ACCEPTING THE UNACCEPTABLE

Acts 21:14- And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

As free will morals agents we may not detect when we have stepped out of the Will of God.  at times our will may appear to be the direction God has ordained for us to go.  This is why God does not get angry when we are sincerely in His permissive will.  However, God wants us in His Perfect Will.  But more than we would like, God’s Will is covered by the fog of His purpose.  In other words, God may not allow us to go the way we think best; but, He will allow us to go through some unacceptable things in order to get to what will be acceptable.  The unacceptable things will help us even the more to appreciate where God is taking us and what He has done to get us there.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33b).  Test, trials, and tribulations are an unacceptable part of life.  No one in their right mind wants to suffer or wait.  Even our Lord had to defeat fear (Heb. 5:7-8), and He was content to do the Will of God.  Our Lord knows how we feel when life just does not seem fair (Heb. 4:15).  But as it was with Him—there is a greater purpose, there actually is a reason and a method to the madness.  When we learn to accept what is unacceptable then the Holy Spirit will empower us and reveal the “more than conquerors” that He said we are (Rom. 8:37)!    

HOLD YOUR PEACE

Ex. 14:14- The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

For most of us it is second nature to speak out of our feeling, findings, or fears.  This is what happened to Israel when they were seemingly stuck at the Red Sea.  They were talking to Moses as though he twisted their arm to leave Egypt, but the rebels ventured on their own.  Nevertheless when they saw the Egyptian army coming from the rear, Moses was blamed for not minding his business: “Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness” (Exod. 14:12).  Israel had left the land of slavery, but slavery didn’t leave Israel.  They may not have looked like slaves with all of the spoils of the Egyptians on them (Exod. 3:21-22), but the words of their mouth exposed the inner truth!

One of the hardest things to do is to hold our peace when we are fearful or angry.  At these points the mouth becomes a breached dam.  When our words contradict the Word of God we will pay a hefty price.  Though the flesh will think it ill-advised to hold our peace, surely the Holy Spirit would not tell our spirit to speak anything contrary to the Will of God.  If we open our mouth to speak faithless, negative, harmful, or hurtful words, we have opened mouth to insert our foot.  Check yourself before speaking.  Although it may not feel right, it may be best to hold your peace and let God make a way and fight your battle.

DUTY

Eccl. 12:13- Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Like a child in the mall looking for their parents, when we lose our sense of duty to God we will wander aimlessly.  Knowing our duty keeps us focus on our God-given purpose.  In the topical verse above, it is plainly stated that our duty is to “fear God” and “to keep His commandments.”  These two commands alone are a person’s life worth.  Solomon, who is the writer of the above Scripture, had to take a retrospective look at his life to draw to this conclusion.                   

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Ps. 19:7a), and “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever” (19:9a).  Our fear of the Lord will decide whether or not we will obey His Word.  Never in history has there been such a struggle to obey God then in the days we presently live.  Our lives are filled with so much stuff, and for some of us at the bottom of the pile are the things of God.  This is the problem!  God’s place should be on the throne of our hearts.  David said, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Ps. 119:11).  So whoever has your heart—has you.  It is the duty of you and me to make sure God has our heart, and that we are sensitive towards what is revealed about the heart of God.  Fear God and obey His voice, for this is our duty.  This will keep us from grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). 

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS

Hag 1:5- Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

In our topical Scripture, the Prophet Haggi (he was a post-extollic prophet) warned Israel of their failures upon returning to their homeland after more than seventy years of captivity.  They were to make sure that the temple was built, so that they could restore their worship unto the Lord.  Rather than finished the house of God, most of the people became concerned and engrossed with finishing their own houses.  Not remembering that this same attitude about the things of God is what caused their captivity!  Their ways were not just questionable, but downright appallingly ignorant.  Haggi, with the help of his younger student-prophet Zechariah, made the remnant from captivity “Consider Their Ways.”  He admonished them to finish the house of worship for the same God who spared their lives while in captivity: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).   

