Lay Down Your Gifts — the full version

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Let’s start today by revisiting Jesus’ commissioning of the 72 from last week. The 72 certainly had something to rejoice in when they used the gifts they had received: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name” (Luke 10:17). We tend to read Jesus’ response, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (v. 18) as something that happened at that very moment. I’m not so sure any more.

What if Jesus what really meant was this: “I was there when Satan fell. I was there when he became so full of pride over what God had given him that he exalted himself above God. Be careful the same doesn’t happen to you.”

It certainly would explain Jesus’ next words, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you”—because after all, you’re not the first, and you’re not always in good company—“but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven” (v. 19).

There will likely come a time where we will have to lay down our very giftedness and callings before Jesus—when we will need to say, “This is Yours, Lord, and I will walk away from all of it if that’s what You want.” And should that occur, it will likely be because have allowed our identities to become so wrapped up in what we’ve been called to do by Jesus that our identities are really no longer in Jesus.

It’s very easy to fall in love with the idea of “I’m called to do this particular thing.” It’s much easier to get excited about something new and unique than it is to get excited about doing what everyone else is doing. And yet, every day God calls us to many seemingly mundane acts of obedience that are no less important—and might well in fact be more important.

Doing God’s will and living in God’s will, while certainly related, are not the same thing. One involves obeying a very specific directive from God; the other is God giving us the freedom to live creativity within His broader will. Both please Him—if they’re done in a spirit of obedience. As important as it is to use the gifts God’s given us, and to follow His calling, it’s more important to develop the fruit of the Spirit—those qualities that grow from our new life within.

Jesus’ ministry was literally crucified. Why should we dare to think that our ministries and good works would be exempt from such testing?

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:4-7).

Lay down your gifts, and concern yourself with abiding in Jesus. He knows how your gifts should be used—or whether they should be used at all—better than you do. Apart from Him you can do nothing. But as our desires become His desires, His gifts to you and His calling upon you will be used in ever greater ways—because then they’ll truly be His gifts and His calling.

Lay It Down Today
Let’s take another cue from the Sermon on the Mount for today’s prayer time:

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-25).

Let’s expand the parameters past this text’s original meaning a bit, but with an intent I think you’ll agree is thoroughly biblical. We may not bring physical gifts to the altar, but we do have gifts we need to offer up to God. And there are ways we need to love those around us more, whether it’s a matter of anger and forgiveness (as stated here) or in other ways.

Therefore, spend some time in prayer today identifying the gifts God has given you and leaving them “there before the altar.” Also ask God to help you be obedient to Him, whether it’s something you’re gifted in or comfortable with or not—or no matter how “trivial” your act of obedience may be. Have the faith that God will use your obedience to produce what He wants in others’ lives—and in your own.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Lay Down the Law (and Leave It There) — a small-group session

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Carl Simmons

This  session is based upon the following past devotionals—scroll down as needed:

Lay Down Your Agenda
Lay Down in Silence
Lay Down in Safety
Lay Down in Peace
Lay Down Like a Lion

For this session, you’ll need….

• the ability to darken your room
• a whiteboard or blackboard

Laying Down Your Day (15 minutes)

Give everyone a chance to settle in before starting your session. Once everyone’s relaxed and comfortable, turn off the lights in your meeting area (and make sure you’ve read question #1 to yourself before you do it!). Discuss the following:

1. Share about a time when you’ve felt “in the dark” and disconnected from Jesus. What happened to finally turn the light on (or back on) for you?

Turn your lights back on in your meeting area. Then, discuss this question:

2. Think about your reaction to the lights coming back on. Why might some people—even perhaps Christians—prefer to stay disconnected from Jesus and in the darkness?

The Bible says the Spirit’s already within those of us who believe in Jesus (Romans 8:9). You’d think it’d be pretty easy to connect, live life in the Spirit, and stay connected to Jesus, right? But lots of times, we still feel disconnected from the Spirit, and from Jesus—like we’re going through the motions and/or we’re not sure what to do next.

