Everything Laid Bare

 

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.

—2 Peter 3:10-11

“What kind of people ought we to be?” Said another way: “ Exactly what do you expect of us?”

Many years ago, during a training session at the insurance company where I worked, a program from the American Management Association entitled “Supervisory Management - II” posited that, more than anything else, employees want to know exactly what management expects of them. If you think about that concept for a minute, I think you will agree that it makes sense.

Whether one is dealing with an employment situation, or a marriage, or a church, or any other relational gathering of individuals, each person really wants to know exactly what is expected of him or her. It behooves those in charge to always do everything they can to make certain that everyone present in the relationship knows, in detail, what is expected of them.

In the Scripture verses at the beginning of this blog post, the Apostle Peter describes, for the benefit of those receiving his letter, what will happen when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth—an event that we commonly refer to as “The Second Coming.” Peter not only describes how the current heaven and earth will be destroyed to make way for the new heaven and hew earth, he uses this description as a motivator for the Christians to understand exactly what God expects of them in this current age.

Peter’s sage advice applies equally to us. Exactly what does God expect of us? He expects us to live holy and godly lives. So, whenever we look at the circumstances of our lives—the challenges we face, the lack of resources, the abundance of God’s blessings, the fellowship of others who follow Christ, and any number of other events or conditions that mark our lives—our behavior in the face of all this is clear.

God wants us to live our lives in a way that honors Him. He wants us to strive for godly living. Another way of stating that is to say that God wants us to live in a god-like way. If we study the characteristics or attributes of God, we will come up with a list that describes what it means to be god-like.

If God is loving, then we should be loving. If God is kind, then we should be kind. If God hates sin, then we should hate sin, particularly the sin that infects our own lives. If God is patient, then we should be patient.

In fact, the Apostle Paul gives us some keys to understanding god-like-ness in Galatians 5:19-26. As you read these verses, I sincerely believe you will find “everything laid bare”:

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

As we begin another new day, let’s determine to follow the advice of both the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul. Let’s determine to live godly lives, moving always towards holiness, as we seek to become more and more like our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Dwell Richly

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

—Colossians 3:16

It’s time for a bit of self-examination. I know, I know, self-examination is never a pleasant activity. It usually means that we will have to make some change in our lives. Nevertheless, from time to time a little self-examination helps us determine how we are doing in our attempts to live a worthy life. So, here goes!

Self-examination questions to consider:

• Does the written Word of God dwell in you richly?
  
  
• Are you regularly teaching one another with all wisdom?
  
  
• Are you regularly singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs?
  
  
• Are you doing these tasks with gratitude in your hearts to God?
  
  

How did you do? Did this little exercise of self-examination disclose any items to which you need to give attention? And, what do you intend to do about the results?

You might consider beginning by spending a set time each day reading your Bible, looking for specific instructions that God has given to His followers, and choosing ways that you might implement those instructions. You might also consider if you can seek out some ways to use the knowledge your study has given you to share with others.

You might also consider how you can take a more active part in praising God out of gratitude for what He has done for you. Just as before the foundation of the earth He has chosen you to belong to Himself, so you can choose to express your gratitude to Him by the service you gladly perform in His behalf.

This is not a process that you can implement in a single day. It is one that will last over the course of your life. But, you can begin this process today. And, dear ones, I urge you to do so.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Unshakeable Kingdom

 

Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

—Hebrews 12:28

I am not particularly fond of heights. At the same time, many years ago I served as the Training Officer for the newly acquired 75-foot Ward LaFrance Hi-Ranger aerial platform that the Houghton Volunteer Fire Department had acquired. I also had no difficulty climbing the iron rungs of the concrete-embedded ladder in the back corner of the stage in the John and Charles Wesley Memorial Chapel-Auditorium at Houghton College, where, as a student, I served as Director of Chapel Operations.

If I didn’t particularly like heights, how was I able to relatively easily ascend quite high in the air in the bucket of the aerial platform fire truck, or climb the back-stage ladder in the Chapel-Auditorium? The answer is quite simple. In both cases, the foundation for the mechanism used to overcome the downward pull of gravity was extremely secure.

In the case of the aerial platform fire truck, four large outriggers extended from the body of the chassis of the truck and firmly secured the vehicle to the earth. In fact, those outriggers were designed to lift the truck so that the tires of the vehicle hovered an inch or so above the terrain. Even in a brisk wind, the vehicle never moved when one had extended the basket of the aerial platform to its full 75-foot height.

Similarly, in the case of the back-stage ladder in the Chapel-Auditorium, the steel treads were actually embedded in the concrete walls of the structure to a depth of several feet. The steps were wide and comfortable to climb. The shaft leading up to the space above the stage was narrow enough that at any point a climber needed to rest, he or she simply had to lean slightly backwards and rest his or her back against the wall of the shaft. It was nearly impossible to fall.

In each of these cases, the key to my ability to ascend to the heights was facilitated by the design of the environment. It was literally unshakeable. This is exactly the condition in which we find ourselves as followers of Jesus.

