Children

Kids. You gotta love’em. I’ve been thinking long and hard about what to say and how to speak to the lessons that God teach us using children. First, when the Bible talks about children, it usually does so from one of three different perspectives: One is the idea of offspring. This is where we eventually find ourselves adopted in, becoming legal partakers of the inheritance rightfully reserved for TRUE offspring. Another point is the childlike "faith". The sincere trust that children place in those who care for them - humble submission. The last view is “childlishness”, this is the one I want to focus on.

Here’s The Word:

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

I remember when I first heard this verse, I was much younger than I am now and my mind went right to the idea of toys and the games we played as children. This understanding stayed with me for years until I really started maturing…like, past 30 years old. Funny thing is that this new revelation had been there right in front of me the entire time. The verse says basically that a child speaks, understands and thinks a certain way - a man should speak, understand and think as a man, not a child. Only a man knows how to stop being childish. Only maturity recognizes childishness and maturity. Childishness recognizes neither. My misunderstanding was the very thing that proved what I was.

That’s what makes children such an awesome example of teaching certain things about the truth of God, because although we may not be in a position to have children or even closely interact with them, we ALL used to be them.

Even though we try to talk in more refined and understanding ways, the Bible is dead on when it talks about the “foolishness” of children. It doesn’t mean that they are fools, it means that they are not mature and shouldn’t be expected to fill the roles of a responsible, learned adult. The logic follows: Connections that God’s Word makes with foolishness and folly readily apply to kids even when a direct connection to children isn’t being made.

Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

During our devotional time, me and my Mrs. were confronted with this idea from Proverbs. I thought about how selfish and “hasty” children are. Ever had to have long negotiations with a child on why it's a bad idea to eat desert before dinner, or why a set bedtime (and naptime) are important? The struggle is real, but why?

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

It makes little difference if your child (or a child you know) is more quiet than most, lest tantrum-prone than others or whatever plusses or minuses affect your particular situation: In children, we get the purest form of what it means to be a sinful human being – evidenced in our selfishness. We want what we want and it takes time and effort to eventually attain to wisdom. Even when we think we’ve got all we need, add a few more years and we’ll find ourselves looking back shaking our heads at our impetuousness and how much more we undoubtedly have to learn.

Children are wonderful and nothing brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart than remembering the wonderful times I had with my children or even further back at some of the experiences I had when I was a child myself. However, I also stand in total agreement with the word of God that says –

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than these things, that I should hear of my children walking in the truth

This verse rings true in regards to my children AND just as true when I consider the grace of God in teaching me His truths. I pray that you receive this as an encouragement. That you would consider the things you know and the things you learned growing up. There's an old saying "What you don't know can't hurt you." Now that I'm older, I'm pretty sure that a child was behind that. Take a fresh look at yourself and let the light of God’s Word both strengthen your wisdom and expose the folly that may still be lingering from your childhood days. It's a regrettable thing to assume that disregarding truth (or exposing and expelling foolishness) is of little consequence. It can affect innumerable things in unimaginable ways. Folly has a way of hiding and masking itself to the point that it avoids being “matured” and it causes many people, young and old to become (or remain) victims of very real dangers.

Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;


In Him,
Cros

Sing!

Sometimes I steal away to forget this ol’ world.
Pushing my problems and all else aside.
I turn down the noise of cares and concern.
I look up with my mouth open wide.

I long for that day where the shining shines on.
Dark nights will be utterly erased.
The light of God, united with His people splendor,
Testifying of His Amazing Grace.

Soul soothing songs, my heart sings along.
Without fail as tears begin to flow.
Here’s a few of my favs, praising the Ancient of Days;
I sing ‘cause I want Him to know.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,
And how Jesus paid it all.
Be thou my vision, my Blessed assurance,
Straight to my knees I fall.

Here I am to worship. Worthy is the lamb.
What a friend we have in Jesus.
In Christ Alone, the cornerstone,
He breaks every chain and frees us.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary.
Excellent is Thy Name.
Holy, Holy Holy! God, you are Good.
Jesus Messiah, mighty to save!

How great is our God, how great thou art.
How deep the Father’s Love.
How much was poured out, at the Cross.
Grace and Mercy from above.

As the deer panteth for the water, I am in Awe of you!
Better is one day in your courts.
Here’s my heart, Lord speak what is true.

I could sing of your love forever and ever.
With all of Heaven on key and in tune.
And this, in eternity, preserved for me.
I’ll fly away, soon and very soon.

Here's The Word:

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Psalm 7:17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.

Psalm 30:4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.


In Him,
Cros

All

Here it is! The Grand Finale. The end all, be all of this short series culminating into one final score. Over the last 2 weeks, we looked at how easily it is for us to confuse Scripture concerning “All” things through Christ. Then we looked at our propensity to make small things big and devalue things that should be incomparably BIG. Today we take the focus off of us and try to embrace what God means when He says “all”. Progressively, the focus has gone from our blindness, to our (mis)perception and hopefully on to fruitful clarity.

Here’s The Word:

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God

If you notice, this passage doesn’t refer to an “all” at all  but if you continue reading the rest of Colossians, you’ll see such a concentrated presentation of all, it will make your head spin.
If you wanted a little mental “trick” to remind you of what Colossians is about, you could refer to it as C'ALLossians- emphasis on ALL because that’s exactly where it goes. It’s a small book, only 4 chapters: It’s an intro, a little over 2 chapters of all, then a close. Don’t believe me, see for yourself.