Many times, we’re just not very good at recognizing when the Spirit’s trying to guide us. We mistake our own plans for the Spirit’s guidance. We haven’t properly trained our “spiritual ears,” so to speak, to listen for the Spirit. And sometimes, we choose not to listen to what the Spirit’s trying to tell us. But if we want to walk in the Spirit day to day and moment to moment, we need to set aside what’s “just us” and learn to listen. Let’s dig deeper into this.

Laying Down the Word (30 minutes)

3. How would you explain to a friend who the Holy Spirit is and what the Spirit does? What would you like someone to explain to you about the Spirit?

Ask for a couple volunteers to read Romans 8:1-6 and 14-17, and then discuss:

4. Practically speaking, what does it mean to “live by the Spirit”? What does it actually look like? Let’s list some ways.

Write down everyone’s answers to this question on your whiteboard or blackboard. Be sure to acknowledge each person’s contribution as you do so. Then say something like, Now, let’s take these answers and apply them to ourselves.

Ask for volunteers to read Jeremiah 20:7-18, Luke 10:1-6, 17-20, and the following passage from Day 3. Then, discuss the questions that follow:

“Anyone who’s followed the Spirit’s leading into a new work knows how scary it can be. And if they don’t know how scary it is at first, they will, once the excitement wears off and the difficulties come head-on. In fact, it’s often far more terrifying once it’s too late to turn back. And yet, it’s an all-too-common experience for those who have followed the Spirit’s leading. We are taken past the point of no return before the lights are turned on. And it is there where we discover who we’re really depending on….

“It is difficult to be overcome by God, and led into places where human safety doesn’t seem to exist. But ultimately, even in the worst of human circumstances, there is no better place to walk than in God’s care.”

5. Whose experience resonates with you more, that of the 72 or Jeremiah’s? Why?

6. When has the Spirit led you “past the point of no return”? What did you discover about your ability to trust the Spirit? About how much you’d been trusting in yourself? Explain.

Ask for a volunteer to read the following other passage from Day 3. Then, discuss the questions that follow:

“[T]hat’s the dirty little secret—let’s go ahead and say it: the satanic lie—behind much of our obsession with instant information, and with much of our busyness: It offers an instant substitute to our God-given desire to become a part of something bigger than ourselves. We’re not willing to wait for God to do His work in His time. And so, we turn elsewhere. And we are the lesser for it.”

7. How do you short-circuit the Spirit’s work in your life through your busyness? Be specific.

8. Where do you wish you could more fully experience the Spirit’s power in your life? Share as much as you’re willing.

Laying Down Your Life (15 minutes)

Have everyone get into their pairs. If people are absent, help stragglers to get with another pair for the rest of this session. Again, it’s OK to have a triad, but have no more than three people together.

To close this session, we’re going to reprise the questions that closed this week’s readings:

What do you know God has called you to?

And: Where have you felt the tug of the Spirit—and therefore, where is your obedience actually being requested?

Hopefully, you’ve already spent a chunk of time meditating on those questions. Either way, though, take some time to share your answers to those questions with your partner right now. Once you’re done sharing, spend another few minutes praying for one another. Ask for the Spirit’s guidance, clarity, and empowering, so that you’re able to walk out what the Spirit’s already put on your hearts.

Allow at least 10 minutes for pairs to talk and pray, and then bring your group back together. If you have time, invite members to share their answers and prayer requests with the entire group. Close your time together in prayer, asking that the fruit of the Spirit would be evident in each person’s life, as the Spirit guides and works through each situation you’re praying for.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lay Down Like a Lion

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Carl Simmons

“He crouched, he lay down like a lion
and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
Blessed are those who bless you,
and cursed are those who curse you” (Numbers 24:9).

As I first pulled together my ideas for this book in early 2011, I came across this passage from Numbers, which is part of Balaam’s prophecy over the nation of Israel. (By the way, it’s also a reprise of the man Israel’s [Jacob’s] prophecy over Judah in Genesis 49:9). It’s a curious phrase, and that’s part of the reason why I’ve held off digging into it until now. But now’s the time. O Lord, is it the time…. I am so wrestling alongside you all with this one…

What does it mean to “lay down like a lion,” and how does that fit into this week’s exploration of walking in the Spirit? Let me come at this sideways, and then work my way in, because God’s been spending this past week (and especially today) spelling it out for me….

