.  Our world has the idea that we are climbing the ladder so that people will honor (kneeling is a way to honor people) before us.   Washing the feet would be a dirty job.  An undignified job.   The world's leaders are not in the mode or context of washing the feet of their "subjects."   The boss does not come out to the shop and care for the physical or emotional needs of his/her employees.  The president of the board seldom will even notice a receptionist.    The Hollywood star speaks ill of the paparazzi but would die if they were their to capture every insignificant moment of their life.   Jesus came to earth, left His heavenly throne and set a completely different standard of leadership.  Today's church would be well advised to follow this script rather than the worlds.   Today's families would be will advised to follow this approach rather than the worlds.    Being a transparent leader changes the way we do our life.   

Are nations significant to God? Joel

Joel 3:4

Moreover, what are you to Me, O Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? But if you do recompense Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your recompense on your head.

In the above passage we see the indictment of God on the surrounding nations.  In Israel's troubles they have forsaken their God and followed hard after the gods of their neighboring nations.   They allowed themselves to be conformed to the image of the world.   This is why the entire book of Joel was written.  God was reminding the nation that the reason they are in the condition they are in (persecuted by they surrounding nations in the midst of famine and brokenness).    While describing Israel's punishment (and future restoration) God brings to judgement the surrounding nations, who had grown strong at the expense of Israel's disobedience.    Tyre, Sidon and Philistia ... who are they to God?   This passage is a good picture for us to remember that even the most powerful nations are nothing to God.    We tend to be in awe at the sound of Russia, North Korea, and other rogue nations.  Yet, who are these nations to God.  We tend to think that others should shutter at the sound of U.S.A.   But, who is the U.S.A. to God.    God is the God of sovereign rule.   No nation surprises Him or surpasses Him.   If, according to this passage, these nations were to honor Him, He "might" honor them.   If He does, it is totally by His grace.   God is the God who is in control of every nation. He uses them to accomplish His tasks.  In this case He used Tyre, Sidon and regions of Philistia to punish Israel.    But, once He uses them they are no longer of use ... unless they are willing to give Him honor and praise and adoration.   

Do leaders seek you out? Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:29

Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will stand before kings;

He will not stand before obscure men.

God rewards people who know how to do their jobs.   Solomon tells us that a person highly skilled in his/her occupation will have a prestigious position before those in authority.   Skill will always be rewarded by God.   Those in authority are trained to recognize skill around them.  The best rulers should surround themselves with skilled people.  Obscured people (those of low degree) won't recognize skilled people.  They see all people the same.   Those of low degree don't recognize skilled people when they see them.   If we have skill we will be sought out.   The gifts God gives to us, when developed, trained and perfected will and can be rewarded.   That reward comes, sometimes, through the recognition of and by men.   God uses men to reward us.  So, when we develop our skill sets and allow God to work through us to mature those skill sets, God will reward us by placing us in positions recognized by the world.  Skill gets recognition.

Would you ever worship gold? Psalm 105-107

Psalms 106:20

Thus they exchanged their glory

For the image of an ox that eats grass.

In the midst of God's amazing deliverance from Egypt and His powerful hand to provide, the nation of Israel rejected God and made a molten image of a calf to worship.  Aaron would later tell Moses (who was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments at the time) that the people simply tossed their gold earrings into the fire and a golden calf came out.   They reduced the thing they worship to trinkets and bling.    The odd aspect of this, is that since man was made in the image of God their making of a molten calf was, in actuality, a condemnation of them, as well as God.   That is why they passage states that they exchanged "their" glory.  They exchanged God's Glory for a golden calf, but in this passage God is mocking them because they also exchanged their glory since they were made in the image and glory of God.   We laugh at them that they would bow down to an image of a calf and worship it as though it were important to them.   Yet, we worship chrome, fiberglass, pretty paint, brick and mortar, and on and on it goes.   It is so, so easy to worship the created thing rather than the creator.   We love to worship what we can see.  And, like the women at the well in John 4 we forget that those who worship must worship in Spirit and Truth.  It is not where we worship but what our heart is like when we worship.   We all tend to "exchange" the glory of God for useless and temporary objects.   What do we worship?  The creation or the Creator? 

Are you preparing to work for the rest of your life? 1 Chronicles 21-24

1 Chronicles 22:5

David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

David had a desire in his heart to build a temple for God.   God had told him that he would NOT be allowed to build the temple because of his past life style and sins against God.  That is God's prerogative ... to tell us what we can do and what we can't do.  Yet, in the midst of this answer of "no" David did see that he still had a responsibility to serve God and to glorify and honor Him in his life.   To that end, since he was not allowed to build the temple (being told by God his son would be allowed to do so), David began to make preparation for the build.    David was done working and could have just taken a trip to a warmer climate and played golf.   He could have accumulated material for his safety and future security.   But, instead, David began to stock pile resources.   David was not stock piling riches for himself in his future retirement.  David was serving God to the end.  In our old age it is so, so easy to relax and not want to serve anymore.  The younger generation is so eager to take over.  They think most of the older generation messed up things pretty poorly and can't want to make the changes.  The senior generation is far to often eager to allow them to do so.   Yet, think of Caleb, the oldest among the nation of Israel when they finally reached the promise land.   He simply wanted more territory to claim and the toughest territory, at that (see Joshua 14 and 15).   If we live for ourselves and in our strength we can easily fall into the western society mindset of retirement and accumulation of wealth.  If, however, like David and Caleb, we trust God with all our heart, soul and might, we can still make an impact in our later lives.    As long as we can breath we can be preparing for God and for His work and His glory.     

I write this one week before my sixtieth birthday and publish on my birthday.   May I honor God for the final years of my life in this way.  

Did you know to enjoy the big grapes you have to conquer big giants? Numbers 13-17

Numbers 13:30-31

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”

In the above passage we have the two different reports that the spies gave out after visiting the land.   Two spies (Caleb and Joshua) saw nothing but big grapes and big possibilities.   The other ten spies say nothing but big giants and big failures.    Two were looking at the problem through the eyes of God and ten were looking at the problem through the eyes of men.   Two through they eyes of faith; ten through the eyes of the flesh.  We ought to learn this lesson fast and quick in our walk with God, but we don't.   We tend to all look at problems through the eyes of the flesh.  We forget that if you have big grapes you will produce big giants.   With great blessings comes a great struggle.    Peter walked on water ... but, don't forget there was a giant storm that night.   David slew Goliath ... but, don't forget he was a giant and no one was willing to face him except a little lad who had faith.   Great blessings come from a life of deep faith.  We ought not to see the struggles but rather the strength we have in Christ.    Don't diminish the blessings we can have because the burden seems too large to carry.    Believing in God's Word and that He will fulfill His promises allows us to see great things and to eat the big grapes of life.