Available Guides

Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:30-31 (New American Standard Bible)

An Ethiopian eunuch saw his need for help, asked for help, and received help. Philip, one of seven deacons mentioned in the early chapters of Acts, was available to be that help. The eunuch desired a guide and Philip became that guide. It was not a long encounter but it was God directed, God ordained, and God approved.

I rejoice in the truths that are pointed out from this passage of Scripture. Life is filled with moments when the help of others is not only needed but God purposed. I am a witness to that! I have had times in my life when human guides were sought and found. At just the right time, at just the right season they (like Philip with the eunuch) saw my need and became available to guide me. It was often only after the fact that I could look and see the full scope and value of their investment in my life. While many have been used of God to teach and guide me, three in particular are standing out in my mind this morning.

The first is a mentor who guided me as I transitioned from the entanglement of legalistic thinking to freedom in Christ. The second is an accountability partner walked me through the darkest season of my life and is still guiding me as I transition from looking to people to fixing my eyes on Jesus…the Author and Finisher of my faith. The third is just beginning the guiding process which I believe will help to transition me from a life of emotional bondage to finding emotional wholeness in Christ.

The common threads? All three have had a history with God. All three have walked through their own hurts, disappointments, and struggles. All three have accepted God’s call to guide others when prompted by Him to do so. I rejoice in being the recipient of their guidance but I also desire to be a guide to others. I want to be available (whether for a single conversation or an ongoing relationship) to be to individuals what others have been to me.

Father, You have always been faithful to send the right guides at the right times. I thank You for that and rejoice! I trust You to continue that pattern in and through me. Amen.

May I Be His Love - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B6ieQL_Q-k

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Carried or Clinging?

And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple….While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. Acts 3:2, 11 (New American Standard Bible)

This lame man’s story grips my heart today. I relate all too well with his disposition. Unable to walk, he is carried by others out of necessity. We have all been there at one time or another. Maybe not in the physical sense but maybe in the spiritual or emotional sense. Times in our life when we needed the assistance of another person to come to our aid and carry us until we were able to move on our own again. Maybe this lame man thought he would forever be carried. No hope for healing. No hope for change. Yet his healing did come and the change was profound. His carriers were no longer necessary. I am sure both sides felt the joy of ended roles.

Yet nine verses later, this same man (now able to leap, stand, and walk) is found clinging to Peter and John….the ones God used to bring about his healing. Why? It was not that he needed their help to continue to walk. He was doing that and more on his own. Could it be that he (like us) became enamored with the vessels God used? Did he feel a need to stay connected to them even after their purpose in his life had been fulfilled? Was it that he knew other areas in his life were in need of healing and felt he needed them in order for those healings to take place? Did he limit God’s ability to continue to work in his life without those God used presently? While I do not know if those were the issues playing out that day in the life of a former lame man, I do know they are what tend to play out in my own life and the lives of others.

Today, I am once again reviewing the difference between legitimate needs and perceived necessity. When am I being helped out of necessity and when am I refusing to let go out of fear and skewed thinking? God has used and will continue to use significant people in my life but I still need to learn how to receive their help without becoming a clinger. I need to fully embrace David’s words when he said, I saw the Lord constantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken or overthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state]. To see God as my Source who chooses out of love to use the very people that He uses during specific times in my life. May I learn to cling to Him and appreciate fully the ones He sends.

Father, my need of You is clearly seen each time I desperately hold on to others. Teach me to leap, stand, and walk hand in hand with You! Amen.

Better Than a Hallelujah - Amy Grant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD_pCr_Xrnc

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

They're Just like Me

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. James 5:17

We are also men of the same nature as you. Acts 14:15 (Barnabas and Paul)

But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am just a man." Acts 10:26 (New American Standard Bible)

Oh, the dangers and pitfalls of becoming enamored with people! Elijah, Barnabas, Paul, and Peter are just a handful among many who would remind me that people are people. I need the reminder because so often I can take a person’s sterling moments and believe THAT is the way they are 24/7. In my mind, they no long struggle, make wrong choices, live out of their flesh, fall to temptation, think wrong thoughts, feel negative emotions, disappoint God, themselves or others, or sin in any number of other ways. Not only is that kind of thinking far from the truth, but it sets me up with false hope. The false hope of, “If they can do it, so can I.” Then when I fail to live that way, confusion and discouragement sets in.

