In step

[RiverOL]

Doing What Is Right
For reading & meditation - Philippians 2:15-16
""... continue to work out your salvation ... for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."" (vv. 12-13)
We ended yesterday by saying that the biblical response to all of life's problems is to take advantage of the unfailing grace of God, and turn our setbacks into springboards. I know that some will respond to that statement by saying, ""It sounds good in theory, but it's hard to put it into practice. What about the hurts that some people carry inside them, that make it difficult or sometimes impossible for them to make use of God's grace to turn their problems into possibilities?"" I do understand and sympathize with the wounds that people have, which sometimes militate against their desire to respond to life in a biblical way.

I know from firsthand experience the arguments that people can put forward to avoid doing what God asks in His Word. However, I must take my stand, and so must you, on the authority of Scripture, and affirm that God never asks us to do what we are incapable of doing. Much of evangelicalChristianity, I am afraid, is man-centered. We need a return to a God-centered position which does exactly what God asks, whether we feel like it or not.

I freely confess that there are times when I don't feel like obeying God. I know, however, what is right - that God has redeemed me and that I belong to Him - and I do what He wants me to whether I feel like it or not. What controls you in your Christian life - your feelings or what you know God asks and expects you to do? Your answer will reveal just who is in the driver's seat!

Prayer:
Gracious and loving heavenly Father, teach me the art of responding to life, not with my feelings but with a clear mind and a clear resolve. Help me to do what is right - whether I feel like it or not. For Jesus' sake. Amen​

 

[RiverOL]

Letting Go of the Past

The Apostle Paul said, "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."1

At some time every one of us will experience painful circumstances of one kind or another. The important issue is not what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens. Painful experiences can make us bitter or better. The choice is up to each one of us. Like the Apostle Paul we need to learn how to let go of what lies behind so we, too, can "press on" to achieve God's goal for our life.

To do this requires the following steps on our part:

Quit playing the blame-game. One lady I was working with in a group setting complained bitterly saying, "I can't understand why God gave me such a terrible husband." "Who chose him?" I asked. "God did," she replied. She had deceived herself into believing that fantasy. God will guide us if we genuinely seek his direction, but he won't make our decisions for us. As adults we are totally responsible for every decision and choice we make. As long as we play the blame-game, we can never get on with our life. We stay stuck where we are and can do so for years.

Overcome denial. Fred (not his real name), has been divorced for close to twenty years. His former wife re-married soon after their divorce. But Fred is still living in the delusion that his former wife will return to him. He is refusing to let go of the past, and is stuck there. Denial is deadly if we ever hope to fully live and fully love.

Forgive to be free. No matter how badly we feel we have been hurt, failing to forgive keeps us bound by the past as we are unconsciously allowing bitter memories of past hurts to control our present life. As another has said, "Failing to forgive is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

Resolve supercharged negative emotions. Regardless of the reason, whenever we feel let down, rejected, or even abused, we have hurt and angry feelings. This is normal. To nurse these negative emotions is damaging to all present and future close relationships and meaningful living. Until we resolve these negative emotions, it is impossible to forgive.

Denying, suppressing, and/or repressing supercharged negative emotions is also destructive of physical, emotional, and spiritual health. No wonder God's Word advises: "So get rid of your feelings of hatred [unresolved anger]. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty … deception, envy and fraud."2Stuffing negative emotions is not getting rid of them.3

As we follow these steps for letting go, we are freed to forget what lies behind and move onward and upward to achieve our God-given goals and life-purpose.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word with practical advice for healthy relationships and meaningful living. Help me to take responsibility for my responses to all situations, never play the blame-game, be free from denial and forgive everyone who has every hurt me so that I can let go of and put behind me all hurts and failures from the past, and 'press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

The "harvest of the Spirit"
Galatians 5:13-26
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (vv.22-23)

We begin today a detailed study of the fruit of the Spirit -- the nine ingredients which go to make up Christian character. These nine qualities are the natural outcome of the Holy Spirit's indwelling -- not a manufactured one.

When Paul speaks of the manifestations of the flesh, he describes them as "works," but when speaking of the manifestations of the Spirit, he describes them as "fruit." "Works" suggests something that is an effort: "fruit" suggests something that is effortless.

Some translations use the term "harvest of the Spirit" rather than "fruit of the Spirit," pointing to the finished product, the outcome. Most people, myself included, prefer the word "fruit" to "harvest," but there is a special truth locked up in the word "harvest" that we must not miss. You see, it is what we finally reap as the result of an attitude or course of action that is important. What happens along the way, such as good feelings, are part of the Spirit's purpose but not the greatest part. It is the end result that matters.

And what is that end result? It is a quality of being. Jesus once said: "Love your enemies, do good ... and your reward will be great ... you will be sons of the Highest" (Luke 6:35, NKJV). Note the phrase, "you will be." The reward is more than just having -- it is being. Remember, the goodness or badness of an act is determined, not just by what it does to others but by what it does to you. So having the Holy Spirit within us is not just being the recipient of pleasurable emotions -- it is being a better person.

Prayer

​

​

O God my Father, help me right here at the beginning to get my focus right and yearn, not so much for better feelings, but to be a better person. In Christ's Name I ask it. Amen.

For Further Study
Psalms 1; Ephesians 5:9
1. What is the key to producing good fruit?
2. What does "prosper" mean in this context​

 

[RiverOL]

• Irresponsible Worry
  And which of you by being anxious
  can add a single hour to his span of life?—Matthew 6:27
  
  Something’s coming. Doesn’t it always feel like that? Maybe it’s something financial . . . maybe work-related . . . maybe health-related . . . definitely bad. And so, we worry. I mean, it almost feels like that’s just a part of being a man, worrying about what’s coming. We worry about all the bad things that could happen, to us and to our loved ones. We scheme about how to get out in front of all those things. Then we worry some more about whether we’re actually men enough to execute our schemes. All this worrying hangs over our lives. It haunts our thoughts and steals important moments—moments that should be joy-filled.
  
  But, it would be irresponsible not to worry, wouldn’t it? We’ve been trained to worry, all our lives. We’ve been trained that men with responsibilities are supposed to worry. It’s part of manhood.
  
  Or is it? Our King, Jesus Christ, teaches us that it’s actually not. You see, he didn’t come so that we’d live lives haunted by fear. He came and died to set us free from such things (Galatians 5:1). He assures us, our Father God will take care of us, whether we worry or not (Matthew 6:26). We must, therefore, adopt a radical, new mindset: “We don’t know what’s coming . . . but our Father God does. So, we’ll leave it to him.”​
  
  
  
  Letting go of worry is tough. You must approach it not only intellectually, but practically too. You cannot simply command yourself, “worry less.” That, by itself, doesn’t work so well. You must get practical by actually talking about worries with a spouse, a friend, with brothers in community. That does work (2 Corinthians 12:9). Getting your worries out into the open is as powerful as it is counterintuitive. So, brother, defy your instincts.
  
  ​

 

[RiverOL]

Life with Christ (17 November 2018)
Morning Encounter:
Read:
God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.
Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.
(Colossians 3.12-17)

Reflect:
In this amazing passage, Paul establishes that Christians are already risen with Christ. They are to break the habits of the old way of life and embrace a new kind of life.
Respond:
Take time to go over these verses and then rest, silently. How might the Lord wish to speak to you today?
Midday Meditation:
‘Solitude begins with a time and a place for God, and God alone. If we really believe not only that God exists but also that God is actively present in our lives-- healing, teaching and guiding-- we need to set aside a time and space to give God our undivided attention.’
(Henri Nouwen Making All Things New)

Evening Reflection:
I patiently waited, Lord, for you to hear my prayer.
You listened and pulled me from a lonely pit full of m&d and mire.
You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm, and you gave me a new song, a song of praise to you.
(From Psalm 40)

 

[RiverOL]

The primacy of love
1 Corinthians 13"
... the greatest of these is love." (v.13)

The fruit of the Spirit is just one aspect of the Spirit-filled life.

It is an over-simplification, but the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian moves in two important directions -- to produce purity and to produce power. The power aspect can be seen in a study of the gifts of the Spirit and the purity aspect in a study of the fruit of the Spirit. Both are of equal importance. So be assured that in emphasising the fruit of the Spirit, I am not intending to divert attention from the gifts of the Spirit and their miraculous nature.

Having the Spirit within results in many things but, as we saw yesterday, one of the most important results is a quality of being -- a quality of being which has nine characteristics. The first of these is "love." This emphasis on the primacy of love fits in with Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 13 -- "the greatest of these is love." If one examines the chapter in which these words are found, it will be discovered that every fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 is involved in this supernatural love. Indeed either directly, or by synonyms, each of them is mentioned.

All the fruit depends on the first. Note the connection: love suffers long -- long-suffering. Love is kind. Love does not envy -- goodness. Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up -- meekness or gentleness. Love seeks not its own, is not easily provoked -- self-control. Love rejoices in the truth -- joy. Love bears all things, hopes all things -- faithfulness. Having love, we have all the fruit of the Spirit. Without it we are nothing.

Prayer: Gracious Father, I see that whatever else I possess, if I do not possess love I am nothing. Help me to keep all my channels open to You, so that love -- Your love -- may grow in me. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Conscience

"David was conscience stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.'"1

David was conscience stricken because he knew he had disobeyed the Lord's directives. Have you ever noticed how some people, no matter what they do, don't seem to have a conscience, or have a dead conscience and justify their every action? And then there is the philosophy that says, "If it feels good, do it." And this is supposed to make it right? This is pure nonsense.

Everybody is born with a conscience that is programmed very much by the way we are brought up. The word con-science literally means with-knowledge. If we grew up in a rigid, legalistic and punitive home or church/religion, chances are we will have a rigid, legalistic, punitive conscience. On the other hand, if we grew up in a very liberal environment, we may do things that God's Word teaches are sinful and not feel a tinge of conscience.

As a result of faulty teaching, some people feel guilty when they shouldn't and don't feel guilty when they should. On the other hand, people who consistently ignore the voice of their conscience can end up anesthetizing or deadening it, which is a dangerous way to live. Some of these people become psychopaths.

To have a healthy conscience, first we need to deprogram the rigid legalism and other faulty input and teaching we received in the past as well as our rationalization of actions we knew very well were wrong. Then we need to reprogram our conscience with knowledge based on what God's Word teaches as right and wrong. Repetition, repetition, repetition in our mind of these truths and these principles is how we reprogram our conscience.

To reinforce this programming it is imperative that we consistently do what we know is right regardless of how we feel. Remember, a healthy con-science is with-knowledge, not with-or-about-feelings.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the good sense to learn what is right according to the principles as found in your Word, and the help to always follow your directives in thought, word, and deed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Conscience

"David was conscience stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.'"1

David was conscience stricken because he knew he had disobeyed the Lord's directives. Have you ever noticed how some people, no matter what they do, don't seem to have a conscience, or have a dead conscience and justify their every action? And then there is the philosophy that says, "If it feels good, do it." And this is supposed to make it right? This is pure nonsense.

Everybody is born with a conscience that is programmed very much by the way we are brought up. The word con-science literally means with-knowledge. If we grew up in a rigid, legalistic and punitive home or church/religion, chances are we will have a rigid, legalistic, punitive conscience. On the other hand, if we grew up in a very liberal environment, we may do things that God's Word teaches are sinful and not feel a tinge of conscience.

As a result of faulty teaching, some people feel guilty when they shouldn't and don't feel guilty when they should. On the other hand, people who consistently ignore the voice of their conscience can end up anesthetizing or deadening it, which is a dangerous way to live. Some of these people become psychopaths.

To have a healthy conscience, first we need to deprogram the rigid legalism and other faulty input and teaching we received in the past as well as our rationalization of actions we knew very well were wrong. Then we need to reprogram our conscience with knowledge based on what God's Word teaches as right and wrong. Repetition, repetition, repetition in our mind of these truths and these principles is how we reprogram our conscience.

To reinforce this programming it is imperative that we consistently do what we know is right regardless of how we feel. Remember, a healthy con-science is with-knowledge, not with-or-about-feelings.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the good sense to learn what is right according to the principles as found in your Word, and the help to always follow your directives in thought, word, and deed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Speaking
Morning Encounter:
Introduction
When we approach God in prayer, our desire is to hear what he has to say about life. God invites us into a conversational relationship with him. As Richard Foster says, ‘our goal in prayer is to learn always to think God’s thoughts after him’. This week, we are going to take time to learn from Habakkuk what this can look like. All other Old Testament prophets speak God’s words to God’s people. Habakkuk, however, speaks the words of God’s people to God – it is for this reason we turn to him to learn the life of conversational prayer.
Read:
Our Lord, how long must I beg for your help before you listen?
How long before you save us from all this violence?
Why do you make me watch such terrible injustice?
Why do you allow violence, lawlessness, crime and cruelty to spread everywhere?
Laws cannot be enforced; justice is always the loser; criminals crowd out honest people and twist the laws around.
Habakkuk 1:2-4
Reflect:
Habakkuk is looking at the world and noticing what is wrong. He does not like what he sees and speaks this to God. We also might experience fatigue and despair as we take in local and national news each day and see the daily diet of crime and cruelty in our world. How do we respond? What’s our part in helping to put the world right? How will we seek to bring justice, wholeness and peace?
Respond:
As you go through your day, take notice of what is happening around you. Tell God how you feel about what you see. Be honest! But also seek what your response should or could be.
Midday Meditation:
When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray.”
So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way:
Father help us
To honour your name.
Come and set up your kingdom.
(Luke 11:1-2)
Evening Reflection:
“Unless the prayer which you intend to offer to God is important and meaningful to you first, you will not be able to present it to the Lord.”

 

[RiverOL]

Listening
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Look and be amazed at what’s happening among the nations!
Even if you were told you would never believe what’s taking place now.
I am sending the Babylonians. They are fierce and cruel – marching across the land, conquering cities and towns.
(Habakkuk 1:5-6)
Reflect:
Habakkuk has faithfully cried out to God on behalf of the people. What Habakkuk then hears back from God is not what he wanted to hear (the Babylonians were much worse than the current situation). What Habakkuk hears is God talking about his kingdom – where what God wants done is done. What we find as we listen is that God’s first interest does not seem to be our prosperity or our power; God’s first interest seems to be our knowledge of who he is.
Respond:
Pray the following as often as you are able today: “Father, come and set up your kingdom.” (Luke 11:2)
Midday Meditation:
Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, “Let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don’t have a thing for him to eat.” And suppose your friend answers, “Don’t bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something.”
He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking. (Luke 11:5-8)
Evening Reflection:
Prayer is very simple. We speak because we have things to say. We listen because we want to know God. What do you want to say to God right now? What is God saying to you right now?

 

[RiverOL]

Resolution or Repetition

"The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."1

For a long time we had a crazy bird that kept smashing into our kitchen window, obviously trying to reach its reflection. I kept trying to outsmart it, but it kept coming back for more of the same kind of treatment. I had the same thing happening at my last home.

I have also read how, "If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be a prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

"A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself."2

Some, perhaps many, people are entrapped in hopeless situations because they are not looking for or seeing the way out of their predicament. I've been there myself in days past until I wised up. In my work I see people making the same mistakes over and over, failing to realize that what we don't resolve, we are destined to repeat . . . repeat . . . repeat. As the saying goes, "If we keep doing what we've always done, we'll keep getting what we always got, and we'll keep feeling what we've always felt."

The beginning point for finding the way out of any predicament is always to look up—to look to God and pray the right prayer. That is, ask God to show you the truth of what you are contributing to any negative situation you may be in, to show you what you need to do to resolve it, and to help you to find the help/counsel you need to overcome.


Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me always to see what I am contributing to any adverse situation I happen to find myself in, and please give me the wisdom to seek wise counsel, and the good sense to do what I need to do to resolve my problem. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Questioning (21 November 2018)
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Holy Lord God, mighty rock, you are eternal and we are safe from death.
You are using those Babylonians to judge and punish others.
But you can’t stand sin or wrong. So don’t sit by in silence while they gobble down people who are better than they are.
(Habakkuk 1:12-13)
Reflect:
Creator God surely cannot be silent amongst all that is happening! As a result, Habakkuk turns to God and questions what he is doing. This is a prayer that comes from an authentic relationship. It doesn’t sound polite, it’s not necessarily comfortable, but it expresses reality – and surely that’s where our relationship with God finds its foundation – in reality!
Respond:
One of the things great men and women of faith have in common is that they take their questions to God. Allow yourself today to ask God difficult questions.
Midday Meditation:
So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.
(Luke 11:9-10)
Evening Reflection:
‘… even if God does not bring you the answer you want, he will bring you himself. And maybe at the secret heart of all our prayers that is what we are really praying for.

 

[RiverOL]

Mature -- only in love
Ephesians 4:7-16
"... speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him ..." (v.15)
We are seeing that love is the first outcome of the Spirit within, and if this is lacking, everything is lacking.

The first indication of the fact that we are growing spiritually is that we are growing in love. If we grow in love, then we grow -- period. Without growing in love, we cannot grow in God, for His essential nature is love.

Our passage today, in the Moffatt translation, tells us that we are to "hold by the truth, and by our love to grow up wholly into Him." There is only one way to grow up wholly into Him, and that is "by our love." We remain immature if we are immature in love. If the love is ingrown and focused on itself then the result is an immature personality. If the love is selectively applied to certain groups, again the result is an immature personality.

We are mature to the extent that we can love. Indeed all other growth, without growth in love, is what someone has described as "sucker love -- growth that bears no fruit." J. B. Phillips' translation of 1 Corinthians 8:1 puts it this way: "While knowledge may make a man look big, it is only love that can make him grow to his full stature." There is a great emphasis on getting knowledge in today's Church.

A lecturer in a leading British theological college recently wrote: "Know the facts of the faith and that will redeem you." I know many Christians who are good at giving facts in relation to the faith but not so good at giving love. Knowledge looks big, but it is just big barrenness unless love is behind it

​

​

Prayer:
O Father, I sense that You are bringing me to the very crux of things. Hold me to it, for unless I grow in love then I do not grow in You. Help me, dear Father. Amen.
​

 

[RiverOL]

You’re Made for Adventure

. . . how long will they not believe in me,
in spite of all the signs that I have done?—Numbers 14:11

God the Father designed us for adventures . . . for his adventures. Listen for his call. Imagine a boy awakened early by his father: “Hey, buddy . . . up for an adventure today?” Trust him. Imagine the son, nervous with anticipation of what the day might hold: “Yeah, dad. Totally.” Go with him. Imagine the father and son gearing-up together, maybe for fishing, or hunting, or backpacking, and heading off into the wild. Now, imagine if the boy instead replied, “Nah, dad. Gonna stay home today. Just too risky.” Or, “I’ve got more important things to do today. Thanks for asking. Maybe next time.”

God the Father whispered (through Moses) to twelve men in the Wilderness of Paran: “spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel” (Numbers 13:2). The men did, and they saw good land . . . but they also saw large foes, whom they’d have to defeat. Ten of them took the “just too risky” tack: “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are” (Numbers 13:31). They felt like “grasshoppers,” they said, compared to the huge men of Canaan. (Numbers 13:33). Only two—Joshua and Caleb—mustered courage and trusted in God’s adventure. Only they were willing to go:

“. . . he will bring us into this land and give it to us . . . And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them” (Numbers 14:7-9).

[Translation: “Yeah, dad. Totally.”]

When God invites you into an adventure it’s a special moment, a divine moment . . . an eternal moment. You won’t get many. So, be prepared. Be ready with a quick, “Yeah, dad. Totally.”

 

[RiverOL]

Waiting (22 November 2018)
Morning Encounter:
Read:
While standing guard on the watchtower, I waited for the Lord’s answer, before explaining the reason for my complaint.
(Habakkuk 2:1)
Reflect:
Habakkuk has questioned God and is now waiting for God to respond. Waiting is uncomfortable because it reveals to us the parts of life we have no control over. Habakkuk seems to confidently expect God’s answer. This is what hope is - the confident expectation of good. When we wait, we must have hope, otherwise we will not bother waiting.
Respond:
Choose to wait longer than you need to for something today (for example, choose a longer line at the supermarket, or wait an extra half hour before having lunch). Observe how this makes you feel before, during, and after the wait.

Midday Meditation:
Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.
(Luke 11:11-13)
Evening Reflection:
Take some time with these simple and yet profound words from a book called ‘Waiting’. ‘What you become while you wait is at least as important as what you are waiting for.

 

[RiverOL]

Peterpandemonium

"We proclaim him [Christ], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect [mature] in Christ."1

As Charles Colson in BreakPoint said, "When J. M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan, the story of a boy who refused to grow up and lived in a place called 'Neverland,' he was writing fiction to amuse children."

Today, however, apparently more and more adults are seeking to model themselves after Peter Pan—not wanting to grow up. As Colson also reported: "A recent article in the New York Times chronicled the emergence of a new cultural trend. Known variously as 'Peterpandemonium' or 'Rejuveniles' that is characterized by 'grown-ups who cultivate juvenile tastes in products and entertainment.'"

And says Colson, "'Peterpandemonium' extends beyond the mall. A surprisingly large part of the audience for children's television shows like the Teletubbies are 'young adults.' And more people between the ages of 18 and 49 watch the Cartoon Network than watch CNN [news reports]."2

Certainly Hollywood and the media have popularized and glorified the youth culture. And yet at the root of this "madness" is a growing lack of personal responsibility. Too many of us adults play the blame-game refusing to accept responsibility for the mistakes we make and what we personally contribute to our failures, especially in the area of relationships.

Then there is politics and their blame-game seeking to get votes at pretty much any cost. If business is bad, it's the other party that's to blame. If people are not getting the handouts they want, then again, it's the other party's fault. It's a sad state of affairs when the politicians who offer the most handouts get the most votes—instead of the politicians who stand for justice, right, personal responsibility, and the good of all the citizens and the nation as a whole.

And if we adults don't accept personal responsibility and grow up, what can we expect of our kids?

The reality is that I and only I am responsible for my life. True, I was not responsible for a less than perfect upbringing, but I am totally responsible for what I become. I may even "have been a victim in the past, but if I remain one, I am now a willing volunteer." Furthermore, while I am not responsible for the circumstances that are out of my control, I am totally responsible for my attitude and for what I do about my situation.

Blaming others for the problems I have, and expecting others to resolve my problems for me, is a handy excuse to hang on to if I don't want to grow up.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to grow in maturity, emotionally as well as spiritually, and accept responsibility for every area of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

 

[RiverOL]

Trusting (23 November 2018)
Morning Encounter:
Read:
Then the Lord told me: “I will give you my message in the form of a vision. Write it clearly enough to be read at a glance.
At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep waiting – it will happen!
(Habakkuk 2:2-3)

Reflect:
We’ve got to be careful when we read something like this. The reality is most people write or talk about waiting after they’ve received what they were waiting for – and we rarely fully remember the emptiness and loneliness of the wait when we’re on the other side. How long did Habakkuk have to wait? We are not told. Habakkuk may well have waited for a very long time. The important thing is God did act and we can trust what he says.

Respond:
As we wait, we have the opportunity to grow in trust. Take time today to remember how God has shown you that you can trust him. Give thanks for these times.

Midday Meditation:
When you pray, don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward. When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private, and he will reward you.
(Matthew 6.5-6)

Evening Reflection:
‘When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words be without heart

 

[RiverOL]

What compels you?
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
"For Christ's love compels us ..." (v.14)

What exactly does Scripture mean when it uses the word "love"? In English, the word "love" has a variety of meanings. It is used for the mighty passion that moves in the heart of God but it is used also to describe such things as the flutterings of the adolescent heart in spring, an extramarital affair, or a homosexual relationship. The one word "love" has to be spread over a multiplicity of diverse meanings. The Greek language is much richer in this respect. It has four words for love. One is eros, meaning love between the sexes.

Another is philia, meaning affectionate human love. Then there is the word storge, meaning family love. The most powerful word for love, however, is agape, which means unconditional love -- the love that surges in the heart of God. When Paul says, "the fruit of the Spirit is love," the word he uses for love is agape. He means that the love we are expected to experience and demonstrate when we are indwelt by the Spirit is not just love in general, but love of a specific kind -- the love which we see exemplified in Jesus.

In the text before us today, Paul says: "For Christ's love compels us." This cuts deep. It is possible to be compelled by the love of achievement, of success, of a cause, of a fight. What compels you -- the love of a cause or the love of Christ? The enemies of the early Christians complained that "these followers of Jesus love each other even before they are acquainted." They did. They couldn't help it, for the very nature of the faith they had embraced was love.

Prayer:
Father, as I look into my heart in these few moments to see what controls me, help me to come out with the same answer as the apostle Paul -- "the love of Christ." Pour Your love in so that I may pour it out to others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Too Good to Miss

When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you—Psalm 56:3

Most of us men struggle not with the fact that we’re designed for adventure. On some level, we can accept that. No, we tend to struggle rather with what, exactly, we’re willing to call “adventure.” We like to define, on our own terms, what is adventure and what is not.

The word itself conjures images of climbing mountains, or jumping from airplanes, or backpacking deep into the backcountry. And these are adventures, sure. But . . . what about when God calls us to confess to our Christian brothers something embarrassing to our pride (James 5:16)? What about when God calls us to risk a friendship by engaging in a tough conversation (Ephesians 4:15)? What about when God calls us to take a risk with our careers or our finances (Matthew 19:21)? What about when God simply calls us to serve others in a way that makes us uncomfortable (Matthew 25:40)? Are these less worthy of the title, adventure? No, of course, not. And, truly, aren’t these things more likely the adventures for which God designed us? Don’t they align much better with Scripture than does . . . skydiving?

The problem is that we tend to mistakenly view God’s adventures as unwanted interruptions, unpleasant hindrances, or unnecessary risks to the safe lives we’ve worked hard to create for ourselves and our families . . . rather than the mythic things that they are. And so we miss the great days, the great moments, and the great stories that God so wants to share . . . that he dreamt of, so long ago (Ephesians 1:3-6, 2:10).



Begin to reorient. When confronted by interruptions, hindrances, or opportunities for risk, take a few seconds to ask yourself, might these have been intentionally placed in my way by a loving Father God?

 

[RiverOL]

Engaging
Morning Encounter:
Read:
I know your reputation, Lord and I am amazed at what you have done. Please turn from your anger and be merciful; do for us what you did for our ancestors.
You are the same Holy God who came from Teman and Paran to help us. The brightness of your glory covered the heavens, and your praises were heard everywhere on earth.
Your glory shone like the sun, and light flashed from your hands, hiding your mighty power.
(Habakkuk 3:2-4)

Reflect:
At the close of these conversations between Habakkuk and God, Habakkuk reflects on who he knows God to be. As we learn this kind of engagement with God, we move from being merely consumers of God’s kingdom to being participants in God’s kingdom. Consumers take what they think they need, participants join in. The Good News of the Kingdom of God is that Jesus invites us to join in – to be participants. I believe this takes place primarily through prayer.
Respond:
Write down three words that describe who you know God to be. Keep these words with you throughout today.
Midday Meditation:
When you pray, don’t talk on and on as people do who don’t know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask. (Matthew 6:7-8)

Evening Reflection:
A consumer judges, critiques, is passive, and makes assumptions. A participant observes, reflects, is active, and anticipates. What does the way you pray tell you about the way you approach God?