Thurlow Switzer: Prayer as Spiritual Warfare

Prayer as Spiritual Warfare
Thurlow Switzer

Prayer is critical to the life of victory and essential to a life of holiness. Prayer is spending time with God and drawing near to Him. Prayer is allowing ourselves to be experientially rooted in Christ, abiding in the vine (John 15:1-3). Prayer is the intimate place in which a believer communes with God and nurture his or her soul.

The palmist clearly understood the power and necessity of prayer. Allow the words of scripture to speak for themselves.

“The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer” (Psalm 6:9).

”Hear a just cause, O LORD, attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from your presence; let your eyes look on the things that are upright.” (Psalm 17:1, 2).

“The Lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me—a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8).

“Save me, O God, by your name, and vindicate me by your strength. Hear my prayer; O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life” (Psalm 54:1-2,4).

“Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide yourself from my supplication. Attend to me and hear me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked” (Psalm 55:1-2).

“Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From of the end of the earth I will cry to you, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will trust in the shelter of your wings” (Psalm 61:1-3).

“But certainly God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me!” (Psalm 66:19-20).

“But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of your mercy, hear me in the truth of your salvation” (Psalm 69:13).

“Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; you are my God; save your servant who trusts in you! Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to you all daylong. Rejoice the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul” (Psalm 86:1-4).

“O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry, for my soul is full of troubles. Lord, I have called daily upon you; I have stretched out my hands to you” (Psalm 88:1-3, 9).

“Lord, I cry out to you; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to you. Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Ps 141:1-2).

“I cry out to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. I cried out to you, O Lord; I said, ‘you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’ Attend to my cry!” (Psalm 141:1-2, 5-6).

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! In your faithfulness answer me, and in you’re your righteousness. I muse on the work of your hands. I spread out my hands to you, my soul longs for you like a thirsty land” (Psalm 143:1, 5-6).

We need to embrace new seasons of prayer. Spend time with God and allow your heart to be nurtured, deepened and strengthened in the presence of God your heavenly father. Let us seek God as a faith-believing saints of God and see his work, wonder and grace expressed in our lives.

Jonathan Switzer: Dangerous! Jealous to be Thought Holy

Danger! Danger! Jealous to Be Thought Holy

When push comes to shove, many of us are inclined to shove back.

Inauguration day 2009. I left from my house at 7:45 and headed south on Rt. 15. Immediately, I got stuck in a traffic jam caused by two separate accidents within a half mile of each other right before Rt. 15 connected with my turn onto Rt. 340 S. After taking a good twenty minutes to get past the rubberneckers, I headed south another 15 minutes to the MARC train station at Point of Rocks, MD. I met my friends and we got on the train headed into Washington D.C.

Surprisingly, the train that was supposedly sold out was only half full. Apparently, the cold and 2 million people expected on the mall that day had scared off the other ticket holders.

Once we arrived at Union Station in Downtown D.C., we entered the crowds. My friend, who works in an office that overlooks the White House, deftly maneuvered our little group of four (his wife and mother were with us), down streets that would keep us out of the massive crowds. We walked the quarter mile or so from the train station through the cold January weather to his office. Once inside, we watched the inauguration with his fellow officemates in a warm corner office overlooking the White House and filled with great food and drink. Later that day, the inaugural parade was scheduled to go by right in front of the office windows.

I was reminded, with all of the crowds and my friend’s high powered office mates, how small one person is. Specifically, me. Having voted against the incoming president, I also was a bit on the outside politically that day.

I got to feeling a bit insecure and wondered if I should boldly express my convictions. Here was a chance to be a martyr for my political convictions. I was tempted to blow up my importance and act bigger than I was. Had I done so, I would have made a complete fool of myself. I would have also been acting like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

The Pharisees felt crowded by Jesus’ great popularity with the crowds. Their jealousy of His spiritual authority and popularity was very similar to that of Korah who rebelled against Moses and Aaron, in the desert, just after the Exodus.

I’d like to examine the similarities between Korah, the Pharisees and my inauguration day temptation. It is good for a little guy like me to remind myself of the important lessons to be learned about contentment and trusting God’s purposes.

Korah
Korah was Moses and Aaron’s cousin. All of them were in the Kohath clan of the Levite tribe. All of them left Egypt at the great Exodus together. God had heard their cry and rescued them.

So, when Moses became the great hero of the Exodus and leader of the nation as they headed into the desert, Korah might have felt pretty important. He was a first cousin of the champion of the nation, Moses himself!

Then, unfortunately, many of the Israelites turned wicked at Mt. Sinai and started to worship the golden calf. Korah, though, might have been right there with his cousin Aaron wondering if it was okay to worship the golden thing. Korah, as a Levite, very likely was one who strapped a sword to his side and started to slay Israelites with passion as a response to God’s judgment on the nation for their idolatry. His passion along with that of the rest of the Levites ended up winning them a special place in God’s favor.

As a result, God gave them responsibility for the tabernacle. They would get no inheritance in the Promised Land but rather, God would be their inheritance. They had willingly stood together for God when the nation turned wicked. They were very special indeed. God honored them highly.

Moses and Aaron, in response to God’s commands, set up the tabernacle and organized the tribes around it. The Levites, Korah’s tribe, were given to Aaron to help with the Tabernacle. The Kohathites, Korah’s clan, were specifically responsible for carrying all the articles of the Tabernacle. They actually got to carry the holy things whenever they moved.

So, the Kohath Levites were really important. Korah was one of them. So far, so good.

However, things continue to be a bit stressful out there in the desert.

Hard Times Come
About ten months later, the ten spies brought back a negative report about the Promised Land which led to all the people rebelling against God. As a result, God judged the nation and sentenced them to forty years wandering in the desert. No one alive would be allowed to enter the Promised Land. Their children would, but they would not. Murmurs began to circle of stoning Moses and Aaron.

Apparently, somewhere about this time, Korah began to get jealous.