A few years ago I joined a study entitled “Woman of Significance” based on the book The Search for Significance by Robert McGee. As I listened to some of the women I began to think they were assuming if they went through this book they would eventually be free of fear, approval seeking, guilt, performance-based living, and any other malady in their life. It took me back to the time when I learned that God’s love was not dependent on what I was doing. As I listened to speakers and read books, I began to think the mature Christian life means “no struggles, no failures, just victory!” I actually thought I could reach that point this side of Heaven. What followed was a few years of continual reality checks!

What I learned and what I shared with the women in the study group was that living the victorious Christian life did not mean I would no longer struggle with my mind, will, and emotions. It meant I knew Who to go to each time I struggled. It meant I felt safe to confide in and cry with God. It meant I could walk and talk with authenticity and transparency instead of continual masking and hiding. Simply put, it meant I was human but helped and held by an incredible God!

There are still times I find myself being enamored with individuals, but God is faithful to remind me that they too have feet of clay and must continue to practice daily the truths He is showing them. Balance has come with the removal of my rose-colored glasses.

Father, seeing others as people like myself encourages me. Help me to not look down on or up to individuals but to simple look across at them. Help me to keep my eyes on You. Amen.

Only You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgmezEn-zvE

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

And the Scales Fell

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. Acts 9:18 (King James Version)

Saul (later called Paul) had been physically blinded by a bright light from Heaven and spiritually blinded by the realization that everything he based his spirituality on was counter to the very God he thought he was serving. He was bankrupt of any eternal treasure he thought he had stored up. Blinded and broken was his condition when God sent Ananias to lay hands on him and speak a blessing of healing over him. The result was instant sight as the scales fell from his eyes. What started out on a road to Damascus ended on a path through life that included preaching, prison, and penning many books of the New Testament.

This morning I am seeing correlations of Paul’s life in my own. Although I have never been physically blind, I have faced the realization that my own “spirituality” has often been faulty. That which I thought was bringing me closer to God was actually hindering me from really knowing Him on an intimate level. For decades I was on a road strewn with legalism and performance. What I thought would gain me God’s love, favor, and acceptance actually left me bankrupt and empty. Once I realized God’s love was not dependent on what I was doing, I stepped off my road of self effort and knew I was on a different path. For a time (two years to be exact) I thought all was well. God has been gracious to reveal to me the truth.

While I was no longer “performing” for Him, I was still detoured in many ways. Not by religious activity but by meaningful relationships. I had unknowingly mistaken the high of friendships for closeness to God. A life time of looking to individuals to meet my deepest internal needs for love, approval, affirmation, and acceptance was finally exposed in a painful way. Saul waited three days for the scales to fall. I waited a year and a half! Tears, confusion, and fear marked my path as I slowly came to grips with the depths of my own propensity toward idolatry…not of statues but of significant people. I thought the truth of this would do me in but instead it has laid the ground work for freedom.

I am presently on a journey of discovery. It entails seeing the areas in my life that need God’s touch of grace and redemption as well as coming to know a God who can truly meet every need I have and satisfy me in a way that I have never known. The scales have fallen and what I am seeing for the first time is taking my breath away!

Father, I use to fear exposure but now I welcome it. In Your presence I am free to see the truth about myself and ecstatic to see the truth about You! Amen.

Radical Obedience

And many of those who had practiced curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. Acts 19:19 (Amplified Bible)

I have often heard of accounts in history when revival resulted in the destruction of former articles of sin and addiction. Often times, bonfires would be built and those things that had become an ingrained part of people’s lives were thrown into the flames. It must have been a profound site. I can only imagine the scene of an entire town bringing their drug paraphernalia, pornographic literature, demonic books and music, immodest clothing, and whatever else they had been in bondage to, and tossing them one by one into the inferno. It would mark a distinct end to a part of their life that kept them at arms length from God.

