Winners and Losers

 

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?”

—Mark 8:36

Some people treat life like a competitive game. But, life’s not a game. It’s not a competition. It’s not a win or lose situation. Or, is it?

John Mark the Evangelist, includes these words of Jesus in Mark’s gospel, as recorded in Mark 8:36:

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?

Men tend to strive to win a prize. Psychologists tell us that men are naturally pre-wired to be competitive. Women are generally not pre-wired to be competitive. Instead, women are generally pre-wired to be collegial. Thus, while men will compete with each other to achieve some goal, women will tend to work together to achieve a goal.

No doubt Jesus understood this when he spoke these words. He saw around him men who were competing with each other to gain status in their community, to gain positions of influence and importance, to gain the upper hand, to forge ahead of their peers, to vanquish their foes, and so forth.

Even among his twelve disciples, Jesus observed a tendency for them to compete for His favor. He knew that Kingdom business would require collegiality, not competition.

I wonder today how many churches see themselves as competing with other churches? Is that because men often hold the positions of power and influence on the church governing board?

The Kingdom of God is not a place for competition. Rather, it is a place where all believers should work together for a common goal: to share the good news of God’s love, as expressed in the life-transforming work of Jesus.

As we begin a new day, let us men curb our natural male drive to compete. Let’s learn from our sisters in Christ how to get along with each other and work together for the sake of the Kingdom.

And, let’s encourage our sisters in Christ to develop their gifts and apply them to Kingdom work in that collegial way they know best. Together, there is much we can accomplish to bring glory to God.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

No Exasperation

 

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

—Ephesians 6:4

The relationship between a father and his children is one full of wonder, mystery, and amazement. On the one hand, the father must lead his children along the right pathway. On the other hand, the father must have the patience to allow his children to make some mistakes of their own, so that they will learn valuable lessons for life.

Being a father is serious business. Yes, it also brings great joy. But, the role a father must play in the lives of his children is fraught with possible problems. A father must be firm, yet not severe. He must be loving, but not coddling. He must set a strong example, but not be unapproachable.

In writing to the Christians gathered in the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul particularly addresses fathers, when he writes the words found in Ephesians 6:4:

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Can a father exasperate his children? Surely he can. He can exasperate them by living inconsistently, by often changing the rules, by creating situations where the children can’t win, by… well you get the idea. There are many, many ways whereby a father can cause exasperation in the minds and hearts of his children.

The Apostle indicates this exasperation is simply not acceptable. And, I wonder if it should apply even more broadly. In dealing with our brothers and sisters in Christ, perhaps we should avoid behavior that causes exasperation in others.

At the very least, as we begin a new day, not causing exasperation is something we should think about. Do we do things that cause others to feel exasperated? If so, we should stop that behavior. Rather we should encourage the spiritual formation of our fellow believers in as positive a way as possible. It seems to me that would be the least we can do.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Extol Him

 

“Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds—his name is the Lord— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”

—Psalm 68:4-5

We don’t use the word “extol” in normal conversation very much. At least I seldom hear anyone use it when I listen to people talk.

Extol is a transitive verb that means to praise highly or to glorify. I have to smile a bit when I think about the word. I can’t imagine anyone saying, “I extol Dean for…” I just don’t think there is anything that I might do or say that would make me worthy of that kind of praise. Perhaps you feel the same way I do.

But, as believers in the life-transforming power of the living Lord Jesus Christ, we have no difficulty in imagining the One in our lives who we most certainly can extol. In fact, we can surely stand with King David and affirm these words he penned, as recorded in Psalm 68:4-5:

Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds—his name is the Lord—and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Since David’s Psalms, and all Psalms, are really songs, it seems quite appropriate that singers might be involved in whatever David chooses to write. Here he calls for us to sing praise to God and extol, or glorify, this One who rides on the clouds.

And, that’s not enough for King David. He calls on us to acknowledge that God is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, and that He dwells in His holy temple. What’s more, King David realizes that if our God is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows, we ought to be so, too.

In our quest to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, we must strive to be like Him. If He cares for the downtrodden in life, we must care for the downtrodden in life. That’s a reality for us as we begin a new day.

