Do you have a “Dead End” Hope?

Probing Proverbs: 1:3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.

What is the difference between "wisdom" and "philosophy?" Philosophers live in the world of ideas, whereas wisdom lives in the world of Truth. Some ideas are founded on Truth, some are not. It can be healthy to spend some time as a philosopher, because that allows you to reflect, contemplate, and meditate. The danger takes place when we become content to just think about ideas and never act on them. Paul dealt with these kinds of individuals in Acts. The goal of any philosopher that is honest is to deal with “ideas” to find the Truth in them. To be content to hear yourself talk about an idea that benefits no reality exposes an unhealthy love of self.

Notice – wise sayings (a proverb) are not just so someone will say “How Wise!” That’s what many philosophers love to hear! The problem surfaces when we find that our "book" knowledge has no real application to real life! We all need to make sure that we are seeking real Truth, not subjective truth or theoretical truth. Truth is knowledge (data) applied which is wisdom!

Truth is not subject to your emotions, or circumstances. It is what it is. There is no "your truth" vs. "my truth" in reality. There is “your” versus “my” preference, which is fine - but that is not Truth. Theoretical truth is only useful when brought to fruition and then we can act on the truthfulness or falseness of that theory.

Any Idea that remains only that, is at best, "only data" and most often is wasted time and “dead end” hopes.

God’s Word makes it clear: Wisdom is to help us live in a manner where our emotions are not our master, success is based on quality, not quantity and the standard we live by is not a "designer" truth we have made to justify the way we live.

I encourage all to enjoy discovering, developing and digesting the "world of ideas," yet remaining committed to the higher goal of seeking Truth. When you combine those two, you become a person that has ownership of their beliefs. You have reflected and meditated on the ideas that have entered your mind and allowing the Holy Spirit the freedom, you find what the Truth is. Now you know “what” you believe AND “why!” Nothing brings real Hope than that reality!

 “The so what?”

What do you believe about God; about life; about success? Why? How did you come to those beliefs? Is there a “standard” of Truth in your life? What is it? Why?

In 2016 is there a Safe place to find?

As we leave Christmas of 2015 and face a brand new year, with all that is happening globally, and personally in what life brings each of us, is there a place we can call Safe? Just today I received an email from a brother that has loved our family for decades. He had the difficult task of reporting to me that due to lower offerings in 2015, the local Body that he is a part of was going to have to cut some of our support. This context makes this last Devo on this topic very personal to me. As I read his email I found myself hurting for him having to break this kind of news to me…and no concern at all about our financial situation as missionaries. As I contemplated why I felt this way, I realized it is because I really believe all these Truths the Scriptures bring forth concerning the Body of Christ. We all are part of a much larger plan than we could ever imagine! Bumps may happen, we may fall and scratch ourselves during the race…but if we just stay focused on that finish line…excuse please, Who is waiting at that finish line, NOTHING can hinder what He will ultimately produce in our life! His Church, the universal Body, in spite of all the warts and pimples found on the “local” parts, His Body is a Safe place and can bring us to a perfect peace in the midst of chaos!

Just to review:

1. It is an Eternal Project

·      a. A Place to find Nourishment

·      b. A Place for Corporate Worship

·      c. A Place that Naturally Reproduces

·      d. A place for ordering our priorities

·      e. A place for honesty

·      f. A place where God's power is shown

·      g. A place where God is revered

·      h. A place where Satan will focus his energy

As we allow Him to work through us we will help produce that Safe place! Here are the last descriptions I will offer at this time: The Body of Christ is: 

i. A place of refreshment and communion

j. A place of balance

Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Our Lord understands seasons, and He will use each one in our life to bring quality and a compass that gives a purpose.

k. A place of encouragement

l. A clearing house for truth

m. A place where the power of God can be funneled

Acts 11:19-26 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.  Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,  and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

God has supplied the Message; all we need to do is cooperate! We will see lives supernaturally changed and provide a standard that all can live in a way to please their Creator

n. A place God uses even with it's lack of faith

Remember Acts 12, Peter is in prison and the Church is praying for his deliverance. God, in spite of the believers lack of faith, God still honored those prayers.

Acts 12:

…11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." 12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" 15 "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

o. A place to use your gifts

p. A ministry clearing house

Acts 13:1-3 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

q. A place of order

r. A place of accountability

s. A place of unity

t. A place of affirmation

u. A universal place - Family

Let’s remember, before Christ established the Church, the world was broken into 3 groups that hated each other! Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles. The Body of Christ unites through the Holy Spirit, Who affirms each individual, while bringing each into accountability with one another!

Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Acts  15:3-4 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Lastly, and most importantly, the Body of Christ leads us to become selfless because God was our example:

v. A place that cost God everything

God’s love for us brings us into such a Safe place that we can lose sight of ourselves and keep our eyes on the ball…which makes us free from whatever this world could ever do to us. Paul stated well in Acts 20

…20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. ²¹ I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. ²² “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. ²⁴ But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

As you begin this year – please take a moment to ponder only one question – What are you willing to do, to allow God to accomplish His plan for you in the Body of Christ?