The Old Testament is filled with accounts of God requiring His people to stop the practice of idolatry. Part of the process was the necessity to completely destroy the idols they had made and subsequently worshipped. True freedom would not come merely through confession and repentance of the idolatry. While it was a good start, it was not the end of the obedience God demanded. For He knew if the idols remained, the tendency to bow to them once again would exist. Ridding their homes and land of every last idol was the ultimate display of total surrender. Stopping short of that act meant unresolved issues and incomplete obedience. Thus the door to freedom would once again close.

I have been in prayer this morning over a personal issue in my own life. While I have sought forgiveness and freedom countless times I have not sensed a release from its hold. While it would not be considered immoral or illegal it is keeping a death grip on my soul that demands a difficult but necessary step of obedience. There is absolutely no question in my mind of what God is requiring me to do nor of the grace He is offering me to actually do it. Failure to obey will not result in a loss of His love for me, for I know His love is based on who He is NOT on what I do. But failure to fully cooperate with Him in this area will result in a loss of His blessing on my life, stunted spiritual growth, and an inability to receive all He has for me. It will also grieve Him and obstruct the intimacy with Him I have come to experience and embrace. That is too great a price to pay in His opinion and mine. Therefore I choose to take hold of His extended hand and walk a path of obedience that will lead to freedom…no matter how painful the steps may be. Let the tears flow as this heart follows Him!

Father, the decision has been made. Give me the grace to obey You unreservedly. Amen.

The Gift of Mentors

So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Acts 18:26 NKJV

You will not see the word “mentor” in the Bible but you will see many examples of mentoring relationships. Today’s verse shows one such relationship between Aquila, Priscilla, and a Jew named Apollos. Previous verses reveal that he was an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in spirit, one who taught diligently the things of the Lord, and a bold witness in the synagogue. Yet Aquila and Priscilla saw a need to further instruct him in some things he was lacking. God used them in his life to help him more fully understand His way.

Today is my 34th spiritual birthday. It was on July 13, 1973, that I was born into the family of God through faith in Christ. I look back over those three-plus decades and I can recount numerous individuals who stepped into my life for the purpose of mentoring me. Through their words as well as their life I learned the “way of God more accurately.” Some have gone on to Heaven, some I am in occasional contact with, and some are no longer a part of my life. I thank God for each of them. I would not be the person I am today without their influence. Occasionally I will revisit conversations I had with them and delight in the fact that they have left a precious mark on my spirit. I treasure the advice they gave, still practice principles they instilled, and carry on the rich heritage they left. They were my Aquila and Priscilla!

While God still crosses my path with individuals who encourage me in the faith, I am finding myself in a time of transition. Personal mentors are now coming through the pages of books that I read more than individuals I meet face to face. I metaphorically sit at their feet and drink in the lessons they teach. Even more so, God has become my prominent and predominant Mentor. He encourages me to bring the questions to Him and allow Him to give me the answers and direction I need. He is now the one I from whom I seek wisdom, comfort, and instruction. Will He still use people? Absolutely. But the dependency is finally switching over to Him and in that I have found a new freedom!

I now take the challenge to be available to Him when He calls upon me to mentor someone else. I want to be to others what so many have been to me. It is an ongoing process of passing on what I have received. May the chains of influence continue to grow!

Father, many faces are coming to mind as I recall the mentors in my life. Their investment in my life was not in vain. I treasure the memories and accept Your call to reach out to others. Amen.

The Power of Prayer and Praise

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Acts 16:25 KJV

Paul and Silas’ prayers and praises followed the abuse they suffered at the hands of others and preceded God’s redemptive work in their situation. They were voiced in the darkness of prison cells and coupled with the physical pain they still felt from a beating. They had no control over what had just happened to them but they had major choices to make as to how they would respond to such treatment.

We are not given the details of their prayers but my imagination is awakened as I think about the possibilities. Could it be they prayed for the very ones who had just mistreated them? Possibly Jesus’ prayer to His Father as He suffered on the cross became their prayer with their feet in fetters, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” They may have asked that the spiritual blindness of their persecutors’ hearts be removed so they could hear, understand, and receive the gift of salvation. They may have also prayed for fellow believers to stay strong in the midst of their own persecution. That they would not grow weary in well doing and would not become discouraged and quit. They may have prayed for grace for themselves and the ability to love the very ones who had hurt them. I do not believe vengeance or hatred found a place in their hearts or their prayers.