As the writer of the letter to the Hebrews declares in the verse at the beginning of this blog post:

Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

Through the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of the living Lord Jesus Christ, God has given those of us who follow Him an unshakeable Kingdom. Nothing can move it. Nothing can harm it. Nothing can destroy it. Nothing can keep it from accomplishing whatever it intends to accomplish. And, all the more so, we are protected by the very unshakeable nature of God”s Kingdom.

As a result, the writer to the Hebrews urges us to be thankful and worship God acceptably with reverence—reverence that is due God because of who He is and because of what He has done. So, dear ones, let us do exactly that.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Whatever We Do

 

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

—Colossians 3:17

More and more, it seems as if we live in a mediocre society. Whether we shop for a new car, or a tasty hamburger for lunch, all that people seem willing to provide smacks of mediocrity. I often wonder where the excellence has gone and when it will return.

I have ranted on this blog before about some of the trials I face during my daily visit to McDonald’s. I know that some of you have just felt a shudder tingle down your spine. “McDonald’s! How can you write about excellence and include the word ‘McDonald’s’?”

I respect and understand your reaction. Nevertheless, I confess that I am somewhat addicted to the greasy taste of a McDonald’s double cheeseburger. My arugument consists of the fact that I cannot find any consistent level of excellence in the making and delivery of this product at any of the McDonald’s that I visit.

Once in a great while, my double cheeseburger will arrive hot, juicy, and properly made. I always order it with extra cheese, extra onions, and no pickles. Over the course of any given week, I only receive my daily double cheeseburger with a level that just barely touches on “excellent” maybe once, but never twice.

On top of the quality of the product, the level of customer service almost never reaches the level of “excellent.” The folks over at Chick-fil-A have ramped up customer service to the top of the scale. Wherever a Chick-fil-A exists, their level of customer service has tended to have a positive effect on the other purveyors of fast food. As soon as the Chick-fil-A opened in the town where I live, the personnel at the other fast food restaurants began to make just a little more of an effort to treat customers with a more friendly attitude. Of course, they never quite reach the level of customer service that one finds at Chick-fil-A.

Normally at McDonald’s, the person taking my order and the person receiving my payment does so with the attitude that they have extended a great courtesy to me by even deigning to pay attention to me. Of course, there are rare exceptions—three individuals that I can think of over my many years of visiting many McDonald’s. If I didn’t want to try to achieve an occasionally almost-excellent double cheeseburger, I would have long ago abandoned my visits to McDonald’s.

McDonald’s is simply a microcosm of our whole society in the United States. Whether we try to buy an excellent cheeseburger, or buy groceries, or shop for clothes, or attend church, excellence seems like a mystical quality that remains quite ellusive.

“Wait just a minute!” you declare. “Are you suggesting that churches are not making an effort to become excellent.”

Yes! Yes, I am. I know that the mere suggestion of such a complaint will be viewed by many as heresy. Even so, I must confess that, when I look around at most churches, I do not seem the kind of concerted effort that will move each church toward excellence.

Now I realize that my definition of “excellence” may differ vastly from some other person’s definition of “excellence.” So, let me hasten to state that I use the Merriam-Webster definition: “the quality of being the very best of its kind.” In other words, when I compare what takes place at a particular church with what takes place at many other churches, the excellent church—or the church that actively strives for excellence—is one that in every way rises above the norm.

Qualities of excellence become visible in every aspect of the church. For example (in random order):

• Decor
  
  
• Lighting
  
  
• Sound
  
  
• Comfort of seating
  
  
• Skill of the musicians
  
  
• Order of Service
  
  
• Friendliness of congregation
  
  
• Content of sermon
  
  
• Skill of pastor in delivery
  
  
• Attention to needs of congregation
  
  
• Interest in evangelism
  
  
• Commitment to spiritual formation
  
  
• Clear presence of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23:love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)
  
  

And, your list may include other items that I have failed to include. The point is that, in all of these items, a church striving for excellence is following the admonition of the Apostle Paul, as stated in the verse at the beginning of this blog post. Whether we make double cheeseburgers or provide a place of worship for followers of Christ, every aspect of what we do should have the mark of excellence because God is excellent.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Rooted and Built Up

 

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

—Colossians 2:6-7-

“Becoming a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ is not just a one-time experience.” Those words captured my attention as I listened to a radio interview with Major W. Ian Thomas (1914-2007), founder of the Torbearers. For a moment, I sat in my chair puzzling over these words.

I thought about the fact that at age nine I had gone forward during the invitation by an evangelist, Oral Bradford. Rev. Bradford had held a week of meetings at my home church. That particular evening, he had preached a powerful sermon describing what eternal punishment awaited those who refused to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. His description terrified me. I was literally frightened into the Kingdom of God.

I counted that experience as the moment when I received Christ as my Savior. But, I later came to realize that this event was not an ending for me. Rather, walking the main aisle of that church and kneeling at the altar rail was a beginning. Perhaps that is exactly what Major Thomas intended to convey.

