pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 23, 2017 “Peace”

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.

Perfect Peace
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 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:
Lord Jesus, I want to be a peace maker. Help me know when to speak and what to say. Help me know when to be silent and what to pray. Let Your peace that is beyond all understanding emanate from my heart, through my face and hands to be seen and felt by those I contact. When gossip comes my way let it end with me. When strife rise up before me, let the defend the right and defuse the wrong thus ending the strife. There is so little peace in this world. Let me be a peacemaker. Then I will truly be a child of God. Amen.

Song:
Prayer of Saint Francis
Music by Sarah McLachlan

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
And 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’s in dying that we are born to eternal life
Amen

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 21, 2017 “Need”

Need

Desires and Needs
The desires of the heart and the requirements of our work and play can sometimes work against each other producing a state of confusion.  If we really want something, it feels like we need it.  If we have a goal to reach, there are certain things the quest requires.  We want to reach the goal so much this also feels like a need.

Need, however, is much simpler than the desires/requirements state of confusion.  Desires and requirements are noisy little nuisances that clamor through our days distracting us here and there according to the conflicted hungers of the human body and soul.  Need, on the other hand, is a quiet, persistent call to survival, not entertainment or achievement.

Human need can be expressed with a very short list of physical needs:

  • Air,
  • Water,
  • Food,
  • Shelter, and
  • Clothing.

The spiritual life has an even simpler expression of need—Jesus:

  • His grace,
  • His truth,
  • His Spirit,
  • His presence,
  • His power, and
  • His church.

A Method to see the Difference
Prayer is a method for sorting out the confusion that sometimes exists when we deal with desires, task requirements, and real needs.  The Lord has promised to meet all our needs.  When we ask for something in prayer and it does not happen, it may be that that thing is just a desire and not really a need.  When we are attempting to do what God has called us to do and that work requires things that we ask for in prayer but do not receive, this also may be an indication that those things may not be requirements after all.  God will show other ways to do His work as He supplies what we really need.  Of course there is a third possible explanation for not having what we need when we have prayed for it; perhaps it just isn’t God’s time yet.  We hear it said that there are three answers to prayer: yes, no, and wait.  There is much truth in this.

Two Sets of Needs
There are two sets of needs that should concern us:

  • our needs and
  • the needs of those we care about.

God has covenanted with us to supply all our needs.  He also wants to use us to supply what others within our sphere of influence need.

  • Bread winners in the home provide the human needs listed above for the rest of the family.
  • The spiritual head of the family supplies regular access to Jesus so that spiritual needs can be met.
  • The household of faith, the family of God must be our concern as well.  Supporting the local church in offerings and service is one of the ways God uses us to meet the needs of others.

By exalting the name of Jesus with our worship, our work, and our witness, thereby touching a hurting humanity with the Good News about Jesus, we help meet the greatest need of others—a relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Scriptures:
Matthew 6:6-8; 31-34
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Philemon 4:10-13; 19
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
2 Corinthians 8:13-15
Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your promise to meet all my needs. As I delight in You, even the desires of my heart change into Your desires for me. You have promised me those as well. Help me to delight in You today! Change the desires of my heart to match the desires of Your heart. Cleanse me from selfish motives and ungodly desires. Let me echo Your great prayers: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,” here and now, just as it is in heaven. I will “seek first Your kingdom and righteous” and I know all me needs will be met. You are my sufficiency! Thank You, Lord! Amen.

Song:
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Words: Thomas O. Chisholm; Music: William M. Runyan

1. “Great is thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changtest not, thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been Thou forever will be.

Refrain:
“Great is thy faithfulness!” “Great is thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided–
“Great is thy faithfulness!” Lord unto me!

2. Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above.
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 16, 2017 “Substitutes”

Substitutes

A Poor One
In a TV interview, a contemporary film maker revealed that he did not grow up in a religious home. Film was their religion and the movie house was their church. To my mind cinema is a poor substitute for a loving, covenantal relationship with my Creator.

