pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 12, 2017

Exaltation

To exalt something or someone simply means to lift up, to elevate.
There is no way and no need for us to raise the throne of God any higher on the heavenly pedestal.  We can never elevate Jesus beyond the level He now occupies:  King of kings and Lord of lords.   So what does it mean to “exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool” or at “His holy mountain?”

We exalt the Lord when we lift up His holy name. 
While the name of Jesus occupies the highest place, (Eph 1:15-22; Phil 5:2-11) this fallen world and the people in it constantly denigrate His name, trying to make it meaningless and best and a curse at worst.  It is our job to elevate the name of Jesus to the highest place in our thinking, in our speech, in our art, in our hearts, and certainly in our worship.  We must counter the denigration of the world with the volume, eloquence, and the spiritual power of our praise, our exaltation of the Lord’s name.

We exalt the Lord when we extol His character.
The ancient song of the Old Covenant must ring out in our worship, “The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever!”  The same fallen world systems that denigrate the name of Jesus also constantly impugn the character of God.  We must counter those accusations with truth!  God is good; He is not evil, or distant, or unconcerned.  Jesus is the revelation of who God really is.  To see Jesus is to see the Father.  To know the power of the Holy Spirit is to know the power of the Creator.

We exalt the Lord when we proclaim His Word.
The world today occupies a contradictory position:  people deny the existence of absolute truth while at the same time they relentlessly search for truth.  Jesus is the Living Word!  Exalting Jesus lifts this one Book above all other titles.  When we boldly proclaim the real truth of God, the Holy Spirit, who is called The Spirit of Truth, propels the Word of God like an arrow to the heart of the person who doesn’t know Jesus.  His Word also penetrates the hearts of believers who are struggling in their walk with God.  A clear vision of Jesus on His Throne, and the veracity of His Word changes us!

We exalt the Lord when we tell our story of what Jesus has done for us. 
The psalmists say that we should exalt the Lord because of His marvelous deeds.

  • If He has touched your life and changed you forever— Exalt His name!
  • If He has been faithful to you in all things— Exalt His name!
  • If He has healed you, delivered you, and kept you saved, healed and delivered—Exalt His name!

When we tell our story of life without and with Jesus, our testimony exalts His name.
It is no wonder that we overcome the wicked one by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

We exalt the Lord when we tell His story.
There is simply no story like His story, no story that enters into our story, no narrative that never ends, no epic that encounters the heart, and no saga that saves the soul like the story of Jesus.  It is the story of the Love of God.  We will never will the lost with arguments and demonstrations of excellence; the story of Jesus told with the anointing of the Spirit is the power of God unto salvation for all people.

When we elevate the cross of Christ, we are telling His story.
As the permanent symbol of our faith in Him, we dare not lift up a cross with Jesus dead or dying upon it for the Jesus story does end on that hill.  We must lift up an empty cross for it tells the whole of the Good News of the Gospel:

  • Incarnation,
  • Atonement,
  • Redemption,
  • Ascension, and
  • Everlasting Kingdom

We exalt Him when we tell the truth–The cross is empty!
God save us from a half-told story and a tragic and powerless Jesus pinned to the cross!  Jesus is the victor over death, hell, and the grave!

Today is a day for exaltation, not of ourselves but the exaltation of Jesus, His cross, His story, His love, His faithfulness, His truth, His character, and for all to hear, His lovely, holy name!

Scriptures:
Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Psalm 30: 34:1-3
I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. …I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
John 12:32-34
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”  He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
Psalm 99:5; 9
Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.
Psalm 107:31-32
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I exalt You! I award the highest place in my mind to You. I claim the deepest place in my heart for You. Compared to Your throne in heaven, these things are pitiful and petty. Yet there are what I have to give. Remind me today that Your touch makes plain things beautiful, worthless things priceless, and weak things mighty. I will exalt You today with the word of my testimony. My work shall be worship. My words will be Your praise. My mind will welcome Your wisdom and my heart your compassion. With all of my being I will exalt You this day. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Song:
I Exalt Thee
Words and Music: Pete Sanchez Jr.

For Thou O Lord art high above all the earth.
Thou art exalted far above all gods.
For Thou O Lord art high above all the earth.
Thou art exalted far above all gods.

I exalt Thee, I exalt Thee. I exalt Thee, O Lord.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 10, 2017

Chosen!

Surely the relentless days of sheep keeping ran together for the youngest son of Jesse.
It is most likely that he had no idea that the day of Samuel’s visit to the family farm would be any different for him. He wasn’t invited to the sacrifice. Jesse had a strong grasp on the situation. Everyone knew that King Saul was in big trouble. He felt sure that God would find the next king among Jesse’s impressive collection of young men. Still this had nothing to do with young David. Somebody needed to watch the flock and David was really good at that so let him stay in the field and write some more of those songs.

The Prophet Who Mumbled
The ceremony was a strange one as the old Prophet Samuel with a horn of anointing oil in his hand went down the row of fine young men. No one knows how many passes he made before stopping in front of Eliab, the eldest son of Jesse. The moment that Samuel used to look deep into the eyes of Eliab was at least an hour long for those looking on. The frown on the wrinkled face of the last judge of Israel did nothing to reassure Jesse or his brood. The old man was heard by all but understood by none as he mumbled a conversation with God.

The frown became a slow rotation of the head from right to left, increasing in speed and violence. A familiar voice in the old man’s heart told him that God saw things differently than men. He was looking inside for something that was absent from Eliab. Jesse was numb and barely breathing as his next two sons, Abinadab and Shammah, each one every bit as striking in appearance as their older brother, got the same treatment.

Samuel made it through all seven sons with the same mumbling result. He knew God’s voice and that the chosen one had to be here somewhere. Inquiries revealed the existence of David out in the fields. This must have annoyed Samuel because he wouldn’t let anyone sit down until David was arrived.

The young man’s appearance was striking, even more handsome than his vaunted brothers.
The Prophet locked eyes with him and as he did his heart began to race. He saw something deep in David’s eyes that only God had seen before. The eyes were clear. Unclouded by mixed motives and undimmed by selfish schemes, they were windows to a soul that knew something of God. This was the heart of one who pursued the heart of God.

Quickly, the horn of oil was lifted high and upturned to splash its holy contents on the head of this shepherd boy who would become the King. The oil signified that he had been chosen for the position.

  • He would go into battle in the power of the Name of the Lord as giants and pagan armies would prove unable to defeat him.
  • He would lead the people of God with a skillful hand and a musical heart.
  • His heart would be called one that is after—meaning it was fashioned in the likeness of—the heart of God.
  • But when that likeness failed him and he sinned against God, his heart continued to pursue the heart of God in repentance.

When Jesus Walks among Us
Like Samuel, the Lord Jesus walks the well-ordered ranks of worshipers gathered together, holding a vial of precious oil, looking for hearts that are true. He has an anointing for each of us—a person to be, and a work to do—a calling, a selection that defines the life we should live. When God chooses, we call that the anointing. God does not leave us to serve Him in our ability—He empowers us to do what He calls us to do. This empowerment is also called the anointing.

It is the business of each of us to return the searching gaze of God, looking deep into His heart. For the anointing flows when the heart of the worshiper connects with the heart of God.

Scriptures:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
1 John 2:20; 27 NIV
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth….As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my life is no accident. It can only be a miracle that every man, woman, and child on earth has been chosen. We are chosen for salvation for Your died for all. We have been packed with talents and interests that we discover in play as children and in work as adults. These gifts are indications of what You have put us on earth—Your Divine Choice for Us! I want to walk in your anointing today. I want to sow the good seed and water the young plants, tend those who are threatened by confusing weeds, and I want to harvest the ripened fruit of ministry. This is somehow done in a mysterious connection between my humanity and Your divinity, my skills and Your anointing for thus You have chosen me! Thank You, Lord! Amen.

Song:
Spirit of the Living God
Words and Music: David Iverson

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me,
Melt me. Mold me. Fill me. Use men.
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions April, May

May 9, 2017

Established

There are those among us who know how to get things done.
The Lord we serve certainly belongs in that group. When God establishes something we can count on it.

Early in the week, it is good to review our holdings, to remember what things have been established in our lives by the hand of God. He has established a New Covenant with us with four outstanding promises:

  1. The forgiveness of sins,
  2. A close relationship with Him,
  3. An intuition about spiritual things, and
  4. His very Word written into our hearts.