In his marvelous book, The Saving Life of Christ, Major Thomas described the import of the Scripture verse written by the Apostle Paul that we find in Romans 5:10:

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

The reconciliation that takes place between God and us through the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ is the beginning of a process whereby our reconciliation continues throughout the remainder of our lives until we graduate to eternity. As we surrender our sinful and selfish human wills and begin, more and more, to allow God’s divine will to prevail in our lives—said another way, as we become more and more like Jesus—our Savior begins to live His life in and through us.

This is exactly the same truth that the Apostle Paul shares in the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post. Having received the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives, we continue to live in Him. As a result, we become more and more rooted and built up in Christ. We become strengthened in our faith. And, we become overflowing with thankfulness.

Just as a grand tree in a verdant forest buries its roots deeper into the soil and extends its branches higher and higher into the air, so the process of becoming more like Jesus anchors us to the foundation of His mercy, grace, and love. And, it allows us to reach higher and higher in our quest to become sanctified, or to become holy.

As a result of following the pathway that God lays out in front of us, we become overwhelmed with thankfulness. Consequently, that spirit of thanksgiving flows out of us and touches the lives of everyone who crosses the pathway of our lives.

I encourage you to read Major Thomas’ book, The Saving Life of Christ. It will touch you deeply within the very core of your being.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Faithfulness Continues

 

Enter [the Lord’s] gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

—Psalm 100:4-5

This week begins the march towards Thursday for the traditional United States holiday of Thanksgiving Day. Based on a celebration held by the pilgrims and Native Americans to celebrate the fall harvest, this holiday has come to mean so much more over the years.

As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can readily proclaim that every day of our lives should become a day of thanksgiving. We Christians have every reason to celebrate because the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Savior has given us God’s love gift of salvation through the shed blood of His precious one and only Son.

The Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post encapsulates the attitude that we all should have as we begin each day. Breaking down the elements of this verse, we note the following:

• Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving
  
  
• Enter God’s courts with praise
  
  
• Gift thanks to God
  
  
• Praise His name
  
  
• We do this because the Lord is good
  
  
• We do this because God’s love endures forever
  
  
• We do this because God’s faithfulness continues through all generations
  
  

Let us join in proclaiming our thankfulness to the God who loves us with His everlasting love:

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Extolling God

 

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

—Psalm 95:1-2

Do you sing in the shower? Do you sing when you ride along in your car or truck? Do you sing at idle moments, such as when the commercials come on during your favorite TV program? I’m not at all surprised if you do.

I sing all the time. I really like to sing. And, it annoys my wife—not that I think such annoyance is a good thing, mind you. But, the fact is that my music major wife has spent so much of her life immersed in music that my singing only grates on her nerves. I wish I could tell you that knowing my singing annoys my wife has made me stop singing. Sadly, I like to sing so much that my joy overcomes my kindness. Once I realize I am singing, though, I do try to stop.

In the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post, the Psalmist urges us to “sing for joy to the Lord.” Why? Because singing gives us a way to praise God for who He is and for what He has done for us. In fact, the Psalmist urges us to “extol God with music and song.”

The word “extol” is a word we seldom use. The dictionary defines this word as follows: “praise enthusiastically.” So, when the Psalmist urges us to extol God, the Psalmist wants us to praise God enthusiastically. No sitting quietly and mumbling words of praise to God. No! We should exurberantly declare how we feel about God.

If God is important to us, then we should proclaim His importance in music and song. And, we should do so with great enthusiasm. Here’s just one example:

And, here is another example of wholehearted praise to God:

May God promote us to praise Him this day. He certainly deserves our honor, glory, majesty, and praise.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Proper Walk

 

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

—Psalm 1:1-2

These beginning verses of Psalm 1 have often gripped the hearts and minds of people the very first time they hear these words read, or see them on the printed page. If ever the Scripture gave a “Call to Action,” such a Call appears in these verses.

One of the amazing aspects of these verses comes from the fact that they begin with a declaration that living a godly life is a conscious choice. We choose to follow God through His precious Son, Jesus. Then, God enables us to follow the path He lays out before us through the empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Life consists of a series of choices. Much of the behavior we exhibit in life comes as a result of choices we make. We choose how we will respond to the circumstances that arise in life. Please allow me to illustrate this point:

One of the most idiotic happenings in our society today is the twisting of words to belie the fact that we live through the choices we make. A good example came to the front recently when one of our government leaders declared that it was offensive to suggest that the way a human expresses his or her sexuality is not a preferential choice. Of course, the idea behind such a declaration is to remove all accountability for how a person expresses sexuality in the behavior of his or her life.

The key to understanding this foolish and ignorant assertion is the very essence it represents: the removal of accountability. If I do not have to accept the reality that I am choosing to behave in the way I express my sexuality, but rather am driven by some factor outside of and beyond my control, then I do not have to accept any resonsibility for the consequences of the way the expression of my sexuality may cause harm to others or to myself.

From a purely logical point of view, this assertion lacks credibility. If I stand at a crosswalk and decide to walk across a busy intersection without heeding the traffic signal and become injured or killed by an oncoming vehicle, I am responsible for my own death. No matter how strong the urge I may feel to cross the street, I make a conscious choice to disobey the protective hindrance of the traffic signal. Having made the choice to ignore the warning, not only do I harm myself, I also bring harm to the person driving the vehicle that hits me.

Yes, we all have certain drives or urges that may push us in one direction or another. One of the most destructive aspects of those drives or urges comes from the fact that we are all stained by the curse of Adam’s sin. We have inherited that sin through our parents all the way back to Adam. We are born with that sin stain. And, that sin nature within us pushes us always toward the wrong pathway.

However, to counteract that natural bent toward evil, God has also given us the free will to choose to fight against our sinful urges. And, therein lies the problem that our current society seeks to eradicate: the reality that behavior comes as a result of the conscious choices that we make. We choose to set aside any knowledge we may have of what the right thing to do may be. Instead, we far too often choose to follow our sinful desires.

Thus, the Psalmist’s declaration found in the verse at the beginning of this blog post: “Blessed is the one…” As always, it is important to note that the gender stated in this verse does not exclude females. The use of the masculine intends to convey the word we might substitute in English as “human.” So, the verse applies to both males and females.

God has given us the free will to choose to follow our sinful desires, or to resist those desires. And, for those He has chosen to belong to Himself, He has given us the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives to enable us to have a super-ability to make the right choice. For this, we truly are blessed, just as the Psalmist asserts.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Sanctifying Truth

 

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

—John 17:17

All throughout the New Testament, we find recorded therein the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When I was a small boy, one of the older men in the congregation where I worshipped had a Bible that had set the words of Jesus in a red-colored typeface. I remember noting that the spine of this man’s Bible had the words “Red Letter Edition” stamped in gold leaf. This design element made it very easy to take note of when Jesus was speaking in the biblical text.

I can remember sitting next to this man as he turned the pages of the New Testament. All throughout the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—the words of Jesus stood out in this red-colored text.

I asked this man what he thought were the most important words of Jesus. He quickly turned to John 17.

“These words of Jesus mean the most to me. This is a prayer that Jesus prayed right before He was crucified. He knew that the time was drawing near when the purpose for which He came to earth would be fulfilled. He came to die in our place on the cruel cross of Calvary. As He shed His precious blood, He covered our sins, paying the penalty for those sins in our place. Notice that the editors of this version of the Bible have titled this chapter: ‘Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.’ In this prayer, Jesus prays for His disciples and He also prays for you and me, too.”

This wise, godly man looked at me with a smile on his face. I could tell that what he had told me meant a very great deal to him.

Later, I would spent hours reading through this prayer of Jesus, as recorded in John 17. I was fascinated to read the words that Jesus used to speak to His Father in prayer. The verse at the beginning of this blog post comes from this prayer. For context, it is important to read this verse in relation to the verses that immediately precede it. So, here’s John 17:6-26

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

“Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Throughout this portion of Jesus’ amazing prayer, we can take great comfort and also receive a significant challenge. Jesus prays for us to become “sanctified.” Said another way, Jesus prays for you and me to become “holy”—for that is what becoming sanctified means. God desires us to become more and more like His Son, Jesus.

While we can never become fully holy in this world, because of the impenetrable stain of original sin, we can walk forward on the pathway that God lays out before us. And, this pathway is one of sanctification, or holiness.

As we begin another new day, I invite you to join me in humbly asking God to fulfill Jesus’ prayer by helping us to become more like Jesus. That is to say, become more holy. For the more we become like Jesus, the more able we will become to obediently serve God as His instruments of mercy, grace, and love in this world. The more effectively we represent God to our troubled world, the more He will irresistibly draw those He chooses to belong to Himself.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Delightful Protection

 

Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.

—Psalm 119:143

I once visited an older man in the hospital. He had experienced a number of serious health issues in recent years. He had received treatment in the hospital several times during that period. This time he looked very ill. His starkly pale skin and labored breathing gave me insight into the struggle he faced. I wondered if he would survive much longer.

“No matter what happens to me,” he told me through a raspy voice. “I know that God is with me. He has led me through life all these years. And, He will lead me through death, too.”

He smiled a bit as he finished his statement. I could see a peaceful light in his eyes and I knew he meant what he had said. He truly did rest in the loving arms of God.

Not long after my visit, in the middle of the night, this dear man passed from this life into the presence of the living Lord Jesus Christ. I pictured in my mind the welcoming embrace of our Savior. This faithful servant of God had finally completed his assignment here on earth. He had moved on to his place of eternal life. There he would spend eternity in the presence of God. He would join the countless millions of faithful followers who had gone before him. Together they would spend eternity worshipping this God who loved them and gave His one and only Son to die in their place in order to cover their sins with His own precious blood.

The declaration of the Psalmist in the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post makes it quite clear. The Psalmist speaks words that contain a great truth: no matter what may happen to one who follows God, no trouble or distress will separate that one from delighting in the commands of the God who loves His chosen ones with His unfailing and undying love.

I hope this declaration brings comfort and assurance into your life this day. God’s love never fails us. He always has our best interest at heart. He always leads us along the right pathway. He continually provides us with delightful protection. All we have to do is to follow His leading in obedience to His perfect will and His written Word.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Eyes Wide Open

 

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

—Psalm 119:18

Has a friend ever stopped you outside a gathering, taken you by the arm, and asked you to close your eyes because he or she had a surprise for you? Then, your friend led you into a room, told you to open your eyes, and presented you with some notable surprise? If so, you can begin to understand the prayer contained within the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post.

The Psalmist asks God to open his eyes so that he can see more clearly the wonderful things that God has brought about because of obedience to His will and His written Word, expressed through the Law that God has given to His chosen people. Can you imagine praying this prayer?

God wants us to view the world, more and more, through His vision of what can and should be. Instead of seeing the world as it is—mired in sin, on a path of total destruction, unable to extract itself by itself from the pathway people have chosen for themselves and for others—God wants His chosen people to see the world as He designed it to be.

It is quite appropriate for us to pray this prayer of the Psalmist. We can certainly ask God to open our eyes—our physical eyes and our spiritual eyes—to a vision of what He desires our world to become through the testimony of His mercy, grace, and love that we can share with those who cross the pathway of our lives. He has given us this charge. And, as we respond in obedience to His perfect will and His written Word, His New Covenant law will take root in our hearts and minds.

From this position of strength, we can follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to speak words of love to those we meet on the road of life. Sometimes those words will be words of conviction. Sometimes those words will be words calling for repentance. Sometimes those words will be words of comfort. Sometimes those words will be words of encouragement. Sometimes those words will be words of hope. Always, those words will be words spoken in gentleness and bathed in God-given love.

As we move out into the world this day, let us begin by praying the Psalmist’s prayer. Then, let us determine to take every opportunity to share the vision of what could be with those God sends our way.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Using Freedom Properly

 

It is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

—1 Peter 2:15-16

Angry voices rarely solve any problem. That’s a fact that seems hard to learn, at least for me. But, I realize that if I am going to try to improve the conditions of life around me, I need to approach life with a much more gentle spirit than is my natural inclination. If I have come to this realization, perhaps you have, as well.

In the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post, the Apostle Peter is concerned that the Christians to whom he is writing seem surrounded by words that come from the mouths of individuals who are ignorant of the truth. In fact, Peter specifically calls their words “ignorant talk.”

Furthermore, Peter urges those receiving his letter to silence the words spoken by these ignorant people by doing good. And, we know from other Scripture that the “good” that Peter is writing about comes directly from God. In other words, Peter is not asking his readers to practice ordinary and random good works. He is specifically asking them to seek God’s will and do those good actions that God places into their hearts and minds.

Peter also reminds these Christians that they must live as those whom God has freed from the shackles of sin. They have been set free by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, Peter insists that they live as free people should live. He urges them to not use their freedom simply as a cloak, or cover up, for evil deeds done in secret. Rather, they should live the way true servants of God would live.

One of the main characteristics of godly living is humility. And, at least in my own experience, true humility is a characteristic that is developed over a long period of time. Don’t think for a moment that true humility is simply bowing your head and backing away from praise. No, true humility is not a self-effacing, self-deprecating, self-loathing appearance where one could just as easily be displaying a lack of self-esteem, rather than genuine humility.

True humility builds on a foundation of surety. The more genuinely confident an individual is, the more that one can recognize that whatever gifts he or she may have actually originate from God. Therefore, any feelings of accomplishment they may feel, any praise they may receive, any sense of gratitude from others actually belongs to God. By always giving God the credit that He is due, an individual can learn how to begin to display true humility.

God wants to not only give His dearly loved children talents, abilities, and gifts, He wants to help them develop characteristics that will clearly mark them as belonging to Him. So, part of the process of becoming holy—the process that Bible scholars call “sanctification”—arises through developing spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, and spiritual characteristics that bring honor to God and extend His hand to those around us.

I invite you to join me in asking God to continue to work in our lives His perfect will. May He help us become the people He wants us to be. May He use us as instruments of His mercy, grace, and love. And, may He—and He alone—receive all the praise and honor for what He is doing in us and through us.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Continually Praying

 

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

—Colossians 1:9

In the verse above, the Apostle Paul gives some of the best news he has ever shared with the Christians gathered at Colosse. He tells them that he prays for them and asks God to fill them with the knowledge of God’s perfect will for them. And, Paul explains that the way they will know the will of God comes to them through God-given wisdom and understanding.

I don’t know how you react to a reading of that verse. For my part, I am reminded how important it is that we pray for one another. In fact, I suggest that you make a list of the people for which you would like to pray. Then, I would urge you to pray through that list of people every day.