Songs of praise! They did not have the hymns or praise music that is so readily available to us today. Maybe they buried themselves in the many Psalms that David had written. Surely the words reflected the many attributes of God. They would have been the equivalent of our present day How Great Thou Art, I Need Thee Every Hour, Awesome God, Draw Me Close to You, and You’re Still God. Their prayers and songs of praise had an audience with God as well as the other prisoners. Oh that we would see the same in our own situations.

Freedom in the midst of difficulties is ours to embrace when we follow the example of these two men. Choosing to pray for all involved and voice our praises to God is the only thing that keeps us afloat in the storms of life. I am miserable when I give in to the enemy’s suggestions of condemnation, self pity, and bitterness. I would much rather don the garments of praise when faced with a spirit of heaviness then clothe myself with that which would defeat me spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Does it mean I won’t feel the sting of life in all of this? Absolutely not! It simply means I will become receptive to the healing balm of a gentle Savior.

Father, nothing compares to the power of prayer and praise in the midst of pain, heartache, and loss. Continue to do your redemptive work in me as I lift my voice, hands, and face to You. Amen.

When Seasons Have Ended

Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:39 NKJV

Philip was involved in this eunuch’s life long enough to introduce him to the truths of Jesus Christ. They spent part of a day together as Philip explained a passage of scripture to him. Their meeting ended with this individual being baptized and then Philip was suddenly taken away. The eunuch saw him no more after that point. It was a brief encounter that changed his life! Here is the part of the story that grabs my attention: the man went on his way rejoicing!

I know what it is like to have an individual come into my life and teach me life changing truths about God. It has happened several times over the course of nearly 34 years. Each time I was affected greatly and the direction of my life was forever changed. There always seemed to be a certain pattern followed. God would prepare my heart for what I was about to learn, bring a person along to reveal truth, and I would take in the truth with a deep thirst! To this day, I love when that happens!

Here is the difficulty. Due to issues in my own life, it was often too easy to become enamored with the person God was using. I somehow would see them as necessary to my continued progress and growth. Unaware that their time in my life would be for a season, I would be crushed when it was time for me to move on without them. I wish I could say I readily released myself from them but that would be so far from the truth. It has often been a prying away of my fingers and a relearning of the necessity of it all.

God is gracious and very patient! I see Him awakening in me the realization to trust Him with this process. Under His care I am safe to experience relationships with the people He leads to me. There will be growth and at the right time (when He knows it is time) He will initiate the separation. He knows I’ll cry. He knows I will need to work through some issues. But ultimately He knows that I will resume a walk with Him that will have deepened. I thank Him for the ones He brings and I trust Him when their season in my life is over. When that happens, may I become like this eunuch who went on his way rejoicing!

Father, You know that I love the introductions and cringe at the goodbyes. You know when my heart is engaged and when it is broken. Through it all may I hold Your hand all the tighter. Amen.

Knowing What Is Ahead

For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake. Acts 9:16 NASB

God told Moses he would be leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and yet would meet resistance from Pharaoh. God gave Joseph dreams that revealed what lay in his future. God let David know through the prophet Samuel that he would one day be king of Israel. In today’s verse, we see where Saul is being told of the suffering he would face. These are just a few of the examples that come to mind as I consider the times God let His people know of future opportunities or trials. Many times there wasn’t a lot of detail but enough was given to prepare them for what was in store. Does God still do such things today? You bet He does! I am seeing it clearly done in my life as I wade through a present season of pain. Allow me to share it with you and see if you can relate.

Two years ago, God revealed to me something that would be necessary in order to bring about freedom and a fresh awareness of Himself. At the time, I thought it was a command but now I see it was simply a preview. With that thought in mind, He continued to teach me vital truths about Himself and instill within me necessary character qualities. As the time approached for the actual “test” He got more specific. Within a three day span He showed me that He would be pruning me by cutting away a significant aspect of my Christian life, that I needed to focus on Him rather than the past, and that it was essential to learn the truth of abiding in Him. He even gave me a dream one night that left no doubt in my mind as to what He would be doing and why. I did not realize how vital these things were until the reality of the trial hit! Once I saw what was happening I realized God had been preparing me all along.

He wanted me to see that change was necessary, that His hand was in it, that growth would come from it, and that I would survive! I have learned to call Him a gracious God. As He and I wade through the issues and make the necessary adjustments there is a closeness being formed between us. I sense His interest, involvement, and purpose as He develops in me the trust, obedience, and cooperation that is needful for this season of my life. This is not about behavior modification but rather it is about heart transformation and a renewed mind. All that I have learned about Him in recent years is being reviewed and lived out during my present circumstances.

As I step into another day, I know it will be filled with good moments and difficult ones. There will be tears as well as shouts of joy. The process will be painful but productive. And in the end I will know Him as never before.

Father, You have invested much in preparing me for this time. Wonder is replacing fears and tears as You continue to reveal Your person and Your plan. Amen.

What We Received

To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. Acts 26:18

What a list! These words were spoken by Jesus Himself to Saul. They were recorded in Scripture for our ears as well. They reveal four incredible things that were instantaneous the moment we trusted Christ. Salvation is more than just becoming a child of God with access to Heaven. Though those two things alone would be blessings enough. And the fullness of salvation includes more than these four aspects. But the list is worth taking in this morning and reveling in its meaning.

Each of us walked in a spiritual darkness prior to knowing Christ. The things we see and understand about God now, were the very things to which we were blind. That is why when you speak with a non believer about God or the Bible they can’t seem to see or grasp what you are talking about. The seeds are being planted no doubt, but they live in a darkness to the truth…just like we did. God is the One who can eventually open their eyes.

Transfer from Satan’s dominion, kingdom, authority, and rule to God’s dominion, kingdom, authority, and rule is the greatest move you will ever experience. Contrast the two domains and what do you see lacking in Satan’s? Love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, tenderness, security, and much more. He is a ruthless, dishonest dictator who knows there will one day be an end to him and his reign. God is a loving heavenly Father, who will never have an end and neither will His kingdom.

Forgiveness of sins! It is not possible outside of Christ. Just imagine if you still carried every sin you ever committed. And not just the sin but the guilt, shame, and condemnation as well. In Christ it is gone…all of it. Although we still have a sin nature, the forgiveness continues!

Finally, an inheritance with fellow believers! Eye has not seen nor ear heard all that God has in store for those who know and love Him. No earthly will contains such promise and wonder. What true wealth awaits us!

Father, I rejoice in these gifts this morning. What a different life I would have if I had never trusted Christ. Thank you! Amen.

The End of Role Confusion

And the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. Acts 16:14b (NASB)
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 (NASB)

Nothing happens in our life on a spiritual plane without God’s involvement and interaction. Whether it is in the area of our salvation, as in the case of Lydia, a business woman in the days of the Apostle Paul, or a person living out the Christian life. God does the opening of hearts and the working in hearts. Their part is to respond and cooperate. It is a partnership of profound measure!

Do you know someone who has yet to put their trust in Christ? Start praying Acts 16:14 over their life. While it is imperative that we continue to share biblical truths with them and plant seeds in the soil of their heart, God is the One who causes them to see, receive, and respond to the message of salvation. So your prayer for them on a daily basis can be something like this: God, open _______’s heart to respond to the things I am telling them. The responsibility falls back on God. The dependency is once again placed on God to do the active opening. We are simply the messengers. The seed sowers. May we stop taking on God’s role and learn to live as His co-laborers.

Do you know someone who is a Christian and yet still seems to live without a vital, daily connection to God? They DO all the right things but their spirit, temperament, attitude, conversations, and activities do not stem from a continual, deep relationship with God. Start praying Philippians 2:13 over their life on a daily basis. God, work in ___________ so he will desire and carry out the things that bring You pleasure. Yes, we can encourage and exhort as God leads, but the actual working still comes from God’s touch not ours.

So many of the people and things what we rely on as a catch all for another person’s spiritual needs are merely the tools God can use. He is still the One who does the actual heart work. How necessary it is that we see that and act accordingly. We have a part to play but it is not God’s position.

Father, may I never again confuse my role with Yours when it comes to another person’s salvation or Christianity. I now partner with You! Amen.