October 2013 – Page 2 of 2 – Sonshine's Journal

October 14, 2013

The Battle is in the Mind! 2Cor 10

David Mathis, Ex Editor for Desiring God wrote in his blog yesterday: “In communicating the gospel, one of the essential things we must at least imply, if not make explicit, is the most offensive truth possible: you are powerless precisely where it matters most. You are dead to what truly is life.” When we come to grips with that statement and yield to Christ then we know the truth: “So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” [Rom 6:11] The heart of the matter is this: the gospel is offensive and the gospel workers are as well. Paul of all people faced it head on when he became aware of the charge: “some” were saying Paul was living by the world’s standards. Paul may have lived in the first century but the same charges are leveled today. It seems that although our enemy is strong and he has been honing his skills, his tactics remain unchanged. We are called hypocrites, complainers, judgmental and the list goes on and on. But, in godly wisdom Paul gives us some idea of how to face our foes and his ideas come straight from the book of Joshua. God is unchanging and His ways are unchanging. What worked then works now.

God told Joshua that He was about to defeat the enemies of Jericho, but there was a condition that must be obeyed scrupulously. They were not to take any of the riches of the city lest they make the Israelite camp subject to annihilation and cause a disaster. The same is true for us. We are not to take any of the riches of the enemy we face: “all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world” [1John]

In 2Cor 10 Paul tells us more: the riches of this world are the enemy’s stronghold: the arguments or reasonings that are hostile to Christ and His Word. These are the philosophies, reasonings, schemes of the world. The battle is in the mind and therefore we must take captive these enemies to the obedience of Christ. God has given us the weapons. We are but jars of clay and He wants to fill our jar with His promises and power. Here are a few.

2Cor 10:6 take every thought captive. Bind them and destroy them just as Joshua was to do to Jericho.
Eph 6/Ps 119:11 we have the sword of the Word, thus hide it in our heart. Memorize it and use it when the enemy comes
Is 41:10/Matt 28/Heb 13:5 I am with you and will never leave you nor forsake you. This is God’s promise just as it was with Joshua and the Israelites.
Ps 50:15 Call upon me in the day of trouble. That is our weapon of prayer.
Ph 4:19 I will supply all your needs. Whatever the battle is before you, God has what you need.

Today wherever the enemy has you in his stronghold, apply these to your situation and see the walls that he has erected come tumbling down so you can walk freely from the enemy’s camp into the newness of life that God has for you. You are the Rahab that God has saved, now go forth and proclaim the victory.

Remember the Battle is in the Mind!

October 11, 2013

The Path of God…Prov 23

In the book of Esther we meet two men who were faced with choices which ultimately determined their destinies. The first man, Haman, loved riches and power and was filled with hate for God’s people. Ultimately, Haman’s choices led him to dine with a ruler and found himself hanging from the gallows he had prepared for a man he hated. The second man, Mordecai, made a choice to obey God and prepare his niece Esther for living a life that honored God. As queen, Esther was used instrumentally to preserve the Jewish people from Haman’s hatred and plan of destruction. Mordecai reminded Esther that God had uniquely allowed her to “achieve royal status for such a time as this!” Fast forward to the year 1846 and we meet Lewis Cass, Sec of State under Pres Buchanan, who wrote: “God, in His providence, has given us a Book of His revealed will to be with us at the commencement of our career in this life and at its termination;” We see the truth of that statement in Haman, Mordecai and Esther’s life.

Each person is presented with choices that will determine their destiny both here on earth as well as their eternal place with or without God. Today in our reading [Proverbs 23] we find that King Solomon gives wise counsel for the here and now. Summarizing this chapter we find some principles we can apply to our daily walk with God:

