Archive for May, 2021
Strengthen Your Spiritual Core
Core training is the in thing. There are specific exercises for our Obliques, Abdominals, and even Intercostals. Intercostals! Only heard of them recently. They are small chest muscles that help our breathing. All together they help form the area around and above our belt line. The well being of not only the abdomen but the rest of the body is dependent upon them.
They are illustrative of our spiritual core values. Like muscles need exercise so do our spiritual core values, that is what we believe. You exercise them by demonstrating them in society. Like muscles they become stronger by being exercised.
Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person. Core values can help to affirm what is right from wrong. Those values we hold which form the foundation on which we make decisions and reflexively respond to issues in life.
To build our spiritual core our loving Lord allows us to be exposed to pressure and stress. By such, our true core of beliefs become internally strengthened.
Jesus taught on core values often. A modern translation of Matthew 7:24 makes this clear: “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life…. They are foundational words, words to build a life on.”
If you don’t know your core values, then you don’t have a basis by which to make decisions that will determine the very direction and destiny of your life.
Consider taking a bit of time within the next few days and list issues and state what you really believe about them. Include a Bible perspective on each. Take your time and write them out. Put them in a safe place and expand on them often.
Modern media influences our values. Counter it by programming your mind on God’s word. Remember, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)
The best time to make a decision is before you have to so that when an incident arises you don’t have to make a decision under pressure. Having already made a decision regarding such an incident, all you have to do is employ the decision made in advance.
Now having read this Post, make a decision about what you are going to do about it. Strengthen your core.
Whatever You Do, Do It Heartily
There is a legendary D-1 football coach whose name will remain anonymous. He had an athlete who was an outspoken Christian. The young man had grown up in our church and was known for his faith. He was sleeping in, cutting class, and goofing off in practice. The coach called him into his office. On the coach’s desk was a Bible. After a brief opening chat, the coach pushed the Bible across his desk right in front of the athlete and said, “Show me one place in that book where it gives you the right to cut class, slack off in practice, and not be and do your best at whatever you do.” There was no self-excusing response.
The athlete got the message, reacted positively, became regular in class, and all out in practice. His grades improved dramatically, and he went on to be an All American that year. It was truly a remarkable turnaround.
All Christians are under this mandate: “… whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:23) No room to goof allowed there.
Christians are to work “heartily.” The Greek phrase ek psyches, means “from the soul.” This implies the ideas of enthusiasm and passion.
You do not need to be in full-time ministry to work for the Lord. It is not so much what you do; it is who you do it for! If we keep focused on the truth that we are working for the Lord, then even menial tasks seem important.
Many people hate their jobs. They long for 5:00 PM or Friday afternoon. They think of work as something they must do in order to get paid so they can afford the house, the car, the tuition, the groceries, and the vacation they desperately want. Work, for so many is nothing more than a necessary evil. It doesn’t have to be this way.
The Christians who received this exhortation originally were slaves. By keeping their minds on the Lord, not their slave master, they found meaning. The same works for us. Focus on your spiritual Master, not your boss.
Then you realize, you are not working for Walmart, (or whoever) you are working for the Lord at Walmart. Even if you are no longer in the workforce, do all as to the Lord.
“Whatever you do,” no matter what, do it in a manner pleasing to the Lord.
As a conclusion consider this modern translation and application.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
He offers a great retirement plan.
Your Own Poolside Healing
In the Bible the Pool of Bethesda is described as having five porticoes—a puzzling feature suggesting an unusual five-sided pool, which most scholars dismissed as an unhistorical literary creation. Yet when this site was excavated, it revealed a rectangular pool 300 by 150 feet with two basins separated by a wall—thus a five-sided pool—and each side had a portico. (John 5:2-18)
As an aside the great Naval hospital in Maryland is named, Bethesda Hospital, which means “House of Mercy.”
So why a pool with two basins? The archaeological evidence shows that the southern basin had broad steps with landings, indicating that it was indeed a mikveh, a pool for ritual cleansing. The northern basin provided a reservoir, or otzer, to continually replenish and refresh the mikveh with fresh water flowing south through the dam between them. Jerusalem’s pilgrims would flock to the Bethesda Pool and Siloam Pool to purify themselves in these public mikva’ot and, at times, to seek healing.
Scripture indicates that Jesus performed most of His miracles and did most of His teaching around these mikveh.
About 50 years ago almost all of our health problems resulted from diseases, while today about 80% of them are related to our lifestyle choices.
Jesus asked the cripple at the pool an interesting question, “Do you want to be healed?” A lifestyle change can result in the healing of many of our problems.