Another exercise in spiritual discipline that I have found helpful is to look around your church when you go there to worship. Pick out one or two people in the congregation and make note of their names on your “Prayer List.” As you pray each day, pray for the one or two people from your congregation that you have added to your List. Next Sunday, pick out one or two different people and add their names to your List in place of the one or two people from your congregation for whom prayed last week.

If you do this week after week, you will find God drawing you closer to the people with whom you worship. You will become more sensitive to their needs. You will listen for those times when they might share something occurring in their lives that give them concern. You will become more conscious of special days in their lives, special people about whom they are troubled, and any number of other factors they may be facing. In each case, you can pray for them quite specifically.

It is not necessary for you to tell these people that you are praying for them. In fact, at least as you begin this process, it is probably better that you keep the List of the ones for whom you pray a secret. Eventually, God may prompt you to tell one or more of the ones for whom you pray that you are doing so. But, I would leave that prompting up to God.

In times like these, it is a good thing to follow the Apostle Paul’s example and pray for those whom God prompts you to pray. It is an excellent spiritual discipline. And, it is a good step along the way of your own determination to follow in the footsteps of those believers who have gone before us and from whom we can learn how to become more like our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

If Anyone Loves the World

 

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.

—1 John 2:15-16

“I really love McDonald’s double cheeseburgers! And, I really love the music of The Eagles. I also really love my stuffed animals. And, truthfully, I love to read mystery novels.”

Have you ever heard someone makes statements like the ones above? Let’s face it, people use the word “love” inappropriately all the time. Seriously, can a human love something that cannot love him or her in return? I don’t think so—not at all.

The Apostle John gives very precise instruction in the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post. “Do not love the world or anything in the world,” states the Apostle. It is important to note that in the Koine New Testament Greek text, the Apostle uses the neutral nominative form of the word we translate as “the”—indicating that the word “the” refers to non-human entities, or as translated, “things.” In other words, John is clearly stating that which we are not to love are those items that cannot love us back because they are not of human substance.

So, when we say we love any creature or object that is not of human origin, we use the word “love” improperly. Now, I realize that, in making this claim, I have immediately offended every pet owner on earth.

“Surely,” “you would likely insist, my dog or cat or bird loves me.” I do not doubt that your pet responds to your kindness and affection in a way that you have translated into human understanding as “love.” And, I also realize that the response of your pet is both precious to you, heartwarming, and evokes within you a sense of joy and well-being.

However, since your pet does not possess the necessary human reasoning power, your pet cannot really love you in the same way another human can love you. But, that fact does not diminish the role your pet plays in your life, the importance of your pet, nor the great value that pet has to you.

The contrast that the Apostle John makes in the Scripture verse above is rooted in the understanding that our love must be invested in someone who can love us back. That is the very reason that God created humans. God wanted to create someone who had the capability of loving Him back. God created us to love Him. And, of course, that is why God pours His love into us—even though, because of our sin, we do not deserve His love.

One of the main problems with our society today is that we have invested nearly all of our capability to love into things that cannot love us in return. The Scripture verse delineates the major catagories: the cravings of sinful man that appear as the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boasting of what one has accomplished. Said another way, our sinful cravings are fueled by the things we see that we wish we possessed, the desire to satisfy our sexual impulses, and the self-satisfaction, or pride, we feel because of what we have accomplished.

If we invest all our time and energy pursuing these sinful pleasures, we have no room for genuine love. For all real love comes only from God. It is He who places within us the capability of loving—truly loving—another human being. And, it is God who gives us the ability to love Him back.

We need to carefully examine our lives and determine where we may have put some “thing” as the focus of our love, in place of loving back the God who first loved us. Then, we need to re-focus our lives in applying the love that God has given us by loving Him and also loving other humans who so desperately need to be loved.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Thundering Voice

 

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,” and to the rain shower, “Be a mighty downpour.”

—Job 37:5-6

In the movie adaptations of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry can demand the attention of everyone in even the largest of crowds by placing the tip of his wand against the side of his neck and speaking in a normal voice. Through the magic of his wand, suddenly Albus Dumbledore’s voice is magnified to an ear-shattering level. All other talking stops immediately.

Public address systems have a way of making even the most timid speaker command the attention of a crowd. Once a speaker gains the attention of his or her audience, it becomes so much easier to present a message. That’s exactly what happens in the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post.

Elihu speaks to Job and his three friends. He shares with them some of the wonderful attributes of God. One of those attributes is God’s thundering voice. No one can talk over the sound that God makes when He speaks—though countless numbers of people seem to want to do that today.

When God speaks, we need to listen, carefully! We always need to hear what God has to say, even when the sin that pervades our lives may make it difficult to hear what He’s telling us. That’s why we need to set aside time every day to spend time reading and meditating on God’s written Word. By doing so, we have the opportunity of giving careful attention to what God may wish to say to us.