These are some of the realities established in the New Covenant:

  • We need not fear the darkness. There is a lamp for each step we take and a light for the pathway ahead. His Word is established in the heavens.
  • He has given His name as a prayer, a praise, and a powerful defense. To whisper His name, is to summon angels, to touch the hem of His garment, and to break the Alabaster jar. All who would dare oppose us, tremble at the sound of His name, or at least they should, and for sure they will.
  • He strikes the key for a song for us to sing in the night that soothes the troubled soul.
  • He has established our comings and our goings from this time forward and forevermore.
  • He has hemmed us in behind and before and laid His hand upon us.

With this partial list of all that God has established for His people, we can face the week with courage and strength. We can expect things to go well for us and if they don’t, we will not despair because we know our footsteps are ordered of the Lord and that He has plans for us to prosper in the ways that really count

The Lord has established New Covenant worship with these blessings:

  • He has established Gates of Thanksgiving—let us proceed through them in gratitude to face the day.
  • He has established Courts of Praise—let us dwell in them today, rejoicing in the Lord.
  • He has established a Holy Place of Worship, the Word, and Prayer—let every word and deed today be adoration for Him, as we boldly place our petitions before Him.
  • He has established the Holy of Holies—let us live and move and have our being in the beauty of His holiness.

Institutions may fail. Plans may go awry. Friends may fail us and foes assail us, but our God can never fail. His Kingdom is established and secure.

Remember, He knows how to get things done.

Scriptures:
Psalm 89
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'” The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. …The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. You created the north and the south… Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt (them.) Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel. Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people. I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries. My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted. I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers. He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’ I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth… Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.
Genesis 17:3-8 NIV
Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, …I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
Hebrews 8:10-12 NIV
This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have confidence in You today. The things You have established in Your New Covenant with us are unfailing. Time has not weakened them. Use has not eroded them. Like Your mercies, they are new every morning. If there is any randomness in these things, we have contributed it. Help me be intentional and faithful to You today. Don’t let my distraction or my weak will stop me short of the life You have established for me. I want to walk in Your fullness today. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Song of Praise
Our Great Savior
Words and Music: J. Wilbur Chapman

1. Jesus! What a friend for sinners!
Jesus! lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole

Refrain:
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

2. Jesus! what a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him;
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my strength, my vict’ry wins.

Refrain

3 Jesus! what a help in sorrow!
While the billows o’er me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

3 Jesus! what a help in sorrow!
While the billows o’er me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

4 Jesus! what a guide and keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night o’ertakes me,
He, my pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

5 Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find,
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 7, 2017

Cities

The word “city” is rooted in the same source as “citizen,” “civic,” and “civilization.”
In ancient villages the work was much the same from generation to generation; progress was not high on the agenda. Skills were passed down by elders to younger folk. Except for the occasional trip to a nearby city, the long work days bound people together in community, reinforced by the Sabbath and the various holidays.

In ancient cities, and today, civilization is on the move. Progress is the agenda—improvement is the traffic in the busy streets. More of this, more of that, more time to do more things, more money, more, more, more.

All the while the civilized city dweller dreams of the country, the quaint village, the beach town and the beach itself, the mountain lodge with vast windows to look upon vast vistas of created things so far from the city.

The Psalmist explores the cities in his world and compares them to the City of God—Zion.
Zion began as a mountain—the Hill of the Lord—and became King David’s temporary tabernacle housing the Ark of the Covenant, and then Solomon’s Temple where the Shekinah of God rested in a little room, secure behind a heavy veil. Then it was a city—the City of David—where holy history, present power and promised prosperity trafficked together in the narrow streets.

The Psalmist speaks of the advantages of citizenship in Zion. “This one was born in Zion.” This fact granted immediate status, one greater than birthplaces with different names, to the People of God.

There were walls, and city gates, and law enforcement, and politicians whose job it was to keep the peace in and the enemies out. But the true security of Zion was the veracity of their covenant-keeping God. He was their Lawgiver, their gate, their walls against profane insurgents.

The city is also a biblical metaphor for the church.
The source word for church means, “the called out ones.” Because each Christ-follower has an inner light set ablaze by the Abiding Spirit of God, we become a shining City on a Hill that cannot be ignored when collect together to worship.

But what has this to do with Zion?

If you read every passage in the Bible that refers to Zion, as I have done, you will likely agree with my conclusion: What does “Zion” mean? It is the dwelling and ruling place of God.

  • So Heaven is Zion, uncompromised, untainted, unassailed and we spiritually ascend to Mt. Zion as we worship in Spirit and in Truth.
  • The church on earth is a part of Zion when Jesus takes residence in her and when she gives the reins of power over to Him.