This verse which opens chapter 3 is not to be taken lightly. It’s the lynch-pin to some pretty important things in the first two chapters concerning Christ. However, before you can attain to all that comes in Chapter 3 and following, this BIG “if” needs to be reconciled before proceeding.

In the first two Chapters, we see Christ as all –

     • by him were all things
     • he is before all things
     • by Him all things consist
     • in him all fulness dwells
     • He reconciled all things unto himself
     • In him is all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

This is where chapter 3 constructs its hurdle. If we can receive and give ourselves to all of the things previously mentioned about Who and What Christ is, we can begin to properly orchestrate our lives into the posture of appropriate response. Point being, IF you’re His, here comes ALL that really matters

     • Put off all - (list of ‘former’ things)
     • Put on all – (list of things that attain to righteousness)
     • Above all put on charity
     • Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you in all wisdom
     • Obey your parents in all AND obey in all things your masters –       This is talking about natural and physically legal relationships but if we consider God to be Our Father, and ourselves to be His servants – doesn’t it ALL apply?

When I read this, It’s hard NOT to see what God means by all. If you're like me, I also see how much stuff happens in my days and weeks and years that are not part of all that God has for me, nor are they conducive to all that God expects from me. I may not know all that I should do, but I'm not confused about the things that I know I shouldn't be doing.
Don't get me wrong. I make mistakes as we all do, and I don’t walk condemned, I just make sure that it remains a fight. I stay careful and conscious that old dead things don't find safe haven or protection. That I would truly believe that when God says "Love the LORD with all - mind, soul and strength, that I lean fully into the power of His Spirit and don't hold back.
I know that I have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3) So I use it as encouragement, as I hope you do as well. If you're His, you've been given the Spirit of God which was instrumental in creating all things – the same Spirit Who raised Christ from the dead. This same Spirit seals us in salvation and is available to do both sides of C'ALL-ossians: to recognize Christ and to do all He asks realizing that He’s not the stern 3rd grade teacher who liked watching me struggle and fail. No, He has done way more than anyone could fathom and eternity holds more than anyone could ever imagine. All I have to do is keep Him as the focus of my life no matter what “all-else” comes along.
Nothing else can pay what He paid, and nothing else can offer ALL He offers.


In Him,
Cros

All Things 2

Ever play with binoculars? I don’t know what it is about them but they’re the kind of thing that once you pick them up, it’s an amazing engagement. Inevitably, you end up turning them around to look through them backwards. It’s just as fascinating seeing how clear and tiny everything is.

Let's step back from it all and take a magnified look at wanting and having. They’re such wide and weighty concepts. Even as we face every day, we assess (and stress about) our situations by what we have and/or what we want. We may have a good job, but who doesn’t have an idea of a dream job that they'd LOVE, or maybe just less hassle? We may want to stay in bed but we have to get up and give ourselves to the requirements of the day.

I wouldn’t try to blindly qualify wanting and having as bad or good. It’s just a natural part of life.
I do, however, believe that the single most valuable benefit of wanting and having is how it brings clarity in identifying our focus and shows us which way we’re holding the binoculars. You may want new running shoes if your focus is continuing to exercise comfortably or preparing for just to match a cute outfit. You may want a job that pays more because you feel that dull, yet persistently annoying nag of student loans, or you just want to travel more. Maybe you want that job because you have a heart for those starving in desperate situations and $30 bucks a month can provide at least some relief.
Examples and motivations grow exponentially and the best thing to do in light of all of that possibility is to simply look in the mirror and examine ourselves. What do I have, what do I want and why is it significant to me? What's big to me, and what's smaller? How am I holding my binoculars?

One of the most memorable passages in The Bible, Psalm 23, opens with “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Is this saying that my daily wanting and having is bad? The better question is Is my wanting and having properly focused? And the real purpose of this verse is focusing us toward The Good Shepherd.
There are many other verses that encourage us to train our eyes to Christ as Our Provider. God is not insensitive to our daily needs. This thinking comes easy, but what if we take that a step further? What priority do we give to our focus and desires for Spiritual things? Instead of staying in a place of want, even looking to Christ, Who will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil 4:19) – what if we simply saw the truth.

Biblically if we are His, when it comes to Spiritual things, we can change Provider to provided, past tense. Christ has purchased our salvation. He has given us the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. He has called us with a holy calling and He’s given us eternal life. It is finished. But if our binoculars are turned around to see the smaller stuff as bigger - If our focus stays on the world, we will never be satisfied. The wanting will continue. If we are able to focus on Christ, although our sanctification continues, the needs by which it continues are all, already present, just for you.

Here’s The Word:

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

When I was younger, I remember how confused I was about “whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” this verbiage is repeated in all four gospels and from the looks of it, Jesus actually said it on more than one occasion. But I think it’s becoming clearer. We’ve put little things in big places which only leaves little places for the big things.
This is not implying a total disregard or even a heartless denial of the little things. They have importance and merit and the lack of them can surely affect us in grievous ways. Just as serving people in need and providing these things do a world of good and prove our hearts of compassion. Remember, its about focus.
In light of eternal truth, what here is worth boasting about; nice cars, trips, jobs, notoriety, or even paid off student loans? As nice as they are, they’re the small things. Christ is the Big thing, and you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s and in that view, you don’t lack one single, solitary thing. It’s all your’s.


In Him,
Cros