encouragement – Page 107 – Broken Believers

Wardrobe Necessities

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

Romans 13:14, ESV

Some verses are like this. When the Holy Spirit touches it, it will expand and broaden out into a theological treatise. It is remarkably potent as verses go. We certainly do well examining it closer. Just maybe it will leak good things on us.

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” entails becoming someone else. More precisely, it has to do with becoming Jesus to the watching world. We are to so absorb him that our identity changes. Paul tells us that this is a deliberate act of our will; a decisive decision to clothe ourselves with Jesus.

This goes beyond what we consider to be the Christian faith. In some of our churches we seldom hear this message being taught. It seems radical and we don’t understand the ‘mechanism’ by which we do it. It reminds me of Nicodemus struggling with becoming “born again” (John 3:1-14). Sometimes spiritual truths defy human reasoning.

“And make no provision for the flesh,” is the second part of this principle. Both have to be working to complete the idea. If we ‘put on,’ but continue to provide for our flesh, the verse simply will not work. It’s a ‘binary’ action that requires activation of both at the same time.

The Greek word Paul uses for “provision’‘ is real nifty. It means “to consider in advance; to plan for or supply ahead of time; to think beforehand.” This zeroes in on our exceptional ‘talent’ in giving in to sin. We somehow gravitate to our particular favorite sins. There is a ‘magnetic pull’ toward dark things.

This binary only works if these two truths come together. We must ‘put on’ Christ, and then ‘put off’ our evil deeds. I believe that these two things constitute the intentions of the Holy Spirit for our growth. Dear saint, what are you wearing?

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

Colossians 3:9-10

Flaws in Our Spiritual ‘DNA’

“What do you mean, ‘What’s the matter?’” Micah replied. “You’ve taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!”

Judges 18:24

“Man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.” ― John Calvin

Here in Judges 18, we see the folly of a false religion. It is a crude and simple idolatry, and the foolishness of it is lost on these men. Micah had installed his very own personal priest, and had carved some idols to enhance his spiritual status. We see in Micah, the silly and shortsightedness of the idolater. He engages in some ‘unauthorized’ theology, that allows him this liberty.

But the ill-advised idolatry seems not only silly, but bizarrely primitive. It’s kind of a ‘do it yourself’ custom religion. Micah had a spiritual need, and met it with hiring his own priest. However, the roving tribe of Dan, with an armed force of 600 men, have decided to take the entire ensemble to be their own. It now seems foolishness has led Dan astray.

The bickering between Micah and these warriors would be imprudent if pushed. Micah has just lost his religion by brute force. The ‘priest’ and all the accouterments are now forcibly taken from him. I suppose this is the painful folly of his ‘homemade’ religion. He watches as the riders take it all away.

What an empty spiritual condition! But religious people often seek out idols to help them deal with life. An idol can be anything that takes God’s place in a person’s life. But the results are sad. A counterfeit faith of any kind is profoundly sad. The modern version has become much more sophisticated, but the end result is the same. It would seem that idolatry is etched in our DNA.

“Those who worship false gods [idols] turn their backs on all God’s mercies” (Jonah 2:8).

The only way to protect yourself in a time of spiritual anarchy is to come to the true and living God. Insist on your needs be met by Him. We really must shun anything that could take His place. Our idolatry is different today, but God has never changed.

Photo: Power That Can Be Seen

Cover of January, 1915 National Geographic Mag... — Image via Wikipedia

“Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power;
they rise up when they despair of life.”

Job 24:22

We should periodically re-configure our thinking. We don’t always get to observe nature working anymore. It seems we must rely on the technique and talent of the photographer to bring us up close, and then perhaps we begin to see things differently. People who live in cities, will seldom get the chance to see the stars in the night sky. Nature, and its profound wonders are the canvases God uses to proclaim His presence and glory.

Sometimes I think that when a person becomes a Christian, we should get them a Bible, and a subscription to National Geographic Magazine! We need to experience both to truly see the wonder of God in His creation. After all, we become what we worship.

“Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?”

–Job 37:15

Photo of a massive lightning storm above the clouds.

Best lightning shots from 500px site (thedailydom.wordpress.com)
Laser lightning rod: Guiding bursts of electricity with a flash of light (scienceblog.com)

Jump Me! The Vital Ministry of an Encourager

We, more than others, should carry jumper and tow cables not only in our cars, but also in our hearts, by which means we can send the needed boost or charge of encouragement or the added momentum to mortal neighbors.

— Neal A. Maxwell

“One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement. …It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”

—William Barclay

“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” Philemon 1:7

Living in Alaska, jumper cables are crucial necessities. The winters here are challenging on cars, and I’ve pretty much determined to have the best just in case. Whether I need a jump or can give one, they have already paid for themselves.

For the non-initiated, jumper cables are used to essentially replace a dead battery. A car that is running can hook up and provide current to a car that is not running so it can start. It just takes a couple minutes with the cables and it is fairly easy to do.

The ministry of encouragement has been key in my life. There are several people who have been used by God to encourage me. A Christian brother named John Yokela, who is in his 90’s, comes to mind. He is a solid stalwart of faith, and has helped me on my way many times. I don’t know where I would be without his caring words.

The ministry of encouragement is similar to jumping a car. There are people in God’s Kingdom that intervene in our lives. They are equipped with spiritual jumper cables, and just seem to come along when we are dead and are unable to make it work. They come alongside, eager to help and not inclined to judge. They are there to get you moving again, and they seldom will show irritation.

We need to learn how to connect with the discouraged brother or sister. Some of our issues are deadening, they frustrate us to the point that we just want to walk away. Our hearts start to toughen and get hard. Life is full of futility and coarseness. But along comes someone with cables, and in just a few moments our situation has completely turned around. What they’ve done seems miraculous, and the grace they carry with them is profound.

Father, send to your Church gifts of encouragement. We are needy and we could use a jump from time-to-time. Please provide what we need, and help us to bless others. Give us wisdom, power and grace to reach out and connect others to your Presence. Amen.