Let’s determine to listen to what God says. Whether He chooses to speak to us with the voice of thunder, or in a still, small voice deep within our hearts. Whatever God wishes to say to us is most certainly worthy for us to hear.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Proper Direction

 

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

—Isaiah 1:18

The opening words of the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post seems quite out of place in our current society. The whole idea that people might confront each other and, instead of fighting or using harsh words, might decide to “reason together.” At least from my vantage point, there is very little reasoning together going on these days.

When we consider that these words through the Prophet Isaiah actually come directly from God, the words become all the more amazing. This verse actually follows a somewhat longer soliloquy where God begins to share an important message with the people in the southern kingdom of Judah. The six verses that proceed the featured verse above read as follows:

“When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

“When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

This is clearly a call from God, asking His people to confess their sins, repent of those sins, and make restitution for those sins through obedience to His perfect will. This is what the Word of the Lord does: it calls us to action—an action in accordance with God’s divine and perfect will for us.

Today, in the United States of America, we need to carefully and intently read and heed God’s written Word. We need to meditate on what God’s written Word instructs us to do. Then, we need to faithfully and obediently do exactly what God’s written Word tells us to do. That, my dear ones, is the formula to turn our sinful and darkened nation around. We need to return to God and humbly ask for Him to set all things in the proper direction.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Bringing All Things Together

 

He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

—Ephesians 1:9-10

Life often seems like quite a perplexing mystery. Just when we think we may have figured out what is going on around us, something will occur that turns us upside down. But, we can take comfort from the verse at the beginning of this blog post.

In writing to the Christians at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul speaks of God in a very special way. Paul tells the Ephesian Christians that life is really not the mystery that they may have thought it was. In fact, Paul insists that God has made known to us the mystery of His divine and perfect will through His Son, Jesus. The terms for all of life rest with God. He created all things. He sustains all things. He controls all things. Everything in life proceeds according to God’s good pleasure.

As much of a mystery as life may seem to us, it is no mystery to God. At such a point when time reaches its fulfillment, God will bring everything and everyone—in heaven and on earth—together under Christ, who will reign as the head. These words are intended to give us assurance and comfort.

Every time I see an advertisement for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, I cry. That’s right. Whenever an advertisement comes onto the television screen showing these little children afflicted with cancer fighting for their lives, I begin to shed tears. Even as I am writing these words, I feel tears welling up in my eyes. It breaks my heart to see these little ones having to deal with the horror that cancer represents. Theologically and intellectually I recognize that cancer has come into existence as a result of the sin curse placed on Adam and Eve at the dawn of human existence because they could not follow the one and only rule that God gave them. It grieves me that these little children must suffer because of Adam’s sin.

At the same time, I recognie that God remains fully in control of all that occurs and that some day He will bring order to all things under the headship of Jesus. There will be no more sickness, no more death, no more poverty, no more heartache, no more sorrow, no more despair, no more mental illness, no more sin. I long for that day. I pray for that day to come quickly.

We who follow Jesus have the great comfort from knowing that in a day not that far away, all things will be resolved under the headship of Christ. We will see Him as He is. And, we will become like Him because Scripture tells us in 1 John 3:1-2:

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Servants of God

 

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

—Romans 13:6

I confess to you that when this verse came up on my list of “Verses for Each Day” I wanted to skip this one and find a substitute. I have never met anyone who really wants to pay taxes.

I can remember the chagrin I felt when I looked at my first real pay stub and took note of the taxes that had been withheld from my pay. My paycheck was quite meager and it was made all the more so by the deduction taken out to pay my taxes. At the very moment that I studied that pay stub, a political advertisement began to play on the radio. Immediately, my thoughts turned to what the politician was saying. “Hey!” I thought to myself. “You had better do the right thing, Mr. Politician. I pay your salary!”

Later, as I rode my bicycle home from where I worked, I noted the potholes in the road. I remember thinking that the road crew should fix those potholes pronto. After all, I pay their salaries! And, in that moment, I began to develop an attitude that has fueled my Conservative point of view for all these many years of my life.

As I stated in my blog post of two days ago, it is sometimes hard to think of governmental authorities as God’s servants—particularly when they do things or say things with which we do not agree. Nevertheless, Scripture seems quite clear. After all, the Apostle Paul is writing during a time when he lived under a government that was far more oppressive than the government most of us have lived under. If Paul can write these words in his circumstance, surely we can learn to accept these words in our circumstance.

Today, I invite you to join me in praising God that He is the One who ordains authorities and places them over us. Let’s pray for our governmental leaders—even the ones we do not particularly like, or with whom we do not agree. We do well to remember that our prayers have a way of blessing even those who might never bless us.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Competent to Serve

 

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

—2 Corinthians 3:6

One of the great blessings of the Christian faith comes from the fact that God has made all of us priests. By this use of the word “priest” I intend to mean one who ministers to the world around him or her on behalf of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Yes, I am keenly aware that God has called certain individuals to dedicate their lives to accept a special calling from God to serve and lead others in their spiritual formation. Whether we call such individuals minister, pastor, preacher, priest, bishop, or even pope, we recognize that they have made a sacrificial response to God’s calling. Yet, such recognition does not dismiss the reality that all follwers of Jesus have a calling from God to minister to the needs of those around them because of what God has done for them through His Son, Jesus.