Even though he was special, of the clan of Kohath, the tribe of Levi and one of those responsible for carrying the holy things of the tabernacle, he was still not actually allowed into the tabernacle.

That was reserved only for the most holy ones; for Aaron and his sons…and Moses.

At some point, after the ten-spy rebellion, Korah felt he had had enough. He gave in to his jealousy. The nation had lost the Promised Land. They were facing decades, the rest of their lives, in the desert. Sure, Moses and Aaron had led them out of Egypt with all the great signs and wonders, but now, their leadership seemed to be faltering. Perhaps, God needed a better leader like Korah talking to Him in the Holy Tent.

So, Korah rebelled against Moses and Aaron. He and those with him said, Num 16:3
"You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?"

The reality is that Moses had not set himself above anyone. God had called and purified Moses and Aaron. They were simply obeying God’s commands. They were holy and played a special role, not because of any great perfection, but rather because of their humility to obey and serve God alone.

Korah, on the other hand, was being driven by jealousy. The result of his jealousy was that Korah was destroyed by fire from God’s presence. Those of his followers who refused to come to the entrance of the Tabernacle were swallowed up by the ground itself. The gold censers belonging to Korah and his 250 followers were hammered over the altar as an enduring warning against jealousy driven rebellion.

Then a plague broke out because the rest of the Israelites wanted to blame Moses and Aaron for the Korah tragedy. After 14 thousand plus died, God stopped the plague, in response to Moses and Aaron’s intercession, and set up a system to show who was God’s chosen for the priesthood. Aaron’s rod that budded was the result of that process.

All this happened because Korah gave in to jealousy. All because he wanted to be considered as important as Moses and Aaron. Korah’s jealousy, led him to rebellion, which led to his early and dramatic demise at the hand of a holy God.

Aaron’s rod that budded was and is a powerful reminder to all. We must not let jealousy, the desire to be thought of as holy without doing things God’s way, get out of hand.

Jealousy
Jealousy, lust and covetousness are always the desire to have something that someone else has, but to have it without paying the proper price for it. Jealousy and covetousness are basically a lazy, and therefore unacceptable, effort to be holy.

I want a nice car to drive around, but I don’t want to work hard enough and save enough to get one. I want a nice house with a big yard, but don’t want to work hard enough and save enough to get it. I want a different wife, but am not willing to do what’s necessary to properly love the one I have. I want to be respected at work, but I am not willing to work on my character to be worthy of respect. I want to be considered holy by the church and saints but am not willing to submit to the Holy Spirit’s work in my heart.

Cain and Abel also represent this classic struggle. One did what was right, sacrificed a lamb, and the other one did what he wanted to do and brought vegetables and fruit. One was accepted and the other was not.

As a result, Cain got jealous and killed Abel.

How is it that Abel, who did what was right, ended up suffering as though he was the one that did wrong? Jealousy had led Cain to let sin master him. Death was the result.

Jealousy, lust and covetousness are dangerous and very powerful motivators. They skew our perspective and drive intense and evil actions. James 4:1-3 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

When we want something but can’t get it, that is when we need to pay careful attention to our attitudes. If we do not, we will allow a covetous attitude to slip into our heart. Then, instead of taking our desire to God in prayer, we will be tempted to take matters into our own hands, eventually excusing sin in order to get what we want.

Similarly, consider Eve in the garden. The serpent had just focused her attention on the forbidden fruit. He had made it seem very desirable. Did Eve go to God about it and ask if she could have it? No. Instead, her desire turned covetous and she chose to disobey God and take it on her own. Her covetous action was sin and brought death to all mankind.

The exact same thing happened with Cain and Korah.

Cain wanted to be accepted. He was jealous that Abel got accepted. Did he go to God and ask what would help him to be accepted? No. Instead, his desire turned covetous and he killed Abel in order to feel better.

Korah was jealous of Moses and Aaron’s special position before God. Did he go to God and ask how he could be closer to God? No. Instead, his jealousy created a rebellion and thousands died.

Going to God to Ask/Talk
We need to ask God when we want something. We need to deal with God. We need to quit avoiding the issue and deal directly with God. He will tell us what needs to be done and how to do it. He will provide the grace necessary to do what’s right. He will accurately confront our bad attitudes. He alone is able to do so.

Until we turn to God, until we let Him change our attitudes, our mind will naturally veer toward jealousy, lust and covetousness and lead us to bitterness, hate and resentment. When that happens, lying, cheating, stealing and even murder are not far behind.

So, often I am the cause of conflicts. Though, I want to place the blame on others, my attitudes are the cause.

Like the Pharisees
This description of Jealousy accurately describes the Pharisaical approach to righteousness. They did not want to do it God’s way, but their own. They did not want to deal with the Temple. They had closed the door to the Kingdom of Heaven and the Key of Knowledge. They had not entered themselves and would not let others enter.

As a result, they wanted to kill Jesus. Just like Cain and just like Korah. They had to pull down someone else in order to feel good about their own lives.

Conclusion
When I left Washington on the metro to go home, I was back among my equals. The train going down was for those with more money who wanted a special seat. I was on that train because of my friend’s generosity and invitation.

So, as the metro thundered through the tunnel, the intercom periodically identifying each new stop, I was reminded that God has a purpose for me, just as I am. He could have made me a high-powered lawyer influencing the great issues of the day in Washington, D.C..

But He didn’t.

I was born the third son of a 2nd generation preacher who came from farmers in the finger lake region of New York. I didn’t go to Harvard, Yale or Cambridge.

None of those facts limit God’s ability to use my obedience and faith for great things in His Kingdom. I don’t need to try to jealously pull others down in order to make myself more important in God’s plan. I don’t need to be insecure and give in to bad attitudes.

Rather, I can choose to be content with the role God has given me.

One of Korah’s distant grandsons wrote Ps 84:10-11, “10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”

Though Korah didn’t get it, his distant grandsons did. God withholds NOTHING from those whose walk is blameless. Jealousy is simply unnecessary with God. Instead of wishing that I was living someone else’ life, I have great reason to be content with mine and seek God’s will for me.