It requires us to not only take our sin seriously, and take God seriously, but also to take His promises about us seriously as well. So today, let’s enjoy a brief respite from self-denial, and focus instead on receiving what the Spirit has for us—and resting in it.

In his book of the same name, Watchman Nee speaks of The Normal Christian Life. Think about that phrase for a moment. What comes to your mind when you hear that? I’m betting it looks nothing like what came to Nee’s. Sadly, what we usually consider a “normal Christian life” goes something like “go to church, serve others when we can, try to be a good person, and attend a prayer vigil when I’m feeling really spiritual.”

But as Nee points out—and as anyone who truly takes Jesus’ words to heart should already know—the truly normal Christian is nothing like that. The truly normal Christian is the one who’s following Christ—and who’s following the Spirit’s lead in everything. We are, as the King James Version puts it repeatedly, “a peculiar people” (Deuteronomy 14:2, 26:18; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). And much as it might pain some to admit, following where the Spirit leads will only make us more peculiar. We will resemble the world’s definition of “normal” less and less. But we will resemble Jesus’ definition of “normal” more and more. Isn’t that what we want?

And I think the idea of “laying down like a lion” is part of that. It captures what the normal Christian life should look like—to us.

“The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).

Look at the lion, and how he lays down. There’s intent. There’s vigilance. There isn’t hesitation. There’s confidence and boldness, and yet no arrogance—because there’s no fear. Too often, we settle for something less than what God wants for us, and fill in the gaps with ambition, anxiety, uncertainty, and discontent. So how can we become as “bold as a lion,” with the confidence and boldness God would want for us?

It happens when our desires become God’s desires.

God wants us to remain in His will, but that’s not all He wants. He wants us to want His will. And ultimately, we can’t accomplish this on our own. We’re just too selfish. But as the Spirit trains us, guides us, rebukes us, consoles us—in even plainer terms, kicks our butts and then pulls us back up again, and then gives us a shoulder hug for good measure—then our hearts become more conformed to His. We become more peculiar, and we also become more OK with that.

We are truly children of the King. For all the things we’re dealt with—including all the things we’ve dealt with in these pages—we are still children of the King. As we walk in the guidance and confidence in the Spirit, we increasingly lose our fears. That’s certainly not to say it’s easy—again, think of all the things we’ve dealt with here—but that doesn’t make it any less true. As children of the King, we are becoming more and more like our Father—as well as like our “fellow-son” Jesus.

And remember, there will come a day when the lion will lay down with the lamb. Not only that, but The Lion is The Lamb:

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:2-13).

One day it will all make sense. One day all will be as it was meant to be. One day your blessings in Christ will be complete. So take heart. Be strengthened. And learn to lay down like a lion, because that truly is the normal Christian life.

Lay It Down Today

Presumably you’re reading this at the end of the week. Good. Use a day this weekend to take a full-day sabbath. Don’t be concerned about which day it is; just use the day to be still before God and honor Him. Don’t work (or get ready for work). Use the day in a way that’s most conducive to relaxing in Christ. Spend the day in your favorite chair (and tell your spouse I said it was OK), or spend the day in nature. But spend it intentionally with God.

And while you’re doing that, spend at least some time answering and meditating upon this question: What do you know God has called you to? Where have you felt the tug of the Spirit—and therefore, where is your obedience actually being requested?

Spend time in prayer over these things. Resolve to put all your energies into those things, and beg God to give you the time and energy to do these things with all your heart.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Word Is the Word

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Carl Simmons

In some ways, this is a tough one to review—1) because I never needed the authors to convince me, because, in turn, 2) I kind of knew all this already.

Thing is, it’s pretty clear that the majority of the American church either doesn’t know Arnie Cole and Michael Ross’ message, or chooses to ignore it. But they do so at their own risk, because it’s as simple as this: If you want to become unstuck in your walk with God, you’re going to have to spend time in His Word.

Arnie Cole and Michael Ross. Unstuck: Your Life. God’s Design. Real Change. $14.99, 272p., Bethany House.

The authors have done their homework here, too—some 70,000 surveys were conducted, to determine where spiritual growth was occuring in people’s lives. The one overwhelming indicator: time spent in the Bible. And not just study, but time spent meditating and interacting with the Word. The authors are very clear that this is about a relationship, and that by interacting more about what God has already said to us, we are in a much better place to receive what He has for us next.

Now, given that the authors are the CEO and editor for the organization Back to the Bible, you might think “Well, of course they’re gonna say that a lack of Bible reading is the problem, and find a way to make the numbers back it up.” But the fact is, this is the same “revelation” Willow Creek’s Reveal study uncovered five years ago — the only common factor between all levels of spiritual growth was time spent in the Bible. So the authors are on very solid ground here.

And they take that revelation a step further: People who spent three days or less each week in the Bible, they assert, are just as stuck as those who don’t read it at all. It’s only when people are “powered by four” (or more, days in the Bible each week) that significant growth is likely to occur.

The book is divided into three sections: identifying the problem, “The Powered by Four Solution,” and advice on how to take what’s God’s doing inside you through His Word and go outward. Again, a lot of what’s here may not be new… to some. But it’s a message that needs to be taken to heart.

There’s also a good amount of first-person accounts here, which help the reader understand and identify with the different types of “stuck-ness” we experience — sin, desert experiences, legalism, etc. Also, the online resources that accompany this book (available at http://unstuck.gotandem.com/#/church-resources) are quite useful; sermon notes, small-group resources, and all-church campaign materials can be found there. Personally, I wished the small-group materials had included some more incisive questions, but that’s what I do; most groups will find the materials here helpful — they’re on target and pretty well done. (The gotandem site looks pretty interesting in general; gonna spend some more time there.)

So, if you know that your time in the Word is an area in which you’re lacking, get Unstuck. You’ll discover way to make the Bible—and God—more real in your life.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Lay Down in Peace — the full version

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Carl Simmons

We can get so worked up whenever someone criticizes God or Christians. We want to run to God’s defense—or honestly, much of the time, our own—and say just the right thing that will shut that other person up (in love, of course). But God can defend Himself far better than we can. We are called to stand and deliver, then take what comes, just as Jesus did.

Let’s consider that for a few more moments. Take off the table the idea that Jesus was the Son of God—that Jesus is God. Look, for a few moments, purely at the human Jesus in the gospels. Look at how much He loved God, and how He presented the Kingdom of God and defended it—including, very often, from those who claimed to speak for God and clearly did not. Notice also how he spoke to those who truly desired to know God but got it wrong—a lot. Here was someone who actually knew the right answers. How do you think Jesus felt during when he was assaulted verbally—and later physically—by those who didn’t want to hear those answers?

But how did He respond? Certainly there are examples of anger—pretty much reserved for those who insisted they could represent God better than Jesus could—but there is also patience. Love. A desire that the people He responds to somehow do hear it.

And if that’s the model of a Christian response, who are we—a hopeless jumble of spirit and flesh being perpetually sorted out through this process called sanctification—to respond any more pridefully?

Jesus is clear about our response: “[D]o not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11). Somehow, we are to seek the best for the other person, even when the feeling isn’t mutual. And only by remaining under the guidance of the Spirit do we have any hope of responding correctly.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:1-6).

Those who live according to the flesh stand before us. In fact, some of them may be Christians. And lest we forget, they have been us—maybe more recently than we’d like to admit. But by remaining in the Spirit, we are carried from condemnation and suffering to life and peace. And it is only by God’s grace that we can maintain the peace He’s given us. So lay down in that peace, and let the Spirit do His work through you—and despite you.

Lay It Down Today

Today, you get to practice your silence in public. Don’t be rude, mind you, but commit to keeping your verbal responses—either spoken or typed—to a minimum. Commit to not defending yourself, explaining yourself (except when asked), “expressing your concern,” or pointing out what a good thing you’ve just done.

 “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil…. Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:37, 6:1).

Then, watch what the Spirit does that you couldn’t. And rejoice in it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lay Down Your Blessings

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Our new lives in Christ are just beginning. We are changed; but we are not finished. “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12). We will not be finished until even our new lives are fully laid down before Christ; and that cycle of blessing, crucifixion, and resurrection will continue until the day we meet Christ face to face.

But more often than not, I value my comfort more than I value obedience to God. I want to hang on to the good things God’s given me, and pester Him for more. But as I do this, I reject the one who blesses me in favor of the blessings. Romans 1 speaks to the end result of this condition, if not halted: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools… (Romans 1:21-22a).

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the Sermon on the Mount the past couple months. (You will, too, this week—but that’s getting a little ahead of ourselves.) Right now, I’m dwelling on the first half of Matthew 6—and it’s dwelling on me, too. Specifically, there’s this rhythm Jesus repeats over and over, to the effect of:

“And when do this good thing, do not call attention to yourself like the hypocrites do, so that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have already received their reward. But when you do this good thing, do it not so that it may be seen by others but so it is seen by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (see Matthew 6:1-4, 5-9, and 16-18).

“They have already received their reward.” It’s OK to need reassurance or confirmation sometimes, but we all need to move away from our dependence on it. God has given us many good things—and yes, sometimes as the result of the good things we’ve done in obedience to Him—but sometime in the next handful of decades, I’m going to stand before God. And I don’t want Him to tell me, “You’ve already received your reward. I’ve provided for you, allowed your work to be recognized, even given you the joy of accomplishment. What more were you expecting? After all, you did it all for you.”

Now, of course, that’s not entirely true—and I am putting hypothetical words in God’s mouth, after all. But if we’re honest, many of the things we do for God are done with an eye toward how God will bless us, and how others will recognize it. (Virtual street corners count too, you know.) And even if I’m doing it solely for the sake of eternal reward, my self-satisfaction about that, again, can become my reward.

God does promise us rewards and blessings as a result of our obedience to Him. But we need to take a step further up—to learn to do things purely for God’s glory. That is its own reward. As we learn to do this, God can trust us to do the right things with the blessings He bestows upon us. Our Father is in secret. We must learn to become God’s spies in this world as much as, if not more than, become “God’s spokespeople” or “God’s personal ambassadors.”

In case we still don’t understand, Jesus punctuates, and clarifies, all of his previous warnings to us with this:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Teresa of Avila put it this way: “Spiritual maturity and its reward do not consist in spiritual delights, but rather in the increase of love.” This is where we need to head—and God help us, we will.

Lay It Down Today

This week, we’re focusing on prayer, and providing the context Jesus wants us to have for our prayers. Thus, it’s your turn to spend time in the Sermon on the Mount. Every day this week, read Matthew 5-7. One hundred eleven verses won’t kill you, but they will convict you.

Thus, as you read through these chapters each day, be sure to linger on The Lord’s Prayer, which is located dead-center of this sermon (Matthew 6:9-13). Where is Jesus’ sermon hitting you right now? Which parts of this prayer do you most need to experience or respond to? Don’t move on to the second half of the sermon until you’ve wrestled with this each day. And as the Spirit brings up specific matters to us—in every part of this sermon—stop and lift each of them up to God.

Then act on them, as needed. Forgive your enemies—in person, if possible. Set your eyes aside to deal with your lusts. Repent of your need to have your good works noticed and praised. You could spend a lifetime dealing with what Jesus brings up here. And you will. Eternal life starts now.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Lay Down in Safety

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Carl Simmons

As we walk according to the Spirit, we do not know where He will lead us. But we do know that the Spirit is in front of us, leading us, and ready to guide and protect us as we travel in His wake. If we don’t expect to find freedom and protection within the kingdom of God, where would we expect to find it?

But as we are sent we are, in a human sense, also taking the lead. We are leaving the security of the known, the tangible, the familiar, and following the Spirit “to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Anyone who’s followed the Spirit’s leading into a new work knows how scary it can be. And if they don’t know how scary it is at first, they will, once the excitement wears off and the difficulties come head-on—in fact, it’s often far more terrifying once it’s too late to turn back.

The prophet Jeremiah certainly experienced all of this. To the uninitiated, Jeremiah chapter 20 reads like an exercise in schizophrenia. However, to those who have followed God into a holy but a humanly difficult place, it will ring all too familiar. Read the whole chapter on your own time, but here are just a few samples of how far Jeremiah swings in the context of just one chapter:

“O Lord, you have deceived me,
and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
everyone mocks me….

If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot…

But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous,
who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.

Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.

Cursed be the day
on which I was born!
The day when my mother bore me,
let it not be blessed!…

Why did I come out from the womb
to see toil and sorrow,
and spend my days in shame? (Jeremiah 20:7, 9, 11-14, 18)

It is difficult to be overcome by God, and led into places where human safety doesn’t seem to exist. But ultimately, even in the worst of human circumstances, there is no better place to walk than in God’s care.

There are certainly also plenty of stories of difficulty that end in God’s glory. You’ve come across them in your Bible, and hopefully have some of your own stories, too.  Consider Jesus’ commissioning of the 72. He sent them out ahead of Him to proclaim the kingdom, and tells them up front, “Behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10:3). He’s telling them, humanly speaking: You’re in great danger here. And what’s more, I’m not going to let you have any props to depend on—only Me. “Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road” (Luke 10:4). No money, no provisions, no human companionship besides the one person travelling with you.

But we also know how this ends: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ And he said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:17-19). Jesus has given the apostles a power they could not have imagined when they set out.

And yet, He reminds them that this even this spiritual power is not what they should rest in, “but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Our true safety is who we are in Jesus. When we believe this, we’re able to go wherever the Spirit leads, no matter what man might—and likely will—do, instead knowing that our eternal security far exceeds any earthly security we could ever hope for.

It’s probably far less than coincidental that the next two pieces of Luke 10 are a parable addressing self-preservation (the Good Samaritan) and an account where Jesus gently rebukes an attempt at self-reputation (Mary and Martha). Again, following the lead of the Spirit is scary—especially when we think it’s all up to us. We don’t want to do anything to “unnecessarily” put ourselves in harm’s way; we’d much rather stay in our comfort zones and overexert ourselves there, in an attempt to prove to Jesus how much we love Him. But that has nothing to do with following Jesus.

We too have a direct commission, and this one too comes with an assurance of security: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). Are we ready to walk this out, to the degree Jesus calls us—and in the knowledge that He does have all authority and that He is with us?

Lay down your lives in the eternal safety Jesus offers, and let the chips fall. Whatever we lose here on earth is nothing compared to the glory that lies ahead—if we’re willing to trust Jesus and walk.

 Lay It Down Today

We not only need to silence our lips, but also quiet our souls. And as next week’s activities will focus on prayer, this would be a good time to (re-)introduce the discipline of fasting. The fact is, nothing will reveal what we’re relying on—and how badly—faster than abstaining from it.

Therefore, you have some freedom in choosing what you’ll fast from in the next 24 hours. I would definitely make food one of those things. It doesn’t have to be an all-day (or 24-hour) fast if you’re not ready. Do abstain from one meal you take regularly (i.e., skipping breakfast yet again doesn’t count). Spend your meal time in prayer, thanking Jesus that He is “the bread of life” and asking for more of His kind of nourishment.

Also, try abstaining from one additional thing—your answer to the following question, “What do I feel I have to do today, even though no-one else is asking me to do it?” (If you need to continue your media fast from last week in response to this, by all means do so.) Use your fast time to also consider why you’re so dependent on that activity; ask Jesus to help you repent of your neediness and to rely on Him for the real need behind it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

From Outside the Camp to Inside… then back out again….

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Carl Simmons

Shame is a crippling thing, whether it comes in the small-s or capital-s form. Throughout this book, Ed Welch reminds us that Jesus not only came to remove our shame but literally carried it to the cross for us—then reminds us that in our newfound freedom, we too are called to carry His shame, and proudly.

Edward T. Welch: Shame Interrupted: How God Lifts the Pain of Worthlessness & Rejection. 352p., $17.99, New Growth Press.

What’s worse is that shame is a self-perpetuating cycle—and even if we don’t want to perpetuate it, there are people in our lives who want to see it perpetuated. “[T]he ones who humiliate have power over the humiliated,” Welch says. “It becomes a form of social control because shamed people rarely take stands against injustice. Such a stand would mean they would have to go public, which would only  double the shame. Instead, once we are shamed, most of try to make sense of it by believing we are getting what we deserve. So why would we protest?”

Over and over, Welch points to the only true liberation—the cross. “The reality is that unclean people can’t wash anything. Only the Holy One can make us holy. That leaves us with one alternative, and it is the hardest thing for an unclean person to do. Just state the obvious: ‘I am unclean and I live with people who are unclean.'”

Thus, the book reaches its high point in the next-to-last of its four sections, “Shame, Honor, and Jesus,” and especially in the chapter simply called “The Cross.” The gist being: Not only did Jesus take up our shame, but as we become more and more His, we are in turn called to take up His shame. “This doesn’t mean your shame disappears, but it makes a difference when your shame is number two on your list instead of number one. It makes a huge difference,” Welch says (my emphasis). “When Jesus and his shame occupy our attention, our own shame becomes less controlling.”

And thus, the final section “Honor, after Jesus” focuses on how to walk out this new life, how to boast in our weakness and in the God who carries us past it, and how this burden of shame has equipped us to serve others.

There are questions  and activities for reflection and discussion at the end of each of the book’s 29 chapters. My favorite (or at least most self-pertinent) on comes at the end of the second chapter: “Women can usually identify shame in their lives without much effort. Men tend to feel it but not idenitify it. If you are a man, see if you can locate that shamed little boy.”

If shame is an area you’ve struggled with, either consciously or unconsciously, Shame Interrupted will not only walk alongside you but show you a better way to walk.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Lay Down in Silence

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Carl Simmons

As we examined last week, we’re often slaves to our own agenda without even realizing it. We can become so paralyzed by self-analysis and self-inflicted hurry that we forget how to simply be obedient in the things God’s already called us to—and to realize that is all God asks of us.

As last week’s assignment suggested (and you’re doing it, right?), we’re going to spend much of this week practicing the discipline of silence, in a variety of venues. Because there’s a variety of venues where we need to begin practicing it. Because we need to be prepared for what God truly wants us to be doing.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (2 Timothy 4:1-5).

Our ears are itchy, and arguably at a level never seen before in history. As a society, and on a personal level, we’re addicted to news media, social media, sports, games, music, movies… anything that gets our adrenalin flowing and makes us feel more alive. And if we’re being honest, this is also a testimony about the state of our real lives. We clearly want to be distracted from other things, from responsibilities, from the grind of work, from the pain of dealing with other people. And just as clearly, we’re looking to derive our (self-)satisfaction from something other than God. And once we become distracted from God, it becomes impossible to obey Him in the moment.

Again, I don’t say all this with the intent to pile on, but as a fellow sinner who’s increasingly recognizing his own shortcomings (and hypocrisy?). If we’re once more honest with ourselves, most of us love having at least an aura of drama in our lives—especially if that drama is more vicarious than personal (although some of us love the personal drama, too). As I write this, a 7,500-acre forest fire is raging about 15 miles northwest of here; in fact, we can both see and smell it from here. (Fortunately, it’s in a national forest area and no homes have been destroyed.) Yet, there’s some part of me that wants to see those numbers get even bigger, even while the logical part of my brain reminds me that by doing so I’m assenting to the destruction of God’s creation (and which I love hiking, for that matter). You’ve likely felt that kind of rush (and conflict), too.

And as a native New Jerseyan, don’t think I haven’t pulled out our proximity to/experience of 9/11 on occasion to impress my fellow Coloradoans who’ve only heard about it from afar. I say to this my shame, but also again because I’m pretty sure it’s a universal experience. Somehow, for some perverse reason, simply being in the vicinity of a big event makes us—strike that; makes me—feeler bigger, too.

And that’s the dirty little secret—let’s go ahead and say it: the satanic lie—behind much of our obsession with instant information, and with much of our busyness: It offers an instant substitute to our God-given desire to become a part of something bigger than ourselves. We’re not willing to wait for God to do His work in His time. And so, we turn elsewhere. And we are the lesser for it.

By laying down in silence, we turn back to God. And remember: Turn back means repent. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). We must give ourselves the chance to hear God’s voice, because it’s likely He’s been trying to get our attention all along. So let’s set aside our distractions—and our egos that have become so deftly intertwined with them—and give God our full attention. Let’s discover how the daily surprises that come by walking in the Spirit beat anything we can try to come up with on our own.

Lay It Down Today

Let’s literally bring things home today. Sometimes in the next 24 hours, set aside one hour to not only be silent but completely media-free. No web, no radio, no TV, no reading, no nothin’. Within those parameters, how you use this time is completely up to you. Take a long walk, lay in bed and do absolutely nothing, but do it both silently yet mindfully before God. Unplug from the world and plug into God’s presence.

It might be uncomfortable at first—and don’t be surprised if all sorts of thoughts start flying around—but remain intentional toward God. Give all those distractions the chance to die down. You might actually enjoy it. You’ll certainly have a deeper sense of how constantly distracted we are from God—and in your own case, what those distractions are. If you enjoy this activity, consider expanding your time to a half-day, an entire day, or even longer, sometime in the future.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lay Down Your Agenda — the full version

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Carl Simmons

If you’ve been following this series, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that we’ve had to lay down a lot so far. Some of that laying-down might have been difficult, maybe even unnecessarily negative to some. But we have a much longer journey ahead, and we need to travel light—especially since our journey takes us even further upward.

As I encourage you to “lay down the law (and leave it there),” I’m not just asking you to admire my mild attempt at cleverness. What I really intend to encourage you to do here is live a life where you’re not only walking in the Spirit day by day, but ideally, moment to moment.

Something you might have noticed over the course of our journey together so far is we’ve been moving from dealing with our longstanding struggles with sin to addressing daily temptations. Today, we begin condensing the timespan even further, as we begin exploring the things that tempt us at every moment to go into some sort of “spiritual autopilot,” rather than obey God in the moment. (And if you haven’t noticed this sequence before now, that’s OK—I’m really just picking up on God’s strategy here myself.)

This transition from day-by-day to moment-to-moment is equally, if not more, true of the works we claim to do in Jesus’ name. As Andrew Purves puts it in his wonderful book The Crucifixion of Ministry:

“Of course we should not exclude asking ‘What would Jesus do?’ There is an appropriate place for the moral influence of Jesus. But it is more important to ask, ‘Who is Jesus Christ for us today and what is Jesus doing here and now, in this hospital room, during this committee meeting, during this service of worship, in this counseling session and so on?’… Wherever Christ is and wherever we are joined to him, there truly is the intentional, disciplined and faithful ministry of the church. It is not our ministries that make Christ present; it is the present, living Christ who makes our ministries possible.”

Whatever it is that I truly do for Jesus, He is already there. I’m the one who’s showing up—and who’s arguably late for the party—not Him.

At the same time, we very often want to do the right things, but we don’t know exactly what those right things are. Oddly enough, this is often when our prayer is most effective. There are times where God gives us the confidence to pray for (then pursue) something, knowing it’s in His will, but usually our most effective prayers come when we’re empty. When we have no agenda except, “Not my will, but thine.”

This doesn’t mean that we have to sit around passively, waiting for God to move us. We can keep moving, yet maintain an attitude of willingness. We can do the things we had planned, but hold them loosely, always knowing that should the Spirit lead elsewhere, that’s where we should go.

But more often, we’re in that “autopilot” mode, bearing ahead without keeping our eyes open to what other things God wants to accomplish right now. We want a stake in the ground, a fixed point, a checklist—because that’s far easier for us than following wherever the Spirit leads—at least in the short term. But again, eternal life starts now. To follow is to lay down your control. What could I possibly have planned for myself that’s better than God’s plans for me?

In fact, I’m going to pray this for myself right now. Feel free to join me, and we’ll talk again soon:

Lord, help me to rest in the work You’ve already given me, and to always remember that it is Your work. Help me to lay down my agenda and hand over control to You, so that I may remain open to the next work You desire me to find Your joy in, in every moment. Amen.

Lay It Down Today

The good news is: You don’t have an assignment for this very moment. The better news: The following assignment is meant to last all week. (Well, after all, it’s only bad news if you think of it that way.) It does require some work on your part.

For the remainder of this week, commit to getting up at least a half-hour early, to be with God. Some of you may already get up early for Bible reading and/or prayer, others not, but either way, take some extra time at the beginning of each day this week to be in God’s presence, silently. It’s OK to add in Bible reading or other spiritual reading during this time, but be sure to leave gaps in time to do… nothing, in God’s presence. Enjoy Him. Relax in Him. Take peace in Him, before starting your day. And try to be observant this week about how God uses your time with Him—even after you’re done.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment