Since I've recently struggled with some leg injuries and also been painfully “teething” with my final wisdom tooth, I have not had enough mental clarity to write a new blog piece.
The thoughts on this blog below were mostly written around this time of year twelve years ago, in 2007. I sent them out attached to my Christmas letter that year…
Please enjoy an older piece of my compilation, which I feel is worth reading and considering as we approach the holy days as well as a new Gregorian year and decade.
Aside from improving the format, I edited only very few sentences, added some verses to the “Fame” and “Knowing God” sections and changed one date from the original rather lengthily piece I wrote so long ago.
It is interesting to look back and see how much my life changed, shortly after writing this.
In the last dozen years, I’ve needed to change where I lived around twelve times. I’ve experienced much outward poverty, ugliness, weakness and obscurity.
Yet, inwardly, my faith has grown as I’ve feasted on the riches found in the Lamb of God and trusted in His great strength, name, wealth and beauty.
I praise the LORD for taking me through another difficult but also blessed year of life.
 |
| Evergreens in Snow - a Series of Six small tree paintings, see other tree pieces below, by Elise, 2013 |
2007 and 2019
I do hope this finds you all well and experiencing joy amid the many vicissitudes of life!
As many are preparing to set aside a day of celebration to remember the incarnation of our Savior Jesus Christ, God come to earth in human form via the virgin, Mary, I wish you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!
Many have told me they enjoy reading my tomes…ahem, well then, here is another. Those who don’t have time or don’t like reading…well, then you can stop here! J
Upon arriving back in Vermont after my year in New Zealand, I found a small slip of paper in my room, a few notes I’d made while listening to a radio broadcast before leaving home.
I have been mulling over a few lines from this message for many weeks now and decided to compile some of my thoughts on paper, since they are appropriate to the Christmas season and the beginning of a new year.
These are the ideas shared on the Family Life radio interview I heard by book author and conference speaker, Dr. Tim Kimmel, who wrote Raising Kids for True Greatness http://familymatters.net/truegreatness/index.asp .
I haven’t read the book, but my simple notes from his September 2006 radio interview outlined these points:
Wealth, Beauty, Power, Fame = The world’s definition of success or greatness.
God places NO value on these in Scripture!
God didn’t ask us to live our lives for ourselves. There’s something for everyone in these, above. WE benefit.
True Greatness: (Spiritually)
A passionate love for Jesus Christ that shows itself in an unbelievable love for others.
Live life for something bigger than self.
A life of faith. Trust God for unknowns.
Celebrate character growth, making the hard choices.
I’ve set them [children] up to be indulged, me-centered, by sending them to Christian schools, etc.
3 Huge Decisions in Life that all children will make:
What
my Mission in life?
How I do that job
Why I do that job
Who’s
my Mate going to be?
Choose by beauty? That’s superficial.
Who’s my Master going to be?
We all serve somebody.
This
life is about a prelude for Heaven. God
is about a Kingdom that lasts forever.
Though
I don’t agree that it is necessarily wrong for a child to attend a Christian
school, as there will be plenty to challenge a child no matter where they are
educated, what Dr. Kimmel shared is important.
It
hits me like a ton of bricks to realize how self-centered I often am and how
great Jesus’ love was and is!
What do my
motives and time-use in life show?
Am I
fulfilling God’s good plans for me?
Will I hear
Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” when my time on this earth
ends?
I’m
reminded of the second of the Ten Commandments in Exocus 20:3 which says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” I must not make an idol with my hands or my
mind.
Financial
expert Jim Sammons explains that “an idol is any person, possession, or
position that I expect to do for me what only God can do.”
Mainly
though, this treatise concerns the statement that keeps returning to mind,
about God placing “NO value” on Wealth, Beauty, Power and Fame.
As
an artist, I’m told I have to wait until I die to either become wealthy or
famous. That’s fine. I don’t care so much about those things.
But
beauty? God not placing value on this
part of life?? I know the author is
referring to outward physical beauty, but it still bothered me.
I
sat down to compile my thoughts around 4 PM this past Thursday, and was still
writing at 2 AM, as the Word of God kept coming to me…
And
so, here you have them, my conclusions from the Scriptures. If you feel that I am incorrect, please do
write and tell me! I know there are a
few biblical scholars in the people who may receive and actually read this.
What does
God’s Word say about these influential things, considered by so many to be
worth their sacrificing enormous amounts of time and energy?
Is God a
“cosmic kill-joy” who just wants His people to live in poverty, ugliness,
weakness and obscurity?
What is
God’s design for these things?
How are they
kept in balance if they are obtained?