In the words of Gandalf, “that’s his path, not yours.”

That day, as I walked out of the metro and climbed into the waiting Honda minivan, I was greeted by my four boys and smiling wife. The warmth of their love was palpable. The closeness of their excitement contrasted with the massive crowds in D.C. Though the van was full, it was not crowded. I was with my family. This was my path.

If I ever need anything more, I’ll go to God with my request. After he helps my attitude to be right, I know He will do what is best for me.

Deborah Switzer: Genuine Light

GENUINE LIGHT

My favorite part of the morning is when I finally get dressed. Being fully clothed gives me the opportunity to open up the blinds on both of my bedroom windows and let the sun come shining in. I look forward to it daily. I pull the string and lift up my blinds as high as I can possibly raise them. Then I quickly dart over to my light switch and turn off the overhead light. For some reason I find great invigoration from natural light flooding the room for the rest of my morning routine. I enjoy turning off the GE electric bulbs and allowing the radiance and warmth of the sun to light my morning.

The other morning I was particularly pleased as a shaft of the sun’s light shone directly onto my cup of coffee resting on the dresser. As I turned from the window, I saw this gentle billow of smoke rising from my mug -- a feature that was previously hidden from my eyes in the shadows of the unnatural light of my room. It made me feel warm all over on such a cold day. (And as an avid coffee fan, I found that my love for the beverage grew three times that day!)

As I started to sip my hot cinnamon coffee, I felt the Lord quietly whisper to my heart. He started to express in my spirit the joy He took in my relishing the natural light. There really is only one True Light, and His name is Jesus. He doesn’t want to settle for unnatural counterfeits that only cause a fluorescent glow in our lives. He wants us to reflect the glory of His all-natural, radiant and beaming light – the effervescence of His love.

We don’t ever have to be satisfied with the artificial, but so often in our lives we settle for it. We know we lack God’s manifest presence in our lives, but we are too busy, tired, discouraged, or lazy to open up the blinds and allow His light in. We settle for a quick time in His Word, and although we know we have not yet been changed by “the word made flesh,” we continue on throughout our day, allowing the Light of the World to be reduced to a mere light bulb. It is almost as if we can see the genuine light shining through the corners of the blinds, but we can’t quite manage to open them up and let Him in.

At times, it can feel like opening the blinds is too much work. I specifically remember a time when I was sick, and I kept the shades closed. It felt so oppressive and dark in the room, and allowed me to wallow in my weakness. It required mental, physical, and spiritual effort on my part to open up the shades and allow the sun to shine on my misery. To a degree, the sun hurt my eyes; but the atmosphere changed and made room for my recovery.

I know the times I have let the genuine light of Christ shine in my life instead of the artificial. After spending time with Him, I truly feel His love and genuine change or growth occur in my life. It is as if Genesis 1 has occurred in my living room. God said, “Let there be light [in Deborah]” and THERE WAS LIGHT! God’s true light broke through my darkness and changed me into His image. At times His Word has become a “light unto my path.” Its richness and its truth have flooded my soul and shown me the way to go. And at times in prayer, I have known that the Light of the World has entered my world and transformed me by His grace.

The most remarkable truth about God’s genuine light, however, is that it frees me to be genuine as well. When I allow His true light to shine and don’t settle for the artificial, I am suddenly able to be who He has created me to be. I no longer am David trying on Saul’s armor, but rather I am a fearless David who can conquer the giant. His authenticity allows me to be authentic; His truth allows me to be truthful; and His grace allows me to be gracious!

Genuine light also allows us to see things we may not have seen before. Just as I saw the steam rising from my coffee that morning, so also we might see things rising from our hearts in His natural light. These things may be pleasant or ugly, but they are always things that need to be revealed. Perhaps God will discuss with me my unique way of speaking, and encourage me to continue in that gift. Or perhaps, He will gently remind me of my harshness and my need to repent to my spouse. No matter what the revelation, it can only be seen for what it truly is in the natural light of His love. Somehow, our strengths and our sins become distorted in the artificial light of the world; but in His light, we can see them for what they really are.

As I write this, I am still in my pajamas. I know I will have to go through half of my morning routine before I can open up the blinds in my bedroom. Still, I look forward to having “the light” shine in, not just in my room, but also in my heart. Make time today for the genuine. Don’t settle for merely flicking on the overhead lights of your spirit. For “if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another [authenticity], and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7)

Daniel Switzer, Ed.D.: Living in a Spirit of Power, of Love and of a Sound Mind (Not Fear)

Living in a Spirit of Power, of Love, and of a Sound Mind (Not Fear)

By Daniel L. Switzer, Ed.D.
Pastor, Northgate Community Church

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). With the downturn in the economy, there’s a lot of fear in our world today. Media reports abound regarding the recession, the housing crisis, retailers going out of business, and people losing their jobs. But with all of the reports out there, I want to encourage you as Christians—as Christ-ones—to not feed into the fear, but to live according to the Word of God, to live in the opposite of fear—to live in power, in love, and in a sound mind.

A Spirit of Power
First, as Christ-ones, we have been given a spirit of Power! We who are born again by the Spirit of God, we have Christ—we have power! We have inner might, inner strength, inner courage, inner power!

Psalm 138:3 says, “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted” (NIV). We need to remember to call upon the Lord. When life seems to be conspiring against you, call upon the Lord! When you’re hemmed in from all sides, get out, go on a walk, look up and call upon the Lord. And as this verse tells us, God will make you stouthearted! Sometimes, when we get hit by bad news, our hearts can just sink. It’s like taking a blow to the gut—you bend down and get a sinking feeling. Well, with Christ, we have a spirit of power that overcomes that sinking feeling. The Lord makes us stouthearted—He gives us big hearts to withstand even bad news.