In writing to the Christians at Corinth, the Apostle Paul affirms that not only has God called believers to serve Him as His ministers, He has made believers competent to do so. “Wait a minute,” you may interject. “I’m not at all certaint that I am competent to minister in the way you suggest.“

Let me assure you that God has given you every talent and ability you need to serve Him. God wants you to approach your ministry with all of the essence of who you are. He wants you to serve as His minister. There are people who cross the pathway of your life each day to whom only you can properly minister. All elements of your uniqueness—your personality, your abilities, your skills, your mindset, every portion of who you are—are used by God to minister to others.

Do you think you are an oddball? Do you think you are not handsome enough or beautiful enough? Do you have a raspy voice or is your voice pitched too high or too low? Do you have some handicap? Do you feel you are not smart enough, or clever enough, or cool enough?

None of these things matter. God has called you to Himself. He has revealed the great gift of salvation that He has given you through His Son. He has placed the Holy Spirit within you. And, for His very good reasons, He has called you to minister in His behalf.

As we go out into a needy world today, we must keep in mind the fact that God has called us—exactly who we are and exactly as we are—to serve Him by ministering in His name. What a blessed, blessed privilege we have to do so with great joy.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Established by God

 

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

—Romans 13:1

All across the United States today, people will go to the polls and choose the President and other leaders. This year, of course, many have already voted by mail. As one who for many years—because of my disability—have voted by Absentee Ballot, I understand the privilege of casting one’s ballot by mail. This year, later in the day, I will drive to the designated polling place, unload my powered wheelchair, and enter the Perry Hi-Way Hose Company building to cast my ballot in the election.

After voting by mail for nearly twenty years, you may wonder why I am showing up in person to vote this year. I suppose I am choosing to do this partly in protest against the way that some states are handling the expanded efforts to encourage people to vote by mail. I am keenly aware of the potential for manipulating the outcome of the election that voting by mail affords. I am also quite untrustworthy of the hyperpartisanship that has overtaken our political process. I want to make absolutely certain that my vote counts.

I have friends, Christian friends, who have thrown their hands up in the air and stated that they won’t vote because neither candidate for President seem worthy. I can understand their frustration, even though as an avowed Conservative I have been quite satisfied with the more conservative policies that have come out of Washington in the last four years—certainly not fiscally, but in every other way.

More so, the reason why I will vote later today stems from the Scripture verse found at the beginning of this blog post. In this verse, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers, who happen to reside at the seat of power for the Roman government, that we Christians have a responsibility to submit to governing authorities. Admittedly, it is easier to accept this verse if one agrees with what those authorities are doing. I had a particularly difficulty time living the reality of this verse during the eight years of the previous administration because of my strong Conservative views.

If you have already voted by mail, or if you will go to your designated polling place today to cast your ballot, I invite you to join with me in doing so recognizing that this opportunity comes from God. He is the one who establishes authorities over us. That we have the privilege of helping to choose who will lead us is a great honor that our wonderful nation has given us because God has so established it.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

People of God

 

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

—1 Peter 2:9

Have you ever felt that you didn’t really belong? For just a moment, imagine that you find yourself in the middle of a crowd of people. Perhaps you have arrived to attend some social gathering. Everyone in the room seems to know someone else with whom they can have a friendly conversation. As you look around, you really don’t see anyone that you know. You sort of stand in a corner of the room watching others have a good time and feel that you really don’t belong.

That kind of scenario has happened to me many times over the years. Even when I may know some of the people in the room, I often feel that I don’t really belong there. That’s the problem the Apostle Peter tried to address in the Scripture verse at the beginning of this blog post.

Some of the Christians to whom Peter addressed his letter seemed to have an identity crisis. Most of them were Jews who had embraced the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This was a whole new experience for them. Heretofore they had lived under the constraints of the Law. Now they lived under the mercy, grace, and love of God through His Son, Jesus. Others reading Peter’s letter were Gentiles who previously had worshipped other gods, or none at all, and now were grafted into the vine of David through the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

I think you can understand why these folks may have felt that they had an identity crisis. Those who had been Jews no longer belonged to their previous fellowship of Jews. And, those who had been Gentiles were now profoundly different than their fellow Gentiles who did not believe. So, Peter has written to assure them that they definitely do belong. They belong to God through Christ.

In the Scripture verse that immediately precedes the one at the beginning of this blog post, Peter writes:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

And, as he continues, Peter declares:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

How fortunate you and I are that we, too, belong to God. While once we were “not a people,” through the Lord Jesus Christ, God has irresistibly drawn us into His mercy, grace, and love. Now, we are a people—the people of God.

 

_{Copyright © 2020 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}