Do you want to be healed is another way of asking do you want a different set of problems? Well people also have problems. The cripple got healed but his new life resulted in a confrontation with Pharisees who were angry over him being healed on the Sabbath. Then he had to be concerned about a job and paying taxes.
Today those who may seem to be worry free have problems. He can deal with smaller needs as well as the bigger ones.
Tom Hansel used to love climbing mountains until his climbing accident.
He has lived with excruciating pain ever since. His church family prayed long and hard for his healing. He still lives in pain, but in one of his books entitled “You Gotta Keep Dancin’” he writes, “I had prayed hundreds, if not thousands of times for the Lord to heal me – and finally he did heal me. He healed me of the need to be healed, and gave me his peace inside the pain. Joy is mine today – joy mingled with still ever constant pain – joy in the gladness of being alive. Daily challenges often leave me less than the best, but then something new emerges to surprise me: Hope – deeper and more enduring than ever before. Faith – not enough to move mountains, but enough to get me through this moment and the next. And love.”
There are all sorts of healing. Do you want to be healed? How in your life does that question apply?
Finish Strong
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” -Philippians 2:12
Note carefully it says “work out” not “for.” This passage does not mean to work in order to earn, merit, or deserve your salvation.
This is clearly taught in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourself: it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
The Greek verb for “work out,” KATERGAZESTHAI, always has the idea of carrying to a logical conclusion.
Nearby the Dematiaceae Chapel in Florence, Italy is the Academy of Art. Florence is the location of one of Michelangelo’s most magnificent works, David. As a sculptor he produced such great works as Moses, the Pieta, and David. His highly acclaimed work is incomparable.
A large chamber in the Academy building houses what are known as Michelangelo’s slaves. They are incomplete works of art that were in progress at the time of his death.
He always started with a piece of stone which yielded to his will as his skilled hands freed from it the intended work of art. Until the moment of completion each was always an incomplete work of art in progress. These incomplete works are called “slaves” because they have not yet been completely freed from the stone.
One is of a man whose upper torso and head are complete. The lower part is still the block of unhewn stone. It appears as though the man is standing in stone. In another the lower extremities of the body are complete and the unfinished block of stone rests on the person’s shoulders. It is as though he is struggling to free himself from the stone.
These incomplete works lack the quality of the completed works principally because they are unfinished. Do they mirror your life?
To carry your salvation to its logical conclusion God is willing to help. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2: 13).
“It is God who works in you both to will and to do…” The same Greek word is translated as “works” and “to do.” It is ENERGEIN. In it we can hear our word for energy. This word is only used in the New Testament as a reference to the action of God. It is effective action because it is the action of God. His actions for you are not for you to remain half-finished. Carry your salvation to its logical conclusion.
Seeing the End From the Beginning
Scripture speaks of God as creating the heavens and earth. The Greek word for “created” is (bara) meaning to create out of nothing, not to reform.
Of the other end of creation Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:33).
The “first heaven and the first earth” are said to have “passed away.” The Greek phraseology gives room for two possibilities. One is that the heavens and earth are swept away into non-existence, nothingness, annihilation. In light of other texts this is the proper application.
In reference to the “first” earth it means the planet earth. The reference is to this spheroid that measures 24,902 miles around its waist, the equator, this globe that travels 18.5 miles per second in its 595,000,000 mile journey around the sun.
When and how this passing occurs are spoken of by Peter:
“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (II Peter 3:11-12).
From the dawn of creation God has had in store the means of achieving this renovation. Now, that is advance planning. The planet earth has an outer shell or crust about twenty miles thick. Inside this is a zone called “the mantle zone” which is about 1,800 miles thick. Underneath this is a zone called the “outer core,” which is about 1,360 miles thick. It is made of molten fluids. Occasionally some of this rises to the surface and forms volcanoes. By design from the beginning God has had in store the means of renovating the earth.
“But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (II Peter 3:7).
Jesus made this promise to His followers, “I am with you to the end of the world.” There are three Greek words that can be translated “to the end of the world.”
GE is one. It is a reference to the ground, this terrestrial globe. We hear this root word in such words as geology and geography or geophysics.
KOSMOS is a second Greek word that can be translated as earth. It means “adornment” or “embellishment.” Looking at God’s beautifully created world the Greeks began to call it the KOSMOS, the adorned and embellished. Our word cosmetics comes from the word KOSMOS.
AION is the third Greek word translated “world.” It means an indefinite period of time. It was used to refer to an era or an order of things. This is the word used by Jesus when He said, “I am with you to the end of the world,” meaning “to the consummation of the ages,” the end of time and history.
He who planned all that and arranged for it to happen has a plan for you.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Being with you to the end of the ages means He is with you today. Acknowledge it and interpret your present condition in light of it. Rejoice and be glad.