Psalm 138:8 assures us that even in troubled times, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.” I think it’s neat that we serve a God who doesn’t just do things for us! Yes, he gives us the strength, but he doesn’t just do things for us. He’s like a Father who when his child has fallen, he picks him up, brushes him off, and says, “Now you get back out there. Get back out there in the game; get back out there in the neighborhood with your friends, get back out there in the fray, get back out there in the workplace, get back out there in the ministry I’ve called you to.” God involves us in His purpose. He wants to see us develop, to grow, to experience great purpose, great passion, great enthusiasm for life!

The Lord makes us stouthearted; he gives us power for the purpose he’s given us, for the life he’s called us to.

A Spirit of Love
Secondly, we’ve been given a spirit of love. We have been given a spirit of power, but we must use this power in love so as not to run roughshod over people. As we walk in God’s power—living Christ—God enables us to fan into flame the gift of love that He has given us!

I believe an antonym—an opposite of walking in fear—is walking in love! Fear and timidity—how are they different from love? Fear and timidity have to do with an inward focus, drawing into oneself, closing up shop, and closing the doors to one’s life. Walking in fear is not being giving, not being hospitable, hoarding one’s possessions, being greedy, and protecting myself and my possessions.

In the great classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” when the main character George Bailey had just gotten married and was about to go on his honeymoon with his bride, there is a run on the bank during the great stock market crash. George Bailey runs over to the Bailey Building and Loan and feverishly tries to convince the people not to take all of their money out of the bank at once. With the people being filled with fear, he has a hard time convincing them. They wanted their money now. Well, when things looked desperate with no money to dole out, his wife spoke up, with her honeymoon cash in her hand and said, “I’ve got $2,000 dollars here” (the money for their honeymoon). Mr. Bailey and his wife were willing to walk in the gift of love and not be greedy like the Scrooge of the town, Mr. Potter; they were willing to share with others, and the Building and Loan made it through the crisis.

We’ve been given a spirit of love—which is the opposite of fear. Love is an outward focus, thinking of others. It’s giving of oneself and one’s gifts. It’s being hospitable and opening the doors of your life to others. It’s not being overly protective with an attitude of “I got to protect what’s mine” but sharing the gift of love with others. Love is being very generous toward others—knowing that everything we have is from God anyway, and we cannot outgive Him.

In the Bible, the friendship of Jonathan and David illustrates this love. Jonathan, the son of King Saul, could have been very protective of what was his. He was the heir to the throne of his father. He very easily could have seen David as a competitor. He could have been jealous, greedy for what should have been his. But Jonathan didn’t respond that way. He loved David. He didn’t hold back in fear, but gave to David in love. 1 Samuel 20:17 says that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

A Spirit of a Sound Mind
Thirdly, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He’s given us a spirit of a sound mind. As Christ-ones, we have the gift of a sound mind! Walking in fear is the antithesis of walking in a sound mind. A sound mind is the opposite of a mind tormented by fear.

Acts 2 shares how David saw the Lord always before him. Thus, when he faced Goliath he was not shaken by fear; instead, he had a sound mind for the task that lay before him. Likewise, when we are faced with the Goliaths in our life, we need to see the Lord always before us!

Instead of a split mind dominated by fear and worry, we have a whole mind that is sound. As Christ-ones, we have been given a mind that is healthy, at peace, and complete.

A sound mind is very important. We should not underestimate this gift God has given us, and we need to protect it. When people are not of a sound mind, they’re skittish, constantly wondering what’s going to happen to them—living in fear. God doesn’t want that for us. He’s given us a sound mind.

Along with this sound mind comes a spirit of self-discipline. The NIV’s translation of 2 Timothy 1:7 says we’ve been given a spirit “of self-discipline.” There’s a little saying that I kept in my office for many years: “Through discipline comes freedom.” Walking in discipline brings freedom which counteracts the paralysis of fear. Walking in freedom is the antithesis of walking in fear.

Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”
Self-discipline enables us to take proactive steps to be the person God call us to be—in every area—in the use of our time, with our finances, in our priorities, in growing as a servant of God.

Self-discipline is giving the first fruits of God’s provision in our lives back to Him—it’s trusting God’s economy for our life! The very act of giving that first ten percent to the Lord is a faith-action that builds godly discipline into the rest of our life.

Self-discipline is living within our means financially. I was recently talking with a brother who this past year got completely out of debt. It was cause for rejoicing! That’s freedom. “Through discipline comes freedom!”—and it counteracts fear!

Self-discipline enables us to have a strong work ethic—to get to work on time, to be faithful, and to be a person who works with consistency and is committed to excellence. Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Studies show that there is much down time in work settings—the lack of productivity is an issue in the workplace.

Self-discipline enables us to discipline ourselves—to not have to be disciplined by our boss. It enables us to give an honest day’s work and be a valuable team member in our place of employment. It enables us to not be just a “cog in the wheel” so to speak but to be purposeful as ones who add value in working wholeheartedly as unto the Lord. And God, who knows all things, sees our self-discipline and our work ethic. God sees everything, and promotion is from the Lord. And remember, God is always preparing us for our future and that future is one of more influence in the lives of others—an increased opportunity to be an example and share Christ with others!

I want to challenge you to not feed into the fear that is so prevalent in the news lately, but to walk in the opposites of fear—a spirit of power, of love, of a sound mind, and of self-discipline.
You have the power of Christ in you! You have the love of Christ toward others! You have the sound mind of Christ in you! And you have the self-discipline to be what Christ is calling you to be! That’s the Spirit God has given you. And God will bless that kind of life. You have nothing to fear!

Thurlow Switzer: Beyond Still to Faith

Our society is caught in the throes of great anxiety and uncertainty. Many feel caught, as in, “still caught” in the situations and circumstances of life. In this anxious environment, how do we move beyond “still” as in “still caught” to a life of faith and growth in the things of God? We do so when we recognize every circumstance in life is a divine opportunity to experience God’s grace, love and provision.