Blessed is the one who is born again in Zion!

  • This is a civilization based on Truth.
  • Our citizenship is registered in heaven.
  • Our civic duty is to worship and serve the Lord.
  • There are no ghettos or darkened streets or alleyways.
  • The Peace of Christ rules in every boardroom.
  • The Plan of God is seen in every yearly projection.
  • The Power of God flows through every connection and line.

I know this is a millennial vision of a time yet to come. But can’t we have a little of it in the church today?

Scriptures:
Psalm 87 NIV
He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: “I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me — Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush — and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.'” Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.” As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”
Psalm 9:11 NIV
Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
Psalm 46:4 NIV
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
Psalm 48:1-3;12-14 NIV
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. … is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress. …Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 50:2 NIV
From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.
Hebrews 12:22-24 NIV
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God…
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as we pray each day for Your Kingdom to come and Your will to be done on earth, help us to remember the City of God is here—Your Glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle! We are her citizens, responsible keepers of the City. Just as surely as Zion is in heaven, it is also here on earth. Let me about the business of Your City today, the commerce of grace, the industry of hope and the keeping of the Peace of Christ. Amen and Amen.

Song:
Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
Words: John Newton; Music: Joseph Haydn

1. Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God.
God, whose word cannot be broken, formed thee for his own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded, thou may’st smile at all thy foes.

2. See, the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love,
Well supply thy sons and daughters and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint while such a river  ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the giver, never fails from age to age.

3. Round each habitation hovering, see the cloud and fire appear
For a glory and a covering, showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from their banner light by night and shade by day,
Safe they feed upon the manna which God gives them when they pray.

4. Savior, since of Zion’s city I through grace a member am,
Let the world deride or pity, I will glory in your name.
Fading are the world’s best pleasures, all its boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasures none but Zion’s children know.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 6, 2017

Undivided

The fragrance of flowers is everywhere.
Soft music and quiet conversation also scent the air in the chapel with anticipation of the entrance of the bride. Finally all the groomsmen are in place, the bridesmaids are in position, and a nervous trio of men: preacher, best man, and groom, are secretly glad the parade has ended. Suddenly the organist turns a page, the music swells and the whole gathering stands on cue.

Here comes the bride.

For Better or for Worse
Soon significant words are spoken that no one will remember and vows are exchanged that must be remembered forever. An official, legal declaration of marriage is pronounced followed by a kiss and a triumphant exit, arm-in-arm, by the newly-minted married couple. Legally, two hearts have been joined, no longer divided, but united in the sight of God and this company.

If all goes well every year these vows will be revisited: two hearts cemented together as one by a growing love and welded together by fires of devotion and the pressures of daily life. As long as their hearts remain undivided, so will their home, their family, and even their minds.

If all does not go well, something will divide these hearts. It may be work, inattention, or some other external force. Most likely it will be another person. There is no room for another man or another woman in the heart of a married person. A fissure such as this divides the heart, wounding it, often beyond repair. Too often, the divided heart divides the home. The hearts that were one in the eyes of God and this company are now two again, but now betrayed, broken and bleeding.

The marriage union is a picture of the union of God and His people.
This union is celebrated in worship.

  • Unity in worship brought the Glory of God down to earth at the dedication of the Solomon’s Temple and the power of the Spirit the Day of Pentecost.
  • The Psalms command all the generations to worship together.
  • Jesus prayed that we would be one—undivided.
  • Paul shared the secret of the church at Ephesus—Jesus tore down the walls between the cultures.
  • John saw a universal church from every tribe and tongue and nation gathered before the Throne of God and of the Lamb.

It is time to seek the Lord for an undivided heart of worship.
We should not be a reflection of the world, divided by conflicting goals and passions. We must rise in a unity that shines in brilliant, blinding light against the muddled, dark confusion of a world at war with itself, sliced like a pie into slivers of preference, race, income, education, age and taste. With undivided hearts in worship, we can lift Jesus high enough for the world to see Him in His glory.

We have yet to see the power of the church with an undivided heart of worship.

Scriptures:
Psalm 86 NIV
Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. …Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name… O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 NKJV
…indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD,…saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
Acts 2:1-4 NIV
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
John 17:20-22 NIV
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Ephesians 2:14-16 NIV
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
James 1:8 KJV
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You and the Father and the Spirit are One. On the night that You were betrayed You prayed that those who followed You one be One in the same way the Trinity is One. This can only be done by the Spirit of God. Lord, You know that by nature I have a divided heart with passions at war with each other and subconscious motivations of which I am not aware. Lord, unify my heart! Let my passion be pure and focused on You and Your Kingdom. Lord, the church today is divided often by our own plans. Make us One in the Spirit. Let the generations come together at Your Throne! Lord Jesus, only You can tear down the walls we have built. Lord, make us One! In Jesus’ name, amen!

Song:
They’ll Know We Are Christians
Words and Music: Peter Scholtes

1. We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that our unity may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

2. We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand.
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

3. We will work with each other; we will work side by side.
We will work with each other; we will work side by side.
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

4. All praise to the Father, from whom all things come.
And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son.
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 3, 2017

Skillful

Many Christ-followers are confused about skill.
We who refer to the power of the Holy Spirit as “The Anointing,” are sometimes suspicious of skill on an almost subconscious level. The last thing we want to do is try to minister “in the flesh” rather than “in the Spirit.” In a blaring contradiction we also seek out those who are skillful to learn their secrets and hopefully to emulate their successes. Often we pay lip service to skill while leaning heavily on the anointing. Other believers have no trouble with skill while they scratch their heads over this talk about the anointing.

The truth is the Kingdom of God is seldom a place of “either/or” and is most often a wonderful land of “both/and.”

Learning from King David
Turning to our leadership guide, Holy Scriptures, we can see that each force has its place. In Asaph’s wonderful history lesson we call Psalm 78, he concludes with this statement about his boss, King David. “…David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”

King David functioned a like potter, skillfully molding a single peaceful Kingdom out of two waring ones. He was an administrator who recognized skillful leaders, put them in charge of their part of the work, and released them to do as their skills dictated.

It wasn’t foolproof. Sometimes it worked and at other times it failed.

  • He appointed skillful musicians in charge of planning and making music for the Tabernacle he pitched on Mt. Zion and soon the whole nation was singing the praises of God.
  • He commissioned the best cart-builders in his kingdom to make a cart to transport the Ark; a dead man was the result. God had a better plan that David had to discover.

Human skill is not the enemy of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In practical fact, they are partners.

There is a partnership between skill and anointing.
The errant theology that imagines a choice between skill and anointing springs from a poor definition of talent itself. Dictionaries refer to talent as a special, natural, innate aptitude. We often call skill talent: “He is a talented trumpet player,” and so on. What we really see is skill: talent developed into skill by discipline and preparation.

  • Talent, the ability to learn to do something, is God’s gift to us.
  • Skill, the ability to do something well, is our gift back to God.

So where does that leave us?

  • We must recognize the innate aptitudes God has given us.
  • We must find His will and get about the ongoing task of learning the skills required by that work.
  • We must always lean on the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work.

Like King David on his second and successful attempt to bring up the Ark, we can know the joy of ministering in power of the Spirit. David laid aside his kingly robes and danced before the Lord with all his might wearing the linen garment of the priests. He was dancing both in the flesh and in the Spirit.

How skillful of him!

Scriptures:
Psalm 78:56-72 NKJV
Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God…When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel, So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand. He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance. …Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach. Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever. He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
1 Chronicles 15:22 NIV
Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.
Psalm 33:3 NIV
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
Galatians 3:3-4
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
2 Corinthians 4:7-8 NKJV
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the talent You invested in me. Thank You for the wonderful grace of teachers and colleagues of similar giftings who have taught me over the years. If I have gained any skill, I offer it back to You in praise, worship, and obedience. Help me be evermore skillful in serving You. And when I have done my best, Lord, please add the power of Your Spirit to my art, to my obedience. Don’t let my music linger at the human level of entertainment or even art. Take it deeper into the spirit of those who hear me so that a spiritual work may be done. Let me live in this partnership of skill and anointing. All for You, Lord Jesus. All for You! Amen.

Song:
Anointing, Fall on Me
Words and Music: Donn Thomas

Anointing, fall on me. Anointing, fall on me.
Let the power of the Holy Ghost fall on me.

Touch my hands, my mouth and my heart.
Fill my life, Lord, every part.
Let the power of the Holy Ghost fall on me.
Anointing, fall on me.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 2, 2017

 

Countenance

The countenance is more than just the face.
It is the look on the face—the expression. It is the angle of the mouth, the direction of the eye brows and most of all it is the look in the eyes. It is has been rightly said they are windows to the soul. They are like the Table of Contents for the heart.

Countenance requires proximity—nearness. We can recognize a form at a distance and a face at closer range, but the eyes can only be studied from close proximity.

Made for Better Things
Our Creator installed many desires into our hearts, desires which pull us toward Him. Even as accountability becomes our burden and we drift far from God through our sin and self-interest, there is a mechanism in us, like a radio receiver constantly monitoring signals from home. It keeps blinking its little red light, reminding us that we were made for better things.

  • We were made to fellowship with God, not run from Him.
  • Our design was that of a co-worker with God in the ongoing processes of creation, not that of a rebel, malcontent or a sluggard.
  • We are not created to combat the Spirit but to walk in the Spirit.
  • Our organs of speech were not activated so that we could gripe and complain but that we would tell the Life-Story, the Gospel.
  • These magnificent machines we call our bodies are not intended lie about useless while age, unseen and unsuspected, gradually drains us dry until bitter and brittle, we are wasted.

Our bodies are intended to be vessels of honor in the House of God fit for the Master’s use, earthen vessels to be sure but brimming with treasure and power and love, redeeming each moment until Christ appears in the sky.

He wanted more.
Moses saw amazing things:

  • a blazing bush that would not burn away,
  • signs and wonders before Pharoah,
  • a sea fleeing from his shepherd’s rod and a people delivered; the army that pursued them proving itself to be no navy at all, and
  • the clouded majesty of Sinai.

But he wanted more. His internal receptor buzzed and beeped with the awareness of the proximity of God and he wanted more. He wanted to see the face of God, the glory of God. God put him on a rock and then into the rock, covered him with his hand and passed by before him. Under the rules of the Old Covenant, He did not see God’s face for even Moses was guilty before God and sin always keeps the face of God away. Still the vision of Jehovah passing before him, lit all the dials on his internal machine until the glory of it glowed through his countenance. When he descended from Sinai, Moses wore a veil over his face to hide the fading glory.

Jehovah’s Smile and His Frown
The Jewish nation was sometimes glorious in obedience to the Covenant and God smiled on them. At other times they sinned and their hearts and minds were darkened by the distance of God from them. They could not see His face and could barely make out His form. They cried out in their psalms to see His countenance again.

Jesus made a New Covenant in His blood.
Through Him our sins are gone—removed from us through repentance and faith in Christ. We can now do what Moses could not do—we can look upon the face and the countenance of God. This time the glory does not fade. This is the flame of the lamp Jesus talked about making us the light of the world, a hilltop city illuminating the night.

A beam of glory, His countenance shines in us.

Scriptures:
Exodus 33:18-23 NIV
Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
2 Corinthians 3:4-18 NKJV
And we have such trust through Christ toward God… who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. …Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech — unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I stand in awe of You. I have sensed Your frown, Your disappointment in me when I have sinned against You “by what I have done and what I have left undone.” I have also sensed Your smile, Your approval of me when my song has touched You, when my praise is the broken alabaster jar. In either case Your countenance is always loving. Your eyes see me in truth and pour Your love on me anyway. Your sweet Spirit calls me nearer inviting me to gaze into Your countenance. Set me to glowing today, Lord! Amen and amen.

Song:
Open the Eyes of My Heart
Words and Music: Michael W. Smith

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,
Open the eyes of my heart.
I want to see You I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up,
Shining in the light of Your glory.
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy.

Holy, holy, holy.
We cry holy, holy, holy.
You are holy, holy, holy.
I want to see you.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May

May 1, 2017

 

Splendor

Splendor is beauty on a magnificent scale.
The human heart longs for beauty from small to large, from intimate to public, from fleeting to lasting, from silent to deafening, and from earthly to heavenly.

  • We long to see beautiful eyes in a beautiful face and hear beautiful words from a beautiful voice, especially when we love the one who owns that face and voice.
  • We cannot step out of the door into a clear night with a full moon without stopping in our tracks to look upon such celestial beauty—shining moon, deep black sky, and silent stars blinking their promises of worlds yet to be found.
  • We collect works of beauty in museums and erect them on public squares.
  • We pay money to hear them and marvel at those whose years and hours of preparation have enabled them to perform masterworks.
  • We produce plays and films to tell beautiful stories again and again because these stories so often are our stories, or we want them to be.
  • We hold books in our hands: laws, constitutions, declarations—the documents of our chosen civilization—caressing beauty that extends beyond words to deeds and promises and civil expectations.

Taking what we can get.
The human heart takes what it can get of beauty, certain that with whatever portion we find, something will be missing. Beauty is not perfection; flaws are part of the charm beauty holds. Flaws are little chunks of failure that we, who may not be beautiful, can grasp and use to regain our balance, almost overcome otherwise by beauty.

This is the good news:

  • There is a beauty we can hold without fear or feelings of rejection.
  • There is a song that is simple in its perfection yet profound in its meaning.
  • There is a gallery of beauty where we are invited to enter, to share it, see it, hear it, and receive it deep into our longing souls.

Splendor shines forth.
This place is Zion, the place where God Almighty lives and rules, the place we come to when we worship. The writer to the Hebrews describes this place in terms of splendor. The psalmists keep returning to the word “splendor” to describe Zion. They knew it wasn’t a tent or a palace or even a magnificent temple. Zion is beautiful beyond man’s ability to design and construct. The music there is higher and lower and faster and slower than any music we can make. It takes angels to make this music.

And yet, there is a anthem that only people can sing—the Song of the Redeemed. And that is the song the church will sing every Lord’s Day.

As we do, our beauty-starved souls will feed on true splendor.

Scriptures:
Psalm 96 NIV
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.
Hebrews 12:22-24 NIV
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Isaiah 6:1-4 NIV
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Revelation 4:2-11
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders…Day and night they never stop saying:” Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the source of all beauty. You are the end of every search, the object of every quest. When a man or a woman or a child imagines something beautiful, it is merely a small fraction of the whole of Your Creation. Even these bits of splendor feed our souls. Give us the wisdom to pass through the riven veil of grace, torn at the moment of Your death on the cross. Take us through even the wonders of creation to behold Your beauty and that of Your throne. Here is splendor built for time and eternity, rich and satisfying in this moment and filled with promise for tomorrow. Amen and amen.

Song:
O Worship the King
Words: Robert Grant

1. O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

2. O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space!
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

3. Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

4. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

5. O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions April, Devotions

April 6, 2017

April 6, 2017

Peace

Peace is not passive. 
Peace needs to be made, kept, and embraced.  We obtain peace from God through action on our part by active faith—choosing to act on the promises of God.

Jesus is our peace, Paul said, for He has broken down the walls life builds between us and others, between us and life.  But walls don’t come down for us until we obey the commands of the Lord.

The first two are simple and lead to success in all the others:

  1. Love God with the sum total of our humanity, and,
  2. Love others as we do ourselves.

Jesus said success in all the other requirements of living with God flow from these two.  Peace and faith are integrally related to each other.

There is a spiritual progression from no peace to much peace:

  • Our confidence in God’s faithfulness to His promises gives us peace when He seems to be paying no attention to us at all.
  • Faith is ours according to the depth of our knowledge of the Word of God.
  • The more we know of the Word of God the more of His peace we enjoy.
  • The greater our availability to the Holy Spirit, the more we will know about Jesus, the church, worship, service, humility, and the Kingdom of God.

We make ourselves available to the Holy Spirit through regular prayer and Bible reading and through an unbreakable commitment to the local church in worship, fellowship, and service.  Faithfulness to God provides peace that passes all understanding.

Peace is not accidental; sometimes it must be made. 
Jesus said those who made peace would be called the children of God.  The most obvious meaning of this is to help peace come to others through the ministry of reconciliation.  Those who foment conflicts among people are not doing the work of the Kingdom.  Believers are called to help bring an end to conflicts by fairness, truth-telling, and by being a friend and good listener.

Peace is not passive; sometimes we need to go get it.
Isaiah said that those who fill their minds with the things of God will have not just peace, but perfect peace.  When peace has flown from our lives we should deliberately go to the Book or to the place of prayer and pour truth about who God is and what He has promised into our minds. With that rehearsal of eternal truth, the peace we need will flood our souls.

Peace is not passive; sometimes we have to keep it.
One of the most ancient of Christian ministries was called “the passing of the peace.”  At a special time in a worship services believers turned to embrace each other with the words, “The Peace of Christ be with you.”  The one who was embraced responded with, “And also with you.”  In the early church this part the worship service was considered so important and so powerful it was reserved for only those who had been baptized into full fellowship with the church.  Perhaps it is time to return to this ancient spirituality.  The personal touch, the kind prayer, the good will in this moment of sharing would surely promote peace within the church.  Church strife could be avoided and the proper focus of each believer could be maintained—loving God and loving people.

On this day, don’t wait for wait passively for peace.  If you don’t have it,

  • Embrace it (go get it.)
  • Make it (speak peace to others.)
  • Keep it (do the work of the Kingdom.)

And watch Jesus tear down some walls.

Scriptures

Ephesians 2:14-18
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Romans 14:17-19
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Prayer:
St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Songs of Peace
He Is Our Peace 
Composer: Kandela Groves

He is our peace who has broken down every wall
He is our peace, He is our peace
He is our peace who has broken down every wall
He is our peace, He is our peace.

Cast all your cares on Him for He careth for you
He is our peace, He is our peace
Cast all your cares on Him for He careth for you
He is our peace, He is our peace.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions April, Devotions

April 3, 2017

Profit

“What’s in it for me?” 
Undoubtedly this is a crass question, unworthy of our highest efforts.
Really?  In human terms the question above speaks of pragmatic self-interest like other common sayings:

  • “I’m looking out for number one.”
  • “I’m gonna make hay while the sun shines.”
  •  “The world be hanged!  I’m getting mine while the getting is good.”
  •  “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”
  • “Do unto others before they do unto you.”

Being cold-hearted and profit-driven are often equated in such thinking.

On a higher plane, each of us analyzes our efforts to determine success, failure, or ineffectiveness.  The most sophisticated organizations ask very sophisticated questions about what’s in it for them.

The Lenten Season
Self-assessment is a proper and godly thing to do and it is an emphasis in this season.  In business, in church, and in daily living, our methods must match our motivations.  Because we are fallen, selfishness profit motivations lie somewhere beneath the surface.  Prayerfully we root these out, cleansing our motivations from a selfish profit drive to a passion for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus spoke in terms of profit in one His most repeated questions.

Mark 8:36-38 NKJV
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Measuring Profit
We judge success in terms of numbers, increase of goods or wealth, acclaim, excellence of product, etc.  The profits of the Kingdom of God are counted by spiritual computations.  The coinage of the Christ’s Kingdom is not the same as that of the world.  Spiritual things that may not register on a cash register or accrue in a bank account, count for much in God’s economy.

Faithfulness to one’s calling is success, regardless of the measurable outcome.
Ask the pastor or missionary who faithfully sow and water the Word with little harvest to show for the effort.

  • When he or she enters into the courts of heaven, the angels and saints will stand in silent homage as the faithful one comes before Jesus.
  • A hushed heaven awaits the words of Jesus, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  You have been faithful…”
  • As soon as the commendation is out or Jesus’s mouth the innumerable company of joyful angels and the gallery filled with those of earth who are now perfect will erupt into praises loud and high sounding, and dance to rhythms that rock the doorposts of glory.

Why?  Numbers?  Hardly.  Money? Not at all.  Earthly acclaim?  It pales in comparison to the approval of Jesus.  It will be the same for all the faithful, not just pastors and missionaries.

May this coming moment of commendation from the Lord Jesus motivate us to a life of faithfulness.

This is true profit.

Scriptures

Mark 8:36-38 NKJV
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 25:22-23
“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 NKJV
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Luke 12:16-21
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my reward. Your approval is what matters most in this life and the one to come. I renounce any selfish profit motive in my work. I know that you will provide my needs since I have made Your Kingdom my primary passion. Set me free to do what You call me to do from a pure heart with Your glory as my only goal. Your smile is my motivation, Your joy in me and my work is profit, indeed. Help me measure this life by the values of the next life. In Your Lovely Name, Amen.

Song:
Mansion over the Hilltop
Words and Music: Ira Stanphil

1. I’m satisfied with just a cottage below,
A little silver and a little gold.
But in that city where the ransomed will shine
I want a gold one that’s silver lined.

Refrain:
I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we’ll never grow old.
And some day yonder we will never more wander
But walk on streets that are purest gold.

2. Don’t think me poor or deserted or lonely.
I’m not discouraged I’m heaven bound.
I’m but a pilgrim in search of the city.
I want a mansion, a harp and a crown.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved