Faithful on Fridays Blog

You may be wondering why I chose a visual of margaritas, well, it’s simple. Our subject today is the Pearl of Great Price. Didn’t get it yet? The Greek word for pearl is margaritas, no, I’m not joking.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Matthew 13:45-46 NLT

Even though this parable ends the same way as the Hidden Treasure, Jesus chose a different type of character: a merchant. This salesman began his day like every other day. He went to work searching for his trade: pearls. That’s the contrast, this salesman was on a mission: find choice pearls and make a lot of money.

He had no idea that in his search that day he’d be lucky enough to find that one pearl of mega-value. In the Hidden Treasure, the man wasn’t searching and yet he found, however, in this story he was diligently seeking that fine pearl and also found. What’s Jesus’ point?

Consider two words: divine providence. Simply put, God is sovereign and in control of everything in our universe. Providence comes from two words: pro-video. It’s as if God made a video, in advance, of our lives. He knows us before we’re born and cares deeply about us. It’s never by chance that someone comes to salvation, its His providence.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Romans 8:28-30 NLT

Consider Saul of Tarsus. He hated Christians and sought to persecute them but God knew Saul’s future and directed his path toward that outcome. Divine Providence. Seeking God or not seeking God, He’s in control: He’s sovereign. Thankfully, our free will cannot override His providential care and direction or Saul wouldn’t have become Paul.

So, back to this salesman; he was a seeker. His purposeful search, involving time and effort, yielded results; he found one. It was his day. His desire drove him to search for pearls and I want to be like that. Being a seeker isn’t spiritually immature, it’s constantly desiring to find those pearls that lead us to know Him better. Seek first, Jesus said, the kingdom of God and if you keep seeking then you’ll always find.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1 ESV

It’s Friday, go have a margarita.

God in Christ-Christ in You

Today I begin a four-part series on the book of Colossians. Obviously, I can’t do more than inspire you to read it for yourselves but I can give the ‘big picture’ in each chapter to give you incentive to open your Bible.

Paul begins with words that display his love for these believers. Read it that way, personally, as if he’s writing to you. His desire is to encourage you in your walk with Jesus as well as give you insight into the mystery of that relationship. Chapter One shows us that Paul sees three things in you: faith, hope, and love. Look for those words in the first five verses. He tells you that it’s obvious your life is different since you decided to follow Christ. Let me ask you today, do people notice changes in your behavior and attitude?

In the next verses he encourages the believers by letting them know he is praying for them. Have you ever had someone tell you that? I have, even this week, and I assure you I received hope, strength, and rest knowing someone cared.

Next, Paul, being a teacher of sound doctrine, writes the most succinct verses of the supremacy of Christ in all of scripture. He tells us that Christ is the exact representation of God. He’s not only God’s Son but He is God Himself. A mystery? For sure. He goes on to explain that all of the attributes of God are in Christ. Amazing. Other religions acknowledge Jesus as a prophet and even God’s Son but no other religion admits that Jesus Christ is God except Christianity. These verses prove that. Why doctrine in the midst of such a personal letter? Maybe because we need to be reminded that our Savior, our Rescuer, our Redeemer is truly God in all aspects. He has the ability to help us in all circumstances.

Lastly, our relationship with God is based on His indwelling presence in our hearts. God is in us, going where we go, hearing what we hear, seeing what we see, participating in what we do. That should cause you to reflect on your life. If you confess to be a follower of Jesus Christ are you acting like it? If Jesus reflects the Father, do you reflect Jesus? He wants to give you His mighty power so you can live in the Kingdom of God holy and blameless. He wants you to stand before Him without a single fault. It’s not hard to live that way but it takes diligence, patience, and endurance. It’s His power–not yours, that’s the clincher of Chapter One. Read it for yourself this week and ponder on the amazing promises you have in Christ. Take it in stages and think about this incredible mystery that is being revealed to you. If you’re discouraged, it’ll encourage you. If you’re hopeless, it’ll restore hope. If you’re on cloud nine, it’ll remind you why you’re there. It’s all about Him.

I love reading Jesus’ parables; they challenge me to think deeper and find spiritual truths. They’re simple stories, based on everyday life, that teach a spiritual principle. In essence, parables are lower stories that have an upper story thrown alongside to reveal Jesus. Let’s look at one.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Matthew 13:44 NLT

So … a guy is walkin’ along, minding his own business, and discovers something. It doesn’t say he tripped or even noticed this treasure box but regardless, he found it. This treasure, the lower story, was undoubtedly buried by someone wanting to keep it from intruders. Simple enough but where’s the upper story?

Consider this: It’s God and God alone who determines a soul to receive revelation of Himself; notice that the treasure was hidden, out of sight. There’s no good in man that causes him to desire God because we all start out as sinners, unable to come to Him. It’s His grace, undeserved favor, that draws us to Jesus: He is the hidden treasure. The guy wasn’t looking for treasure, it seems he accidentally found it. Accidentally? I don’t think so; we call it divine providence.

For no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them to Me … John 6:44a NLT

It’s all about Him.

The second part, the clincher, has more spiritual truths that we need to consider. What’s the man’s next move? He reburies it. What? He doesn’t run and tell everyone? He doesn’t evangelize the neighborhood? No. The upper story discloses that it’s a secret work God begins in our hearts, an intimate work where the love and grace of Jesus is revealed to a sinner’s heart.

This natural man reburies but doesn’t abandon the treasure. He didn’t reject it; he embraced it with joy and excitement but privately, for a time. When we are drawn to Jesus He begins an inner work in our hearts, a secret work, private, and intimate, much like burying the treasure again.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Luke 12:34 NLT

The last part is the hardest for us. Yes, he unintentionally found Jesus, our Treasure, however, he didn’t stop there. The story tells us that in his joy and new sense of well-being, he sold everything he had and bought the field where the treasure was reburied. That’s the lower story. The upper story, the spiritual truth, is that when the Father draws us to Jesus what do we do with all that joy? There’s a selling or trade that needs to be made by us as well: our old, sinful life in exchange for His new life. That’s quite a bargain.

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3 NLT

Passion for God

I think there’s a driving, fiery passion in all of us to know God. If you asked an atheist or an agnostic, “if there was a God, would you want to know Him?” I believe their answer would be a resounding “yes!” God has placed an emptiness in man’s soul that can be filled by Him alone and, consequently, we all at some level want to know God. Let’s be clear; I don’t mean knowing ‘about’ God; I’m talking about intimately knowing God.

Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for You. (Psalms 9:10 NLT)

In the first covenant the way to know God was through His character and attributes; they knew Him by His names. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and David all knew God by the way He revealed Himself to them. However, we’re living in the New Covenant, if you’re a believer, and our knowledge isn’t restricted to His character and attributes because we have the indwelling Spirit of God residing in us and that’s a better covenant.

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth. (John 17:3 NLT)

Passion. The passion that drove Christ to the cross was His love for us as His Bride. He accepted the assignment from His Father, before the world began, to be the sacrificial Lamb, cleansing the sin of God’s chosen ones. His jealous passion was for you and I to enter into an intimate relationship of love and trust that would guide our lives in this present world and prepare us for the next. There’s no greater love than that. Jesus suffered the penalty of sin and death in our place when He endured the cross; it was the Great Exchange. The driving, fiery passion of that death was His bridal love for the Church (Heb. 12:2) and our relationship with Him that’s eternal; it doesn’t end with physical death but continues forever with Him.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, Philippians 3:8-10 NLT

Allow the passion stirring in your heart to know God better, deeper, drive you to spend time with Him; those emotions were created by Him, for Him. Ignite the flame today with fresh desire to know and experience Him in a deeper, more passionate way.

Our relationship with God matters, consequently, when sin enters our hearts and takes root, inevitably coming out our mouths, we grieve. “I wish I hadn’t said that.” When the Holy Spirit lives in your heart He’ll gently caution you to be careful, however, you can ignore Him. That’s what happens when you allow bitterness, anger, rage, and clamor to remain in your heart; you’re ignoring the Spirit sent to help you.

The last two behaviors Paul lists in Eph. 4:31 are slander and malice and both deal with our words against people. You’re hurt or angry and someone must pay. Rather than allow God to bring justice, you decide to create your own justice; you smear them by attacking their character. They deserve it, right? Maybe, but it’s not your place to administer justice: it’s God’s. You can’t sing songs of praise to God and blaspheme someone with the same mouth; it just doesn’t work that way.

Sometimes (the tongue) praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
James 3:9-10 NLT

Jesus experienced slander (the Greek word is blasphemia) but He chose to honor His Father, not with a smear-campaign or retaliation but by remaining silent in the face of his enemies. He cautions us as well.

For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. Matthew 12:34b-37 NLT

What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45b NLT

Malice is a combination of everything we’ve discussed yet with one last attribute: a desire for harm or suffering. It’s vicious, spiteful, and your words expose your heart. Jesus and Paul both appeal to you; reject those behaviors for they’ll kill your soul.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Ephesians 4:31 NLT

Here’s a nugget, the Greek word for ‘get rid of’ means to seize control or remove by force. Isn’t that true? We forcefully decide against words of slander or malice and seize control of our tongue. Interestingly, that word can also mean raising a ship’s anchor for departure. Spiritual anchors like bitterness, rage, etc. weigh you down and cause all sorts of emotional and physical ailments. Take a lesson from the Navy whose fight song is Anchors Aweigh, meaning, nothing weighs them down; they fight to win.

Does your relationship with God matter? Then raise your anchor, it’s departure time: fight to win.

Today I want to be like a farmer scattering seed (Mark 4). I’ve explained some of the spiritual disciplines in previous messages but today I’m going to throw some seed out there and let you decide which ones can take root. Keep in mind that spiritual disciplines help you think about activities that will bring you closer to God and man. They increase your effectiveness in the Kingdom of God. They help you grow stronger in areas that please God but don’t come naturally to you. The disciplines are to help you work on your weak areas.

The first seed I’m distributing is hospitality. This is serving others in a variety of ways. Yes, it can mean inviting others into your home, however, it can also be meeting for coffee, remaining in a place simply to fellowship, offering a listening ear (without giving advice), or any opportunity to serve someone that God puts in your path. The disciplines are all about dying to yourself, consequently, you can be assured that when you’re serious about growing in these areas you’ll have to step out of yourself and into someone else’s life. It can be inconvenient but it’s worth it. When I come face-to-face with Jesus I want Him to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Practicing the discipline of hospitality can help you reach that goal.

The next seed is frugality. It’s the practice of abstaining from all those items we purchase to give us personal comfort. Oh, I can hear the groans. This includes the incessant shopping (yes, online purchases as well), even when we can afford it; credit cards are so easy and such a temptation. Consider a way to practice frugality. It’s good for the soul.

Secrecy is a discipline that truly forces dying to yourself. You do something kind for someone and don’t take any credit. It creates a place in your heart for a person who can’t repay because they don’t know who blessed them. Keeping your good deeds a secret makes it all about them and not about you.

Confession has often been left out of our times with God, whether in church or in our devotional times. It’s a simple thing and yet refreshing to your soul to confess areas of sin and weakness in our life; it allows God to hear and forgive you. He will, you know.

Lastly, celebration (as Dallas Willard titles it) is rejoicing in God when times are bad. When it’s hard to pray, hard to sing, and even hard to believe God. When we practice celebration we are increasing our faith in Him to hear and answer us ‘in His time’. We want God to move now and not later; isn’t that true? This discipline reminds us of His sovereignty in our lives. Celebrate Him today no matter how your outward circumstances look.

I hope some of these last seeds of spiritual discipline I’ve scattered today take root and produce a great harvest in your life!

As you can see from the head shot our discussion today is another emotional outburst: clamor. Now seriously, who uses this word clamor and yet if you’ve had kids you’ve seen it: a temper tantrum. This word is only used one time in the context of sins to avoid:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Ephesians 4:31 ESV

A two year old throws himself on the floor, screams, kicks, even pulls their hair, and cries. Not sad, tearful, heart-breaking cries but defiant, angry, or raging cries. Don’t kid yourself, clamor can be experienced by everyone to some degree. We may not throw ourselves on the floor but screaming, harsh words, and maybe even throwing something can occur; the Greek word for clamor is where we get the word ‘crazy’.

As I researched this Bible-word I was surprised to see it used in many ways and not all negative. Jesus was approached by a woman whose daughter was demonized and she cried out, krazo, to Him in grief, wailing, and needing mercy (Matt. 15:22), a father cries out (krazo) for his son who is demonized to the point of death (Mark 9:24) and begs Him to help, and finally the demon cries out (krazo) and leaves the boy.

This crazy word shows us that if we’re going to let our emotions go to extremes it shouldn’t be because we didn’t get our way but because we need God to intervene. In those stories God came through for passionate people crying out to Him, consequently, He’ll come through for you as well.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:15-16 NLT

That’s not like a phone call to your dad; that’s a heart-wrenching, grief-filled, cry from the depths of your heart that expresses your passions to a God Who is also your Father. The Holy Spirit takes those cries and reassures you of that truth. How comforting.

Jesus understands those emotions we experience because He also experienced them:

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8 NLT

So, clamor and act crazy? No, not as a release of anger or self-centeredness; avoid that, however, go ahead and release those emotions to God and believe that He understands and will intervene for you. Also, remember that when He returns there will be no more krazo; our crying will be ended (Rev. 21:4).

Solitude and Silence

I’m a person who likes to be around people. I don’t often like to be alone but in the last few years I’ve experienced more alone-time; I’m beginning to like it. Solitude is being alone, whether you leave or stay home, either way, it’s good for the soul. As a spiritual discipline this lack of fellowship is a real challenge, but a good one. It forces us to be more aware of God’s presence and leaves behind, even if just for a few minutes, the distracting presence of others. It’s an opportunity to practice silence as well; solitude and silence complement each other.

More often than not, when we choose to be alone with God we tend to talk. We fill the air with our words. That’s not all bad but it’s also good to be still and just KNOW He’s God. It’s a discipline. When we are quiet with God He receives our total attention and in return promises to fill us with strength (Is. 30:15). We don’t empty our minds of all thoughts (that’s occultic) but center them on the LORD. It takes consistency and self-discipline as we continually bring our thoughts back as they wander, and they will, but it’s worth your time and effort. I usually look at some aspect of His creation, breathe deeply, close my eyes, and fill my mind with His attributes: holiness, creativity, forgiveness, faithfulness, or love. There’s much value with this exercise.

Another way to view this spiritual discipline is from the opposite side. We fill our days with talking. Our cell phones are continually attached to our bodies. Our words are constantly flowing, whether through text or verbal, oftentimes getting us in trouble. We don’t practice the art of listening because we think what we have to say is more valuable. True? True. When we practice solitude and silence it give us the opportunity to hear from God. There is no substitute.

Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. (Zechariah 2:13 ESV)

The final aspect I want to mention is using these disciplines as spiritual warfare. When you choose not to respond to words from others you’re keeping yourself from falling into traps set by the enemy. Words can lead you where you don’t want to go and silence is a good strategy to keep those doors shut and locked. Begin to practice using silence against the devil rather than letting him use your emotionally-charged words against you.

In closing, remember that Jesus Christ is the King. In that aspect of His character He deserves our solitude and silence. When in the presence of royalty or dignitaries you don’t talk; you stand amazed. Jesus the King is worthy of our solitude and silence. The prophet Habakkuk understood this, read his words:

But the LORD is in His holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him. Hab. 2:20

Let’s be clear; emotions are a gift from God. He didn’t create robots; He created mankind with choices. One of those choices we face daily is how to respond to people who frustrate, hurt, don’t meet our expectations, and maybe touch on our insecurity: anger.

It’s fascinating how technology has tapped into emotions even though they’re emotionless. We’ve developed emojis (Japanese for ‘picture character’) to express ourselves, even anger, without actually speaking.

Jesus experienced anger at hard-hearted leaders and remained sinless:

He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Mark 3:5a NLT

He was frustrated and angry but he didn’t sin. Hmmmm. It seems that anger, your response to emotions can be positive or negative: your choice.

There’s always a deeper issue when you get angry and it’s your job to determine what triggered you. What was the underlying cause of your anger, bring light to it, and com-mun-i-cate!!! Did you sense my emotion?

Chip Ingram writes that anger is a secondary emotion, a symptom, therefore, we must pursue the primary one, the trigger. Did we experience unmet needs, consequently, we’re hurt? Were our expectations unmet and we became frustrated or disappointed or both? Finally, Chip encourages us to evaluate if an attack was perceived or real. Could your insecurity trigger your emotion and anger is your reaction?

God’s Word speaks a clear warning to this emotion:

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 ESV

Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul. Proverbs 22:24-25 NLT

An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin. Proverbs 29:22 NLT

Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. Proverbs 19:19 NLT

God also gives instruction in the New Testament to teach us how to handle our anger:

First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:24b ESV

In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
1 Timothy 2:8 NLT

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
James 1:19-20 NLT

Finally, God desires us to maintain a pure heart in the midst of strong emotion. So go ahead and be angry but don’t let it control your relationships, identify the cause and acknowledge it. Allow anger to lead you closer to God and not closer to your enemy.

… don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27 NLT