As the year of 2010 comes to a close, I thought it would be wise to meditate on the days of our life. A year may certainly seem like an age and a half, but as the days fly by with great haste, before we know it, our life will have passed us by. At the end of our days, whether that comes tomorrow or many decades from now, what will our lives show? What will we have to show for our time here on earth?
“The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. […] So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Moses
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” – James
“All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” – Peter, Isaiah
“For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” – John
Let us remember how few days we have upon this earth to serve our King. Let us rein in this New Year, not with flesh, but with the Spirit. Let us not make silly resolutions that dissolve within a week; rather, let us draw nearer unto Jesus, keeping our eyes set upon Him who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and who alone can keep us strong.
May your New Year be filled with a nearer intimacy with Jesus.
This is Steve Gallagher's intro to Ellerslie, but I think it is poignant for this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aThOtRtiz-s
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
No Respecter of Holidays
God has been pressing me lately in the area of holidays. In the past, holidays have always been a fun time to spend with friends and family, but in reality, all I wanted was to fulfill the lusts of my flesh. Typically (especially because I live in the South), whether it was Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, or New Year’s, I always gorged myself on selfish desires, and often abundance of foods.
So, as God has been drawing me ever deeper into Him and His life, He has been challenging me on the patterns of my old life. He’s made me into a new creature and I am to dwell in the newness of His life in me, not in the rudiments and patterns of this world, nor run with the Gentiles as I once did.
Not only that, but God has shown me something else very crucial to my existence as a Christian:
Satan is no respecter of holidays.
1 Peter tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober”, “be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer”, and, most important “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1:13; 4:7; 5:8).
Sobriety, of course, is not merely referring to abstaining from drunkenness; Peter is referring to anything that clouds the minds of the saints, anything that dilutes or slows our judgment and reaction time spiritually. This sobriety of soul is so crucial, because Satan is moving to and fro, looking to see who he can take down. Could you imagine the Prince of darkness, strutting about the halls of hell, muttering to his angels, “Oh, no, we best not harass the people up there today. It is Christmas time, you know.”
The image is ridiculous. Yet how often do we live this way? Rather than preparing our minds for battle, we drop the sword (just a little relaxation), close our eyes (we are quite tired; we deserve it), and let darkness have us. This is not the pattern for Christians. Our Lord was always watchful; never for a moment did He give in to the flesh.
If anything, darkness is more active in these seasons. It’s a simple principle of warfare. After your armies have been routed by the enemy, you simply wait and let them begin their victory party. Once they are out of their armor, enjoying the spoils of victory, you and your band of soldiers can waltz right in and slay them all.
The enemy, the flesh, and the world have all done the same thing to us. Whereas we may be sober and vigilant in the tough times, when times of relaxation comes in, such as holidays and breaks, the vile three sit back and wait until we are fully drunk upon our selfish indulgences. At once, they strike, taking us down with ease.
As we lay in the dust of our defeat, we scramble about for our weapons and armor, all the while wondering what hit us.
This season – and with all such seasons as this – let us remain on guard. Can you still have fun and enjoy time with your family? Oh, yes; but never for a moment turn inward in allowing your flesh an inch of territory in your life. Perhaps this will be a time of restoration for your soul; but that does not mean it needs to be a time of disconnecting yourself from God for the sake of amusement. Give your all to Him, every day, even Christmas day, to use as He sees fit. He may simply ask you to be with your family. He may want you to speak with one particular member of your extended family. All that matters is that, as a good soldier of the cross, you keep your sword close by thy side, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.
All in all, remain steadfast in the Lord. Have a very wonderful Christmas, looking to Jesus; who, being willing to be born in a stable for our sakes, gave His life that we might truly live.
In Him,
Nik
So, as God has been drawing me ever deeper into Him and His life, He has been challenging me on the patterns of my old life. He’s made me into a new creature and I am to dwell in the newness of His life in me, not in the rudiments and patterns of this world, nor run with the Gentiles as I once did.
Not only that, but God has shown me something else very crucial to my existence as a Christian:
Satan is no respecter of holidays.
1 Peter tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober”, “be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer”, and, most important “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1:13; 4:7; 5:8).
Sobriety, of course, is not merely referring to abstaining from drunkenness; Peter is referring to anything that clouds the minds of the saints, anything that dilutes or slows our judgment and reaction time spiritually. This sobriety of soul is so crucial, because Satan is moving to and fro, looking to see who he can take down. Could you imagine the Prince of darkness, strutting about the halls of hell, muttering to his angels, “Oh, no, we best not harass the people up there today. It is Christmas time, you know.”
The image is ridiculous. Yet how often do we live this way? Rather than preparing our minds for battle, we drop the sword (just a little relaxation), close our eyes (we are quite tired; we deserve it), and let darkness have us. This is not the pattern for Christians. Our Lord was always watchful; never for a moment did He give in to the flesh.
If anything, darkness is more active in these seasons. It’s a simple principle of warfare. After your armies have been routed by the enemy, you simply wait and let them begin their victory party. Once they are out of their armor, enjoying the spoils of victory, you and your band of soldiers can waltz right in and slay them all.
The enemy, the flesh, and the world have all done the same thing to us. Whereas we may be sober and vigilant in the tough times, when times of relaxation comes in, such as holidays and breaks, the vile three sit back and wait until we are fully drunk upon our selfish indulgences. At once, they strike, taking us down with ease.
As we lay in the dust of our defeat, we scramble about for our weapons and armor, all the while wondering what hit us.
This season – and with all such seasons as this – let us remain on guard. Can you still have fun and enjoy time with your family? Oh, yes; but never for a moment turn inward in allowing your flesh an inch of territory in your life. Perhaps this will be a time of restoration for your soul; but that does not mean it needs to be a time of disconnecting yourself from God for the sake of amusement. Give your all to Him, every day, even Christmas day, to use as He sees fit. He may simply ask you to be with your family. He may want you to speak with one particular member of your extended family. All that matters is that, as a good soldier of the cross, you keep your sword close by thy side, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.
All in all, remain steadfast in the Lord. Have a very wonderful Christmas, looking to Jesus; who, being willing to be born in a stable for our sakes, gave His life that we might truly live.
In Him,
Nik
Friday, December 10, 2010
Addendum
I wanted to add a little bit to the entry "Consuming Fire".
There is another part that is important to realize in trials and tribulations. Defeat is rampant in the church today, and we tend to simply accept everything thrown at us as if it is from God.
We do need to realize that we have an enemy. Don't confuse God's ways for the enemy's. The devil simply wants to kill, steal, and destroy, whereas God always brings life. If a trial in your life pushes you towards anxiety, fear, doubt in God, or any such thing, it is likely from the enemy. God does not want you to doubt Him. There are some things to resist and some things to accept.
No matter what, don't accept falling to temptation to sin or disobey God as a trial that strengthens faith. Anxiety, doubt, and fear have no place in the Christian's life.
I'm sorry if that entry was taken the wrong way. Pain can be a touchy subject, and I know what I said could be confusing.
In all things seek out God, and He will answer you!
On a happier note... Merry Christmas! I'll be back in Athens on the 18th. In a time in which the rest of America is engaging in selfish hedonism, be as Christ was: outward. Don't use Christmas as an excuse to coddle your flesh in any way. I know I'm excited about this year because I feel like I've never done Christmas "Right". It has always been about me and my agenda. What a blessing to be all about Jesus now! Jesus ever, Jesus always!
In Him,
Nik
There is another part that is important to realize in trials and tribulations. Defeat is rampant in the church today, and we tend to simply accept everything thrown at us as if it is from God.
We do need to realize that we have an enemy. Don't confuse God's ways for the enemy's. The devil simply wants to kill, steal, and destroy, whereas God always brings life. If a trial in your life pushes you towards anxiety, fear, doubt in God, or any such thing, it is likely from the enemy. God does not want you to doubt Him. There are some things to resist and some things to accept.
No matter what, don't accept falling to temptation to sin or disobey God as a trial that strengthens faith. Anxiety, doubt, and fear have no place in the Christian's life.
I'm sorry if that entry was taken the wrong way. Pain can be a touchy subject, and I know what I said could be confusing.
In all things seek out God, and He will answer you!
On a happier note... Merry Christmas! I'll be back in Athens on the 18th. In a time in which the rest of America is engaging in selfish hedonism, be as Christ was: outward. Don't use Christmas as an excuse to coddle your flesh in any way. I know I'm excited about this year because I feel like I've never done Christmas "Right". It has always been about me and my agenda. What a blessing to be all about Jesus now! Jesus ever, Jesus always!
In Him,
Nik
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