What are the
prerequisites and conditions that must be met before we can experience these
things?
After
ruminating awhile, it seems very clear that God does place great value
on these things and I really believe our Lord wants His people to see each
area become true for us in this lifetime.
I
believe this can only happen rightly, keeping them in balance, through His
work in our lives, so that our Father in heaven gets the glory.
I
don’t follow God in order to obtain these blessings. I follow God because He, Himself, IS the
blessing.
Certainly there are biblical passages that seem to
substantiate Dr. Kimmel’s view. If you
make your sole focus or goal in life to obtain wealth, beauty, power, or fame
by your own strength, and for your own glory, you will have wasted your life
and lived it for the wrong purposes.
Satan, the angel of Light, has craftily counterfeited
what God designed as good, and we must not be fooled. God does not want us to be even partially
swayed by the lies of our culture. He
tells us NOT to be double-minded. We
must choose. Nobody can walk on both
sides of a fence, and teetering on the top isn’t a good idea either:
“No man can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the
one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.” - Matthew 6:24
“Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,
but is of the world. And the world
passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever.” - I John 1:15-17
A wrong focus in life in these areas
will lead to terrible consequences:
Wealth
“This is the portion of a wicked man
with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the
Almighty…Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;
He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide
the silver. He buildeth his house as a
moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.
The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth
his eyes, and he is not.” - Job 27:13, 16-19
“Lo, this is the man [being destroyed,
rooted out of the land of the living - verse five] that made not God his
strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself
in his wickedness.” - Psalm 52:7
“But Jesus answered again, and said unto
them, ‘Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the
kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God.’” - Mark 24b-25 He went
on to say that what was impossible with men was possible with God.
“And he [Jesus] said unto them, ‘Take
heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth.’
And he spake a parable unto them saying, ‘The ground of a certain rich
man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What
shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down
my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my
goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many
years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou
fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those
things be, which thou hast provided? So
is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’” - Luke
12:15-21
“But they that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all
evil: which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” - I Timothy 6:9-10
Beauty
“Lust not after her [an evil or strange
woman] beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids For by means of a whorish woman a man is
brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious
life.” - Proverbs 6:25-26
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be
diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” - Proverbs 13:1
“Favor is deceitful, and beauty is
vain…” - Proverbs 31:30
“When thou with rebukes dost correct man
for iniquity [self-will], thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth [or,
that which is to be desired in him to melt away]: surely every man is vanity.
Selah.” - Psalm 39:11
Power
“And God wrought special miracles by the
hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs
or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out
of them. Then certain of the vagabond
Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the
name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.’ And
there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did
so. And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but
who are ye?’ And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and
overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house
naked and wounded. And this was known to
all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all and
the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.”
- Acts 19:11-17
“I have seen the wicked in great power,
and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he
was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.” - Psalm 37:35-36
“‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have
built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor
of my majesty?’ While the word was in
the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying ‘O king
Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee…’ The
same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from
men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven,
till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’
claws.” - Daniel 4:30-31, 33
Fame
Interestingly enough, as I searched for biblical
examples against seeking fame, I found instead this word is only
used in a positive light about the LORD, Joseph, Joshua, King Solomon, David,
Mordecai, Wisdom, the remnant of Israel and Jesus! Each of these accounts are of high value to
God and testimonies that still stand as lights for our time.
The only word against seeking “fame” for self that I
could find or remember was this:
“And seekest thou great things for
thyself? Seek them not…” Jer. 45:5a
“For I say, through the
grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the
measure of faith.” - Romans 12:3
“Be of the same mind one toward another.
Mind not high things, but condescend to
men of low estate. Be not wise
in your own conceits.” - Romans 12:16
“To men of low estate
- In the Greek text, the word here is an adjective ταπεινοις tapeinois, and may
refer either to "people" or to "things," either in the
masculine or neuter gender. The sentiment is not materially changed whichever
interpretation is adopted. It means that Christians should seek the objects of
interest and companionship, not among the great, the rich, and the noble, but
among the humble and the obscure. They should do it because their Master did it
before them; because his friends are most commonly found among those in humble
life; because Christianity prompts to benevolence rather than to a fondness for
pride and display; and because of the influence on the mind produced by an
attempt to imitate the great, to seek the society of the rich, and to mingle
with the scenes of gaiety, folly, and ambition.” ~ source Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
While I believe it is
possible to be famous and still remain humble, Fame can lead to Pride. There
are plenty of warnings against Pride in the scriptures:
“But he giveth more
grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble.” - James 4:6
“Likewise, ye younger,
submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another,
and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to
the humble.” - I Peter 5:5
Terms like “honor”, “glory” and “majesty” also apply,
as does the account of King Nebuchadnezzar, above. I Corinthians 9:25 speaks of those who seek a
corruptible crown vs. an incorruptible, but there seems to be an encouragement
to compete well here.
