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timewithgod.blog-city.com — October 2008
Malachi 1 & 2 Taking The Challenge
"They acted as if anything was good enough for the Lord."My commentary was describing what Malachi was saying in chapter one. That short sentence just seemed to haunt me this morning.God starts out dealing with the ingratitude of the
"They acted as if anything was good enough for the Lord."
My commentary was describing what Malachi was saying in chapter one. That short sentence just seemed to haunt me this morning.
God starts out dealing with the ingratitude of the people. The question still rings true today, unfortunately -- God says, "I love you!" and the people have the gall to ask, "How have You loved us?"
When it comes time to present the offerings, God isn't just waiting for the gift to be presented. He's also watching as they decide what to give, and His heart breaks as they decide that they'll give a token, but not their heart, as Max Lucado describes it in the opening to this book. He continues: "We forget that the process itself is a statement. We forget that God is watching. We forget that God has challenged us to challenge Him... The Book of Malachi is a challenge to take God SERIOUSLY, not just in giving, but in every aspect of life."
That brought me back to that first haunting sentence I'd noticed: "They acted as if anything was good enough for the Lord."
I was drawn back to my trip to Russia in 2001. There at the orphanage at Svir Stroy, as I was loading into the bus to leave, God issued His challenge to me...."My Word says to take care of orphans, and yes, I know that it can be done at $25 a month, but I'm challenging you to go farther."
So I started the adoption process in faith, not knowing at the time that it wouldn't be one of the boys I'd met that week that I'd be helping.
The months dragged on. Russia was out and Ukraine was in. The old director of adoptions was out. A new one was in, dubbed the "Ice Queen". My application was delayed and documents I'd included were suddenly mysteriously missing. I was approved, then denied. God seemed to be saying through it all, "Are you in this for the long haul, or just for show? Do you trust ME with this?"
I traveled anyway, and managed to speak to the new director without an appointment. She listened and said, "Okay, but come back in 2 months." God seemed to once again be checking to see just how serious I was about accepting His challenge.
Two months later, I was "looking through the books" to find my son. God was watching my process of selection. Would I take "the best-looking, most presentable boy I found", or would I hear His heart? No boys the first day really seemed to touch me. I had to pick one, but God made sure that he would not be available. Three days later, I was back again, and God challenged me with His best -- Would I see that best and respond? After 15 months of waiting and accepting God's challenge, I saw the son He had prepared just for me! And my heart knew it instantly. Yes, He can be trusted and believed!
I discovered that not just anything is good enough for God. He wants our best, and if we'll give Him that, He will give us more than we can ever imagine!
Father, keep challenging me to not settle for less than my best when I offer something to You. You are worthy of so much more than I could ever give, but I don't want to ever stop trying, because I've discovered that I cannot outgive You!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Malachi 3-4 Finding The Unexpected Today
I try not to expect the usual as I read, so that I won't miss it when God wants to show me something different, and that's what He did today.I'd never considered this to be one of God's names in the Bible: The Lord You Are Looki
I try not to expect the usual as I read, so that I won't miss it when God wants to show me something different, and that's what He did today.
I'd never considered this to be one of God's names in the Bible: The Lord You Are Looking For"
I've come to find that the various names of God are used by Him to help us know Him better. And this one popped right out this morning.
The Lord You Are Looking For will surprise you about something if you read this today. In addition to those who take part in evil magic, adultery, lying, and cheating, He promises to judge another set of people -- those who do not RESPECT Him.
As if to point them out, He says, "Return to Me, and I will return to you." This leads them to say, "HOW can we RETURN?" (They don't even know they've left.) My commentary says that they deny having gone away, and they are asking hypocritically how they can therefore return.
In that answer, they prove their disrespect for Him. They further prove it by continuing to argue with Him: "How have we robbed You?... What [terrible things] have we said about You?"
For those who read this and understand that it applies to them, God does something: "Then those who honored the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened and heard them. The names of those who honored the Lord and RESPECTED Him were written in His presence in a book to be remembered. The Lord All-Powerful says, 'They belong to Me...' For you who honor me, goodness will shine on you like the sun, with healing in its rays."
Father, please help my boys and me to honor and respect You always. Let us fully understand that You promise a real blessing for doing that, even though we should be doing it simply because You are due such honor and respect because of who You are.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
1 Thessalonians 1-2 About Your Character
As Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he mentioned in 1:5, "You know how we lived when we were with you." Hiding in that little sentence is a lot of truth about the Christian life.My commentary said, "The primary ministry
As Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he mentioned in 1:5, "You know how we lived when we were with you." Hiding in that little sentence is a lot of truth about the Christian life.