Three times in the fourth and fifth chapters of the Book of Romans, the word “still” is used. Each occasion provides insight into the human condition in which humans find themselves as they come before God.
• Romans 4:11 NKJV – “while still uncircumcised”
• Romans 5:6 NKJV – “while we were still without strength”
• Romans 5:8 NKJV – “while we were still sinners

Still Uncircumcised
In the first case, Abraham became the father of faith while he was “still uncircumcised” (Rom 4:11,12). To this day, he is the father of faith for all who believe, even those who exist in an uncircumcised state. Paul made the point that it was not the condition of having experienced religious circumcision that saved him, but the simple matter of exercising faith in God, and that while he was still in a state of uncircumcision.

Although there is much controversy about what circumcision is and means, it at least seemed to be an act performed to seal one’s faith in the eyes of other people; an external religious act to confirm something hopefully authentic in one’s inner being. Water baptism carries something of the same meaning in New Testament order, an external act confirming the internal act of faith. However, often religious acts like circumcision or water baptism become a mere religious symbol empty of meaning. Therefore, “circumcision” has somewhat become a symbol of religious actions that somehow do not convey actual spiritual impact upon a person.

Therefore, we might say that to be “still uncircumcised” represents a beginning point for experiencing personal redemption and entering into the pilgrimage of faith; what Paul called believers into when he said, “to walk in the steps of faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised” (Rom 4:12). This is a desirable place to begin the pilgrimage of faith; that is, unencumbered by religious circumcision issues, the kind of external things put forward by religion that often keep individuals from discovering true faith. Each of us should start from where we are, “still uncircumcised,” and seek out simple faith in Christ, even as Abraham did.

For religiously raised people, often encumbered with religious circumcision issues that hinder truth faith, it might be wise to seek to return to a place where you are “still uncircumcised”, if you will, and pursue God’s love and Christ’s redemptive work from that vantage point.

Still Without Strength
In the second case, Paul refers to the fact that ‘when we were still without strength, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). People, especially American people, try to be strong, usually exerting all their personal talents and abilities to appear strong and capable in all circumstances. For many, it is a shame to appear weak and without strength. It often seems one must develop adequacy for all situations and believe that only the strongest will survive and succeed. Indeed, the American dream is often seen as the American success story.

Yet, to be “without strength” is a good place from which to begin and continue the spiritual pilgrimage. It was while the human race was still without strength, in the fullness of time, that Christ died for the ungodly.

Paul said to the Corinthians, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God” (2:1), but that “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (2:3-5).

In moments of great weakness, Paul claimed God said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness, therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me " (2 Cor 12:9). He concluded his testimony by saying, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).

Compare our sense of weakness at times with how Christ Jesus experienced weakness. “For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you” (2 Cor 13:4 NKJV).

In the same way it was said of Old ‘Testament priests, “He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins” (Heb 5:2-3). Hebrews 5:6-8 highlights this very same thing about Jesus: “"You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Therefore, “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15-16 NKJV).

Still Sinners
In the third phrase, we lift out the words “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). He did this to “demonstrate His own love toward us.” The fact that people are “sinners” speaks to the obvious fact that people often sin many times.

“Sin” (Gk: hamartia) means to “miss the mark.” Other Greek words in Romans five are also used, meaning such things as ignorance, to go aside from the path, or unwillingness to hear. The taint of original sin, extending to man's whole nature, inclines him to act in opposition to the will of God. Every concession to his corrupt desire, in thought, word, or deed, is actual sin. But while in this place of being still sinners, God acted on our behalf.

We must accept the fact that sin is a part of life. The human tendency is to come up short. “Sin is to fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10). Spouses sin and fail one another. Parents sin and wound their children. Children sin and fail to obey. Friends sin and fail in friendship. We must neither encourage sin or minimize it. We must simply accept it as a human frailty.

God’s response to sin, even blatant sin, was to love. God the Father sent Christ to deal with the “sin” issue on the cross. God the Son sent the Holy Spirit to help us deal with the “sins” issue, day-by-day, moment-by-moment. When I fail my wife (and God and myself), I need my wife to love me, and forgive me. When my wife fails, she needs me to love her, and forgive her.

Summary
So, when we find ourselves in these three conditions, still uncircumcised, still without strength, and still sinners, we come to Christ Jesus who connects us continually with God’s love. We will find peace, strength and redemption in the fullness of God’s love, Christ’s provision and the Spirit’s leading.

Phil 1:9-10 – “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent.” NKJV

Exodus 14:13 – “And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. NKJV

Numbers 9:8 – “And Moses said to them, "Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you." NKJV

Ruth 3:18 – “Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day." NKJV

2 Chronicles 20:17 – “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you." NKJV

Psalms 4:4 – “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah” NKJV

Psalms 23:2 – “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” NKJV

Psalms 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” NKJV

Alanna Jennings: Freedom from Disappointment

Freedom from Disappointment
Alanna Jennings

Disappoint: To fail to fulfill the expectations or wishes of; to defeat the fulfillment of hopes or plans; to frustrate; thwart.


One of the greatest joys in this life is the privilege we have to minister to others in their time of need. I find that ministry to be most effective when I am able to comfort others with the same comfort with which I have been comforted: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor 1:3-5)

I was recently having lunch with a dear sister, and was endeavoring to comfort her, as she and her husband have an adult child who has come home to be rescued. It is, more often than not, those closest to us who have the greatest power to disappoint us, if we allow them.

I want to examine that disappointment just a bit.

What we don’t often realize is that our implicit or actual disappointment does far more damage to those we love than it does to us. Disappointment, as spoken of here, is not to be confused with grief or pain suffered as a result of the breach of trust that results from the moral failure of others.

I have seen in my own life, and in the lives of many believers, that disappointment is one of the greatest and most frequent sources of sorrow. As Proverbs 13:12 states, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick”. Beloved, so many in the Body of Christ are needlessly heartsick.

