Pride

Spirit & Truth

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John 4:24

24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

In order for God’s children to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, we must accept His Son & surrender to His Spirit.

For without Jesus, we cannot come to the Father, know Truth or have life.

John 14:6

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

And without the Spirit, we cannot love Jesus, obey God’s commandments or help each other.

John 14:15-21

15 “If you love me, obey[a] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[b] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.[c] 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[a]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[b] 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[c] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

If we were to be completely honest with one another, I’m sure we would discover that each of us gravitates heavily towards Truth – or the Spirit. But, relying on one and not the other is like climbing on to the seat of a teeter-totter with no counter weight on the other side. Inevitably, when we sit down our dairy air is going to come crashing down against the ground, inflicting pain all over us (I know this from personal experience!) But, if we climb on the playground equipment with Jesus on the other side, He will bring the balance of a life lived as He modeled, in Spirit and in Truth.

IMG_2961When we neglect the Truth, found in God’s spoken and written Word we are setting ourselves up for a crash- and consequently, a lot of pain. All of us, whether we want to admit it or not, have areas of darkness in our soul, where we have been deceived by the evil one…..and as a result, we continue believing his lies about God, ourselves and others. Sadly, all too often, because of our fear, shame, pride (fill in the ___________) we stifle/quench the Holy Spirit, thus denying Jesus to deliver us from the darkness, so that we may live in freedom AND help others to do the same!

1 Thessalonians 5:19

19 Quench not the Spirit.

“The voice of the Spirit is as gentle as a zephyr, so gentle that unless you are living in perfect communion with God, you never hear it. The checks of the Spirit come in the most extraordinarily gentle ways, and if you are not sensitive enough to detect His voice, you will quench it, and your personal spiritual life will be impaired. His checks always come as a still small voice, so small that no one but the saint notices them…Whenever the Spirit checks, call a halt and get the thing right, or you will go on grieving Him without knowing it.”

-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

“By warning us not to “stifle the Holy Spirit,” Paul means that we should not ignore or toss aside the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. Here, he mentions prophesy; in 1 Corinthians 14:39 he mentions speaking in tongues. Sometimes spiritual gifts are controversial, and they may cause division in a church. Rather than trying to solve the problems, some Christians prefer to smother the gifts. This impoverishes the church. We should not stifle the Holy Spirit’s work in anyone’s life but encourage the full expression of these gifts to benefit the whole body of Christ.”

Life Application Study Bible

Father,

I repent for quenching your Spirit, whom you sent to help lead me into all Truth. I ask that you shine your light on the dark areas of my soul so that I may know and worship you. Enable me to use the gifts you have given me so that I can do my part in the Body of Christ.

May your Kingdom come, may your will be done.

Amen

A Lesson from the Ants

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Proverbs 6:6-8

6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!

7 Though they have no prince
 or governor or ruler to make them work,

8 they labor hard all summer,
 gathering food for the winter.

Proverbs 30:25

25 Ants—they aren’t strong,
 but they store up food all summer.

Every summer an army of ants invades our kitchen. We’ve used traps, pellets and homemade concoctions to kill them, but they keep coming back to gather food! IMG_4369

In utter frustration yesterday I told myself “I am DONE! I give up! I can’t get rid of these suckers!” But then, that still small voice whispered inside my head and said “hmmm….I wonder if there’s a lesson in this?!”

Lesson #1: Sometimes I am a lazybone in my communication with God. After a few months of praying the same thing over and over and over without hearing a reply, I become frustrated and stop talking- or listening to Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Lesson #2: Sometimes I am unwise in believing my power comes from my abilities. In my pride I think I am capable of storing up food all summer, BY MYSELF! Eventually, though, as I continue to carry all my breadcrumbs alone, they become too difficult for me to handle and the weight of them begin to crush me spiritually, emotionally and physically.

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Lesson #3: Sometimes I am motivated by others to work. Instead of receiving my marching orders from God, I look to people for direction, inspiration, approval, a sense of worth – and inevitably, when my expectations aren’t met and I become angry and discouraged.

Psalm 118:8-9

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
 than to trust in people. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
 than to trust in princes.

So today, I have decided to put away the ant killer and take a lesson from the ants. After all, the Lord God must have created them for more than just ruining our picnics and invading our kitchens, didn’t He?!

Idol in My Hand

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Isaiah 44

18 Such stupidity and ignorance!
 Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see.
 Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.

19 The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,
  “Why, it’s just a block of wood!
 I burned half of it for heat
 and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat.
How can the rest of it be a god?
    Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”

20 The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.
 He trusts something that can’t help him at all.
Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,
    “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”

Recently, the Lord asked me to fast social media- again. A week into the elimination of checking news feeds, notifications, friend and follower requests, ministry and blog stats, I realized something extraordinary….joy had returned to the munIMG_4342dane tasks of my life! I had previously assumed I knew God’s reason for the fast, but I now know I was once again leaning on my own understanding….and believing a lie.

The truth, which He illuminated in His Word today exposed an idol that I had been holding in my hand; my cell phone, with its many social networking apps.

Throughout my journey as a disciple of Jesus and leader of other followers, I’ve tried diligently to find my love, worth and acceptance from God alone. Unfortunately, there have been times in which I’ve been deceived into believing the number of followers, likes on our page, “friends,” or comments on my blogs is an indicator of how much I am loved and how “successful” I am in leading others. Without even consciously realizing it, I have been a poor deluded fool. I have feed on ashes, by measuring a block of wood, drawing a pattern on it, carving it into a human figure (Isaiah 44:13) and continuing to worship it.

Jesus wasn’t concerned with being liked by “friends,” networking to obtain more followers, holding larger fish and loaves conferences, or writing #trendy blog posts. His life focus was entirely about loving God & surrendering His will in complete obedience to Him. By doing so, His soul was filled to overflowing with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galations 5:22-23). You see, Jesus felt loved, worthy and accepted by His Father- regardless of how others adored…or hated Him.

Through no effort of His own, Jesus became a famous preacher, teacher, healer and “friend” of many…..yet He always, always, always diverted His praise to the One in which it was due; the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of man and woman, the Creator of me, the Creator of my “ministry.”

“If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get anywhere near Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the Gospel will end in making me a traitor to Jesus; I prevent the creative power of His Redemption from doing its work.”

-Oswald Chamber, My Utmost for His Highest

Father, thank you for ever so gently exposing the lie of the enemy in my soul. Obliterate my pride. Destroy the idol that I have created. Teach me to look to you alone to fill me. Help me to lay down my life for others– regardless if they adore me or hate me, just as your Son did. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness. Amen

Religious Leaders

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Matthew 23:1-12

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.[a] 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.[b] 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’[c]

8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.[d] 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

 

According to Webster, a leader is a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.

DSC_0419I have had the privilege of leading various groups of people for more than a decade. When my husband and I started a non-profit ministry to serve married couples in 2010, I was also given the responsibility of leading an organization. I found it strange, however, that once I had a title behind my name and a few business cards to hand out, I felt different. It didn’t take me long to discover that I, like other “religious leaders” was becoming proud of my calling, my knowledge, my gifts and my ability to attract followers. I quickly realized that if I didn’t humble myself before the Lord, I would be in serious danger of becoming a Pharisee.

I’ve served under a variety of leaders in the body of Christ in the years since I became a follower of Jesus. I’ve been crushed by some of their demands and watched in amasement as they never lifted a finger to help the ones in which they led. I’ve heard some give powerful speeches about loving one another and then watch them walk off the stage and treat others with contempt and disrespect. I’ve sat in auditoriums filled with volunteers at service appreciation banquets while guest speakers praised the pastor and staff over and over and over again, declaring that we, the body had the greatest among men/women leading us….all the while wondering if they were talking about the same people I served under for years!? I’ve witnessed new believers climb the ranks from volunteer to team leader to staff member at a rapid pace…and sadly, I’ve seen those same kind hearted people become a clone of their mentor; reflecting the same arrogant attitude of superiority towards those whom they were leading. Julius, in “Remember the Titans” summed up their transformation perfectly: “attitude reflects leadership……captain.”

In the remaining verses of Matthew 23, Jesus condemned the religious leaders 7 TIMES saying, “what sorrow awaits you. Hypocrites!” Sadly, I must admit, I’ve heard Him say the same to me. He has humbled me on more than one occasion when I have exalted myself above my fellow sojourners. I pray that He continues to do the same through the power of His Word, through my conversations with Him, and through the rebukes of those who lead me, serve alongside me, and those who follow my example.

Matthew 23:13-39

13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.[a]

15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell[b] you yourselves are!

16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. 19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. 22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.

23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[c] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel![d]

25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[e] and then the outside will become clean, too.

27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’

31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

Humble Yourself

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James 4:4-10

 4 You adulterers![a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?[b]6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud
 but favors the humble.”[c]

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

There are several songs I remember singing as a teenager during youth group meetings at Glenkirk Presbyterian Church in Southern California. One chorus in particular keeps replaying through my mind because, I believe, it’s a principal that God wants to solidify in my heart.

“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

(echo) “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

(echo) “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

“And He will raise you higher and higher and higher and higher…. And He will raise you higher and higher and higher and higher….”

I, like most of us, like being praised. It’s nice to be acknowledged for all the hard work I do for others. But that desire for recognition is pride…and when I seek that feeling of worthiness from man, woman, or child, God opposes me.

IMG_7616Consider the role of mother. From the moment of conception, the child within is on the take. In order to ensure its survival, the growing fetus needs to take up room inside our bodies to develop and take in nutrients to sustain life. After the child is born it continues to take our time, our energy, our talents – and sometimes even our minds! Motherhood is often a sacrificial, thank-less job.

Not until I became a mother did I realize the sacrifice my mother gave in order to give me life. Most of her efforts went unacknowledged and unappreciated until I was an adult.

Not until I became a Christ follower did I realize the sacrifice my Savior gave in order to give me eternal life in heaven -and life to the full on this earth. Most of His efforts when unacknowledged and unappreciated….. until I began learning how Jesus humbled himself in the sight of the Father over and over and over again. Never once did He seek the praises of man. Instead, He sought only to fulfill the will of the One who sent Him; to give his life as a sacrifice on behalf of those who didn’t deserve it. Yet, in the end, God raised His Son from the dead and lifted Him to the seat of honor, beside His throne.

In His grace and generosity, God promises to do the same for me. As I continue to crucify my flesh and humble myself in the sight of the Lord, He will lift me up in honor. Some of that honor will be for this world, but only to Advance His Kingdom and make His name great. Some will be reserved for the day that I stand before my Father’s throne. And in that moment, the only acknowledgement that will matter will be from the One who created me in my mother’s womb.

Boast in This Alone

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Jeremiah 9:23-24

23 This is what the Lord says:
“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
   or the powerful boast in their power,
   or the rich boast in their riches.

24 But those who wish to boast
   should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
    who demonstrates unfailing love
    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

Being used by our great God to lead others in Spirit and in Truth to the throne of His grace is an awesome privilege. It can also become a dangerous trap if we continually receive the praises of men, more power to influence, and earthly riches as a result of our efforts.

DSC_0746

To boast in any way about ourselves, or what God has done through us is pride. Boasting inflates our ego like a balloon. Left unchecked by ourselves, or those who should be holding us accountable, that hot air will eventually fill the latex to its breaking point. When the pressure to perform becomes too great, an explosion is imminent. And oh, what a terrible devastation occurs in our life and the lives of those we lead.

Luke 12:48

48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

The sad reality is, most of us are completely deceived in believing we never fall into this type of pride. Sure, its easy to point the finger at the man who preaches every Sunday morning, or the woman who ministers all over the world in Jesus’ name. But let us not be fooled, dear friend. Until we breathe our last breath and stand before the throne of our Savior, we will battle this destructive sin. The pressure to cave to our selfish desires is only compounded when we lead others.

Matthew 20:24-28

24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

“Some of us always want to be illuminated saints with golden halos and the flush of inspiration, and to have the saints of God dealing with us all the time. A gilt-edged saint is no good, he is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and altogether unlike God.” –Oswald Chambers

Father,

I repent for my pride; of wanting to be acknowledged for the gifts that YOU have given me to advance YOUR Kingdom. YOU are the one who gives me what is needed to lead Your people to Yourself. YOU alone deserve all the glory and honor and praise on this earth and in heaven.

Amen

Many Parts

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1 Corinthians 12:12-31

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,[a] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.[b]

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

I have had the privilege of being a part of several local bodies of Christ since I became a follower. Some bodies functioned very effectively Advancing His Kingdom. Some, unfortunately, decapitated the head and as a result, every other part began to die due to the lack of blood flow.

With these experiences in mind, when Doug and I started a ministry that was designed to support many local churches, I hoped to remain humbly submitted to the head and never say to an eye or a foot “I don’t need you.” Years later, I wish I could emphatically state that that’s always been the case, but I can’t. I am still a sinner, saved by grace…and I am still learning what it means to be a loving part of the body of Christ.

In my very short journey of being a disciple and “ministry leader”, I’ve realized that one of the most difficult aspects of being seen and heard is that hidden parts sometimes mistakenly think that I am more important. Given enough praise and acknowledgement for my function, I may be tempted to think that I can operate the entire body on my own. As that pride seeps further down into my soul, I might even begin to believe (albeit subconsciously) that I am the head and that my gifts, skills and leadership abilities are the sole reason for any advancement. Eventually, though, the less honorable parts will grow tired of my pompous attitude and of being ignored and they will cut themselves off from me- and perhaps even the entire body. As a result of my unexamined sin, serious injuries can occur, and if not dealt with quickly, the body will bleed out…

Fortunately, I’ve also realized that when those self-gratifying thoughts begin to rummage through my mind I can call 911 and the Holy Spirit will rush me to the ER. There, as I lay myself out on a gurney before the Great Physician He is able to show me an x-ray of my heart….and I am moved to repent. Then, as He submerges me in His healing antiseptic grace, I am once again able to know that His Son is the only rightful head of the church and ALL His children are crucial parts of His body.