OUR DECISIONS

Our spiritual life (the level of spiritual maturity to which we have attained) is far more than the sum of the spiritual information that we have gathered or any compilation of our spiritual experiences. Rather the core and substance of our being “spiritual” relates to the level of inner peace and harmony that results from our making right choices and decisions along the pathway of our spiritual walk with God. The LORD is seeking those who are willing to go beyond that which they have freely received through redemption knowing that making these right choices and decisions will never be easy. Paul had it right when he said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) No matter who or where we are in God we must make decisions as to what we will see, hear, do, or where we will go or not go. The ever present temptation is to compromise and go along with the questionable or difficult situations that we often find in our path or circumstances. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 I often site this verse when I talk about us being the work of God "His workmanship," but this verse has other applications of truth as well. Please notice that our response to and our cooperation with these “good works” is conditional "that we should walk in them" an option or a decision we willfully make. These "good works" are preordained testing (from God not the devil ) points that will determine how far we will follow the LORD. We make few major decisions, but each day we make many “minor” (seemingly to us) decisions that feed either the carnal or the spiritual aspect of our being. and the accumulation of these choices will result in our becoming predominantly carnal or spiritual. As our spiritual decisions begin to outweigh the negative pulls and responses we become an overcomer, a noun or the verb tense we become victorious. To the extent that we rise above carnal soulish desires we are lifted into a place of communion with our LORD and we grow spiritually. John tells us what we will receive if we can learn to become an overcomer, “To him that overcomes  (not whom is saved) will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne.” (Revelation 3:21) Our position with Jesus in this throne relationship is the result of our overcoming all that is earthly and carnal. We receive the privilege or honor of being seated with Jesus in His Throne as a result of the accumulation of the right decisions and choices that we make not because we are saved. People ask me just how important are our decisions, well they are life or death to us. The more decisions that we make which are toward the LORD and His purposes the easier it will become to continue making right decisions. God's idea for us is the further down the road that we go in our walk with Jesus we are to progressively become more detached from all that is either carnal or a temptation to us. Believe it or not in the beginning it will be a struggle, but we will be amazed at the strength we have (really God's strength) and as we begin to make progress then it becomes harder, much harder. The longer we go with God the harder it gets because the more God expects of us. I wonder why we think we are on a downhill slide into heaven. So too is this method in our training of our earthly children. The older they get the more we expect of them. What we expect of a two year old we do not expect of a 10 year old and to even complicate things the more the older they get the less we should have to talk to them because they ought to have learned their lessons, but that is not often the case. So too in God. The longer we go in God the less He should have to tell us what to do and feed our emotions why? Because we should already know what to do, we have learned our lessons and now all we have to do is execute our training. When I was a Corpsman with the Marines in the Navy we trained and trained for mass casualties; drill after drill I thought what a waste, but when we had a real mass casualty situation we did not have to think our training kicked in and we performed (here is the point) to the level of our desire and attention to follow our training. A half hearted trainee could have cost the life of a Marine. As we make decisions that move us forward in God the pathway of our spiritual life can be considered as being an upward spiral. I think I have used this illustration before in a another article, but if we take a large wood screw and place a finger nail in the groove near the point and run it along the surface we will gradually progress toward the head. Job said, "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." (Job 5:7) That is the direction of sparks on the grinding wheel and seemingly troubles in our lives, upward to God. Though it may seem to us that we are going in circles as we continue to make right decisions we are progressively moving upward. If we do this in reverse and feed the carnal aspect of our being, it will lead us ever downward. I believe we all have within us a quality of spiritual life (God has deposited it within us) now it may not be apparent to us as to why this is so, but if asked we would testify that through the struggles of life we have been making quality decisions which brings them into increasing levels of fellowship with the LORD in His Throne. Who knows the impact of the decisions we have made in darkness? Often we make decisions not knowing what will happen and often struggle with them until the LORD reveals to us some of the outcome, but we need not struggle so because if we are not over in sin and we are trying to do the best for the LORD as we can our decisions (even the ones done in darkness) will be the right ones. God does not set us up for failure nor does He try to trick us into making wrong decisions. This is the thought Paul was trying to get across to the Christians in Rome. In Romans Paul shares these words, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.” (Romans 14:17-18) The Kingdom of God begins with “righteousness.” As we make right choices (even if we do not know it) we place ourselves on a platform called "righteousness." Due to an accumulation of these righteous choices we discover that there resides within us an abiding "peace." This will also result in the approbation or the favor of God resting upon us and joy is then manifested. Our submission to His divine government will lead to our becoming a partaker with Jesus in His Throne. In this realm our decisions do not relate only to right or wrong, but with the motives that underlie right or wrong. It is here that the final test of our union with the LORD will find its outworking. If we truly overcome in this area of our being in that day we will find ourselves seated with Jesus in His Throne. First we are tested concerning the choices and decisions that we make. As we progress up the spiral we will be tested concerning the motives of our heart which provoke the things that manifest as right or wrong. It is not enough to deny only the thing we must overcome the very principle that allows it to abide within us and assert itself. Those who are satisfied with being blessed and eventually going to heaven have their reward (streets of gold and a mansion), but for those who intensely hunger for a higher level of spiritual reality there is much more. These in the place of pressure, complexity, confusion, and often bewilderment will deal with the issues of their heart so in that day having become an overcomer they will be found on the throne seated beside Jesus.

A NEW OLD STORY

This year in what many Christians called the "Christmas" season (word and principle not found in the KJV of the Bible) the LORD really opened up the old story from Jesus' birth found in the second Chapter of Luke. I can hear that old hymn of the church, "tell me the story of Jesus write on my heart every word, tell me the story most precious sweetest I ever have heard." Oh I have read it 1,000 times before, but this year it really seemed to come alive to me, it became a new old story. Now Karen and I do not celebrate "Christmas" (trees, lights, and all of the trimmings) nor do we do presents after all it was not my birthday. How selfish and self-centered to think I should get a present on the 25th of December (the day Christians world-wide collectively agree on to celebrate Jesus' birthday) because Jesus got some, but we do celebrate the birth of Christ in our heart and on our lips, yet this year it was quite different. I pondered wondering why this year the story of Jesus' birth was different than in the past then it dawned on me, we (Karen and I) were not looking for Santa Claus and all of the trappings that come with him we were looking at Jesus and all of the life that comes with Him. The writer to the Hebrews shares these words with us, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2). I am convinced because Karen and I were more concerned about seeing Jesus (and not caught up in the Yule Tide season) our vision, our perspective of life, reality, what is really true and important became crystal clear to our understanding which always brings greater revelation to our life. There is a not so strange truth that says; we always go after what we are looking at. If we can see it and we want it then we go after it with all our heart. Well guess what my friend Jesus is looking for those who are looking for Him. Jesus is looking at us to see what we are looking at and make no mistake whatsoever we are looking at we will go after. In the story of Jesus' birth taken from Luke we find these precious words, "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:8-14) These words my friends is the hope that mankind hangs its hat on. These words are the beginning of the redemption and salvation with no end that God has for man as they are preached, "to all people." We see this truth also in Matthew in the words of the baby laying in the manager when He became a man, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. " (Matthew 28:19-20) This year (because we had no real distractions in our lives) the message really hit me -- the light came on in a new way. What a truth to comprehend for man; God is no longer angry with man. Yes Jesus was born in Bethlehem (the city or house of bread) in the City of David, but because of His birth and death God's anger towards man was satisfied. It is no wonder the angels were praising God. This was the good news the Angels were sharing with the Shepherds. The anger from the angry God of the Old Testament has now been satisfied with the birth of Christ and the entire world which groans and travails at times could sing, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will towards men." Notice the angels were in the heavens where God is, but they were saying "fear not," your fear of the angry God of Mount Sinai is over and now I bring you from the heavens (no Hebrew word for heaven), "good tidings of great joy." God is no longer mad and now, "good tidings" and "great joy." What a powerful message of reconciliation and restoration if we can wrap our heart and thoughts around it. And notice, "on earth (now the angels were in the heavens) peace, good will towards men." Now it did not say, peace and good will between men, but it said, "peace, good will towards men" that is to say from God to man. God was saying the war is over! Jesus has been born and now, "Glory to God in the highest." What a deep truth that many need to hear, but it seems they miss it year after year. In 1847 a French Poet named Adolphe Adam composed a poem for a Christmas Night Mass entitled, "Minuit, Chrétiens" or what we know today as the most well-known and beloved Christmas Carol "O Holy Night." Then in 1855 John Sullivan Dwight created the singing version and tune we so love today, but here is the lliteral English translation from Adam's poem:

 

Midnight, Christians, is the solemn hour,

When God as man descended unto us

To erase the stain of original sin

And to end the wrath of His Father.

The entire world thrills with hope

On this night that gives it a Savior.

People, kneel down, await your deliverance.

Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer,

Christmas, Christmas, here is the Redeemer!

May the ardent light of our Faith

Guide us all to the cradle of the infant,

As in ancient times a brilliant star

Guided the Oriental kings there.

The King of Kings was born in a humble manger;

O mighty ones of today, proud of your greatness,

It is to your pride that God preaches.

Bow your heads before the Redeemer!

Bow your heads before the Redeemer!

The Redeemer has broken every bond:

The Earth is free, and Heaven is open.

He sees a brother where there was only a slave,

Love unites those that iron had chained.

Who will tell Him of our gratitude,

For all of us He is born, He suffers and dies.

People, stand up! Sing of your deliverance,

Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer,

Christmas, Christmas, sing of the Redeemer!

 

I think Adam got it right and knew something Dwight did not. Now it is important to know there is no "Holy Night" as there is no land in the world that is Holy. I wonder why we call Israel the Holy Land? Land and a night can never be Holy, but there is a Holy God (who wants us to be Holy also) who loves man very much so He sent His most beloved gift to die on a rugged Roman cross to reconcile mankind back to Himself. What a powerful message do not miss it! Next year I would recommend not looking for Santa, his reindeer, gifts under the tree, and the Christmas message, but keep your eyes on Jesus and on the story of the ages, now that is a old story that never gets old and is worth sharing.