To Shine As Lights

The other day I was in a bible study with some friends.  Our conversation ended up taking us to Romans 1: 21-23.  As the group was discussing these verses the Lord opened my eyes to something I had not seen before.  

Recently I've been praying and putting into practice (or at least learning to sometimes put into practice) Phil 2:14-16 Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.  

Complaining and grumbling come easy to me.  I've been so comfortable in this life and in this society it is very easy to make oneself comfortable.  So, when the Lord allows things into my life that ruffle my feathers I complain.  As I have recently begun to desire to live according to the exhortations in Phil 2:14-16 I've also been reading in Exodus.  The Israelites were all about complaining and not trusting in God.  You know, it's true, when you see your sin on someone else it is ugly and my tendency is to judge that person or persons.  Usually it is on a living person I see my sin being displayed, but in this case it is through a generation long gone but praise be to God who recorded their lives for me to observe and learn.

Three days after the Lord parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross over before Pharaoh's army and then He closed waters as the army was crossing over to kill them, the Israelites were complaining because they had no water to drink.  If God can part the Sea can He provide some water for the people to drink.  Don't you just want scream, "Wake up!  You just saw the Lord do amazing things, why do you doubt, why do you grumble?

Yet I see the Lord work amazing circumstances in my life then I turn around three days later to complain about the little things that go wrong in my life.  The Lord is good.  I, too, need to trust in Him in all things.

It's interesting to me the word says, Do all thins without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless...

Harmless or innocent of wrong doing.  Literally this means without any mixture of deceit. When I complain I'm saying, "God Your not doing enough."  I'm not glorifying God. I'm deceiving myself and others who may be around me into believing God is not good all the time.

This brings me back to Romans and the Lord opening my eyes to something I hadn't seen before.  Romans 1:21 says, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

I know that this verse is not talking about me, it is talking about those who practice sin willingly and purposefully, but it did shed light on 1 Thess 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

There's a contrast in behavior here that the Lord wanted me to see, the behavior of a wicked man verses the behavior of a child of God.  The wicked man in Romans "did not glorify God, nor were thankful," whereas, the child of God in 1 Thess is exhorted to "rejoice always, [and] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

So as a child of God I am to rejoice always, and my rejoicing is from the understanding given to me that God is always good, He is faithful and true and I can trust in Him in every circumstance.  Then there are the gifts God has given me, the promises of His word, His presence and I could go on and on.  I am to give thanks in everything.  My life has been saved and redeemed, I'm a child of God, a friend of the King and one day my salvation will be complete when this flesh dies and I'm in the physical presence of Christ.  I am to be thankful for the hope that is in me because one day I will be eternally delivered from this body of death and the sorrow we experience on this earth.  

But that is not all. I am also told to pray without ceasing.  It's pretty cool this exhortation is sandwiched between rejoice always and in everything give thanks, because it seems to me that there are times when things are extremely hard and rejoicing and being thankful are the last things that come to mind.  It is in those times, great and small, that we should be praying. Praying for mercy, praying for grace, for the Lord's help to endure and to glorify Him in the process, knowing it is His promise to never leave us nor forsake us and that He delights to be given access into our hearts to mold and shape us into something of beauty.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, then much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.  Ps 19:7-11

Wouldn't you agree?

Be encouraged to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks, so that you may shine as lights in this world.  

CC

Heaven Our Home

A friend sent this quote to me this morning, it encouraged me greatly.  I wanted to share it with you.

"Fellow citizens with the saints."

Eph 2:19

What is meant by our being citizens in heaven?  It means that we are under heaven's government.  Christ the king of heaven reigns in our hearts; our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are freely received by us: the decrees of the Great King we cheerfully obey.  Then as citizens of the New Jerusalem, we share heaven's honours.  The glory which belongs to beautified saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already princes [princesses] of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus' righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward.  We share the honours of citizenship, for we have come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven.  As citizens, we have common rights to all the property of heaven.  Ours are its gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite; ours the azure light of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun; ours the the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us.  "Things present, or things to come," all are ours.  Also as citizens of heaven we enjoy its delights.  Do they there rejoice over sinners that repent-prodigals that have returned?  So do we.  Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace?  We do the same.  Do they cast their crowns at Jesus' feet? Such honours as we have we cast there too.  Are they charmed with His smile?  It is not less sweet to us who dwell below.  Do they look forward, waiting for His second advent?  We also look and long for His appearing.  If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.

~Spurgeon~

I was reminded of the time I was preparing to go to Thailand with my family on a missions trip. Their culture is very different from ours and I wanted to learn the do's and don'ts so I wouldn't offend the people.  After all I was going to serve them.   There was a spiritual truth the Lord began to show me as I researched the Thai culture so I would be prepared to walk among the Thai's in peace and harmony.  Everyday when I study the word of God, seek the leading of the Holy Spirit and daily lay my life down as Jesus did I'm conforming to the culture of heaven.  My desire to see my true home was heightened.  The longing in my heart to see my King deepened.

Heaven is a place we will see, are we preparing ourselves for that day as I prepared myself for the day I would visit Thailand?

However, as I read this quote from Spurgeon I'm gently reminded that we presently, as believers, live our lives as citizens of heaven.  Daily we partake of the richness of the culture and the fruit of the land.  I cannot live my life as a citizen of any other country unless I move to that country.  I cannot partake of a foreign culture or of the fruit of the land unless I go there.  I cannot live a life of a Thai person while I'm living here in the United States.  I suppose I could move to a Thai community but, again, to live as a Thai requires me to make a move.  In contrast, believer's have the privilege to daily live our lives as citizen's of heaven without making a physical move.  We don't have to wait until we are in heaven to live as a heavenly person, nor should we wait.   Oh yes, we've made a move, a move only the power of the blood of Jesus Christ could perform, and yet physically we remain occupants of this earth and this tent looking ahead to the glory of a new body and the pure dwelling of heaven.

We don't simply look forward to our life in heaven, as Spurgeon writes, we are partakers of the heavenly life today.  The fruits of heaven: repentance of a sinner, the return of a prodigal, the victory of grace, the sweetness of mercy given, the healing power of forgiveness, the strength of the joy of Christ, peace that surpasses understanding, the glorious presence of our King, His voice in our hearts, the cleansing power of His word, the hope of things to come and the security and confidence of a faithful High Priest, our King, our Father, our friend and the covering of the blood of Christ and His robe of righteousness.

Paul writes in 1 Cor 9:10, "Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.  

our hope...

Col 1:27 To them (His saints) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

If Christ is our hope, this hope is in us and we can be partakers of this hope, partakers of Christ, are you partaking of the richness of Christ, the King of glory?  

The King of heaven dwells within our hearts and He wants to lead us in His ways, to delight within us His culture, the fruit of His land, He has given us comrades in fellowship, support in prayer, He is keeping for us an inheritance never to be spoiled or stolen, He has made peace with us through the blood of Jesus.  Seek Him and live as a citizen of heaven to which you have been called.

United with you in blood and spirit,

CC