Let God Be God

A dear friend sent me a compilation of sermons her husband, Ray Stedman, preached during his pastorate at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California. Ray went into the Lord’s presence on October 7, 1992, but like so many servants of God his testimonies and sermons remain behind to bless hundreds of people. I was blessed then by Ray’s preaching and I’m blessed again now by reading his thoughts on Job.

The book is entitled “Let God Be God: Life-Changing Truths from the Book of Job.”  What a title. I am thrilled to still be in the Book of Job and so grateful to have Ray’s thoughts on God’s ways with mankind and His sovereignty over all creation.

“Let God Be God” is a perfect title for the Book of Job.  It’s also a perfect invitation to us as we walk out our days on earth. Are we letting God be God in every aspect of our life? Are we letting Him have His place at the center of our life? Am I interpreting the world around me according to God’s perspective or through my own understanding?

At the end of all the testing of Job’s faith, he retracted, repented and proclaimed things too wonderful for words. He finally stopped attempting to scale the mountain of his own understanding. He let God be God, full of glory and splendor…

Then Job answered the LORD and said:
“I know that You can do all things,
and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question You, and You make it known to me.’
I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees You;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
(Job 42:1-6 ESV)

God is God whether we “let” Him be God in our lives or not.  When I let Him be God in my life (allowing Him to have His proper place), I soon discover Him to be much greater and more glorious than I can ever comprehend.  I want to see Him in ease or in adversity.

Let God Be God today … tomorrow … forever!

Listen

Listen.

God invites us to listen … do you hear Him? Do you hear His invitation to draw near and receive His Son?

Do you hear the constant, consistent message God declares about His Son, Jesus? He is risen from the dead and He is Lord.

We can’t escape the message because all of creation declares of the glory of God. We can tune it out, sort of. We can cover it over with stuff, sort of.  We can deny it with intellectual arguments, sort of. We can pretend we aren’t hearing it, sort of. But at the end of the day, God continues to declare “…the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past…”, namely, Christ  (Romans 16:25).

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).

Conversations with God on Hwy 55

On my drive to Cascade earlier this week, I was marveling with the Lord Jesus over the fact that He even supplies us with the love to love Him.  His love shed abroad in our hearts, His love constraining us, His love manifested through spiritual fruits and gifts…

Lord, I want a love for You that is in keeping with who You are.  Pure, truthful and full of the Spirit.  All for You glory, Amen.

Reality Check

Reality Check.

There are some today who avoid certain passages or books of the Bible because those portions of Scripture are not in keeping with their theology…

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV).

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, ESV).

How do we know when we are accumulating teachers to suit our passions? How can we detect when we are no longer turning to the truth and instead are wandering off into myths? How can we know unless we take up the whole counsel of God?

Give me the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I want the flaming Word of God to pierce my heart and draw my soul to what is true about the Almighty and our life in Him.  It will hurt at times to receive the rebukes and exhortations, but we must…

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:1-2, ESV).

Truth Check.

Superficial Surrender

I’ve been thinking a great deal over the past year about Mark 8:34, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” And then my pastor began teaching on this section.  And we continue to unpack it in different ways at the Fellowship of the Burning Heart.  Everywhere I turn, that message is before me.

We know of course, to become a Christian we accept and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  That’s the quick, Americanized definition.  Jesus Christ had a much deeper reality in mind, where the cross was central and the Holy Spirit essential.

I was reading Rees Howells Intercessor again last night and reread that portion in “The Holy Ghost Taking Possession”, “The Holy Spirit went on dealing with me, exposing the root of my nature which is self, and you can only get out of a thing what is in it’s root.  Sin was canceled, and it wasn’t sin He was dealing with; it was self – that thing which came from the fall. He wasn’t going to take superficial surrender” (pg 37-38).

“Every area of your life, in which you have not learned to be dependent, is an area of your life in which you have not as yet repented” Major Ian Thomas.

That’s convicting.

Ministry Model Makeover

In June of 2007, we held our first Grace Tapestries strategic planning/vision meeting.  I was very comfortable using an organizational development model back then and so that’s where we began: identifying needs and potential solutions; identifying goals and objectives and measurable outcomes.  Really?  Seriously?  I was so ignorant of the Holy Spirit’s desire and ability to lead.  It took the Lord over three years to shake up my self-sufficiency … and He’s still clearing away the dross!

My pastor, Joel Van Hoogen, recommended that I read “Rees Howells Intercessor” by Norman Grubb.  I read the book years ago, but had very little recollection of the content.  Well, within the first three chapters the Lord knocked the wheels off my bandwagon!  My definition of ministry was shot out of the water.  And then Joel recommended that I listen to “Ten Shekels and A Shirt” by Paris Reidhead (see www.sermonindex.net).  That did it!  I was undone.  Ruined in the good sense of the word.  There was no going back to the old model, the old traditions and strategies.  Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow some Grace Tapestries friends are gathering for a “share the vision” ministry meeting.  All I know is that the Holy Spirit will lead.  All I want to do is give the Lord Jesus Christ all the glory for anything He has accomplished through our ministry.  All I want to do is seek His face and tell of His marvelous works.  All I want to do is avail myself for His purposes, to His indwelling life, for where He is leading us in 2012.   His will be done.  I’ll follow His lead. The strategy is all His.   Amen!

Plowing Through

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent” Revelation 3:19

My great grandfather used a single plow, pulled by a team of mulls, to work his fields.  The Oklahoma clay was unyielding at first, but he persevered and was able to plant his crop, and the crop grew.  When harvest time came he gathered up exactly what he planted.

Revival is coming, but first the plow……  I’ve been thinking a religious spirit is a lot like hardpan; unbroken, unyielding ground.  Pray that God breaks up the soil in His Church, beginning in our own hearts.  Plow through, Lord!