The Mindset of a Pretender

Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. Matthew 26:26 (KJV)

I read Judas’ question to Jesus and I am struck by the blatant mode of “masking” he is living. Judas is asking this question AFTER he has already visited the chief priests (Jesus’ greatest human rivals), offered to help them capture him, agreed to a price of thirty pieces of silver, and began looking for an opportunity to carry out the betrayal. Everything has been set in motion for the most heartless, devious betrayal of all time. Judas knows what he is doing and still voices a question to the very One he is betraying and the very One who knows he is doing it. What I am asking myself is “why?” Why is Judas asking a question he already knows the answer to?

Could it be he wants to know if Jesus is aware of his thoughts, actions, and secrets? Or could it be he wants to continue his masquerade within the company of the other disciples? Jesus could not be fooled. He saw right through the hidden agendas, false motives, and hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day. And He saw right through Judas. As God, He was present when Judas met with the chief priests and He was aware of his search for the right moment of betrayal. Nothing escapes His knowledge, awareness, or eye.

So it is the second possibility that has my attention this morning. While Jesus cannot be fooled, people are another story. Judas would continue to embrace his self-deception with his desire to keep the truth hidden from the people in his life. He was pretty good at it too, because his closest friends never realized the truth about him until his kiss of betrayal took place in the garden. He indeed had them all fooled until the very end.

I wonder how many Christians will live with a Judas mentality today? While they realize God is not being fooled, they continue playing a game of pretend to their family, friends, co-workers, and congregation. They derive some sense of safety and satisfaction that no one knows what they are really like. Addictions, strongholds, and sins have remained hidden behind masks of worship, service, and good outward behavior. God is calling them to a life of authenticity and will help them find it, but they are resisting. Oh, that they would not play their game until the end. How tragic that would be!

Father, it is sobering to think one could live with such a mindset. May I be honest with You, others, and myself each day. Cloak me in truth. Amen.

Ears to Hear

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 14:35 (KJV)

While here on earth, Jesus spoke many things to many people, but He knew not everyone would take in His words. He referenced this when He used the phrase “ears to hear.” He was not talking about the ability to hear sound. Anyone within the range of His voice could master that. What He was referring to had more to do with comprehending, acknowledging, embracing, and understanding what He was saying. Some would hear what He had to say and walk away unmoved and unchanged. Others would be a captive audience to Him and walk away forever changed. It would show up in their words, actions, and thoughts later on. The fruit would be evident.

Many people will sit in church tomorrow and there will be a variety of ear types. They will sit within hearing range of a minister’s voice but all will not really hear what he is saying much less what God is saying through Him. Distractions may abound in their head and the message will become a muffled sound to their ears. Some will not have the ability to take in the truths of what is being said because they have never had a spiritual opening of their ears by the Holy Spirit. They have never trusted Christ as their Savior and therefore remain spiritually deaf. Some will have issues with their pastor and refuse to believe God would ever have anything to say through him. Some will have such a distorted view of God that they long ago gave up hope that He would have anything to say to them directly. Some, through boredom, rebellion, or pride, stopped listening all together. Each lacks the ears to hear. They will walk away having not listened to or learned what God was so anxious to tell them.

Then there are those who will attend church tomorrow with ears anxious to hear God’s voice to them, because it is a daily practice for them already. Each time they open His Word, read a book, listen to a speaker, or hear a song, they ask God to speak to them through it. Their heart cry becomes, “Give me ears to hear you, Lord!” They are attentive and attuned to what He wants to tell them. The conversations are powerful, personal, and profound. Each of us have the opportunity to possess ears to hear. We must simply ask for them and then start listening!

Father, my ears need a touch from You each day. I want ears to hear and a heart that is receptive to all that You desire to tell me. May my face light up every time I know it is Your voice I am hearing. Amen.

The Point of Entry

Enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:21b (KJV)

I am learning to hear God’s invitations to me. They are inclusive, extravagant, and lavish. I use to miss them when the words of God never seemed to leave the pages of Scripture and enter my heart. How easy it was to read this verse from Matthew and think it was only meant for the ears of the faithful servants who showed good stewardship. The invitation was for them, the joy was for them, and the closeness was for them. I did not know how to approach Scripture as anything other than an outsider. I was an observer rather than a participant. The words had no meaning for me. My lack of connection to the Bible was due to my not having an intimate connection with its Author. As my daily relationship with God changed it affected my approach to His Word.

