Renewing Your Spirit (Meditation Upon God)

In Mark 6:31 Jesus told people who were so busy with life that they didn’t have time to eat that they needed to get away… with Him… to a quiet place.

Ps 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night…

Ps 70:11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. 12 I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Ps 119:148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.

I have found that one of the most helpful things I can do to calm my soul and rest in Christ is to think about God.  Thinking about who He is and what He has done refocuses my whole being upon what is important and what is transient.

When I think about God with purpose, I have found that this world and its cares slip from importance to trivial.  When I think on God’s goodness, majesty, power, and glory… I am no longer anxious or worried.  When I remember that God is on His throne… I am at peace because God is good.

Try thinking more about God than yourself… the economy… Congress… or anything else that might trouble you.  Then maybe… just maybe… you will have your compass recalibrated to true north (God).

A Blind Eye And A Deaf Ear!

“Do not quench the Spirit…” (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

It is amazing how insensitive some can be at church… to their pastor and others… when The Word is about to be proclaimed and enter into worship!  At one church I served the Chairman of Deacons came to me five minutes before it was time for the morning service to begin and said…

“I have a list of complaints and concerns some people in the church have that I think you need to be aware of…”

My reply: “In just a few minutes I am going to be leading God’s people in worship by proclaiming His Word.  If you don’t mind, could we discuss this on Monday?  Those comments are the last thing that I need to be thinking of right now…”

To his credit… he said, “I apologize…” Then wadded up the piece of paper in my presence and walked away.  But the damage was done.

Another time, again just before worship, I saw an older lady walking to me like she was on a mission.  Her eyes were glaring and lips pressed tight.  She pointed her finger at my face and said…

“I’ve got something we need to talk about right now!”

(Remembering the event with the Deacon earlier I said) “M’am… If it is something good, positive, and/or encouraging I’d love to hear it.  But if it’s not, I’ll be glad to talk to you tomorrow because worship is about to begin and that is more important.”

She walked away and out the front door in a huff.  And I was glad she did.

I’ve been told by many church members a person’s careless words were spoken just before worship began that took the wind out of their sails.  They bemoaned how for the rest of the morning their mind was not on worship or the Gospel… but on what that person said.  That is sad…

All who want to encounter God regularly… need to have a blind eye and a deaf ear.  That means it is good, best, and right to NOT hear or see some things that go on in church!  There are times it is best to ignore the gripes and complaints of misguided people who Satan is using in an attempt to quench the Spirit… IN YOU!

Here are phrases that causes me to ignore whatever they say next… “People are saying…” OR “A lot of people are saying…” OR “I’ve had people ask me…”

Translation… “I have something to say but am not man enough to say it myself.”

Be on your guard on Sunday morning and every time just before you worship!  Satan knows if he can get to you, he can get to God’s people around you.  Guard your heart.  Guard your spirit.  Be ready to say (In the inner man, and verbally if necessary), “Get behind me, Satan! You area hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Calvinism Understood (Simeon And Wesley)

This is a conversation between Charles Simeon and John Wesley as recalled by Charles Simeon.  Mr. Simeon asks Mr. Wesley a few questions…

Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?

Yes, I do indeed.

And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?

Yes, solely through Christ.

But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?

No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.

Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?

No.

What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother’s arms?

Yes, altogether.

And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?

Yes, I have no hope but in Him.

Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree.

Overused Words…

I recently had a discussion with a friend over the proper use of the word “awesome.”  He contended it should only be used in reference to God as it carries the idea with it of worship.  I suggested that possibly there were levels of meaning, such as… awesome (Little “a”), Awesome (Capital “A”), and AWESOME (Always in reference to God.  I don’t know if we decided the matter, but I got to thinking of words that have lost their meaning due to over use and/or improper use.

Consider the following overused words which have lost their meaning…

Miracle. It was not a miracle when the USA beat the USSR in hockey.  Neither is it a miracle when a person is cancer free after chemo-therapy and radiation.  However… if the USA had left the ice and the USSR stayed on the ice AND the puck evaded the Russian defenders and goalie into the net to win, THAT would be a miracle.  If a person was blind from birth and received their sight WITHOUT medical intervention, THAT would be a miracle.

Love. This is a word that young people especially use too often and quickly in their dating relationships.  Within a few weeks they are writing on their notes and saying on the phone… “I love you.”  Then they break up… hook up with another person… and in the same two weeks telling the next person… “I love you.”  And over and over and over again.  After a while, the word love is meaningless to them.

Crisis. CNN was really bad on this one for a while.  It seemed like every other week there was some kind of crisis going on in the government or somewhere in the world.  I think the word crisis should be reserved for something like when Russia put nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1963.

Awesome. Here I have to acquiesce to my friend’s point.  This is indeed a word that is way overused.  Everything is NOT awesome.  In fact… very few things are awesome.  God would be one to whom it applies… past Him, I’m not sure anyone or anything else is “awesome.”  Nowadays the word “awesome” has become a slang term, and that indeed is sad.

Over Six Hours In A Car

Pam (My wife) and I traveled to Asheville, NC for our 25th anniversary.  It was a six hour and forty minute drive (Thanks to road work outside Asheville).  That is a long time for some… but it was a joy to be with my wife.

One of the things we did… which only preachers and their wives would do… is listen to a Christian biographies.  We chose David Brainerd, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and Adoniram Judson (Click the links to either read the manuscript or download the MP3 of the biography.  I HIGHLY recommend the MP3!).

What struck Pam and I as we discussed these men’s lives is all the things in their life that we weren’t aware of.  We were amazed how these men continued to serve God through their hardship.  Consider…

David Brainerd suffered from TB dying at the age of 29.  He was a missionary to the Indians in New England in the 1700s living under severe circumstances that we cannot imagine today.  Yet all the great missionaries attribute to him the encouragement to continue in the midst of their circumstances.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon suffered from gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and severe depression… while his wife was essentially bedridden for the 20 years of his ministry.  He was regularly attacked from critics and opposed by his own pastor brothers.  Yet he is known as “The Prince of Preachers.”

Adoniram Judson also dealt with extreme difficulty.  Several of his children died… he survived two of his three wives… he was imprisoned and tortured… and also battled extreme depression.  Yet he is know as the father of modern missions.

The time passed quickly as we listened and discussed God’s work in the lives of these great men.  We were also encouraged by how these men processed hardship in the midst of life and serving God.

Again… I encourage you to download either the MP3 or the manuscript from the links above.  Then listen to them and be encouraged!

One Week Break…

My sweet wife and I have been married 25 years this November 10th.  We are going to take a little trip to celebrate (Even though it’s October, my son’s basketball begins in November) so I may or may not be posting this week.

If you’d like some fodder for spiritual encouragement and reflection I suggest the following…

Al Mohler

Denny Burk

Ray Pritchard

John Thweatt

Ryan Whitley

Blessings…

Up Early… And Prayer

At this moment it is 2:57 AM… I am wide awake… and writing my blog for today.

Dr. T.W. Hunt once said in a message I heard… “When I awake early in the morning, I take that as God’s call to pray.”  I wish I was that spiritual, but I’m not.  Or at least I’m not this morning.  But I did find a few thoughts about this time of day…

Sorrow may last for the night… but joy comes in the morning (Ps 30:5).

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortressand a refuge in the day of my distress (Psalm 59:16).

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14).

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,for in you I trust.  Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul (Psalm 143:8).

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed (Mark 1:35).

Early in the morning (Jesus) came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them (John 8:2).

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ²And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (Luke 24:1-3).

The early morning is a good time to listen and seek God…

Satan’s #1 Lie (That We Believe)…

Satan’s number one lie is about God.  He says (With a sneer), “God doesn’t love you!”

He said it to Adam and Eve in the garden about God and the fruit.  “God is keeping you down!  You won’t die!  God just doesn’t want you to be like Him.  THAT’S why He said don’t eat the fruit.” Adam and Eve believed the lie and you know the rest of the story.

When we suffer, Satan whispers in our ear… “God doesn’t love you.  If He did… He would have prevented this.  If He really loved you… you wouldn’t be suffering right now.  If He really loved you… he’d have let you marry the person you love.” And on and on and on…

We hear his lie and in our heart we tend to believe him.  After all… because of our love we do everything we can to minimize our children’s suffering, so why isn’t the all powerful God (Who can prevent suffering) preventing our suffering?  He must not really love us.

Just because we don’t see how something can be good doesn’t mean it isn’t good.

Satan whispers… “If God loved you, your child wouldn’t have cancer.  If God loved you, you wouldn’t have lost your job.  If God loved you, your spouse wouldn’t have left you.  If God loved you, you would have material blessings.  If God loved you, He’d answer your prayers the way you want.  If God loved you…….”

