BLESS THE LORD

You who revere the Lord, bless the Lord. Psalm 135:20b (NAS)

What does it mean to “bless the Lord?”  We seem to have an easier time defining “praise the Lord”, or “thank the Lord.”  But how is “bless the Lord” defined?  When we apply the definitions of the word “bless” we get to the heart of it.  It means to please God, to honor Him.  Do what brings Him delight.  Delight His heart. 

We choose to delight His heart:

- in what we say and do,

- with a whole heart, all in for Him,

- with joy and gladness,

- with a giving attitude, and

- by obeying immediately.

Jesus sums it up for us: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

ID’ING A MATURE CHRISTIAN

In our modern world we have become very attentive to identity.  Whether it’s choosing an identity, assigning someone an identity, showing evidence of our identity, being ID’ed, digging through evidence in order to identify someone, protecting our identity, assuming an identity, or denying an identity – we can say this much:  we love to identify. 

But there is one identity that many seem to be fuzzy about.  What’s the difference between a Christian and a mature Christian?  How do you identify a spiritually mature Christian?  What does a devoted follower of Jesus look like?  What we strive to do as a church is to see people transformed from a broken and selfish life to a whole and useful life in the kingdom of God. 

Paul states our objective in this way:   Him (Christ) we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, that we may present every person mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28 Amp).  Paul also put it this way:   My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, (Galatians 4:19). 

Maturity means life-change.  It means life transformation.  Becoming mature in Christ and that Christ is formed in you are the same thing.  So what does Christ-like maturity look like?  It’s when your life takes on the characteristics of Jesus.  It’s when your life shows the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in your life which is described in Galatians 5:22-23:  The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (NLT). 

These are character traits of Jesus.  And they are produced in our lives as we learn to live with Jesus everyday as our Savior and God, submit to His leadership through His Spirit and His Word, rest in His perfect and intense love for us, and choose to discipline our lives in such a way to obey Him.

There are Christians and then there are mature Christians.  When you look closely at Christians, you see among them some mature and transformed “all in” devoted followers of Jesus because you see Jesus in them.

DYING TO LIVE

God transforms our lives as believers in Christ.  But we have a responsibility in it too.  Paul reminds us, “Put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires.  Don’t be greedy … You used to do these things ...  But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.” Colossians 3:5-8 (NLT)

Transformation happens when these things become an on-going pattern.  We’re to “put to death” the sinful ways of the flesh, the old ways of living for self, the old habits.  In order to live the “new resurrected life”, death must occur.  Death is the prerequisite to resurrection.

“Normally, burying something in the ground is a way to get rid of it.  But if you do it with a seed, something happens.  The seed becomes something it was not.  It becomes a plant or a tree, and it produces fruit.  Now it isn’t just getting life; it’s actually giving life.  But it could never have happened if the seed hadn’t died first.” – Ian Pitt-Watson, former professor at Fuller Theological Seminary.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain of wheat; but if it does, it brings a good harvest.” John 12:24 (Ph)

THE GREATNESS OF SERVING

Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to John Paul Jones, wrote, “Hereafter, if you should observe an occasion to give your officers and friends a little more praise than is their due, and confess more fault than you can justly be charged with, you will only become the sooner for it, a great captain.  Criticizing and censuring almost everyone you have to do with, will diminish friends, increase enemies, and thereby hurt your affairs.”

Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle (Romans 12:10 Mes).  

CATS & HOT STOVE TOPS

Many truths in the Scriptures refer to God’s personal involvement in your life.  God never wastes a hurt.  He never wastes a circumstance in your life.  Romans 8:28 is just one of many assurances God gives us:  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Rom. 8:28 NLT). 

Every minute He gives us is an opportunity to love Him, to rest in His love for us, to trust His purpose for our lives, and to learn and grow. 

“We should be careful to get out of an experience all the wisdom that is in it – not like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid.  She will never sit down on a hot stove lid again – and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.” – Mark Twain.

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw (Proverbs 24:32).

Give value to what you experience by learning from it and letting it equip you for the next experience you go through.

THE PERSPIRATION OF PREPARATION

Jesus said, “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?  For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” (Luke 14:27-30).

Jesus says to know what you’re getting yourself into when you choose to follow Him.  Look ahead.  Get ready.  It’s going to cost you.  So prepare yourself.  And in the end you will be glad you did.

God says “Prepare plans by consultation,…” (Proverbs 20:18 NAS).  Preparation can take a lot of time and extended commitment.  However, we live in a world where we expect instant results.  We want to get to the top of the tower without all the time and foundational work it takes to build it.  So we rush ahead and eventually become burned out and empty, or frustrated and disappointed, or we become top heavy like an upside down triangle – full of energy and a lot of activity but the foundation is too small to hold us up and we topple over.  In any case we walk away discouraged, defeated, and resentful.  And the goal is not reached. 

Pay the cost to set yourself up for success.  Preparation costs but the payoff later is rewarding.  It’s good to give time and energy to prepare for the future goal.  It’s good to use insight and wisdom to set ourselves up for a future reward.  And though it may be long in coming, it will be worth it.

“The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.” – Thane Yost

HARNESSED FLEAS

I read in the Florida Times Union that an entire troupe of performing fleas froze to death in Germany.  No lie.  The circus director Robert Birk said he was shocked to find all three hundred of his fleas dead in their transport box.  He said it was the first time he had lost all his fleas to the cold all at one time. 

I’ve never seen a flea circus, so I did a little a research.  According to Wikipedia flea performances were first advertised as early as 1833 in England, and were a major carnival attraction until 1930.  The only known genuine flea circus that still performs is the one in Germany.  Fleas typically live only for a few months and are not trained.  Fleas are observed to see if they have a predisposition for jumping or walking.  Once sorted, they are harnessed by carefully wrapping a thin gold wire around the neck of the flea.  Once in the harness the fleas usually stay in it for life. The harnesses are attached to the props and the strong legs of the flea allow them to move objects significantly larger than themselves. Jumping fleas are used for kicking small lightweight balls. They are carefully given a ball; when they try to jump away (which is not possible because of the harness) they shoot the ball instead. Running fleas are used to pull small carts and vehicles or to rotate a Ferris wheel.  There are historical reports of fleas glued to the base of the flea circus enclosure.  Instruments were then glued to the flea performers and the enclosure was heated.  The fleas fought to escape, giving the impression of fleas playing musical instruments. 

At the risk of sounding uncompassionate I’ll be honest and admit that I laughed my way through Wikipedia’s description.  I never knew.  So flea circuses really did/do exist. 

On a less comical note, I wonder about the various times in our lives when we’ve been like “circus fleas” harnessed to a habit or pain or fear.  And we’ve kicked and tried to run and tried to escape or cope in our own ways and strength.  Instead of getting free we stayed “harnessed” to our destructive or self-centered patterns which I believe give Satan a sense of gratification.  Instead of kicking or running or using our own power to change our lives, we must let Christ free us and transform us.  The flea may think:  My own behavior baffles me. For I find myself not doing what I really want to do but doing what I really loathe, (Romans 7:15 Ph).  But the Christian has the truth:  In my mind I am God’s willing servant, but in my own nature I am bound fast, as I say, to the law of sin and death. It is an agonizing situation, and who on earth can set me free from the clutches of my sinful nature? I thank God there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord, (Romans 7:22-25 Ph).