It may be somewhat outside of our normal comfort zone. But, God didn’t call wimps to be His ambassadors. No! He called you and He called me.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Compassionate Father

 

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”

—Psalm 103:13

When asked to describe examples of the word “compassion,” an audience at a Christian conference gave a long and detailed list of various times when they had seen someone act in a compassionate way. When I think of compassion, I think of the look I saw one day on a father’s face, as he watched his two-year-old son try to figure out a puzzle.

The puzzle was obviously perplexing the child. As the father looked on, he had various expressions on his face: amusement, pride, and then, loving concern. As the child became more and more frustrated, at one point he looked up at his dad as if to say, “Help me, Daddy!”

In that moment a look came upon the father’s face that I will never forget. It was a look that said, “I see you are frustrated, son. I’m so proud of you for trying. I don’t want you to be consumed with frustration. So now, I’m going to reach out and help you.” That, dear ones, was compassion.

King David knew, first hand, the kind of frustration he must have exhibited to his heavenly Father. He knew that in spite of all of his foibles and mistakes, God loved him and would always reach out to him with compassion. No doubt that’s what prompted David to pen these words found in Psalm 103:13:

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

As we begin another day, let’s rejoice that our God is a God of compassion. He looks on us with eyes of unfailing, undying love. He reaches out to help us because of His great love for us.

In like manner, let’s allow the compassion of our God to flow through us and touch the hearts and minds of others. Let’s show our willingness to help those in genuine need who look up at us and say, “Help me, please.” And, let’s do so with hearts full of the same kind of compassion that God shows toward us.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Father's Joy

 

“The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.”

—Proverbs 23:24

I have never had the privilege of being a father. God did not choose to bless my wife and me with children. Nevertheless, I observe the relationship between fathers and their children with great delight.

A dear friend of mine has a seven-year-old son. That might not seem remarkable. But, he is a man in his mid-fifties. He has much older children, as well. I find it both comforting and amazing to see the great delight this young son brings to his dad.

I suppose part of my delight comes from the fact that I was a young child of an older dad. My dad was forty years old when he and my 42-year-old mom adopted me as a baby.

My dad was profoundly different than most of the other dads of the kids in my school and church. Many of those dads were nearly half my dad’s age. But, never once did I sense anything negative in the heart of my dad when it came to his relationship with me. He and mom had chosen me. Even the stress of being older while raising a young child did not seem like a burden to them.

King Solomon also had a unusually wonderful and much older dad. His dad was, of course, King David—the man of whom Scripture declares in 1 Kings 5:15:

For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

So, it is not at all surprising, with a dad like King David, that King Solomon would write these words, as recorded in Proverbs 23:24:

The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.

As we begin a new day, let’s remember that our actions have a profound effect on our dads. Whether you are a son or a daughter, your choice of righteous living can either bring delight or sorrow to both your earthly dad and your heavenly father.

So, let’s choose to live righteously, as enabled by the Holy Spirit. Surely that will please our two fathers.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Our Citizenship

 

“Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

—Philippians 3:20

I grew up in the decade immediately following the end of World War II. Our nation made so many sacrifices to respond with might and power to a two-front war and to come to the aid of our allies. Young people today simply do not have any concept of the enormous stress this War placed on almost every single person who was alive during this time period. These same young people would do well to spend an hour or two reading about this time in the life of our country and trying to imagine what it would have been like to be living during such an event.

My childhood was a time of great patriotism and also great fear. We were extraordinarily proud to be citizens of the United States of America. We were proud of those who had served and were still serving in our armed forces. We were proud of our flag. We were proud of our Pledge of Allegiance. We were proud of the fact that America was a great melting pot of people from many nations who had come here to start a new life, to retain the best memories of their homeland, but to first and foremost become Americans. The many becoming one was celebrated. Diversity was not shunned. Rather, it was accepted with reverence. But, what was revered even more was how these diverse people had all grasped hands and eagerly embraced a new identity.

The fear of my childhood came from concern that we would all die from a nuclear attack initiated by the Soviet Union. We had seen the result of the relatively small atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We knew that even greater bombs now existed, including the hydrogen bomb. We practiced in our classrooms how to seek shelter, never realizing that the meager shelter provided would hardly protect us from a nuclear assault.

When the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades took place, we stood at attention as the military personnel marched by carrying the flag of our nation. We cheered the stern looks on the faces of these young men and women. We longed for the day when we could join their ranks.

We felt similar awe for those who served on the police force and fire department. We were proud, so very proud of what our nation, state, county, city or town represented. We were proud of our way of life. And, we were keenly aware of the sacrifices that had been made to secure and preserve that way of life.

So much has changed in my lifetime. When I stop to think about how profoundly everything has changed, it takes my breath away. But, in the midst of all the change, one thing remains constant. The Apostle Paul expressed that “constant” in a most elegant way when he wrote these words recorded in Philippians 3:20:

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am still one who celebrates what our nation once was. And, I am one who laments with great sorrow what our nation has become over the course of my lifetime. But, at the same time, I am filled with hope in the reality that I am really a citizen of a far greater kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

The words written nearly 150 years ago by Edward Mote come to mind:

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

Let me urge us this day to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). And, let us draw strength from the reality that we are, indeed, citizens of the great Kingdom of God.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Priceless Gift

 

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him.”

—Luke 11:13

God has given His children many truly wonderful gifts. Not the least of these spectacular gifts is the gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus.

But, God also realizes that, though He has redeemed us, we continue to live in a sin-scarred world. We are surrounded by all manner of evil. Satan still prowls around looking for whom he might destroy (1 Peter 5:8).

So, God has given us yet another priceless gift: the gift of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Luke quotes the words of Jesus Himself, as found in Luke 11:13:

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him.

“A good and perfect gift from God” (James 1:17)—that certainly describes the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our Comforter, our Guide, our Defender, our Teacher, our Friend. He is the One who enables our spiritual formation and rewards our obedience.

As we launch out into another day, let’s thank God for this wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. And, let’s tune our spiritual ears to listen for the Spirit’s voice, as He directs us on the pathway that He has laid out before us.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Learning from the Heavens

 

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”

—Psalm 19:1-2

How often do you look up into the sky?

Okay, I know as a kid you might have laid on your back in some field, or on a rooftop, and stared upward. On a sunny day, you could watch the birds fly and you might even have seen the contrails of a jet aircraft as it made its way to some far off destination.

Similarly, at night you might have observed the moon, the stars, or even some distant planet—at just the right time of the year. But, whenever you looked upward, you had a sense of wonder and amazement. You knew that the universe was some place bigger than where you lived. You sensed that some all-powerful Creator had put it all into place. For moment, you even thought that He did that just for you.

We sometimes forget how wonderful those childhood experiences were. How open we were to the thoughts that flooded our minds and imagination. How glorious it was to have limitless possibilities set before us.

I’m an old man now. But, I can still remember those days. They were so filled with promise, and hope, and even a bit of longing for a peek at what was to come. Now, I have experienced many things that have robbed me a bit of that openness and free-floating thinking that seemed so easy as a child.

But, God has not changed. We can still see the glory of who He is by looking upward to the skies above. That’s what King David was writing about when he declared in Psalm 19:1-2:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

We can still learn from the heavens. We can still look upward and see the handiwork of God. We can glory in what God has created. We can honor and magnify and worship Him for who He is. We can declare His glory. We can speak words of exaltation. We can show His heart of love.

This new day, let’s make an effort to look upward and learn from the heavens. Let’s point the way to others that they may see who God is and have the same joy in their hearts that we have in our own hearts. That will be a fitting testimony to this wonderful God who loves us so very much.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

God says...

 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

—Psalm 46:10

One of the things that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ learn, sooner or later, is to listen to what God says. In the vast majority of cases, that means “listening” to what God says through His written Word, the Bible.

Fortunately, the more a Christian reads God’s Word, the more a Christian comes to appreciate the beauty and elegance of God’s “voice.” That’s why spending time reading the Bible is such an important discipline in the life of one who follows Jesus.

The Psalmists have captured many wonderful truths from God. This makes the Psalms an important, even cherished, part of most believers’ favorite readings. Psalm 46:10 is no exception. Here, the Sons or Korah, have penned an important truth, reporting what God says:

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

How often we need to be reminded to just stop whatever we are doing, get ourselves to some place where we can wait in quiet, and allow the “knowing” of the Holy Spirit to wash over us. If you haven’t had that experience lately, I commend it to you wholeheartedly.

As we begin another new day, let’s take time to be still and know that God is the great “ I Am.” He is worthy of our devotion. He is worthy of our time. He is worthy of our attention. He is worthy to recognize.

Know that God is exalted above all the nations. Know that God is exalted in the earth that He created and in us, His dearly loved children. Know that every beat of our hearts, every breath that we take, comes to us as a precious gift from this magnificent and wonderful-beyond-all-measure God.

Now, dear ones, that’s the way to start this day!

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Handling Grievances

 

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

—Colossians 3:13

Supposedly, Rodney King—who became famous when some Los Angeles police officers mercilessly beat him—once uttered: “Can’t we just all get along?” The answer, of course, is, “No, we can’t!”

We do seem to often rub each other the wrong way. Just this past weekend, in talking over lunch with some friends, I tried to express my frustration with a particular political figure. Speaking in hyperbole, I said something about reaching into the television screen and slapping this particular individual. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone sitting at the table that I greatly admire. Immediately, this person recoiled at my words. Instantly, I regretted saying them, even though I knew I was exaggerating for effect.

We are more prone to disagree and argue with each other than we are to simply find ways of allowing people to be who they are without succumbing to the urge to take exception to what they might say or what they might do.

The Apostle Paul warned the Christians at Colosse using these words found in Colossians 3:13:

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

God really does want us to get along with each other. At the same time, we are to hold each other accountable and help each other deal with our besetting sins.

At the start of this new day, and every new day, we should begin by determining to help our brothers and sisters in Christ by accepting them for who they are, recognizing that, just like us, they are not yet perfect in their spiritual formation, and doing what we can to bear with them and also quickly settle any grievance we may have with them.

If we do this, we will show the world how God’s love has transformed us. And, transformed we are, and transformed we will become, if only we trust in God’s mercy, grace, and abiding love.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Consequences of the Small Gate

 

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

—Matthew 7:13-14

In the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5, 6, and 7, the Lord Jesus Christ teaches His disciples about several very important concepts necessary for proper spiritual formation. Among the topics that Jesus covers is His discussion of the way to eternal life.

Recognizing that Jesus Himself is the way, the truth, and the life and that no person comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6), He did make some comments that should prepare all Christians for the kind of life they will find themselves living, if they choose to faithfully and obediently follow in the footsteps that He has left for us.

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus shares these words:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

This instruction is not so much a teaching of the kind of action that a believer must take. Rather, it is sharing rather distinctly the kind of life that will naturally follow a believer who chooses obedience to God’s will and to His Word.

You see, the way of Jesus is not an easy way. Devotion to Christ will lead believers into very narrow passageways where they will find themselves hemmed in on all sides by those who want to minimize, and even destroy, the gospel.

Yes, the Holy Spirit will lead us along the right pathway. But, there is a definite price to pay for faithfulness. We cannot earn our way. But, by determining to follow the pathway God gives us, we will be subjected to many and interesting consequences—not all of which are pleasant ones.

As we start this new day, let’s keep our minds and hearts clear about the price we will pay for obedience. Not so much in our doing. But, more so in what will be done to us by a world that rejects the power of Christ’s love and sacrifice.

We do well to understand that following Jesus will subject us to the same kind of hatred that He experienced. Naturally, the Holy Spirit will comfort us and give us strength. But, we must not think for one moment that the natural world will easily accept our allegiance to the King of Kings.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

In the High Places

 

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

—Habakkuk 3:19

The British writer, Hannah Hurnard, in the middle of her life when she held to strongly orthodox beliefs, penned a great Christian classic in the fabulous little book, Hinds Feet on High Places. Written in 1955, and re-published many times since that date, the book traces the journey of a young woman named “Much Afraid,” as she traveled from her family, “Fearing” to the “High Places of the Shepherd.” This allegory packs so many wonderful truths into a relatively few paragraphs.

Hurnard drew the idea for this wonderful book from the writing of the Prophet Habakkuk, as recorded in Habakkuk 3:19:

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

God is our Great Enabler. He gives us the ability to tread ever upward in our spiritual formation, in our dependence on Him, and in our quest to represent Him well to the people around us who need His love and His care. We can most certainly celebrate this imbued power of God, as we begin this new day.

Let’s be sure to thank Him that He enables us to tread on the heights. We can rely on His mercy, grace, and abiding love to empower us as His dearly loved children.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Before...

 

“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.”

—Psalm 90:2, 4

There is a distinct advantage when one has the privilege of serving a particular cause for a long, long time. If one is present, awake, and has a good memory, “long-time-serving” can prove to be an adjective that indicates the person has much to offer in helping to understand how things came to past.

By God’s grace, and through absolutely no merit of my own, I had the deep honor of serving the fire protection community as a member of various National Fire Protection Association codes and standards committees since 1974. Though I have served on numerous NFPA Technical Committees, I have spent the greatest amount of time serving on the Technical Committees related to the development of what has now become NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code.^®

One of the things that I have brought to the table over the years is that I was present during many discussions that led to changes in the Code and can explain to others, who have come along later, why the Code states the requirements that it presents.

Now, magnify my rather insignificant contributions by many times. Imagine what it would be like to have the ear of someone who was, in every case, present from the beginning of everything—someone who knows and understands why things are the way that they are.

This is exactly what Moses was declaring about God when Moses wrote these words in Psalm 90:2, 4:

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

God is the ultimate Technical Committee member, and so much more. He knows why He made things the way He chose to make them. He understands all the systems He put into place. He is the one who understands how climate works, along with every other conceivable system that makes up our universe.

He also understands the people He has created, His knows His divine purposes for them, their advantages, and their limitations. He knows and understands at the most basic level everything that anyone might wish to know about heaven and earth.

It makes sense for us, at the start of another new day, to recognize how fortunate we are to have access to God through His written word and through His Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him and through Him we have an inexhaustible resource to lead us and guide us in every aspect of our lives.

God is before all things, in all things, above all things, around all things, and through all things. Nothing escapes His attention. Nothing is beyond His caring.

And, to top that off, He loves us—loves us!—with His unfailing love. And, that is certainly worth celebrating.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Dimensions of God's Love

 

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge— that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

—Ephesians 3:16-19

In any building project there are four qualities that determine the ultimate integrity of the project: dimensions, square, level, and plumb. If you measure the pieces of the project carefully to make certain they have the proper dimensions; if you erect the pieces of the project so that they have perfectly square corners of 90 degrees; if you make certain you maintain level—that is, square or 90 degrees off the vertical—and plumb—that is square, or 90 degrees off the horizontal—then the likelihood of your project being successful is nearly assured.

So it is with our relationship with God. We need to understand how uprightly we stand with regard to God’s calling. We need to understand the dimensions of His love and caring for us. And, we need to be able to receive the strength He will give us through the Holy Spirit to perform that to which He has called us.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to encourage the Christians gathered in the church at Ephesus, as recorded in Ephesians 3:16-19:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

The prayers of the Apostle surely helped the Ephesian Christians grow into a proper spiritual formation, so that they could serve as proper ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need this same kind of encouragement in our own spiritual lives.

As we begin yet another day, may we pray for each other this very prayer of the Apostle. May we ask God to give both us and our dearly loved brothers and sisters in Christ the power of the Spirit that we may apprehend the depth, length, and breadth of the love of God for us through His Son. May our roots go deep into the soil of His precious written Word. May we live our lives in obedience to His will and to His Word.

And, may we experience that great joy that comes from knowing that we are fulfilling the calling to which He has called us. That, dear ones, will be wonderful, indeed.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Becoming a Barnabas

 

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

—1 Thessalonians 5:11

My wife and I have a very dear friend who spent most of her formative years studying music. She majored in music in college. She devoted herself to composition and refining her skills as a brass player in graduate school.

She obtained a Ph.D., in order to gain even more knowledge about music. And, she even took post-graduate studies in conducting, so that she could achieve an excellence in conducting and managing a symphony orchestra. She is talented in so very many ways: performer, composer, conductor, mentor, and teacher.

But, God seems to have had an entirely different path for her to travel. When He brought her into the lives of my wife and me, she was unable to secure a full-time position in music.

She very much wanted a post that would allow her to manage and conduct an orchestra. But, those doors—largely guarded by an “old-boys network”—seemed closed to her. She was, after all, a woman. She was very smart. And, she likely threatened, even intimidated, the normal job politics of most organizations that support an orchestra.

So, she took what was essentially a very low-paying data entry position in a company that provided support operations for the insurance industry. She often sat in our living room and shared the woes of corporate life.

Since I had worked in the corporate world for several decades, I was able to help her understand some of the typical corporate politics and to offer suggestions as to how to deal with those who would stand in her way of advancement.

By God’s grace, lots of hard work, and her own superior intellectual ability, she began to slowly climb the corporate ladder, made a few job changes to positions of ever-greater responsibility and compensation, and eventually found a very nice niche in understanding the rigors of corporate human resources management.

Now she has her own business helping people apply for jobs and navigate the ever-complex world of on-line job applications. She has truly become an expert.

Many now seek her help in locating the ideal position. She understands the technology behind the on-line application systems, how to tweak one’s input to match their algorithms, and her clients readily find new and better jobs in a climate that is largely unfavorable to those looking for employment.

She was wise enough to seek advice when she didn’t understand something. And, she was very willing to listen to the advice when she was given it.

More so, she worked very, very hard to put into practice every bit of knowledge she accrued. Perhaps, most importantly of all, she honored God at every step along the way.

She was, and is, a choice servant of the Great King Jesus. And, she was always willing to have Him lead her in a new direction. She sought her primary sustenance from Him and His Word.

I share this story with you because I believe it illustrates the role we all must play in each other’s lives. We must be encouragers—Barnabas, if you will, since that name means “Son of Encouragement.”

To whom have you been a Barnabas today? Is there someone to whom you have spoken an encouraging word?

Do you actively seek to say things that encourage others to think well of themselves and to celebrate their accomplishments for Christ and His Kingdom?

When one of your fellow brothers or sisters in Christ achieves something new, do you purposely and purposefully, cheer them on and celebrate with them, letting their joy become your joy?

The Apostle Paul urged those in the church at Thessalonica to do exactly this. Notice what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:11:

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

As a new day opens before us, it presents yet another opportunity to become an encourager—a Barnabas—to our fellow believers.

And, we can become encouragers to everyone who may cross our pathway, too. Certainly almost everyone can benefit from hearing words that will make them think better of themselves.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Acknowledgment

 

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

—1 Chronicles 29:11

When you watch a movie, do you stay and watch all the credits roll by on the screen? I do. I find it fascinating to see all of the people it takes to make a movie. I also am fascinated by some of the job titles listed in those rolling credits.

It’s important to acknowledge those who contribute to any project. After all, they’ve worked diligently to bring that project to completion. They’ve invested their personal energy into making the project successful.

I wonder how often we stop to acknowledge what God has done in creating and sustaining our world and also in guiding us to become the people He wants us to be. We probably take God for granted far more often than we care to admit.

Fortunately, we have an excellent example of how to acknowledge God’s marvelous works in a prayer of King David, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:11. Here’s a part of that prayer:

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

As we begin another day, let’s remember to acknowledge what God has done in our world and also in us. We can justly praise Him for the magnificence of who He is, as well as for what He has done.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Answer Gently

 

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

—Proverbs 15:1

I am a profoundly impatient person. My impatience gets me into trouble all the time.

In my old age, I have mellowed somewhat. But, I still get really impatient, particularly when people misunderstand me.

In my impatience, I all too often give a harsher-than-appropriate answer to someone’s legitimate question. When I do this, I feel embarrassment and remorse. But, my behavior never seems to change. Shame on me!

Once in a while, when someone pushes back hard at something I’ve said, another modality within my being kicks into place. I believe that different modality comes from memories of being bullied as a child.

In those instances, I often respond with a quiet gentleness, rather than my usual bombast. And, do you know what? That soft, quiet, gentle speech often diffuses the anger coming at me from the other person.

One day, more than ten years ago, I had a conversation with a man who chaired a committee that I had joined. We were talking about the cultural norms of the organization that sponsored the committee. As I outlined my observations about those cultural norms, he became very agitated and finally in an angry outburst suggested that, if I didn’t like the way the other members acted, I should resign from the organization, .

The harshness of his words and the angry tone of his voice triggered that different modality I mentioned above. Instead of responding with my usual harshness, I began talking very quietly, almost at a whisper.

I heard myself saying soothing words about the positive things I had noted in the organization’s cultural norms. Soon, his anger seemed to dissipate. The conversation ended more pleasantly.

Now, truthfully, this man was justified in his response. After all, he had been a member of this organization for many years and had many close ties with other members. I was making observations that placed some of the cultural norms of the organization in a very negative light. No wonder he jumped to defend the organization about which he felt so fondly.

That my observations were correct didn’t really matter. But, what did matter was that unusual—for me—softness in my answer that helped repair the breech I had created.

I believe that this is what King Solomon meant when he penned the words found in Proverbs 15:1:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

At the beginning of another new day, we can all learn to speak more gently to one another. We can cause angry speech to dissipate when we choose gentle words of response.

Gentleness does not indicate a lack of strength. Rather, it illustrates that strength is under control. And, that is a very good thing.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

His Second Appearing

 

“…so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

—Hebrews 9:28

For the past few blog posts, I’ve written about the general theme of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. To many folks, this seems like a flight of fantasy. In fact, it’s one of the reasons that Christianity repels many individuals.

You see, it takes faith, given as a gift from God, to make the reality of God’s plan come alive within the hearts and minds of the people He has chosen to belong to Himself. Without that gift of faith, Christianity appears ludicrous. We believers absolutely must understand this fact.

In contrast, we can receive great comfort from knowing that we await Christ’s return. This is the same theme that the writer to the early Hebrew Christians records in Hebrews 9:28:

…so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Christ is the bringer of salvation to all those who believe. As we begin a new day, we can rest with genuine confidence in the anticipated joy of Christ’s return.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The New Jerusalem

 

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

—Revelation 21:2

When I was about eight years old, a visiting evangelist, who also happened to be a tenor soloist, came to our church for a week of special meetings. One night, he sang “The Holy City,” with music by Stephen Adams and words by Frederick E. Weatherly. This stirring song moved me deeply.

Four years later, our youth group leader, Mrs. Isabel Young, began a three-year-long study of the Book of Revelation during our Wednesday night prayer meeting. Imagine my surprise when I encountered these words from the Apostle John, as found in Revelation 21:2-4:

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

As believers in the life-transforming power of the living Lord Jesus Christ, one of our great hopes and expectant joys is the anticipation of seeing the New Jerusalem for the first time.

Even as we begin another new day, let us remember that we will spend eternity with God within the boundless walls of that great city. And, let us hasten to heed the nudging of the Holy Spirit to share the message of God’s love whenever He leads us to do so.

Please click here to watch a moving version of the song I wrote about in this blog post, sung by Stanford Olsen and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

 

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

One Great Day

 

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

—1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.jpg

Over the centuries, there have been many times when Christians became discouraged. They have been persecuted and dismissed, marginalized and killed, and every possible attempt has been made to destroy them and their faith.

In the midst of such trials—trials that, for the most part, we can hardly imagine—Christians have always held firm to their beliefs and found encouragement from the Apostle Paul’s words found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Knowing that, on some great day, Jesus will return provides unimaginable comfort. Even as this new day begins, we can receive comfort from these words.

Let’s rejoice in knowing that God will receive us as His dearly loved children on one great day.

 

_{Copyright © 2018 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}