Vs 1-3 Avoid overindulgence in your appetite; you might find yourself swinging from the gallows! On the opposite side of the coin, avoid indulging at the table of the stingy person or you may end up paying the check!
Vs 1,6,20-21,27-28 Be discerning in the company you keep; be wise in choosing friends, acquaintances and mates for life. If you choose wrongly, you bear the cross of shame and troubles; if you choose wisely it leads to peace, wisdom and prosperity
Vs 12, 15-16, 19 Learn something new each day, it will benefit your mind and your disposition towards trials.
VS 17 Envy of sin is a fleeting activity but zeal for the Lord is a passion that will only grow stronger as you meditate upon his Word.
Vs 30-35 Over imbibing brings disastrous consequences; it ensnares and corrupts “Do not be caught by its beautiful color in the glass. Much sin enters the soul through the avenue of the eye,” [Fausset]
Vs 22, 24-26 Honor thy parent for it is the first commandment with a promise. A parent rejoices when a son/daughter demonstrates wisdom in life’s choices.
Vs 4-5 Beware of expending your life to gain riches; they make wings for themselves and fly away. Instead lay up treasures in heaven. God calls a man a fool who “stores up riches for himself, but is not rich toward God.” [Luke 12] and wise who “accumulates for themselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” [Matt 6]
Vs 9 Don’t waste your time with fools; those who seek not God but whose god is self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency. Shake the dust off your feet from those who deny God. [Luke 9] Instead “Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.” [Hosea 6:3]

So today, listen and be wise, God will guide you on your way [Prov 23:19/Ps 32:8] God chooses the path, you choose to follow or ignore the path He has chosen.

Photo courtesy: angelverses.org

October 9, 2013

Letters: I wish I had not sent but I am glad I sent….2Cor 7

We all have written letters that later we regretted but in hindsight we are glad we aired our concerns. Today we use email and sometimes it is misread, misunderstood but it is there for the world to see if we are not careful. Paul had written a mighty letter to the church in Corinth about an offender and the Corinthians did not receive it with grace. His second letter which we are studying is a reflection on how Paul viewed their response and how he wisely used an intermediary (Titus) to settle the issue. It teaches us some important principles of letters and they can be used to cross that breach…that letter we wrote and then wish we had not but then in hindsight are glad we did. It is important to note that Paul’s honesty has brought true repentance to the church and more importantly to the offender who was living blatantly in sin, thus tarnishing the image of Christ and the church.

As Paul waited he continued to work in Macedonia even amidst slander, as well as some praise. Some regarded him as an imposter and on and on. It is part of the territory for a believer that one will face extraordinary circumstances for sharing the Word of the Lord, but like Paul, we are not to sit idly but be active. As Paul wandered about, preaching and teaching, his mind was on Corinth and the believers there. He wondered how Titus was faring with the believers after his letter (1Cor) had been sent. Titus arrived with glowing news! The Corinthians still loved Paul and had repented regarding how they had handled the offender noted in 1Cor who was bringing shame upon the church. Paul as euphoric at the news Titus brought.

There are some principles from chapter 7 that we can take to heart:

God uses other believers to encourage us when we are anxious or depressed or downtrodden. It can come through a visit or a written letter.
The second part of this principle is that as believers we can reciprocate with words of encouragement in return to the one for whom we were anxious. Prov 25:25 “Like cold water to a weary person, so is good news from a distant land.”
And the third part of this principle is that in doing so we are demonstrating love from one to another and exhibiting Christ-like grace. Notice how Paul affirms the Corinthians at the end of this chapter: 7:16 “I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you.”

God took time to write a letter of His love to each of us which are His Words of affirmation and encouragement. His message was “I love you.” Paul’s letter back to the Corinthians was the same message. “I love you!”

Are you waiting for an answer from a note you have sent? Has God brought a person to mind that needs affirming because of circumstances which have brought anxiety? Take a moment and pick up pen and paper and send a note! Let them know about God’s love and your love for them.

October 6, 2013

Camping Out With God (2Cor 5)

One of the things I never learned to enjoy is camping. I wish it were not so as everyone tells me how great it is, but truth be known, this author remembers the lengthy list of things you must pack such as lanterns and a sundry paraphernalia and of course the tent. Once there you get settled only to realize that the camping time has drawn to a close and you have to repack and move on. Unfortunately, my grumbling sounds like I need another lap around the wilderness just like the Israelites of old.

Paul uses the analogy of tenting to explain our life in this earthen vessel. He says beloved, it won’t be forever. I am sure the Israelites thought so too when they set up the Tabernacle. It was there for good, right? Wrong! God has a sense of humor and a way to get us to enjoy camping out with Him. He moves the light and the cloud and off we are again, packing up the Tabernacle and our tents to move on to another place. So too it is with our “tabernacle/tent” of our earthen vessels, this vessel, this outer man that is decaying day by day. Within we are new creation but our outer man is declining, frail and vulnerable as we said. But one day God will say it is time to fold up this earthly tabernacle and move on to the new destination and that is heaven where He is. Once there we will be outfitted with new camping gear and it won’t be that made with hands nor will it be temporary but eternal.

Until then, what is on God’s camping agenda for us? Vs 9: please Him; vs 11 persuade people to be reconciled to Him; vs 20 be His ambassadors; vs 21 be His righteousness before those whose minds are veiled and are perishing; 1Thess 4:2 walk and please Him; 1John 3:22, obey his commandments; Col 1:10 walk worthily of the Lord.

What should be our motive? Paul says it is the love of Christ that constraineth us and we are no longer to live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and was raised—just as the scriptures said. 1Cor 15:3-4 “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.” Christ’s death accomplished the do’s and don’ts once and for all by paying for our sin and making us righteous.

So are you grumbling and groaning in this mortal “tent” like me? Take heart, I am sure Job , Noah and Enoch felt the same way along with a score of others. We won’t be on this earthly journey forever. One day we will see that the light and the cloud have moved and it is time to pack up our tent and head on to the new destination; heaven. Until then, let’s all learn to enjoy camping out with God and pleasing Him.

October 5, 2013

Be a “Jesus Light” to the Perishing (2Cor 5)

As the days draw shorter here in the northern hemisphere so the use of artificial lighting increases. Some luminaries or solar devices will illuminate our walkways to aid visitors as well as to give beauty in our barren landscapes of winter. But as each day returns so the lights of these will fade. That is the picture Paul painted for us as he explained the fading glory of the Old Covenant but in contrast the picture of the New Covenant’s increasing glory as the Spirit of the Living God takes up residence within us.

In chapter 3 Paul used the imagery of the veil and in chapter 4 he continues to use that same imagery but in a different vein. In chapter 3 we saw that the veil is over the hearts of those who minds are closed and chapter 4 the source of that closing is the enemy himself, Satan. He places that veil lest they, who are the perishing, might see the glorious gospel of Christ, the very image of God. However there is a promise in chapter 3 that when one turns to the Lord the veil over hearts and minds is removed and one can now see Christ in all of His glory. It is then that the transformation process of becoming more and more like Him begins and our “Jesus Light” emerges. We become His luminary to emit His Light to those who are perishing.

Now Paul reminds us that even though the veil has been lifted and we are becoming more like Christ, it is the inner man not the outer man that is being transformed. The outer man continues to decay and is frail and vulnerable. Yet we have this promise: He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust“ (Psalm 103:14) So although we are still an earthen vessel, having been formed from dust, yet within our hearts His light is shining. God as the Potter has taken us from the dust, removed our veil and filled us with the Spirit of the Living God to be molded and shaped by Him for one reason: to emit His Light to those whose minds are veiled by the master schemer and deceiver. It is this power we have within plus the Word of God that rends the veil and removes the shackles that bind. Too, we must also remember that the master deceiver seeks to diminish our light. Therefore we must put on the armor daily and say as John the Baptist: “Jesus Christ must increase, but I must decrease.” Don Hoekster says: “God’s plan is to put extraordinary heavenly treasure into ordinary earthen vessels, so that the attention will go to the contents, not to the container: “that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” How liberating and exciting to know that we are His to be used for His glory and to reveal His Light to those who are perishing!

The question thus for us this day is this: Am I a “Jesus Light” that penetrates the veil of the perishing?

October 4, 2013

Psalm 108 “When Morning Gilds the Skies”

What was your morning like today? Did you wake up chipper and raring to go or dragging? How do you begin your day, with or without a time alone with God? King David was both a morning person and also a night owl. Although busy with kingdom issues, David found time to be alone with God in reading and in prayer. God was his priority no matter the kingdom or family issues before him. We would be wise to learn from him how to juggle our thoughts and our time.

Ps 108 begins with this thought: my heart is fixed or steadfast, my heart is confident or as the MSG puts it “I’m ready, God, so ready from head to toe.” When we begin our time alone with God can we say we are ready to hear from him or are our minds so saturated with the busyness before us that we find it hard to focus?

David continues on to share how he gets ready to be with God; he sings and praises God with all of his heart. This alerts our mind to focus in on who God is and prepares us to listen to him. What song comes to mind when you think of praising Him? Here’s one of old:

When morning gilds the skies

my heart awakening cries:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Alike at work and prayer,

to Jesus I repair:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

In vs 2 David says awake, O stringed instrument and harp. Long ago often they would place their stringed instruments near to their place of sleep much like you place your alarm clock by your bed. But instead of that buzz, buzz, buzz, they would hear the breezes flowing and touching the strings which would cause the strings to vibrate and awaken them with beautiful music. What a beautiful picture of how God’s gentleness touches us.