My commentary said, "The primary ministry of a Christian is the ministry of character. What we are is far more important than anything we ever say. Our unconscious influence speaks more loudly than our conscious influence." It also quotes James Deeny, who said, "A Christian who has lost his character has lost everything."
It mentioned a quote by Jim Eliot: "Paul went to Thessalonica and lived a life that more than illustrated what he preached; it went beyond illustration to convincing proof. No wonder so much work in the Kingdom is shoddy; look at the moral character of the workers."
I don't at all want to make it sound like Paul had decided to live a dull life in order to be a witness to everyone he met. My commentary said, "Christianity is not a life to be endured for duty's sake, but a Person to be served for love's sake. To be His slave is perfect freedom, and love for Him makes drudgery divine..... Love for Christ draws forth service that the dollar could never inspire."
The sidebar in my Bible gives a good instruction for seeing this occur in our own lives: "Pray that God would direct your natural passions to rejoice in His successes."
Father, You've shown me over these many years that character means so much. You've helped me to understand that character is what a man will do when he knows he will not be found out. It therefore speaks of being true to myself, as well as to You, at all times. To do anything less is to cheat both of us. Father, may my character speak louder than my words.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
1 Thessalonians 3-5 Even MORE
God seems to have His foot on the accelerator pedal this morning. Paul continually used the phrase or implied "even more".He urged us to live in a way that will please God "even more". He wanted us to encourage each ot
God seems to have His foot on the accelerator pedal this morning. Paul continually used the phrase or implied "even more".
He urged us to live in a way that will please God "even more". He wanted us to encourage each other and give each other strength even more. He wanted us to have more patience, more joy, more prayer, more thanks, and more testing to see what is good or evil.
But it all seemed to start with 3:12. My commentary said:
"The Thessalonians had actually been commendable in manifesting true Christian love, but there is always room for development. And so he prays for a deeper measure: "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love." Their love should embrace their fellow believers and all men, including their enemies.
There was so much about prayer in here, and God seemed to be reminding me about the final session in our study on prayer last night. Perhaps we don't pray as we should because we don't love as we should. That ties right in with everything God is saying here. We're probably tempted to say, "But I do show love!" Paul says in 4:1 --"Live that way even MORE!"
Father, bless me with a deeper love for my boys and for the rest of my family. Start it with a deeper love for You. Then spread that love to include my Christian friends and even those around me who don't know You yet. Use it as the basis for bringing them to You, Father. Put the pedal to the metal.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
2 Thessalonians 1 And Soccer Practice
God always amazes me with His timing. He gave me several insights here into prayer for others that coincide nicely with the prayer life study we just concluded, and used a real-life example from yesterday to illustrate it for me!Paul first ment
God always amazes me with His timing. He gave me several insights here into prayer for others that coincide nicely with the prayer life study we just concluded, and used a real-life example from yesterday to illustrate it for me!
Paul first mentions how we must always thank God for our spiritual brothers and sisters and for the fact that their faith is growing.
The part that really grabbed me, though, was verse 11, which says, "That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life He CALLED you to live."
My commentary said it this way: ".... that God's mighty power will enable them to obey EVERY IMPULSE to do good, and to accomplish every task undertaken in faith."
We started soccer practice yesterday, and it's always been my practice to run up and down the field with the team, following the ball and pointing out to each individual team member how they need to react, where they need to be looking, what they need to be aware of. It always seems that with my close proximity and encouragement, I can draw out of them excellent performance, and they will be amazed at what they are able to accomplish.
How true that is of Christians as well. We need Christ, or someone He sends to us, right there in every aspect of our lives, following along, showing us individually how we should react to the circumstances around us to glorify Him, encouraging us, showing us where to look to see ministry opportunities around us, making us aware of needs we might otherwise completely miss. In such a way, He too is able to draw out the excellence which He has equipped us with, if we just allow ourselves to be properly coached -- to live the kind of life He called us to live!
Father, how wonderful and marvelous that You not only equip us, but You also send encouragement and coaching from others just for us! Thanks for my encouragers and prayer warriors that I don't even know about. Help me to never stop doing the same for others!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
2 Thessalonians 2 -- Worrying About The Elections?
As I read all of this regarding the Anti-Christ, it was so easy to let my thoughts be swayed by the myriad of emails which have been circulating over the last year regarding who the Anti-Christ might be. Verse 3 says, though, "That day of
As I read all of this regarding the Anti-Christ, it was so easy to let my thoughts be swayed by the myriad of emails which have been circulating over the last year regarding who the Anti-Christ might be. Verse 3 says, though, "That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens and the Man of Evil, who is on his way to hell, appears. He will be against and put himself above anything called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil will even go into God's Temple and sit there and say that he is God."