The Lord showed me three years ago that disappointment was simply unrealized expectation, and that I could only be disappointed when I put my expectation in anyone or anything other than Him. What freedom it brought to me when I realized that it was actually possible to live a life free from disappointment - and, more importantly, what freedom it brought to those I love, especially my children, when they learned that they could neither disappoint me, nor God.

This truth was revealed to me when the Lord gave me a rather lengthy and vivid vision relating to His unconditional love. The revelation came to me as I meditated on Ephesians 1:3-5 and Revelation 13:8 which made clear to me, once again, that the Cross was always Plan A, not Plan B. That is, the cross was not a rescue operation - it was always the only plan.

Please allow me a little poetic license, and imagine, if you can, the following scenario:

The Father, Son and Spirit are together, in counsel, before the foundation of the world. The Father sees that it is not good that the Son should be alone, and wants a Bride for Him. The Father also desires “many sons”, as we are told in Hebrews 2:10 – “For it was fitting (becoming, comely, right) for Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

And so, the Father, looking through time and space, sees you and I, and chooses us, despite knowing every evil, rotten thing we would ever think, do, or say. As it is stated in Ephesians 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

An all-knowing, all-seeing, sovereign God could not have had, nor will ever have, any unrealistic expectations concerning any of us. Therefore, He could not possibly ever be disappointed in us. However, He was obviously very aware before the foundation of the world that in order for Him to have us, someone would have to pay the price for our sins.

In my vision, I saw the Father, turn to the Son, and ask, “Will You get them for Me?” The Son willingly said, “Yes”. And so, the Son of God, the spotless Lamb, was slain right then and there for you and for me. Revelation 13:8 tells us that Jesus is “….the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Amazing love – unsearchable love – that the Spirit of God would be willing to live within the hearts of men so as to empower them to live lives far beyond their capability … lives worthy of their calling. And He did so knowing that He would be continually grieved by their thoughts, words and deeds - though never surprised by them.

If I am to live a life free of disappointment, then I must put all of my hope and expectation in God, and God alone, for hope in Him will not disappoint!

Rom 5:1-5 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us”

If we place all of our hope in God, and if that hope does not disappoint, then no human being or circumstance will have the power to disappoint us. This truth is not only incredibly liberating for us, but is powerfully liberating for everyone we love. This is especially important for our loved ones to understand when they face times of moral failure – they cannot disappoint us (… because our expectations are not in them). This knowledge will aid in bringing freedom and healing not only to them, but to us as well.

Be free, dear Children of God, from feelings that you are disappointing God. And, free others from any sense that they are disappointing you. Put your hope and expectations in God and God alone … this hope will never disappoint you.

“Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD.”
Ps 31:24

Lynda Switzer - Placing Christ First

Placing Christ First
By Lynda M. Switzer

There are many facets of our faith. The Apostle John wrote the Book of John to lead readers to a settled, strong, secure faith. A burden on my heart is that we who comprise His church can be involved in a lot of stuff about our faith and miss the heart and foundation of our faith – the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s important to consider our Savior as He reveals Himself in the Gospel of John and to focus on our Lord, to focus on who He says He is, and to focus on what He has accomplished for us. This can help us discover more clearly who we are in Christ and who we are related to.

I Corinthians 15:3, 4, states “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” These verses are the heart of our faith. Christ was crucified for my sins, for your sins, and for the sins of the whole world. I have missed the mark of the glory of God. I am a sinner. Jesus died in my place – in your place; He was buried; He rose again to provide salvation –new life in Christ for you and me and for the whole world. This is the focus of our faith. The Church in America can get all too easily sidetracked and focused on the latest fad – whether it’s evangelism, or prosperity, or pro-life, or Christian education, or prayer, or politics, or going hi-tech, or drama, or the gifts, or healing, or prophecy, or many other church-related pursuits. All of these aspects of church life are good and have their place, but first place belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the salvation that He has provided for us. What is the authentic focus of our faith every day?

As we ponder the true focus of our faith, I’m reminded of a vision my husband shared recently when our congregation gathered for prayer. The picture God gave him was of a man plowing a field. It was autumn and time for the fall plowing. He saw in the Spirit that it’s time to plow our fields. Hosea 10:12 reads, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”

I grew up on a farm and my dad plowed some fields in the fall and he plowed some fields again in the spring. The fields that were plowed in the fall were ready to receive the fall rains, to soak in the blankets of winter snow; they were ready to receive the seed my dad planted in those fields. In parallel in our walk with the Lord, He gives us opportunities to let him plow the fields of our hearts, to break up the fallow, hard, neglected soils of our hearts. His plowing may be gentle or it may be severe depending upon how hard our hearts have become. But, if we will surrender our hearts to the faithful plowing of the Spirit, the faithful seed of God’s Word will take root in our lives. Our hearts will be prepared and open to receive the rain of His Spirit and to receive the seed of the Word of God fertilized by covenant relationships.

In the Book of Exodus 3:13-15, when Moses was drawn aside by the burning bush and took off his shoes in that holy place before the bush that burned, but was not consumed, God commissioned Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian captivity. Moses asked God whom should he tell the Israelites had sent him to them? God’s response was, “tell them I am that I am has sent you.” God is I AM. He continues to reveal Himself as the “I am” of our salvation. These words reveal God’s essence and speak to the focus of our faith.

Jesus in the Gospel of John speaks distinct statements of who He is. These revealing statements of our Savior are parallels to God’s covenant name by which he revealed Himself to Moses by the burning bush. I was at school subbing the other day. In one hallway there was a large poster that said, “Identify – to name and to describe.” In this article I’d like to identify the core, the central theme of our faith – to “name and describe” the lodestone, the multi-faceted diamond that is the central truth of the Word of God.
Jesus reveals the Father. He consistently pointed beyond Himself to the Father who sent him and whom He sought to glorify.

Jesus reveals Himself, “I am the bread of life” in John 6:35, 6:48, and in John 6:51, He says He is the living bread. In the Greek the word is artos, bread as raised or a loaf.
Bread is called the staff of life. We probably each have our preferences for a specific type of bread to make a sandwich. I like a dark, seedless rye. Many cultures depend upon daily bread to survive. When our Savior reveals here that He is the bread of life, He’s telling us that He’s the true, heavenly loaf. He’s our true, life sustaining power.
Anything else that we taste to try to satisfy us will be inadequate.

In John 6:27 Jesus says, do not labor for the food which perishes but for the food which gives life. His disciples asked Him, “What shall we do?” Jesus says our work is to believe. In John 6:48-59, Jesus says to believe in Him is to partake of Him. We feed on Jesus the bread of life when we partake of the benefits of his death and receive His salvation.

What we believe is so important. What we believe will eventually lock us up, shut us up, bind us up, or set us free. Why is it that we treasure our locked hearts? Do you ever find yourself saying or thinking, “Or I don’t believe I could do that?” The Gospel is our bread; Jesus is our living bread.

Our identity: We are redeemed sinners with bread to give to a hungry world. I recently heard that many women in our country between the ages of 40 and 60 are committing suicide. Expansive studies will be launched to try to discover why these women are giving up. Perhaps you’re thinking, I feel like giving up, too. Jesus, our Savior, the living bread, the Gospel, is the true bread that satisfies the deepest longings on our lives. He is the lover of our souls who helps us when we feel like giving up.

Jesus reveals Himself as “I am the light of the world” in John 8:12. The setting of Jesus revealing Himself as the light of the world is the story of the woman caught in adultery. Into her dark, depraved life, Jesus said that He is the light of the world. The Greek word here is phos, to shine, to make manifest, especially by rays, luminousness in the widest application, fire, light. The world is truly dark without the light of Christ. I like the light. In my home, I like to open up the blinds and let the light come in. I like to walk in the moonlight or sit by a window when the moon is shining brightly and listen to the voice of my Lord.

However, darkness sometimes gets into our lives. What darkness are we caught up in right now? What’s in our lives that others either condemn or make their accusations at in our life? Darkness hides the size of the fears and lies in our lives. Because our Savior died on the cross on our behalf, Jesus gives us the power through the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives to bring anything hidden in our lives to the light. Whatever is hidden, the evil one will accuse us with; he’ll whip us and beat us up. But when the hidden in our lives is brought to Christ, the light of the world, Christ sets us free of any and every dark stronghold. That is our Savior, the light of the world.

When we think about Jesus, what about Him do we think about? Above all else, what is central is that He came to bring God’s light into the darkness of this world and into our darkened lives. Every day God’s Spirit will light up and enlighten the Word to us. Our identity: We are redeemed sinners with authentic light!

Jesus reveals Himself as “I am the door of the sheep,” in John 10:7-9. Our Savior is our door to a personal relationship with the Father – now and forever. The word in the Greek is thura, thoo-rah, a portal or entrance, the opening, door, or gate. Jesus as He reveals that He is the door speaks to His saving action on our behalf. He is the door to abundant life and provision. Jesus is the door – our security and safety are in Christ. He is our protection. We as sheep can go in and out – speaking of our daily goings and comings - in safety because we are protected by our Lord.

Every time we read the Word we can look for the Door, the entrance God opens to us. In Joel 2:26, 27 we read, “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel. I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.” II Peter 1:3 reads, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” As believers there are choices before us – believing the Gospel and receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior, going through the Door of Jesus Christ and entering into the safety of a life in Christ or flirting with the evil one who came to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. Our identity: We are redeemed sinners who’ve walked through the door of Jesus Christ.

Jesus reveals Himself as “I am the good shepherd,” John 10:11. He is the Good Shepherd with genuine concern for our lives – in stark contrast to the hireling who is interested in his self preservation. The Good Shepherd gave His own life, John 10:11, 10:15, 17 and 18. Our security lies in the true shepherd and his relationship with the Father. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep – that’s the Gospel – that’s the cross and our Savior’s great love for us. God by His Spirit will convict us when we get in that place of “cocking” an attitude toward the Lord when we blame God and place our judgment against Him for stuff that happens in our lives. In our pain we assume the worst about our loving heavenly Father.

Sometimes when I’m struggling I ask God why or I tell God I’d just like to see His footprint in the midst of what’s happening. In those moments, it’s too easy for me to forget that my Savior is the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is often pictured with a shepherd’s staff. The Psalmist David writes in Psalm 23 that “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” When God judges us it’s not about destruction, but about setting things right in our lives. In those moments, when we’re in the midst of hard stuff, difficult situations and circumstances, knowing Jesus is the good shepherd can bring everything into focus. Our good shepherd is so worthy of our expressing our gratitude to our Him, instead of blaming and judging His ways. Something happens when we begin to thank our good shepherd. Healing comes into our souls; we are impacted by the goodness of the Lord and are motivated to lovingly care for others.

The Psalmist, David, wrote and sang of the goodness of the Lord:
- Psalm 27:13 – “See the goodness of the Lord”
- Psalm 31:19 – “How great is thy goodness”
- Psalm 33:5 – “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord”
- Psalm 65:11 – “You crown the year with your goodness”
- Psalm 107:8 –“Praise the Lord for his goodness”
- Psalm 107:9 – He fills the hungry soul with goodness
Our identity as redeemed sinners: we are protected and cared for by the Good Shepherd. He laid down His life to set us free so we can lay our lives down for others.

Jesus reveals Himself as “I am the resurrection and the life” in John 11:25. The setting here is Jesus with his good friends Mary and Martha as they mourn the recent death of their beloved brother and Jesus’ good friend, Lazarus. The Greek word resurrection – anastasis, standing up again, a moral recovery of spiritual truth, raised to life again, rise from the dead, rising again; to stand up, arise, lift up, raise up, stand up right. Our heavenly Father here in Jesus reveals the new order of life. John 5:21 reads “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” Because of our Savior’s death for us on the cross, He is our resurrection and our life.

We may be discouraged because we’re trying to live the Christian life in our own strength. Our life motto may be, “I can do this! Leave me alone!” Then sooner or later we realize, we can’t do it in our own strength. When we start to sink, God is there to rescue us. Resurrection power is resident in each of our lives.

In reflection in God’s Word, the Lord was showing me what He means when He says He is the resurrection and the life. I sensed the Lord revealing that some of us have been bowed over; we’ve been dragging; we can’t seem to get up spiritually. God by His Spirit, wants to raise us up, lift us up, change our thinking – recover our thoughts with the Gospel, the good news of our Savior, who Himself was raised up. Our identity as redeemed sinners - We are raised-up children of God! The Gospel gives us resurrection life, power, and destiny.

Jesus reveals Himself as “I am the way, the truth, and the life” in John 14:6. Jesus is the way to the Father. The Greek word here is hodos, the route, distance, journey, highway or progress on the route. Jesus reveals the truth about God. The word truth in the Greek is aletheia, true, truly, verity, as not concealing. Jesus is life. The word life in the Greek, zoe means to live, quick, lively, and vitality. Jesus reveals truth to us and gives life to us when we lose our way and find ourselves struggling. What is our answer? Our families can lose our way. Our children, our grandchildren can lose their way. Our marriage can lose its way.

One day I lost my way. I had just dropped my husband off at Reagan airport and was driving home to Maryland, but shortly after I left the airport I missed the turn to get on the George Washington Parkway. Before I knew it I was driving on the George Washington Bridge into DC. I kept going and tried not to panic, but very quickly I realized I was lost and getting more lost every minute. I was beginning to drive in some neighborhoods that I don’t think I would have felt very safe walking alone in. I just kept driving - reasoning that at some point I should discover Route 495, the beltway again. And . . . after many, many anxious minutes and miles, I began to see road signs for 495 again. Finally, I got back on the beltway and headed home. I lost my way in the natural, but we can lose our way spiritually too.

Sometimes we lose our way because God confronts us with His truth in an area of our lives, and we just begin to dance and skirt around His truth instead of embracing it. We try this detour or that. The Gospel is the way to come back to God, to acknowledge I’ve missed the mark. I miss the mark every day and need to repent and turn back to God. Jesus is the way and He made the way for me. He brings truth to my life. Jesus said we shall know the truth and the truth will set us free. God wants to set us free of things in our lives that are not His way; they’re not His truth, and they’re not His life. He is our life!
Our identity as redeemed sinners - We are people of His way, people of Biblical truth, and people filled with His life.

Jesus reveals Himself as “I am the true vine” in John 15:1. He repeats this in John 15:5. The vine and the branches describe relationship between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus came to give us life that is defined as “the simplicity and purity of enjoying a growing relationship with Him.” The word vine in the Greek is ampelos, a vine as coiling about a support; also from the grain and the chaff just threshed on the threshing floor. In Isaiah 5:1-7, Israel is compared to a vine under God’s loving care. In John 15:2 there is the fruitless branch which does not abide. God wants to do some pruning in our lives. It’s interesting how some of us keep immaculate, clutter-free homes, but we haven’t dealt with the clutter inside our souls which crowds out a deepening relationship with our Lord.

Our sin impacts our relationships; however, deeper connection with the vine releases the flow of life from our Lord and Savior that produces the sweet, attractive, delicious fruit of the spirit in our lives as listed in Galatians 5:22, 23 – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The true vine makes possible our abiding; Jesus invites and anticipates our abiding. When we think of our relationship, our faith as a multi-faceted diamond, it will take our entire lifetime to search out and get to know our Lord, the true vine. Even then there will be so more of our Lord yet to be revealed.

The Apostle Paul expressed his heart’s desire to continue to know his Lord and Savior in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” The people who know the Lord are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda toward our Lord. As we read the Word, let’s look for keys to deepening our relationship with God. Some of the fruitfulness of abiding includes our prayers being effective, John 15:7; glorifying God in our fruit bearing, John 15:8; demonstrating our discipleship, John 15:9; and having fullness of joy, John 15:11. Our identity as redeemed sinners - We are believers in relationship with the true vine.

Let’s seek to align ourselves afresh with the Gospel. Jesus is our life! Let’s embrace the many opportunities we have to express our love to our Savior and to thank Him for His sufficiency. Does the life of our Savior flow out of us? Does what we do and say in our homes matter? Everything matters. God can break us free from conditions and man-made systems that rob our joy. Rules that we put on ourselves or others put on us cannot bring freedom; they only have the power to accuse. As we turn afresh to Jesus our Savior, we can leave behind the crippling effects of guilt and condemnation. The scripture in Romans 8:1 tells us that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.

God gives fresh opportunities to stop basing our faith on how we feel at the moment, or on our emotions, or on our present circumstances. The Holy Spirit is always tuned to the Father’s goodness and love. Placing our faith in Jesus releases us to grow in gratefulness, joy, and holiness. The Apostle John confronts us with the claims of Jesus that demand a personal response of faith in Jesus the Christ, the Son of God:
Jesus is the bread of life,
the light of the world,
the door of the sheepfold – the door to approach God,
the good shepherd who sees us in Christ not on the basis of whether or not we’re measuring up each day,
the resurrection and the life as the victorious One who defeated satan,
the way, the truth, and the life now and for eternity,
and the true vine whom we’re in relationship with. Romans 8:35-39 points out that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

The Holy Spirit reveals this Jesus to us; He opens our eyes to see who Jesus really is and what our salvation is truly about. Jesus’ message is our hope; the gospel is our bread, our door, our confidence, our assurance. Jesus gives us freedom to love, respond, and serve in every situation that we find ourselves in. Let’s exalt Jesus, His death and resurrection and fall in love afresh with the Great I Am. He’ll help us to realign our lives with the core of our faith – the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast,” Ephesians 2:8, 9. God wants all of us and every part of our day. As Tozer said, “God gives all of Himself to each one of His children.”