Was I saved? Absolutely. But my spiritual life was limited to my interactions with people rather than with my heavenly Father. Rather than going to Him directly I looked to people to tell me about Him. Mine was a faith that was mostly built on the opinions and experiences of others. I couldn’t seem to hear what He wanted to tell me directly. There is no joy in that kind of Christianity. It becomes a life of neediness and continual searching.

But oh the joy that comes when props are kicked out from under you, securities are removed, and you find yourself alone with God. Entering into His joy is an invitation to join Him. Partner with Him. It is no longer being satisfied to let others nourish you by feeding off their plates. Instead it is learning to meet with Him one on one. It involves trust, obedience, submission, and conformity. It is a oneness that cannot be fully described.

Entering in means closeness and drawing near. It means participating in the same activities. Laying aside my own agendas in favor of God’s agendas. It means aligning my passions with His. Each morning the invitation is given anew and I must choose whether or not I will accept it. May I see the delight in His eyes and hear the love in His voice as He once again asks, “Will you join Me?”

Father, thank you for opening my ears so I could finally hear Your voice. I do not know what You have planned for today but I choose to join You for whatever that would be. I am ready to share in Your happiness. Amen.

Necessary Awareness

Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God. John 13:3 (KJV)

I have recently watched a couple episodes of American Idol. One thing stands out to me above all other things with that show. It is the misdirected trust the contestants place in the hands of the judges. They not only come with their dreams to succeed, they build their identity, worth, and value on what those judges think of them.

I ache for them because they remind me of myself and all the times I have looked to people to tell me who I was and what I was worth. Their opinion of me became the determining factor of how I viewed myself. I had yet to learn what Jesus knew! His total identity was found in the relationship He had with His Father. He knew that every thing in His life passed from His Father’s hands to His hands…..the joys as well as the sorrows. He knew where He came from and where He was going. Nothing in this life could take away or add to what He knew to be true.

I have found there is only one way for God to instill that kind of knowledge in me. It is in drawing me aside in solitude with Himself. He has spent the last year removing anything or anyone from my life that would hinder me from knowing Him and hence knowing who I really am. He knew what I was clinging to for security, identity, assurance, significance, and belonging. As He would purposefully pry each idol from my closed hands I responded with tears, fear, and dejection. I did not understand why He was doing what He was doing….until now. His ways seemed harsh and unloving at the time. But I have finally come to realize His desire all along was to get me to look to Him, know Him, and embrace Him. That is not possible if anything else stands in the way, has my attention, or holds my heart. He was simply clearing the way so we could finally be together.

I am still in a wilderness place with Him but I am beginning to see signs of life, evidence of growth, and the reality of His presence. My tears are being replaced with joy, my fears are being replaced with confidence, and my loneliness is being replaced with His companionship.

Father, You give and You take away in love. Continue to remove any thing from my life that distracts me from knowing You. I open my hands to release any thing or any one I am holding on to in place of You. Amen.

The Power of Conjunctions

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me. Psalm 129:2 (KJV)

David had a right take on life. He knew how to state the problem as well as stand on the promise! He was not one who feared to acknowledge the truth of his external circumstances or the internal battle of emotions, but that was not his final statement. He was a man of conjunctions! The “yet” of this verse lets the reader know the previous phrase is not the end of the story. It is like saying, “Even though THIS is happening to me it will not do me in.” May I too look for God’s conjunctions in my life.

Afflicted is an interesting word. It comes from the same Hebrew word that means cramp, besiege, bind up, oppress, shut up, trouble, and vex. It is the actions of an enemy who is intent on destroying you. For some that would be the people in their life, the circumstances of their life, or the thoughts that rage within them. But what I must daily realize is that those are merely the tools the enemy of my soul is using against me. He will take anything within reach and present it to me with his own twisted interpretation. He is a master at misrepresentations and false advertisements. He is out to slander God, me, and the people in my life. He will stop at nothing to get me to believe lies, live in defeat, and retreat in hopelessness and tears.