Life is an exchange.
Through no effort of our own we are given life—energy, intelligence, strength—all bundled up in passions, fears, ambitions and deep-seated needs. And, we are given time. None of us knows how much time, but we have a backpack full of memories of yesterday, a toolkit full of skills for today, and a hatful of dreams for tomorrow—if it comes.
Living is the process of exchanging these gifts for the rewards they might bring. “Time is money.” It is true, in a sense, and it is a lie in another sense. It is true in the sense of the exchange—we work by the hour or on commission or on salary, trading our time and skills for a living wage (and hopefully a little more.)

The statement is a lie in its incredible miscalculation. Time is much more than money.

  • It is the relentless retreat of life itself, a strategic withdrawal of our life-force that we cannot stem.
  • It is the diminution of opportunities and the accumulation of results, good or bad.
  • It is the inevitable passing of the planting and the unstoppable reaping and storing of the harvest.

So time can be money or it can be poverty. It all depends on the exchange.

  • Do we seek out the real or the substitute?
  • Do we mine for gold, or settle for fool’s gold?
  • Do we purchase the real diamond or the fake one?
  • Do we choose a sandy beach for the foundation of our lives or find the Solid Rock?
  • Do we choose false religion based on lies instead of worship in spirit and truth?
  • Have we substituted sports or film or music or money or fashion or pleasure for church?

The Jesus Question
Words spoken so long ago to anonymous crowds by an itinerant preacher still stir those who hear or read them today. Questions Jesus asked then, ring in our hearts today. One of them concerns substitutes.

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

The world offers so many scams, so many bad deals, so many ways to waste our precious lives. The Lord Jesus offers so many promises, so many amazing exchanges of grace for whatever we hold in our hands and hearts, so many ways to plant good seed in words and deeds that will doubtless bring an eternal harvest, even when we sow in tears.

  • Why settle for saccharin when we can have honey?
  • Why settle sell our lives for the paper money of empty promises when pure gold is the option?
  • Why devalue life by equating it with temporal wealth when there are heavenly storehouses to fill where there is no thief to steel, no moth to devour, and no corruption of time?

Jesus offers true life—accept no substitutes.

Matthew 6:19-21; 16:24-28 NIV
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Isaiah 60:16-19 NIV
Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
Romans 1:21-25 NIV
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen
Revelation 3:16
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the Gospel of Mark promises that those who preach Your gospel are immune to the poison they may accidentally drink and impervious to the venom of any snake that strikes from the shadows. Help me see the poison posing as good food and drink in this culture. Help me avoid the snakes hiding in the deep weeds of iniquity all around me. Help me see the glittering, appetizing substitutes marketed by the sin-saturated society. Lord Jesus, You shine with a true light of brilliance in this darkness. Your Word is true food and drink for my spirit. True Worship is beneficial exercise for my soul. Help me traffic in the genuine rather than the substitute, the real not the theatrical prop. All for You, Lord Jesus, all for You! Amen.

Song:
Wasted Years
Words and Music: Wally Fowler

1. Have you wondered alone on life’s pathway,
Have you lived without love a life of tears,
Have you searched for the gray hidden meaning,
Or is your life filled with long wasted years.

Refrain:
Wasted years wasted years oh how foolish,
As you walk all in darkness and fears,
Turn around, turn around God is calling,
He’s calling you from a life of wasted years.

2. Search for wisdom and seek understanding,
There is someone who knows and always hears,
Give it up, give it up the load you are bearing,
You can’t go on in a life of wasted years.

Refrain

3. Don’t you know Jesus died for all sinners,
He loves you and your guilt he gladly bears,
Come to Him, Come to Him your sin confessing,
You can go on with a life of fruitful years.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 13, 2017 “Duty”

Duty

Sometimes hope shines from an empty tomb.
Sometimes it sings in the quiet following a violent storm.  Sometimes hope whispers inside us while the storm still rages outside. Always, hope hardens the will as each day we perform our duty.

Duty is not a thing of sadness, nor is it a thing of parades and marching bands.
Duty is the quiet song of the sparrow in the morning, at noon, and in the late afternoon, as the worthless little brown birds fly joyfully from bush to bush, doing what God made them to do.

  • They don’t get the press that eagles get, high on their perches or soaring almost too high to see.
  • They don’t signal doom like circling buzzards or danger like the watching hawk.
  • They don’t form graceful lines as they fly like geese overland or like pelicans over the sea.
  • They do not make formations that we can discern.
  • They fly close to the ground in short hops, almost falling even as they fly.

Yet, the Lord told us to observe and learn from birds as examples of the Father’s excellent care. Sparrows are the least of these. We are certainly more valuable to God than sparrows!

He does not look for graceful arcs or impressive appearance or stunning skills.  God looks for the one who will do his/her duty, day after day, night after night.  The Lord prizes the one of the humble and contrite spirit who hits the mark and performs the job dependably at each opportunity.

What is our duty?
As His ultimate creation, each person has a duty to honor God.  We honor God

  • Through consistent and faithful prayer,
  • Through constant consumption of the Word of God,
  • Through continuing compassion for others, and
  • By walking through the doors He opens for us and refusing to enter those He closes to us.

Solomon’s Experiment
King Solomon had the resources and the time to conduct a grand experiment to determine the meaning of life.  Like a good researcher, he reported his findings in a thesis called “Ecclesiastes.”

  • When life is lived in vain, Solomon’s observations are bitter and realistic —it is like trying to eat the wind.
  • His conclusion is the hope that strengthens the heart—love God and keep His commands; this is the whole duty of man.

King Jesus lived that life for us.
He did His duty, taking up the cross of God’s love and justice and bearing it to Calvary.  His command to us signals the start of every day and shines like a bright star through every night—take up your cross—your duty—and follow me. That duty may seem small and little noted by others, but it is the brief flight of a sparrow that holds the intense attention of heaven. Each sparrow is an eagle in heaven’s eyes.

We should not underestimate the power of consistent living.  As we live faithfully each day, hope shines from an empty tomb, sings in the quiet following a violent storm, and whispers deep inside us while the storm still rages outside.

Scriptures:
Matthew 6:25-28; 33 RSV
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? …But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Isaiah 66:1-2
“Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD.”This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
Acts 23:1-2
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”
Ecclesiastes 1:12-14; 12:13 AMP
I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied myself by heart and mind to seek and search out by [human]  wisdom all human activity under heaven. It is a miserable business which God has given to the sons of man with which to busy themselves. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a striving after the wind and a feeding on wind…All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to do my duty to You today. I will sing Your praise. I will respond to You with worship. I will read Your Word and listen prayerfully as I read. I will perform the tasks You have given me to do today. These things I will do with joy, anticipating Your reward both now and in eternity. Thank You for bearing Your cross of pain so that I can follow You, taking up my cross of joy in serving You. Show me my duty, Lord, make it clear. I will obey. In Your lovely name! Amen.

Song:
Give of Your Best to the Master
Words: Howard B. Groce; Music: Claribel

1. Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardor
Into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example,
Dauntless was He, young and brave;
Give Him your loyal devotion;
Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain:
Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.

2. Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain

3. Give of your best to the Master;
Naught else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom,
Gave up His glory above.
Laid down His life without murmur,
You from sin’s ruin to save;
Give Him your heart’s adoration;
Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain
Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 7, 2017 “Heat”

Heat

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, we do unplanned things.
At other times heat accumulates, building and building until we make elaborate plans to escape it. Heat can oppress us or it can surprise us, causing us to do things we carefully plan and things we do not plan at all.

In the winter, when heat is hard to come by, we fondly remember the warm winds of spring and even the hot blasts of summer. When it seems the sun takes more than a day to cross the heavens scorching the earth on its way, we fondly remember the refreshing cold of winter and long for the brisk promise of the cool autumn breeze. We are profoundly ambivalent about heat: we want it when it the weather is cold and we seek shade and shelter from it when the weather is hot.

Heat can also be a blessing. We measure the health of the body by a constant heat of about 98.6 F. Less than that or more than that is a sign of illness. God set the inner thermostat to regulate this body heat. We don’t even have to think about it. When it varies up or down, then we notice it.

Of course each of us has a spiritual thermostat in our heart.
God has given to us the responsibility of setting this spiritual instrument. We can willfully turn down our spiritual temperature or we can deliberately turn it up. When we feel our hearts cooling toward the Lord, we are the ones who have decided to let it happen. Most likely there is never a moment when we choose to let the fire within begin to die. It happens in a series of small choices that seem innocent:

  • Missing a daily prayer and Bible time of devotion,
  • Sleeping in on the Lord’s Day,
  • Avoiding potential conflict with a troubled brother or sister in the Lord,
  • Keeping silent when the conversation turns to the things of the Spirit, or even,
  • Telling a small lie to avoid exposure as spiritual things begin to slip away.

These things are far from innocent. They are deadly.

The inner fire of the Spirit of God within us needs fuel.

  • We stoke the fire with the Word of God and with prayer. A single day without these things reduces our passion for God and His Kingdom.
  • When we gather with brothers and sisters in the House of God to worship each week, the sparks fly! The fires of corporate worship burn bright and hot—cleansing each of us from the junk we have accumulated during the week.
  • When conflicts between spiritual family members are resolved, the discarded anger, envy, and strife are fuel for our inner flames.
  • When we speak up for truth and justice the fire within grows white hot and there is no longer any need to pretend to be spiritual—we are spiritual!

The heat of the moment will prove us true and the heat of the season will serve us well.

Scriptures:
Malachi 3:1-4
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.
Luke 3:16-17
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
2 Timothy 1:5-7
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, When I gave my heart to You, Your Spirit took up residence in my heart. Today I need a new baptism of the fire of Your Spirit, a new endowment of spiritual power to serve You in every moment of this day. In the heat of the day, in the cool of the evening, empower me, Lord. When the trials come in the guise of unfair demands or unfaithful people, grant me a cool center in the midst of the flames. Like those Old Testament heroes You walked with in the furnace, the flames will not even scorch my clothes! Moreover, in the process, the heat meant to destroy me will actually be a Refiner’s Fire to purify me. How wonderful that You walk with me every day in the cool of the day or in the fires of circumstance. Let my offering today be made in righteousness. Amen.

Song:
Send the Fire
Words: William Booth; Music: Frederick Booth-Tucker

1. Thou Christ of burning, cleansing flame,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
Thy blood bought gift today we claim,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
Look down and see this waiting host,
Give us the promised Holy Ghost;
We want another Pentecost,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!

2. God of Elijah, hear our cry:
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
To make us fit to live or die,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
To burn up every trace of sin,
To bring the light and glory in,
The revolution now begin,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!

3. ’Tis fire we want, for fire we plead,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
The fire will meet our every need,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
For strength to ever do the right,
For grace to conquer in the fight,
For power to walk the world in white,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!

4. To make our weak hearts strong and brave,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
To live a dying world to save,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!
O see us on Thy altar lay
Our lives, our all, this very day;
To crown the offering now we pray,
Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 5, 2017 “Clarity”

Clarity

A heavy fog is a dangerous impediment to orderly travel.
Some drivers ignore the fog and continue to drive at their normal above-the-speed-limit speeds, a practice that is very hard to understand.

  • Fogs turn the presumed safety of multi-lane highways into a blinding menace. In the fog brakes scream and smoke, crashes, unseen but clearly heard, fill the thick air and lives slide and crash as our suppressed terrors become real though still unseen.
  • Daylight brings the horror into view, cars and trucks frozen at odd angles up and down, often merged into mangled sculptures of meetings missed, promises broken, lives interrupted, ended or hanging by a thread, and the occasional miracle of someone simply walking away unscratched.

Even on a clear sunny day, life can become a fogbound journey.
The way ahead is obscured by clouds hanging low to the ground, even to our shoe tops and we cannot see which step to take next.

We need clarity.

We need a fresh wind of the Spirit of God to blow our way, clearing the path before us.

Jesus told us the Holy Spirit moved like the wind in ways beyond our understanding but obvious in their effect in our journey. Like a morning fog, the warmth of the Word and the soft breezes of the Spirit can clear the air for us at the beginning of each day.

Why do we choose the fog over the sweet clarity of the Word of God?
It is not as though all our questions are answered.

  • Mysterious remain, things about God or life that lie just beyond our ability to understand.
  • But mysteries never form a fog bank. They are high flying clouds that momentarily hide the sun only to see it reemerge in light and warmth.

Mysteries cast only fleeting shadows on the path before us. The light behind them is constant and clear.

Of course, we must not be a fogbank to others.
In prayer ask the Lord to show you if your witness has clarity. Let the wind of the Holy Spirit breathe away any fog in your way of living that diffuses the light He has put in you.

Clarity from Him and clarity in witness to Him are ministries of the Holy Spirit.

Scriptures:
John 3:7-8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Job 28:23-28
God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. And he said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'”
Job 37:21-24
Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?”
Psalm 68:1-3
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
Psalm 135:6-7
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Jerermiah 51:15-16
“He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Acts 2:1
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…

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my constant source of light. When clouds of circumstance hide Your light from me, it is only for a little while. The Bible clearly states that nothing has and nothing ever will extinguish Your light. If today should be one that is overcast, send the refreshing winds of Your Spirit to blow away the cloud cover. And Lord, help me today that I will not cloud the vision of anyone else; not a seeker desperately seeking Your light or a fellow believer looking to me for help. Keep us all safe on the dangerous roads we must travel even when the fog rolls in. Safe in You, Lord Jesus. Safe in You! Amen.

Song:
Open My Eyes that I May See
Words and Music: Clara H. Scott

1. Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

2. Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear.
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

3. Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere.
Open my heart, and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, September

September 2, 2017 “Serenity”

Serenity

To us the storm of the Sea of Galilee is a metaphor; to the disciples it was a storm.
At the rebuke of Jesus, the waves went flat and the rain, lightning, and thunder ceased and a great calm ensued.

For the disciples there was no serenity in the calm. A different fear gripped Jesus’ followers as they considered the power of the One they were following. For Jesus there was no fear in the storm; He slept in the boat while the storm raged around Him.

That is serenity—peace while the storm does its worst.

The dictionary defines serenity and serene this way:

Serenity – the state or quality of being serene , calm, or tranquil; sereneness.
Serene – calm, peaceful, or tranquil; unruffled:

When you have a day of rest and recreation, may the Lord grant you serenity. May you be calm, peaceful, tranquil and entirely unruffled. The serenity that comes from God is not an illusion—it is a deep reality.

It is a gift of grace but it is not a mystery.
Serenity of the spirit is a choice we make. It is based on the character of the Heavenly Father. His Word is true and He is always true to His Word. The serenity of the worshiper of the Lord Jesus is composed of equal parts faith, confidence, and trust.

  • Faith—we see everything through spiritual eyes; we see beyond the storm of the moment to the serenity of the future.
  • Confidence—we know that with the passing of time we will see the blessing in each storm.
  • Trust—we take a deep spiritual breath and calm ourselves knowing that no storm is more powerful than Jesus and no storm lasts forever.

We believe in the promises of God. 
We know what they are. Our expectations of life spring from our knowledge of the Word of God.

  • We read His Book and commune with the Lord in prayer regularly.
  • We make choices based on the truth of God, the principles of the Kingdom, and the complete mastery of Jesus over all storms, circumstances, and enemy attacks.

We know that just as Jesus rebuked that storm, He will rebuke the storms we face. While we wait for the sea to go flat and the rain, lightning and thunder to cease, we can serenely sleep below decks just as Jesus did.

That is serenity.

Scriptures:
Mark 4:35-41
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Acts 3:19-20
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus
Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 37:3-6
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Psalm 52:8-9
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.
Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
Isaiah 12:2-3 NKJV
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.'” Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 26:3-4 NKJV
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in the LORD, is everlasting strength.
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.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my peace, my serenity. I have anchored my life in Your character. I have informed my mind with Your Word. I have calmed my heart with confessions of the promises You have made. Oh I know the winds will rise against me. The rains will pummel me and seem never to stop. Circumstances will cry out for me to despair that perhaps this time You have forgotten me. But deep in my mind I know better. Your promises have been written there by the Holy Spirit. The rains will stop. The winds will shift and settle down. The noise of the storm will subside. I know that when the storm has done its worst, You will still be standing and I will be safe in You. You are my peace, my serenity. Thank You, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Song:
Till the Storm Passes Over
Words and Music: Mosie Lister

1. In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face
While the storm howls above me, and there’s no hiding place
‘Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry
Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Refrain:
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand
Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Refrain

2. Many times Satan whispered, “There is no need to try
For there’s no end of sorrow, there’s no hope by and by”
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I’ll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies

Refrain

3. When the long night has ended and the storms come no more
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 28, 2017 “Gain”

Gain

Assessing gains and losses is a matter of interpretation of facts, rather than the facts themselves. Some gains are really losses and some losses are really gains. Context is important, because the bare facts of any assessment rarely tell the whole story.

  • A lower number on the bathroom scales in the morning reports a loss of poundage but a gain of more important things: discipline, reward, optimism, and hope.
  • A business loss can be magically transformed by the inscrutable tax code into a gain with the use of a magic potion called “deductions.”
  • The loss of a beloved, believing family member can be mitigated by the knowledge he or she has gained heaven.
  • In the worldly view, great gains can actually be terrible losses in heaven’s assessment.
  • In a Kingdom of God context, a loss can be a victory, a triumph of good over evil.
  • Business people know that in starting a new enterprise, losses will most likely mount before gains begin to accrue.

The scriptures help us shake all of this confusion down to a manageable, predictable prescription:

…godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Tim 6)

These two things act to level us when loss shakes the earth beneath our feet and steady us when success brings new challenges. The productive life is lived in a dynamic tension between these two opposites:

  • Godliness motivates us to act: writing wrongs, preaching truth, living holy, gaining ground, and “climbing the Hill of the Lord.”
  • Contentment compels us to rest: waiting on God, trusting the truth, quiet obedience, holding our ground, and “standing in the Holy Place.”

Sometimes we move at the direction of and in the power of the Spirit and at other times we rest at the direction of and in the power of the Spirit. At the point of balance between these two forces is a rewarding place to live. Truly, this is great gain and it is more than an interpretation—it is a fact!

Be patient today as you work or rest, the whole story has not yet been told. The heavenly books are still being written of your deeds of mercy in the name of the Lord. Obedience to the will of God is always counted as gain. Your prayers are still being collected in a golden bowl before the face of God. Be content in your obedience to God and confident of your inevitable gain.

Scriptures:
Proverbs 16:8
Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.
Luke 21:19
By standing firm you will gain life.
Mark 8:34-38
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
1 Timothy 6:6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Philemon 1:20; 3:7-11 NKJV
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,1if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Revelation 5:6-8
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders…He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Exodus 15:23-25 NKJV
Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I would make gains today! I pray that this 24 hour period will somehow make a mark in eternity. Each moment is a gift from You not to be squandered. Help me seize every opportunity to serve, hear every cry for help, see everything Your Spirit will reveal and taste the sweetness of everyday life. Just as for Israel in the wilderness, if there is bitterness in this day, may the Cross of Christ strike the bitter waters and make them somehow sweet again as did that ancient tree. As I count the day’s deeds, may Your smile be my greatest gain. Amen and Amen,

Song:
And Can It Be?
Words: Charles Wesley; Music: Thomas Campbell

1. And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

Refrain:
Amazing love! how can it be?
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

2. ‘Tis mystery all! Th’Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
‘Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

Refrain

3. He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Refrain

4. Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

Refrain

5. No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Refrain

Amen.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 22, 2017 “Sustained”

Sustained

There are creatures of the night—silent, stealthy—stirring about while we sleep.
They mean us no harm. In fact, they do us much good. The raccoon, the opossum, the beautiful fox, the feral cat, patrol the urban landscape after hours to clean up things we don’t want to know about, let alone touch. When the sun comes out, they go in to take their turn at sleep.

Fields sleep, too.
They dutifully grow the grass, taller each day, thicker with each fall of rain. When the season is full, then comes the mower, the hay bailer, to organize what was random, to strengthen what once was wearied by bending to the wind. Then, resting from its work, the field sleeps sustained by the hand of God and the diligence of man.

The poet speaks of the broad, sustained rhythms of life: daylight and dark, the changing seasons.

“I lie down and go to sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.”

The Creator of both day and night, the Designer of the earth, brilliantly tilting us on an axis so that we could have seasons of contrasts to enjoy, made us for time and He made time for us.

We are sustained when we loosen our grip on time.
The conscious mind must rest so we close our eyes to sleep. It seems the world stops when we sleep, but it doesn’t. It seems but a moment when we awaken several hours later, rested, sustained.

While we slept time worked its magic and the creatures of the night were on patrol.

  • When we rest in the grace of God, the inner mind processes the day, speaking mysteries the soul needs to hear and songs the spirit needs to sing. Like tall grasses in a well-tended field, we danced through the day, breathing the air, drawing strength from the fertile earth, and sipping the sun and rain. With the night comes the sustaining rest when our sleeping selves consolidate and organize the growth of the day.
  • The darkened alleyways of our inner lives are patrolled, not by creatures of the night, but by the gentle Dove of the Spirit, to organize what was random, to strengthen what was wearied by bending to the wind. Angels watch over our bed and the Lord Himself guards our heart. No evil force can enter there. The Spirit of God dwells within and He is at work in us.

“I lie down and go to sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.”

Scriptures:
Psalm 3
Lord, how many adversaries I have! how many there are who rise up against me! How many there are who say of me, “There is no help for him in his God.” But you, O Lord, are a shield about me; you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head. I call aloud upon the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill; I lie down and go to sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I do not fear the multitudes of people who set themselves against me all around. Rise up, O Lord; set me free, O my God; surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face, you will break the teeth of the wicked. Deliverance belongs to the Lord. Your blessing be upon your people!
Proverbs 6:20-23 NIV
My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life…
Psalm 4:5-8 NIV
Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord. Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 104:19-23 NIV
The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.
Psalm 121 NIV
I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 91:9-11 NIV
If you make the Most High your dwelling — even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You never tire or grow weary. The Bible says You never slumber or sleep, that Your eyes are always open keeping watch and Your ears are always listening to the faintest cry of the troubled heart. When I sleep Your angels keep watch and Your Spirit examines my inmost being. Often You speak to us in our dreams, making wild and silly dramas of our waking fears so that we can awaken and realize You have it all in Your hands. When we awake, refreshed by a very real dream or even alarmed by a nightmare, we soon know that You are with us in the darkest nights and speak to us in the deepest places we know. Thank You for sustaining us day and night. Amen.

Song:
Abide with Me
Text: Henry F. Lyte; Music: William H. Monk

1. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

2. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

3. I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

4. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

5. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

pathoflifedevotions August, Devotions

August 17, 2017 “Backing”

Backing

No one gets far in this life without backing.
The brilliant, highly trained naval officer is worthless without the backing of his/her ship and crew. The same is true in every aspect of life.

  • Many of us were blessed with parents who backed us when we didn’t even know who we were.  They knew who we were and saw to it that we had what we needed in every stage of childhood.  Good parents are focused on their children.  Most of their decisions are made with a primary consideration for the welfare of the children God has given them.
  • At school, good teachers back their students to the hilt.  The best ones are in the business precisely to provide their students with everything they need to learn the things they need to know.  Teachers, in turn, are backed by their colleagues, administrators, school workers, materials publishers, and college professors who form a continuing network of support.

Everyone needs good backing.
When we finally graduate from the school system and begin to make our contribution to the world, we realize we need to find some backing.  If we are starting a business or starting in business, it is going to require some support from somewhere.  Hopefully, we have learned how to make good friends and how to be a good friend.  Whatever we choose to do with our lives, we will have to walk the two-way street called “backing.”  If we are faithful to our friends, backing them when they need us, many of them will do the same for us.

This is a spiritual way of life:

  • Experienced workers should be eager to help the rookie.
  • Older brothers and sisters in the church should be available and willing to help younger brothers and sisters get started as faithful men and women of God.
  • Older pastors should be ready to counsel the young pastor when he or she needs a larger, more seasoned perspective.

On the other hand:

  • Inexperienced workers should be humble enough to seek out the wisdom of experience.
  • Younger believers in the church need to respect their elders and carefully consider their counsel.
  • The younger pastor needs to revere the elder minister and seek out the priceless wisdom he or she has learned by experience.

In short, not only does each of us need backing, there is someone close at hand who needs our backing.  Of course, few things are as un-welcomed as advice we haven’t asked for.  If you are young, have the wisdom to ask.  If you are old, have the grace to wait until you are asked.

Generational Division
We must realize the strategy of the enemy of the church—generational division.  Satan is busy buildings walls around the generations in the Body of Christ.  When our structures of worship keep the older folk from the younger folk, both ages groups lose out.  The picture they get of the church is distorted.  It looks like the church is made up of only one generation.  Nothing could be further from the heart of God.

Generational Unity
The truth is this:

  • Younger believers need their elders, and,
  • Older believers need the young folks.

This is such a contrast to the world! Dividing the generations is big business for the world; the multiply their markets. The church is supposed to be different, really different—we are called to be ONE even as God Himself is ONE. This doesn’t happen by accident—it happens when we shake off the world’s thinking and obey the Lord!

We can step out into the world today fully assured of the Lord’s backing in all we do for Him! He is the original Covenant Keeper! His promises are the best backing we could ever hope for.  He is also counting on us to provide the backing our brothers and sisters need.  No one gets far in this life without backing.

Scriptures:
2 Peter 1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Psalm 119:140
Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.
Psalm 145: 3-7; 13-16
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and …your wonderful works.   They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.  The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
Revelation 19:11
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.
Hebrews 3:13; 10:23-25
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Titus 2:2-8
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.  Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.  In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech…
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
John 17:9-19 NKJV
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You have my back! As I go into this day, I am confident that I am backed by the infallible Word of God, the immutable character of God, and the unmatched power of the Holy Spirit. Who can stand against one who is so thoroughly backed? No one, Lord. Help me keep my eyes open for those who need my backing but help me keep my mouth closed until I am asked for help. Help all of us in Your family to realize how much we need each other! Help us throw off the divisive influence of the world and be ONE! For Your glory, Lord! Amen.

Song:
Standing on the Promises
Words and Music: Russell Kelso Carter

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2017 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved