Insights

Insights

Three Things that Should be Growing in Our Lives, Part 5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on June 27, 2011 Respond

< Part 4

Worldview shift

The third thing that should be happening in our lives is a constant shift from our natural worldview to a biblical one.  As we nurture our first love for Jesus, seeing both His glory and our sin, this will lead to revival, which should lead to shifts in our worldview.  That is, we should be seeing new points where our natural worldview clashes with a biblical worldview. This should result in us rejecting the natural worldview and replacing it with biblical standards.

For instance, a believing, pro-life woman who opposed abortions worked for Planned Parenthood; her job was to schedule abortions.  She did not realize the conflict between what she said she believed (that abortion was wrong except in the extreme case for saving the mother’s life) and what she was doing. She was not seeing the need to live her beliefs in her work life. When this contradiction of her beliefs and actions was pointed out to her, she immediately quit her job—that is, she accepted the new insight that her biblical beliefs should be practiced in her work place.

Here is a biblical demonstration of worldview clashes in Mark 10

The rich young man:

Mar 10:17  “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’”

Mar 10:18  “’Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.’

[WV clashes:  Jesus immediately zeroed in on the anti-biblical value the man was expressing: he thought that people were good. Jesus knew that all people are without any good in their old nature. (Rom 3:12  “All have turned away,they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”)
Also, the man thought Jesus was just a human being; Jesus wanted him begin to see that the goodness in Jesus pointed towards his being God.]

Mar 10:19  “‘You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’

Mar 10:20  ‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’

[WVclashes:  Jesus points to where sin is obvious in lives; the man thinks he has kept these! This reveals how low his standards are.  In his sermon on the mount, Jesus clarified that to look at a woman with desire was to commit adultery.  Obviously the man did not think that; he had a much different value system. To him sin was an outward act, to Jesus it was first inward in motive, thought and desire, then manifested in outward action.  Very different worldviews.]

Mar 10:21  “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’”

[Jesus’ WV presentation: valuing spiritual things is far more important than physical possessions. Treasure in heaven is far more significant than treasure on earth. Following Jesus is far more important than following people or culture or comfort.]

Mar 10:22  “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

[WV clash: his heart was on earthly treasure, comfort, security and position.  He was looking for the minimum he had to do to get to heaven and was unwilling to go beyond his comfort zone.  Jesus called him to a different worldview where he should give all and follow Him, but the man refused.]

See next post for a second example from Jesus’ teachings.

Part 6 >

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Psalm 16:3-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on June 11, 2011 Respond

< Read Psalm 16:1,2

Psa 16:3  “As for the saints who are in the land,they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.” [You, Heavenly Father, have made us saints, qualified us to be partakes in the Kingdom of light. You have made us glorious in Jesus and you delight in us. Despite what we are naturally, to you we are delightful, a new creation in Christ, welcomed with joy into your presence. In you we can rest securely, knowing that you have accepted us fully, finally, faithfully.  It is in you that we are secure.]

Psa 16:4  “The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.” [Every other god is false (the gods of every religion, along with the gods of comfort, power, materialism, politics and business, sex and entertainment, getting my way and controlling others), each one is an illusion and leads only to disappointment, bondage, oppression and darkness—the opposite of what you bring, for you are Light, Love and Truth, you bring freedom, joy, peace, grace and goodness.  You are the opposite of all other gods, the only One worthy of worship.]

“I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.” [I must avoid involvement in any way with these other gods, not offering them any acknowledgement or worship, time or affection; I must not put any hope in them. I must not give them any credence or credit, but look only to you, Lord Jesus, Creator, Sustainer and Ender of all, the only true Hope there is.]

Psa 16:5  “LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;” [All I have comes from you, O Holy God: my position, my provision, my protection, my portion.  And what you give is good: my body, my brains, my boundaries, my bonds, my bounty; whatever they appear to be from a human perspective, they are good and I will praise you for them.]

“you have made my lot secure.” [You, Lord God, are the One of power and authority.  Only you can give security: whatever you choose to protect will be untouched by the enemy, whatever you allow to be attacked will be used for good, no matter how painful it may be.  I can rest in the security of your salvation, the certainty of your mighty protection.  Whatever may happen, positive or negative, pleasant or painful, I can rest in your great and endless power and perfection, knowing you will weave all into your great plan for the end of sin, evil and time, to sweep as many as possible into your Kingdom.]

To you be glory and honor today, Lord. May praise and thanksgiving continually well up in my mind and spill off my lips, may the light of your love shine from my being, may you be lifted up in my actions and reactions, my attitude and speech.  May praise be the keynote of my life today, may the darkness of complaining and discontent, grumbling and negativeness be swept away in the brightness of your presence so you may have more glory before both the unseen hosts and visible creatures.]

Read more on Psalm 16 >

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Three Things that Should be Growing in Our Lives, Part 3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 30, 2011 Respond

< Read Part 2

Having an ongoing revival in my life.

The first step is to ask, “What is a revival?”

The three aspects of a revival are seen in Isaiah 6::2-7

First Isaiah saw the Lord’s glory: “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….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.”

Second, in the overwhelming presence of God’s glory Isaiah became very aware of his sinfulness. “’Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’”

Third, God communicated how fully Isaiah’s sin was forgiven and how he was accepted by God. “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ’See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” Isaiah 6:2-7

Revival, I believe it is a quickening of spiritual life and passion that flows from these three ongoing, ever deepening revelations: God’s holiness, our sinfulness and His forgiveness. The Apostle Paul, experienced this continued growth in his understanding of his sinfulness in the light of God’s holiness.  In Paul’s earlier writings he called himself “the least of the Apostles.” (1 Cor. 15:9)  Near the end of his life he called himself “the chief of sinners.” (1 Tim 1:15)   This  continual deepening is what should be happening in our lives.

In the next entry we’ll look at how to nurture such growth.

Read Part 4 >

 

 

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Victim, Victor or Vector? Part 3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 23, 2011 Respond

Vector

God intervened to help Joseph make the leap from victor to vector by leading him into the next level of learning. As Joseph was unjustly thrown into prison, he began the transition to becoming one who points others to God.  First Joseph implemented what he had previously learned and refused to revert to being a victim. He was still pleasant, responsible, hardworking and thoughtful.  Who else in such a situation would be concerned for the happiness of his fellow prisoners?

Second, he was beginning to see that God was the One who deserved the credit for what occurred, not Joseph. In offering help to others Joseph began to be a vector, pointing to God rather than himself.  Listen to his words.  Joseph said to his two fellow prisoners, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”  (Gen 40:8)  Joseph was giving God glory for what He could do, not Joseph.

A vector’s life is defined by his relationship to God.  His purpose in life is to glorify God, pointing to Him in all events.  By the time Joseph was called from prison to stand before Pharaoh, the transition from victor to vector was complete.  Listen to his reply to Pharaoh’s request that Joseph interpret his dreams.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” (Gen 41:15,16)

The result was not only interpretation of the dream, but Joseph becoming Prime Minister of Egypt, thereby saving the Egyptians, his family and ultimately you and me through preserving the line of Christ.  That’s the power of being a vector!

So, we can each choose in every situation.  Will we be a victim, letting our suffering define us, living in the pit of complaining? Or a victor, letting our achievements define us as we live in unappreciated help from God? Or step up to a much higher calling and be a vector, letting our relationship to the living, Creator God define us?

One key step we can each take in this process is to get to know better the character of our Great God, the Lord Jesus Christ,  through personal worship, through persistent praise, and through patient obedience to what we know to be true.

For more in depth explanation of these principles of growth, read the earlier entries on this blog and/or get a copy of Knowing Jesus is Enough for Joy, Period from https://www.edifyingservices.com

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Victim, Victor or Vector? Part 2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 20, 2011 Respond

Victor

On the long march to Egypt, as Joseph hobbled along, his ankles chaffed by the shackles banging at every step, it would have been very natural for him to continue as a victim, feeling sorry for himself, fantasizing about getting revenge on his brothers.   However before he got to Egypt, it seems that Joseph moved from away from being a victim towards becoming a victor.  This means he shifted his vision from his suffering to his God and seemed to grasp some of what his Lord was doing in the situation.

How do we know this?  Because when Joseph arrived in Egypt and was sold to Potipher, he proved to be a hard working, pleasant, responsible, well-liked person, and God blessed him in all that he did.

“The  LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the  LORD gave him success in everything he did,  Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” (Gen 39”2-4)

Victims are not like this.  They are generally disagreeable people: angry, resentful, complaining, always seeking to blame others and often shirking responsibility.  No, Joseph had become a victor, understanding that his God was at work here doing something. So Joseph embraced the challenge before him and triumphed in the midst of his slavery.  Now his life was defined, not by his suffering, but by his achievements, the visible blessings of God in his life.

This is where most of us want to be, and when we arrive here, are content to stay.  However, this is not the end point, it is only a means of reaching what God actually has for us, being a vector.  The danger in remaining a victor is that we end up being focused on self, our blessings, our comforts, not on our Lord.

This was clearly illustrated when Joseph was tempted by Potipher’s wife.  Listen to what he said. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Gen 39:8,9, underlining added)

He was focused on all his achievements; note the use of  “I, me, my.”  He was conscious enough of God that he didn’t want to transgress, but the focus was on Joseph. Without knowing it, Joseph has become a glory-stealer.  So can we when we camp out as victors.  Or we can move to the next stage and become glory-givers.  For this we often need God’s direct help through difficulty, as we will see in the next section.

Read Part 3

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Victim, Victor or Vector? part 1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 20, 2011 Respond

[The following basic insights came from Fran Sciacca, leader of Hands of Hur Minstries. Check out his edifying resources on his website at https://www.handsofhur.org]

In every situation we can choose to be one of the following:  a victim, a victor, or a vector (an arrow pointing to God).

If we choose to respond as a victim, feeling sorry for ourselves, blaming others, grumbling and complaining, then we allow our suffering to define our lives.

If we choose to be a victor, turning difficulties into opportunities, we allow our successes to define our lives.

If we choose to be a vector, going beyond success to the reason for our existence, we allow our relationship with the Lord Jesus, our Great, Glorious and Good God, to define our lives.

Joseph in the OT was first a victim, then a victor and finally a vector, so we’ll look at his life to understand these concepts better.

Victim

Joseph, the next to the youngest of 11 brothers, foolishly told his older brothers of his dreams in which they bowed down to him–an huge insult in an honor culture.  They were already jealous of him and this certainly fanned the flames further.

Then his father foolishly sent Joseph off alone to spy on his brothers.  When they saw him in the distance, “’Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other. ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.’” (Gen. 37:19,20)

When they had thrown Joseph into the cistern, he cried and begged them to take him out. He was thinking like a victim: his life was being redefined by his suffering. He was feeling sorry for himself, complaining and wanted to blame others.

A bit later when his brothers pulled him out of the pit, he probably was relieved but then was devastated when he saw they were selling him as a slave. This was a sentence to an early death. No hope. No help. Poor me.  And the treatment he got on his journey only encouraged him in his victim mentality.  So how did he move on to being a victor?

See part 2.

 

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You Only Can I Trust, O Lord

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 5, 2011 Respond

Praise you, Lord, that you are the Sovereign One, the prayer-answering, power-giving, all-providing God.  Praise you that you are the Place of Refuge, the Stronghold in times of trouble, the Great Shepherd, the Warrior King.

I praise you that yesterday you guided us through the difficulties, the attacks of the enemy, the traps set for us.  I praise you that you guided me in not defending myself, not striking back, not replying in kind. Praise you that you helped me to remember that my significance is found in you, that you led me to respond with praise when I wanted to complain, to let go of my desire, to hold on to your love, grace and truth and to rise above the events.

You are great and gracious, O God, you are powerful and perfect, good and glorious.  I praise you for the privilege of being your son, your beloved one, your servant, your heir.

I praise you, too, for what you are going to do today.  Praise you that you have been through this day, preparing things and are preparing us.  I praise you now for what you will do. Work things out so we will give glory to you, so that we will have opportunity to give you honor, praise and exaltation throughout the day.  I thank you, Lord, I am so glad to belong to you, to have purpose, protection, power and provision from your hand.  You are my rock, you are my Shepherd, you are my God and I revel in you.

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The Most Marvelous Defeat

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 23, 2011 Respond

Today we think again on your great sacrifice, Lord Jesus.  This event was, from the world’s point of view, the devestating defeat of God in the total and twisted triumph of Satan as he killed the author of life.  This was the ultimate example of good being conquered by evil.  Jesus died, he did not save himself, he lost.

However, with your resurrection and following revelations, Lord Jesus, it is clear that in your weakness as a human being, you were able to strike at the most vulnerable point of Satan’s plan. Your obedience, your love, your living in truth rather than what was seen, your living for your Father, not for people—these all struck at Satan’s eager desire to reverse with rebellion the roles God gave.  Satan wanted to be like God and by killing Jesus, seemed to put himself over God.

However,  we praise you, Lord, that Satan’s attack became the means of Jesus’ taking upon himself the guilt of all mankind, of paying the price of pardon that all may have life eternal.  Satan desired to defeat with death the giver of life, and in doing so fell into his own trap of destruction, bringing the final defeat and condemnation upon himself and his followers.

Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for your willingness to suffer on every level: physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, relationally, trinitarily.  We cannot begin to grasp even in a rudimentary way the anguish you endured in becoming sin, being crushed by the wrath of God, being torn out of the fabric of the Trinity, suffering absolute aloneness, as well as the great physical suffering of scourging, beating, and crucifixion.

You, Lord God, are astonishing in your love, for all three of you suffered greatly in the death of Jesus. You also were wounded in the rending of the triune Godhead as He became sin and you had to turn away.  You, too, suffered in pouring out your wrath on Jesus, your only and dearly loved Son.  You, too, presumably suffered in the three days Jesus was buried and was probably in Hell, fighting the final battle for salvation against the devil and death.

And you, too, rejoiced in the resurrection, the final triumph of good over evil, the final and full solution to the problem of evil in a twisted world originally created pure by your good desire.

You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are to be worshipped, praised, honored and glorified for your incredible, illogical, unfathomable, overwhelming love!  We bow before you this day, giving you honor and praise for your wisdom, commitment, follow-through and grace.  What a wonderful God you are, we rejoice in you, we exalt you, we lift up your name, we glorify you!  May you be continually honored and exalted today in our thoughts, words and actions.

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Exalting God's Word

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 31, 2011 Respond

Recently we visited a castle here in Germany (the Wartburg) where in 1520 Martin Luther worked to translate the Bible into German.  Luther knew the value and power of God’s Word and spent the time necessary to make it available to the average person. Certainly this castle is historic place for all true believers, as the translation done here played a large part in the development of the Reformation.

In this castle is another historical site for true believers, a tall tower at the lower part of the castle yard.  Here a believing farmer was held for the last 8 years of his imprisonment from 1533 to 1548.

His crime?  He refused to have his newborn baby baptized because God’s Word said otherwise.  He also had the audacity to act on what the Word commanded and was baptized as an adult. He most certainly learned the truth about these things from the Bible that Luther translated some years before in this castle.

During these long 15 years of miserable imprisonment, this farmer was periodically offered pardon if he would only recant his biblical beliefs. However, in spite of his draconian living conditions, he steadfastly refused and died in his jail.

In our visit to this castle, we could look down into his “cell”—or better put, his dungeon.  Climbing halfway up the tower, we entered a small door and looked down through a hole in the floor, the only way into the prison below.

Twenty-five feet down we could see the bare stone floor of a windowless room about 10 feet in diameter.  Here the farmer lived for his last 8 years, much of it without bed, toilet, light or heat, without fellowship, a Bible or support.

Yet this man remained faithful to what he knew of the Lord and His Word.  I thought about myself: would I be willing to endure such punishment just to defend the concept of adult baptism?  What about other biblical truths that are under assault today?  This man thought it was worthwhile to stand on the Word, for he truly he believed what God said: that we should exalt above all things His name and His Word.  And this man’s testimony rings strong and true some 470 years later!

I must come back to me, to us. Are we as wholeheartedly committed as this man to live by what the Word says?  Are we willing to exalt God’s Word above all else, or do we give in to the subtle temptations and powerful pressures of culture, to the soft call of comfort, or to fear of man and thereby compromise what is important to God?

“I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.” Psalm 138:2

 

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One Worry War Won

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 30, 2011 Respond

I lay there in the dark, my mind racing from one problem to the next.  Worry, fear and frustration ruled.  I turned on the light: it was 2:30 am.  Knowing this was a spiritual attack, I reached for my Bible and opened to Psalm 34. I refreshed my memory of it, then turned out the light, settled back in bed and began to meditate through it.

I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. “Lord, I praise you for this situation, for the fear, worry and frustration I am experiencing as I think about these dozen difficult dilemmas before me.  I can praise you because you are the Ruler of the Universe, you are the King of Glory, you are the Most High and the Almighty One.  In praise you turn my attention from my problems to you.  I am weak, but you are powerful; I am ignorant but you are wise. You can and will deal with each of these situations at the right time and I can both rest in you and praise you now for how you will do it!”

I sought the Lord, he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. “Praise be to you, Lord, that you are the fear-Conqueror.  Praise you because you go to the core of the issue first, dealing with fear, teaching me what I need to know before you solve the problem!  Again I praise you for how you are going to work in each of these situations!”

Then I began to lay each problem out before Him, praying for the needs, praising Him for how He would deal with them.  And then, as my mind and spirit were calmed by His truths, sleep came: deep, restful, restorative sleep.  He had delivered me from my fears!  And in prayer I had joined Him in His plan to deal with these things.

Living for Jesus is not a neat, comfortable venture. It is full of difficulties, spiritual attacks and challenges. And this is where we get to respond in faith, to see God fulfill His promises and to give Him great glory.  If everything went smoothly we would not see our need of Him.

God calls us to a of life of praise.  He does not call us to cope, but to be more than conquerors.  His desire is that we choose the truth that joy does not come from our circumstances, but from the character of God. Then it is through praise for His wonderful character that the victories come.

 

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