From everything I've read and studied, it seems that it would be pointless for Christians to worry about this, because we will be raptured out of this world before then.
As to worrying right now about the outcome of the elections coming up, I liked what God had to say in verses 6-8:
"And now you know what is stopping that Man of Evil so he will appear at the right time. The secret power of evil is already working in the world, but there is One who is stopping that power. And He will continue to stop it until He is taken out of the way. [Holy Spirit, my commentary says] Then that Man of Evil will appear and the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath that comes from His mouth and will destroy him with the glory of his coming."
I know the future -- GOD wins.
Father, You tell us in Your word to be anxious about nothing. Please help us to remember and obey that. Help us as Christians to rise up and not be apathetic this election. Help us to vote for the man who most represents You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
2 Thessalonians 3 -- Dealing With The Difficult
Paul asked for prayer to be protected from "stubborn and evil people", knowing that not all people believe. I'm sure that he listened to his own advice in verse 3, as coming straight from God: "But the Lord is faithful
Paul asked for prayer to be protected from "stubborn and evil people", knowing that not all people believe. I'm sure that he listened to his own advice in verse 3, as coming straight from God: "But the Lord is faithful and will give you strength and will protect you from the Evil One."
Paul has to do a little griping in this chapter. Many people were so certain that Christ's return was very imminent that they sold everything and quit their jobs to be ready to go. Then, apparently, they reached a point where they were without money for food and expected others to take care of them.
He was facing unbelievers on the one hand and wrong-thinking believers on the other! God gave him a unique way to deal with it in verse 5: "May the Lord lead your heart into God's LOVE and Christ's PATIENCE."
I think he knew that he could get exasperated by the behavior of both believers and unbelievers, and what was needed was a reminder of God's incredible love for both groups, and Jesus' incredible patience for both His disciples (in their inability to learn what He was trying to teach them) and the inability or unwillingness of the masses to accept the free gift of God!
My commentary said, "There is nothing more irrational than people's opposition to the gospel and its messengers. It is something that baffles explanation. They may talk reasonably about politics, science, or a host of other subjects, but when it comes to the gospel, they lose all sense of reason."
About verse 4, where Paul says, "We have confidence [faith] in the Lord concerning you [believers]..." my commentary says, "In the Lord you may depend on those who in themselves are weak, unstable, willful, and foolish." I guess if we didn't do that in youth ministry, we might be tempted to simply jump ship!
Father, I can just feel the exasperation Paul must have been experiencing. I've felt it recently myself. Thanks for reminding me to let my heart be led by Your LOVE and by Christ's PATIENCE. That's what it's going to take to deal with some people.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Haggai 1 & 2 -- Why Things AREN'T Going Right
It's been awhile since I've seen so many "Think about this" phrases in just two pages of the Bible. God was saying, "Haven't you noticed that things haven't been going right for all of you at work AND at home?&nbs
It's been awhile since I've seen so many "Think about this" phrases in just two pages of the Bible. God was saying, "Haven't you noticed that things haven't been going right for all of you at work AND at home? There's a reason for it if you will just put on your thinking cap!"
The exiles had returned to Jerusalem and had built themselves fine houses -- not just the usual mudbrick affairs, but house with paneling inside! Yet they hadn't started to work on rebuilding the Temple.
Their economic times sound like ours right now -- "Think about what you have done .... You look for much, but you find little. When you bring it home, I destroy it. Why? Because you all work hard for your own houses while My house is still in ruins! Because of what you have done .... I have called for a drought on the land ... and all the work of your hands."
The result of this message was good. The people did think about what God had said, and they did see a correlation between their forsaking God and their economic turmoil. It says, "The Lord stirred up.... the people.....so they came and worked on the Temple of their God, the Lord All-Powerful."
As work progressed, many seemed discouraged because what they were building would never be as fancy as what Solomon had built. In answer, God said to them, "Work, because I am with you." In other words, He'd given them a vision. It might not line up with their vision, but it was God's vision, and therefore it was worth doing.
They were 91 days into the construction when God said about the people, "They are unclean, and everything they do with their hands is unclean to Me. ....Think about this from now on."
The people had begun work on the Temple, but even though their hands were in it, their hearts weren't. They were going through the motions without discovering the importance of their work. God reiterates the economic turmoil their leaving His presence had cost them, telling them to set their hearts right.
This most important concept was in my commentary: "Work and worship do not sanctify sin, but sin CONTAMINATES work and worship." Said another way, holiness in not contagious, but sin IS."
God continues through Haggai's words: "Think about this from now on! ..... I DESTROYED your work....but you STILL did not come back to Me....From now on, think about these things!"
The sidebar in my Bible fleshed this out for us:
"In deciding life's priorities, I should keep three things in mind -- my relationship to God, my relationship to other people, and my relationship to self."
So our priorities will tell the tale. Again, from my sidebar:
"Priority One -- Glorifying God .... the first question we should always ask is, Does this glorify God?
Priority Two -- Loving others .... we serve Him by caring for others.... by being gentle, humble, kind, and forgiving.
Priority Three -- Living in the light... we should choose activities that enable us to be conscious of God all the time.
List your top ten priorities for today. Where does Bible reading and prayer fall on the list? Do you plan time just to enjoy the world around you? Shift and sort your priorities until your schedule reflects His desires."
Father, thanks for reminding me to take note of what's happening around me -- to even see where my "purse has holes in it", as Your word says. Thanks for showing me that not putting You first is a sin. And how much I need to remember that work and worship will never sanctify sin, but sin will CONTAMINATE my work and my worship.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Titus 1 -- "Ordinary" Christians NOT Excluded
I wonder how many people have done as I have, reading Paul's instructions to Titus regarding who is qualified to become an elder or deacon, and thinking that it appears to set up a class of super-Christians.Yet God was speaking to me this morning
I wonder how many people have done as I have, reading Paul's instructions to Titus regarding who is qualified to become an elder or deacon, and thinking that it appears to set up a class of super-Christians.
Yet God was speaking to me this morning, asking me, "Is it okay for a Christian -- any Christian -- to practice what disqualifies one as an elder or deacon here?"
For instance, shouldn't any Christian do their best to raise children who are not wild and uncooperative? Should any Christian be guilty of doing wrong, or being selfish, or becoming angry quickly?
If an elder or deacon is not to drink too much wine, then is it okay for a non-elder to do so? Should "normal" Christians like to fight or love cheating others?
We're all supposed to practice hospitality, to love what is good, to be wise, to live right, and to be holy and self-controlled.
An elder is supposed to use true teaching. Is that any different for a non-elder?
I really can't imagine those early churches full of new Christians who loved to fight, cheat, and drink. If anything, I often wonder if, because of their nearness in time to Christ's life and death, they were possibly much better at living out the Christian life than us.
Father, I pray that every Christian would look a Paul's words in this chapter and understand that these are words for every Christian to live by. Likewise, help each of us to not be people who refuse to cooperate, who talk about worthless things, and who lead others in the wrong way.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
Titus 2 -- Getting The Want-To's
My commentary showed me the undercurrent running through this chapter: "The reproach brought upon the Lord's cause by the inconsistent lives of His people." It said that Titus' mission was "to close the awful chasm
My commentary showed me the undercurrent running through this chapter: "The reproach brought upon the Lord's cause by the inconsistent lives of His people." It said that Titus' mission was "to close the awful chasm between the lips of God's people and their lives."
Although there was much here for Titus to teach others, Paul included quite a bit for Titus' own benefit: "In every way, be an example of doing good deeds." In fact, if Titus does that, it will help the Christians there to be "people who are always WANTING to do good deeds.
Sometimes it's tough to have those want-to's. If I've had a hard day at work, I have to struggle to put on my game face when I head to youth. Or if I've got a tight schedule, I might be tempted not to visit the lady in the resthome who I haven't seen in a few days.
I usually have to hurry to get my quiet time done before I need to get the boys to school and myself to work, despite getting up at 5:35am to do it. Invariably, I just get through reading before I have to get Josh up to go to football workouts. Then I come back and start writing in my journal. This morning it took quite a bit more "encouragement" to get Josh going, and I thought, "Boy, I'll be strained for time before work today!" When we arrived at the fieldhouse, the door hadn't yet been unlocked, and outside stood three boys in warm-ups in 30 degree weather, shivering. I said, "Hey, you want to get in and warm up?" I couldn't unlock the door fast enough. It was just two minutes, but it made a difference for them, and it made my day.
Father, it's so easy to think about self and schedule, to want to even close in and have a time of just doing nothing, or at the very least hoarding time for myself to play catch-up at home. Thank You for a locked door this morning, and for giving me the "want-to" to hang around for a minute. May it impact the lives of those boys and draw me closer to them so that I can teach them more about You. As the sidebar said in my Bible before I left: "The people who make a difference are not the ones with the credentials, but the ones with the concern.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
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