Out of all the challenges in life, none is harder than to challenge self.  It is much easier to look in the direction of another then it is for us to confront the man in the mirror.  As daunting of a task this may be, it is vital and extremely necessary.  If I do not question self my behaviors and wrongs will continue without interruption, without correction.  Always consider what you are saying, thinking, or doing.  Does it please God?  We cannot live under the notion that all of our ways are beyond reproach.  So since none of us are perfect, let’s “consider our ways.”  

WE CANNOT HIDE

Ps. 139:2- Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

The men that bombed the World Trade Center in New York back in 2001 were living among us.  They pretended to be neighbors while planning our demise at the same time.  How sobering is this!  The enemies ate American food, dressed in American clothes, and enjoyed the American way of life only to use what we enjoy against us. 

What they did is pretty similar to what some believers do in their hearts: plotting do the evil to others, planning to use their bodies for sexual pleasure, using their mouths to offend, or just thinking evils thoughts without stopping, rebuking, or even challenging them.  These things are done in the inner man because no will ever know.  Not so!

God knows our thoughts before it enters our mind.  The omniscience God sees our motives and knows our intentions.  We cannot hide what is going on in our hearts and minds from Him.  He knows!  The Lord wants us to confess our wrongs to Him, so that He can wash and heal us: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases….” (Ps. 103:3; read I John 1:9 also).  Also, God wants us to confess our wrongs out of obedience to Him.  This way we denounce the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11), and face what we did wrong.  So do not fool yourself, God is always watching with His all seeing eyes.  What are you thinking about? You cannot hide it.

JESUS MADE IT POSSIBLE

II Cor. 10:4- (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Change is possible if we look to the cross of Christ.  Jesus took our sin to Calvary so that we might have victory over the sin nature that has been with us from our mother’s womb.  Once we received Him in our lives by faith, we acquired His grace; moreover, He paid for the Holy Spirit to be within us.  The Spirit empowers us to do what was impossible for us to do before His indwelling.  But this will not come to fruition without total obedience and compliance to the Word of God.  If we think winning the battles in our minds is possible without the support and guidance of God’s Word—and the ever willing presence of the Spirit—we will be devastatingly sorry.  Is change possible?  Sure it is!  Are we willing to use the spiritual weapons given to us?  The mind cannot defeat itself.  No!  It needs someone who has all knowledge.        

It would be ill-advised to show up to a gun battle with a bow and arrow.   We need weapons properly suited for the war that is being waged.  The blood of Jesus purchased all we would ever need to live a victorious life.  His selfless sacrifice made it possible for us to live as more than conquerors in a hostile world; especially where the heat of the battle is the worst, in Me.  By the Word of God we can cast down all false imaginations, every lofty thought, and every bit of self-knowledge that would dare question the knowledge of God.  Then we would make our thoughts to be subjected to God’s thoughts; therefore making it necessary to place under arrest anything that is contrary to the mind of God.  Thank you Jesus!  It is time to pull down my strongholds.        

LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING

John 13:34- A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

From the moment we were conceived we inherited ways, habits, and would have certain predispositions similar to various members in our family.  The “sin gene” in all humans is the reason for our character flaws and personality issues that causes us to clash with others.   “Blood is thicker than water.”  I was prompted to give the previous statement because many spouses, friends, associates, etc… have desired to change the ways of certain ones they have to deal with on a daily basis; especially if they are in an intimate relationship with them.  But books, education, laws, ordinances, protocol, threats, and even known severe consequences, have failed to change them, and so will you and I!  Therapy and psychological advances have definitely made an impact on many individuals, but the war in the minds of humans against change fiercely wages on.  But there is a better way.

The most powerful source in the universe is love (I John 4:8, 16).  Love does not mean that we have to accept or condone the inappropriate behaviors or ill-mannerisms of others.  However, we are bound by blood contract to Jesus Christ to love those around us in spite of their obvious flaws and shortcomings.  “Love never fails” (I Cor. 13:8).  Love has been responsible for calming savage beasts.  It would also do us good to remember our own flaws, faults, and failures; and then we could be more patience with others.  Playing on a level field makes the game much easier to define and play.  Through love we can succeed where mere human intellect, means, and devices have failed.  So although we cannot change others our words, prayers, and actions can, as long as they are done in love.     

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Matt. 6:33- But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

At times we want what we do not need, and at other times we need what we do not want.  There is nothing wrong with desiring a mate, but have you learned to be happy being single?  If you are in Christ single does not mean you are half, but whole.  Perhaps you desire to save some money, but you have yet to stop your frivolous spending habits.  Maybe you desire a new car because you are tired of the one you have, but you know the prospects of a high car payment right now is not doable.  Whatever your heart desires must be placed in its proper prospective; and no matter how urgent our flesh may make things to seem, if first things are not placed first, we may be opening Pandora’s Box!

When God is first in our lives, then we can experience life’s true joys.  The Creator of all living things is highly offended whenever something or someone in our lives takes precedent over Him; especially if we allow our emotions, feelings, thoughts, and will to resist His Word, so that our reason is justified.  Do not just make God apart of your agenda.  Let Him guide your steps, and be at the top of the list!  Without the Lord all of our accomplishments are vain and worthless.  But when we seek Him (reading, meditating, and obeying His Word), He will add to our lives the things that are needful.  The Almighty does not want us stressed and worried, but to be blessed and to worship Him: The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it (Prov. 10:22).

TIMING

Eph 5:16- Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

It has been said, “If you waste time, then time will waste you.”  Time is one of the things in life man cannot control.  If we do not use time wisely, then precious moments will slip by while we idly watch the clock.  Though the clock seems to move ever so slowly, surely it never stops moving.  From the moment we mention what we must get done, the clock mocks us!  Morning turns to afternoon, and then comes the evening time.  Did it get done?  “Time awaits no one.” 

The times in which we live in are so uncertain—Jesus could call for His Church at any time.  Since He’s coming like a thief in the night (Rev. 3:3), it is imperative that we manage our time well.  Whatever we must do for God should be first on the list.  Prioritize.  Only what we do for Christ shall last.  Our Lord only spent a little more than three years on earth, but his time was use to make maximum impact!  So much so, He alone is responsible for changing the lives of billions throughout the past two thousand years since His departure.  You and I are being created in the image of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Let us seek the Lord about how we can be more useful to His kingdom by better managing the time God has allotted to us.         

LIMITATIONS

Eph 5:18- And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

God wants His people to have fun and to enjoy this life that He has so graciously bless us with.  However, all believers should know to stay within the limits of God’s Word.  As children of the Most High God, there must be a noticeable difference between how we have fun and how the world has the same.  Their fun is without limits, and many times they will break moral standards which should be upheld.  While enjoying our Christian walk we should always see to it that our pleasurable times are pleasing in God’s sight.  Having fun at the cost of disobeying, displeasing, or disrespecting God, or our fellowman, is folly at its best.

Wine makes the hearts of men glad (Ps. 104:15).  It is shameful how scripture can be taken out of content, or not studied to get the full benefit.  I dare not say that a believer is a hypocrite because he or she partakes of an alcoholic beverage.  As believers we must know what God’s Word says, and state His limitations and do not cross the invisible line.  What may be okay for another might not be for me.  Anything that clouds my good judgment shows I am not walking soberly.  To be filled with the Spirit means that He will lead us if we are willing to heed His instructions.  If I am so intoxicated by pleasure that I forget my lifestyle of worship, then there is a problem.  Excess means too much of, but to be filled with the Spirit denotes having an abundance of; and, we can never have too much of the Spirit’s life in us.  I love the way Clint Eastwood said it: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”