Romans 8:31b If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

THE proof of God’s love for us is the gift of His Son!  Since God has already given THE greatest proof of His love, Paul writes that there is NOTHING ELSE good that God will withhold from His children!

Truth: If it is ultimately good for us, God gives it to us!

Truth: God is God, we’re not.  He knows better than we do (or can) what is good for us.

Truth: It is presumptive and arrogant for a mere created being to question the wisdom and providence of God in what He does!

Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”

God’s Will…

God’s will is more something He DOES than a direction we discern or a decision we make.

Want to know God’s will?  You are standing in it!

Living life under the providence of God is like riding a raft down a river.  The river moves you along.  When it speeds up, so do you.  When you hit the rapids… you ride them out.  When the water is calm… you float peacefully.  When the river turns to the left or right, you follow the course of the river.  You can paddle and change your direction to a degree… but ultimately you are at the mercy of the river.  Such is a life lived under the providence of God.

Reflections On My Son’s Letter

If you didn’t read my son Trey’s letter to his future wife… click here.  Then read my thoughts about his letter if you’d like…

Yes… I am thankful to God that my son has that kind of passion at this point in his life.  I am prayerful that his sentiment expressed in the letter also is found in the other areas of his life (School… Work… Relationships).  But my greatest desire is that he will have the kind of passion expressed in that letter to God… at the end of his life.

2 Cor 8:11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.

There is a big difference between starting well and finishing well.  There are many who start the race strong… there aren’t near as many who finish strong.  My prayer is that Trey… and my other children (Amy and Britton)… will be at least as faithful when they are 70 or 80 as they are at 20.

My greatest desire is that my children will be found faithful AFTER they’ve experienced the hardships and trials of life.  My prayer is that they will not lose their faith while they’re in the fire but will rather be purified and strengthened by the fire.  My prayer is that when they come to the end of their life they will affirm that God is good… all the time… in the hard times as well as the difficult ones.

Whatever my children are or become is by the grace of God.  I pray that God will erase and overcome my failures… of which there are many.  I pray that God will draw them continually to His side and do whatever it takes to conform them to the image of Christ.  I pray that through all three of my children God will be glorified.

And oh… one more thing I pray… that their spouse will love God with all their heart, body, soul, and mind… that they will glorify Him in all things.

We never know what kind of job we’ve done raising our kids until we see what kind of kids they raise (Quote from Dave Simmons).

My Son’s Letter To His (Future) Wife

I’m so full of love and pride for my son after reading this, I’m not going to comment.  This is from my oldest son Trey who is 20 years old.

My love,

Words cannot express the excitement I have when I begin to imagine how God will unfold our lives and how He will bring us together by making our paths cross! I cannot help but wonder what you will be like. What is your family like? What is your age in comparison to mine? What are your likes and dislikes? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What is the testimony of your salvation? What is your favorite color? Are you daddy’s little girl or partial to your mother? How many children do you see yourself parenting with me? What is your career?

These are only a few questions I have when it comes to being your little Curious George. I continually find myself asking God to protect you, bless you, and fill your life with happiness that no one will be able to take away. I know you will be someone who loves and enjoys the small things in life and can have a good time without the trash some people need to “enjoy” this world.

I cannot wait to meet your parents and the rest of your family and let them know that I truly, genuinely care for you and will do whatever it takes to protect you! I am ready and willing to set the example of Christ and His love to you and our families. It excites me for Sunday mornings when we can wake up and get our children ready for worship in the House of the Lord. I am SO ready for the days we will spend playing with our children around the house.

I want you to know God has His hand over both of us at this very moment, although I do not know who or where you are right now! But God DOES and has been preparing us for each other since we first entered into this world. Every heart break and bad relationship will seem to be something small and insignificant once we are finally together and can be each other’s backbone. And we can hold each other’s hand and grit our teeth and fight through whatever God brings into our life. I am ready to encourage you and be your solid rock that I’m sure you have dreamed about since you were a little girl.

Everything will finally seem right when you look down the aisle in your white dress and see me waiting for you in my tuxedo. I probably won’t be able to hold my emotions in as I get ready to fuse our hearts together to become one and embark upon living a life of God, love, devotion to each other, honesty, patience. We will finally be able to live out 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

I want you to know I am praying for you on a daily basis!! You are and will forever be my sweetheart. I love you more than you can possibly know at this moment and I cannot wait to see God’s BIG plans for us. But until that day, I’ll be missing you!! I love you the future Mrs. Ethridge!

Your one and only,
Trey

Click here for the thoughts I had on my son’s letter the next day…

Spiritualizing Preferences

Preferences are the source of debate, and sometimes arguments, in churches. This may not be an issue where you worship, but there are still a few churches that struggle with these things.  Preferences are not the same as Biblical truth… but some try to raise them to that level.  For example…

What kind of dress or attire does God require at when the church meets… a tuxedo, suit, business casual, or dresses with hats and gloves ?  Consider 1 Samuel 16:7b.

What kind of music does God prefer… Southern Gospel, Contemporary, or Hymns?

When should the offering be received in worship… at the beginning, in the middle, or the end?

When God’s people sing, does He care if a hymnal is used or the words are projected on a screen?

When is the church supposed to gather for worship?  Sunday at 11:00 AM AND Sunday night AND Wednesday night… or is Sunday morning and Wednesday acceptable?  Note: Paul addressed this in Romans 14:4-6a.

Interestingly, the church in America chose to gather at 11:00 AM on Sunday because that gave the farmers time to feed their animals.  Churches started meeting on Sunday night in greater numbers because electricity gave them the ability to better do so.

The purpose of the church gathering for worship is to glorify God.  It isn’t to judge a person based on their style of dress… music they prefer… or even when or how often a person chooses to worship.  It is much more important that we focus on God rather than minor issues that have nothing to do with how much a person loves God and is following His will for their life.

America: Becoming A Non-Christian Nation

Okay… not many news headlines really grab my attention because they are written for shock value to get attention.  But this one had the desired effect…

Where Have All The Christians Gone?

Here is the article…

Christianity is plummeting in America, while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing.

A shocking new study of Americans’ religious beliefs shows the beginnings of a major realignment in Americans’ relationship with God. The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reveals that Protestants now represent half of all Americans, down almost 20 percent in the last twenty years. In the coming months, America will become a minority Protestant nation for the first time since the pilgrims.

The number of people who claim no religious affiliation, meanwhile, has doubled since 1990 to fifteen percent, its highest point in history. Non-believers now represent the third-highest group of Americans, after Catholics and Baptists.

Other headlines:

1) The number of Christians has declined 12% since 1990, and is now 76%, the lowest percentage in American history.

2) The growth of non-believers has come largely from men. Twenty percent of men express no religious affiliation; 12% of women.

3) Young people are fleeing faith. Nearly a quarter of Americans in their 20’s profess no organized religion.

4) But these non-believers are not particularly atheist. That number hasn’t budged and stands at less than 1 percent. (Agnostics are similarly less than 1 percent.) Instead, these individuals have a belief in God but no interest in organized religion, or they believe in a personal God but not in a formal faith tradition.

The implications for American society are profound. Americans’ relationship with God, which drove many of the country’s great transformations from the pilgrims to the founding fathers, the Civil War to the civil rights movement, is still intact. Eighty-two percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power.

But at the same time, the study offers yet another wake-up call for religious institutions.

First, catering to older believers is a recipe for failure; younger Americans are tuning out.

Second, Americans are interested in God, but they don’t think existing institutions are helping them draw closer to God.

Finally, Americans’ interest in religion has not always been stable. It dipped following the Revolution and again following Civil War. In both cases it rebounded because religious institutions adapted and found new ways of relating to everyday Americans.

Today, the rise of disaffection is so powerful that different denominations needs to band together to find a shared language of God that can move beyond the fading divisions of the past and begin moving toward a partnership of different-but-equal traditions.

Or risk becoming Europe, where religion is fast becoming an afterthought.

The church had better get their head straight and become the church or else the author’s last comment will be the nation our children inherit.

Peace Is Found In Providence

Heard as I drove between my home and the church I serve.  Consider these thoughts closely…

God’s sovereignty is not a cold theological confession as much as it is a soft pillow for a weary head.

The trials we endure are an education in the art of sympathy.

Those who are honored of the Lord in public have usually to endure a secret chastening or carry a particular cross lest by any means they exalt themselves and fall into the snare of the devil.  God makes us weak so the glory will go entirely to Him.  (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)

Christ’s Return And The Millennium

There are basically three views about the Millennium known by “Pre,” “Ah,” and “Post” (Before, no, and after).  On Desiring God’s website I found a discussion of the three views I would commend to you.  It is called, “An Evening of Eschatology.” You can either listen… watch… or download the file.  This would be a good resource for discussion or thought.

Click here to read the introduction and/or download the discussion.