But I have the assurance of God’s Word that he will not prevail. In order to have the victory he must be stronger, predominate, and superior. One need only look at the New Testament twin verse to see that is not the case. For I John 4:4 becomes the battle cry of every believer as it proclaims, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Last night my thoughts became dark and I could sense myself slipping into an all too familiar pit of despair. The enemy was delighted as long as I curled up with my own thoughts and his lies. But he quickly retreated when I began to proclaim the truth found in God’s Word. All it took was a reminder that he will not prevail.

Father, help me to be more aware of where the thoughts are coming from and who the real enemy is! I cannot afford to listen to him or interpret life through his grid of lies. You are Truth and I trust You alone to define me and interpret the circumstances of my life. Amen.

Given to be Given Away

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. John 6:11 KJV

The kingdom principles that Jesus taught and demonstrated in Bible times are also meant for us today. Our God is unchangeable and so is His ability to work in amazing ways. As I read this verse this morning the theme that literally jumped off the page to me was, “Give away what is given to you. Share with others what I share with you. I still multiply the things that are not hoarded for oneself.”

The disciples saw this truth displayed in a powerful way when Jesus gave them the opportunity to distribute lunch to 5,000 men. The few elements of a small boy’s lunch became a feast of great proportion with leftovers that far exceeded what they even started out with. Their wonderment of how so little could go so far was soon replaced with amazement and evident sufficiency. What could have been kept by a little boy, by Jesus, or even by the disciples was given out and multiplied miraculously.

So what insight can I take with me and apply to my own life?

*God has plans for whatever is placed in His hands.
*Multiplication is the result of giving away what He graciously gives to me.
*Others will benefit from what is passed on to them.
*Hoarding actually causes me to miss out on God’s intended purposes.
*There is no better way to live than to leave the results with God.
*Partnership with God is the doorway to any miracle.

While there are many things I am privileged to receive from my Father and then pass on to others, I have found great joy in seeing this principle work each morning as I send out an email devotional. What started out as private journal notes written on paper eventually became something I desired to share with others. A little over one hundred individuals now become the recipients of what God first shares with me in the quiet morning hours. Some have let me know they forward the devotionals on to others. That touches my heart because I then become a witness of God’s multiplication principle. Indeed it is alive and well today!

Father, Your ways never fail to amaze me. The fact that You allow me to be a distributor of Your truths leaves me in awe. I gladly join You! Amen.

Daily Directives

Then the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. Matthew 21:6 Amplified Bible

A couple of years ago, I took a trip from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Athens, Georgia. I printed off directions from MapQuest and got an early start! I knew where I was going and even had the printed instructions for how to get there, but I misread them and ended up adding many miles and hours to my trip! Later on, I discovered what I had done wrong and the trip back was shorter and faster. That error turned into a lesson of great value in how to read and follow MapQuest directions.

Fleshing out Matthew 21:6 took longer for me to learn. I had become adapt at following the directions of individuals and churches but I floundered to hear Jesus’ instructions to me. I was unsure of His voice, intentions, and desires. The thought that Jesus wanted to be personally involved in my every day life was foreign to me. I did not know how to go to Him for answers, directions, instructions, help, comfort, or wisdom. Not only was I uncomfortable talking to Him, I was unsure of how to listen to Him. “The Lord told me” was not a part of my vocabulary. The relationship I had with Him was strained, uncomfortable, and shaky much of the time.

I now read of the disciples going and doing what Jesus commanded them and the words seem more familiar to me. Their relationship with Jesus was such that they knew when He was talking to them, what He was saying to them, and what it was they were suppose to do. Their obedience was in response to His voice. There was no second guessing, no confusion, and no need to consult with others.

I want their confident obedience to be what marks my daily life. I want to be aware of His directions to me personally. Whether it has to do with my words, actions, thoughts, or motives, I want to hear His instructions and follow them with abandon. And that is possible because now I know His words to me are built on a foundation of love, mercy, and grace, I also have the assurance that His Spirit will give me the ability to carry out His commands. It is a matter of uniting my heart, mind, will, and emotions with His. When that happens, then Matthew 21:6 becomes a reality for me rather than just a description of someone else’s life.

Father, may hearing Your voice and obeying Your commands be my daily experience of knowing You. Amen.