Once awake David, as he did in Ps 57:7-11 and Ps 60: 5-12 (repetition of this psalm), began to give praises to God for his lovingkindness and his faithfulness. He is overwhelmed by the thought that God is so great that these two attributes extend beyond the sky. God is limitless as are his attributes; they span the universe that even we cannot see or fathom.

As you ponder who God is and think ahead, why not make a date with God for your time alone with him in the wee hours of the morning and let His breezes awaken you to His soft voice proclaiming His lovingkindness and faithfulness. What a marvelous tool to start our day!

October 2, 2013

Unconditional Forgiveness

How do you handle overwhelming and profound sadness? How do you respond when another responds to you with not with words that edify but words that are like swords? Are we a confronter or do we love from a distance? Do we step aside or do we confront? Do we forgive or do we withhold that gift? We can learn much about how this affects but better yet how to handle these situations from Paul’s responses to the church in Corinth where he had personally experienced this firsthand However, in light of eternity he has chosen not for us to know the person nor the situation but only the ramifications and the cure.

There will be times when others offend and we are the recipients of that offense. As hard as it is, we have the choice of what to do in those situations. We can forgive and restore that relationship or we can withhold it. We can learn from Paul what steps to take and why. Paul essentially is telling the church at Corinth that although a person has offended him he has forgiven him. Thus they are to follow in his footsteps and also forgive.

Forgiveness seems to be one of the hardest steps we are called to take. Why is that? Is it pride? Is it because we want the offender to feel the pain we are feeling? We often reject taking this step and in fact we feed on the reasons why we don’t have to. Beloved this only leads to a root of bitterness. But Paul uses the word “charizomai” which means to freely forgive as Christ has forgiven you. To not take this step is not only is sinful but childish. Paul reminded us in 1Cor 13:11 “When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways.” There is a principle we can employ here: Christian love includes both discipline but also forgiveness.

What is the consequence of withholding forgiveness? First and foremost Mat 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins. Secondly, a lack of forgiveness leads to a root of bitterness. Thirdly, we open the door to the work of the enemy. Beware lest we allow the enemy who roams about seeking whom he can devour an open door to divide and conquer the Body of Christ. “Satan has many plans to deceive, and knows how to make a bad use of our mistakes.” [M. Henry]

We are left with some questions: What weak point is Satan seeking to exploit in our life? Where is he seeking to gain a foothold? Are we wise or ignorant of the schemes of the enemy? Are we employing forgiveness to those who have offended us whether they seek it or not? Forgiveness truly is the balm that heals a wound.

October 1, 2013

Steadfast Confidence

How do you react in times of difficulty? Are we confident in the God we say we believe? If so, are we living so that others may ask how we are facing life’s circumstances?

As Paul wrote this second letter to the church in Corinth he shared from the heart the burdens he was carrying and the love he had for them. His ministry was not without a cost however and in this letter he openly bears his soul to them that they may learn from him how to handle adversity. As we read we want to keep our eyes open to what he faced: conflicts, fears, sufferings. Then we want to transition to ask: are they similar to mine? Am I persevering as Paul did? What lessons can I learn that I can use later for others?

Question 1: Who is God to you when you face adversity? Is he as Paul notes: the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort? Is he a god who can comfort us in all of our troubles? Do we see our troubles as God’s open door for us to in turn minister to others? These are the questions we need to address as we read 2Cor.

Principle 1: One purpose in suffering is that we may in turn comfort others when they face similar circumstances. vs 4 God is the God of all comfort; vs 6 if we face affliction/suffering/adversity it is that we may be in turn be able to comfort and empathize with others.

Principle 2: We can be confident and trust that God is involved in our circumstances vs 7 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort. Vs 9 we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

Principle 3: Be steadfast, immovable in whatever circumstance you find yourself vs 10 We have set our hope on him – on God alone

Principle 4: Our prayers that are being offered are useful for ourselves and others. 1:11 as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to God on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many. John Bunyan wrote: “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

What adversity are you facing today that you can implement these same 4 principles? Perhaps you may have faced a similar adversity. Thus the question is: How may I pray for you in this time?

Know this: God is not only a God of all comfort but He is a God of love!