God wants us to glory in Him alone. If we do not, then our focus will easily
become our god.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” I Cor. 10:31
Many tragedies have occurred in recent years due to
people trying to get their faces on TV, and become “famous” through evil acts
and cruelty.
So, this brings me to my second point:
Our Father wants His people to experience, and dwell in,
His own great wealth, beauty, power and fame
How do I
know this?
What do
these things look like when they are in our lives by God’s order
and in a
positive light?
What is more
important than financial riches?
Wealth
[Bold emphasis and notes in brackets are mine]
“…If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” -
Psalm 52:10b
“Praise ye the LORD.
Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his
commandments. His seed shall be mighty
upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his
house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.” - Psalm 112:1-3
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth
understanding…Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches
and honor.” - Proverbs 3:13, 16
“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches,
and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” - Proverbs 22:1
“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and
honor, and life.” - Proverbs 22:4
Through wisdom is an house [family] builded; and by
understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.” - Proverbs 24:3-4
“Therefore take no thought, saying,
‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?’ (For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all
these things. But seek ye first
the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things [context is
needs - food and clothing - not necessarily anything you want] shall be added
unto you.” - Matthew 6:31-33
“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may
know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of
his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power.” - Ephesians 1:18-19
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his
glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man...” -
Ephesians 3:16
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be
not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God,
who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be
rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.” - I
Timothy 17-18
“Every man, according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give;
not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.” - II
Corinthians 9:7
I
believe that obtaining or having riches or wealth is not the difficulty, it is
what you do with what you have been given to steward and where your focus
lies! For the past few years I have
received Michael Q. Pink’s financial emails. He shares excellent insights into
what God’s Word says about business. He now blogs here: https://blog.michaelpink.com/
God
wants to pour His wealth through people willing to be channels of blessing to
others.
My
own life has been greatly blessed, encouraged and supported by men and women
who have invested money wisely in many ways, and profited.
I
have some very wealthy friends, some of whom love God and do many, many
things to further His Kingdom through their gifts. Not in flashy ways, but behind the scenes, so
most people wouldn’t even know.
Everyone
isn’t guaranteed financial riches, people have differing gifts and character
levels, but there are many other things connected to wealth, like time, that
can be shared generously with others.
Beauty
“And when he [Jehoshaphat] had consulted with the people, he
appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of
holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD;
for his mercy endureth for ever.” - II Chronicles 20:21
“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold
the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.” - Psalm 27:4
“…Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” - Psalm
29:2b
The
word Holiness actually means ‘wholeness’. It is related to the term hale, as in
someone being hale and hearty.
Someone who is happy, fulfilled.
It is not some sappy, weak, prudish idea!
“Measure
your progress by your experience of the love of God and its exercise before
men…
In contrast, servile, base, and mercenary
is the notion of Christian practice among the bulk of nominal Christians. They give no more than they dare not
withhold. They abstain from nothing but what they dare not practice. When you state to them the doubtful quality
of any action, and the consequent obligation to refrain from it, they reply to
you in the very spirit of Shylock, “they cannot find it in the bond.”
In short they know Christianity only as a
system of restraints. It is robbed of
every liberal and generous principle. It
is rendered almost unfit for the social relationships of life, and only suited
to the gloomy walls of a cloister, in which they would confine it.
But true Christians consider themselves as
not satisfying some rigorous creditor but as discharging a debt of gratitude. Accordingly,
theirs is not the stinted return of a constrained obedience, but the large and
liberal measure of voluntary service”. –
William Wilberforce (Real Christianity)
“Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear;
forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; So shall the king greatly
desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him…The king’s
daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment
of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto
thee.” - Psalm 45:10-11, 13-14
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow
like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be
planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old
age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” - Psalm 92:12-14
Flourishing
means to be green, and that connotates beauty as well as balance to me.
Green is in the center of the color spectrum. Fruit is always something
beautiful, too.
“…but a woman that feareth the LORD, she
shall be praised.” - Proverbs 31:30b
“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…” - Ecclesiastes
3:11a
“Thou art beautiful, O my love…”
- Canticles 6:4
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty
for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of
the LORD, that he might be glorified.” - Isaiah 61:3
“And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” - Matthew 6:28-29 Few things are more beautiful than a lily!
“The very essence of godliness is in the things of loveliness” – Oswald Chambers
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord.” - II Corinthians 3:18
“…Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely…think
on these things.” - Philippians 4:8
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting
the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be
the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price.” - I Peter 3:3-4
Beauty,
holiness and purity are synonymous.
“Purity,
I fear, has gotten mixed up in people’s minds with the caricature of
Puritanism, which, in the popular imagination, is a dour, brittle revolt against
all the pleasures of the flesh. Puritans
were in fact very earthy people, robust in their affirmation of life, not by
any means “Victorian” (another word grossly misunderstood today in being made a
synonym for all that is negative).
Neither the concept of purity nor the doctrines of the Puritans deny
life. Rather they refer back to the very
Giver of Life Himself. Purity means
freedom from contamination, from anything that would spoil the taste or the
pleasure, reduce the power, or in any way adulterate what the thing was meant
to be. It means cleanness, clearness – no additives, nothing artificial – in
other words, “all-natural,” in the sense in which the Original Designer
designed it to be.” – Elisabeth Elliot (Passion and Purity)
Power
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary; and
they shall walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and
sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he
himself would come…And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even
the devils are subject unto us through thy name.’ And he said unto them, ‘I beheld Satan as
lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.
Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto
you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.’” - Luke
10:1, 17-20
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me [Jesus is speaking] both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth [for me, that is NZ J].” - Acts 1:8
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power
of his might. Put on the whole armor
of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…” -
Ephesians 6:10-11
 |
| This is a small sunset demo I probably painted for a watercolor class in 2010 |
Fame
“Them
that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly
esteemed.” - I Samuel 2:30b
“…But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
- Daniel 11:32
See
the following passages and surrounding scriptures for marvelous accounts of
these fascinating people and their fame:
Joseph – Genesis 45:16
Joshua – Joshua 6:27
King Solomon – I Kings 10:1, 7
David – I Chronicles 14:17
Mordecai – Esther 9:4
Wisdom – Job 28:22
The LORD – Isaiah 66:19
The remnant of Israel – Zephaniah 3:19
Jesus – Matthew 4:24;
9:26, 31; 14:1; Mark 1:28; Luke 4:14, 37; 5:15a
So, basically, living life rightly from an eternal perspective is all
about where our focus lies. The world’s
way to glory IS to focus on self.
“Strive with the abilities you develop. Push and shove so you get there first.”
However, if we will give our “reasonable service” to God, as Romans
12:2 tells us, dedicating all that we are and have to Him to control, then He
will GIVE us His true wealth, beauty, power and fame, and eternal rewards.
We enter into His righteousness by faith, His white robes are very
powerful and sublimely beautiful!
“But many that are first shall be last, and the last
shall be first.” - Matthew 19:30
And he (Jesus) said unto them, ‘Whosoever shall receive
this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth
him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be
great.’” - Luke 9:48
“…But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the
younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater,
he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? But
I am among you as he that serveth.” - Luke 22:26-27
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the
foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of
the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which
are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his
presence…That according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the
Lord.” - I Corinthians1:25-30, 32
 |
| Miniature painting by Elise, 2013 |
Knowing
God is the key to experiencing true greatness
Not
merely knowing things about Him.
God wants our heart more than He wants our intellect.
How
we obtain greatness is often opposite and backwards to the way most
would generally think, and there is a cost that must be paid. We must give up ourselves in order to know
Him.
Marriage
and pure love are pictures to show us the way to unity and oneness with God,
and experiencing His will for us: true wealth, beauty, power and fame.
I’m
told that when people really love someone else, they lose themselves in
focusing on the other marriage partner.
So it is with the man or woman who loves God. The rewards are immense.
The
Scriptures tell us of the tragedy of not being known by God in
several places:
"Not every one that saith unto me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven. Many will say to me in
that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have
cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?’ And then will I profess unto them, ‘I
never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’” - Matthew 7:21-23
To the foolish virgins who didn’t have oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came it was said, “I know you not.” - Matthew 25:12b
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in
his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth
and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving-kindness,
judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith
the LORD.” - Jerermiah 9:23-24
Here
the word, “acknowledge” actually comes from the same root word used throughout
the Old Testament when a man married a woman.
He took her, and “knew” her. This means, if we, too, choose to seek and
find God, He will reveal Himself to us.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct
thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD and depart from evil.”
- Proverbs 3:5-7
If
we know God in all of our ways, intimately, we can claim the promise
that He will direct our paths into the good things He desires for us to
experience:
“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts
shall be established.” - Proverbs 16:3
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against
the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green
herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land,
and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and
he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it
to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment
as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of
him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices
to pass.” - Psalm 37:1-7
“For I know the thoughts that I have thought towards you, saith
the LORD, even the thoughts of peace, and not of trouble, to give you an end
and your hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11 Geneva Version
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory
of God by us. - II Corinthians 1:20
Paul,
the great scholar, said this about knowing God:
“But what things were gain to me [previously listed in this
passage], those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him,
not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by
faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” - Philippians 3:7-10
Seems
to me that you get to know someone in several ways. Through communication, through asking and
being asked questions, through investing time in the presence of the one you’re
trying to get to know. You do things
together, go places together. You share
experiences and thoughts.
God
says He is with us always. We can speak
to Him in prayer anytime we want to. His Spirit will even pray for us when we
don’t know what to say. And He answers
our prayers, cries and requests!
Contentment
is found in knowing,
and
being known by, Jesus Christ
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that
trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his
saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:
but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” - Psalm 34:8-10
“Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked
in my ways!…He should have fed them with the finest of the wheat: and with
honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.” - Psalm 81:13, 16
“Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life.” - John 4:14
“Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for
him hath God the Father sealed…This is the work of God, that ye believe on him
whom he hath sent…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread
from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down
from heaven and giveth life unto the world…And Jesus said unto them, I am the
bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth
on me shall never thirst.” - John 6:27, 29, 32, 33, 35
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and
in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer need. I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:11-13
 |
| A tiny floral bouquet, probably a take-off on "Mom's Flowers", mini watercolor by Elise, 2013 |
How I
can know if I truly love Jesus
Dr. Kimmel wisely defines True Greatness, spiritually, like this: “A passionate love for Jesus Christ that shows itself in an unbelievable love for others.”
But how do we know we’re really loving Jesus and not just doing good things for others in order to make ourselves look good?
Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. - John 14:21
“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” - John 14:23-24
Jesus’s commands flesh out the Old Testament commands. He showed us how to apply the Ten Commandments in life. Completely. Perfectly.
The key to living this myself is not in my own willpower or strength.
The word “keep” in the original language, Greek, does NOT mean “obey”. It means to keep your eye on it, diligently, as if you would set a military watch on it, to guard it so that you do not lose it. The Holy Spirit then enables, changes, cleanses my life.
God’s holy righteousness is what allows His people to live rightly, in true greatness.
I remember when I said, “I can’t do this, Lord, I can’t be perfect”, and then I was freed from my striving and straining, to rest in His Sufficiency.
His commands are all about having right relationships with others and living supernaturally by His power, not our own, so that we become the opposite of what is natural.
Good character, such as forgiveness, gentleness, compassion, etc. are then simply fruits of an intimate relationship with Christ.
“Abide in me and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine;
no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I
am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me and I in him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing…If ye keep
my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s
commandments, and abide in his love….This is my commandment, That ye love one
another, an I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends.” - John 15:4-5, 10, 12-13
“Jesus Christ never expected men to be holy; He knew they could not be: He came to make men holy. All He asks of men is that they acknowledge they are not right, then He will do all the rest.” – Oswald Chambers
God’s Kingdom is one of Rest and Peace
In the Lord’s Prayer (found in Matt. 6:9-13, and Luke 11:2-4), we are given a list of things that Jesus taught his disciples to pray. This list actually enumerates things that correspond to the Law of God. The Prayer begins, “1. Our Father; 2. which art in Heaven; 3. hallowed be Thy name.”
The Ten Commandments follow this same pattern – 1.Worship God; 2. Not idols who have no power; 3. Don’t take His name in vain.
Then, in the prayer, we’re told, 4. “Thy Kingdom come.”
Exodus 20:8-11 tells of the Fourth Commandment: “To remember the sabbath, to keep it holy.”
Jesus came to be our Rest. He is the Great Prince of Peace. All of life is to be lived, here and now, in this reality.
Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Psalm of David, also follows this pattern, tracing the Law of God. It begins, 1. The LORD is my Shepherd; 2. I shall not want. 3. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; 4. “He leadeth me beside the still waters [the waters of quietness].”
God’s Kingdom is one without bad relationships caused by rebellion, killing, adultery, stealing, lying or covetousness.
Philippians 2:6-11 has a list that is quite similar, unveiling even more about what God’s Kingdom is. Here, Christ’s earthly life aligns with the 10 Commandments, too. 1. Who, being in the form of God; 2. Thought it not robbery to be equal with God; 3. But made himself of no reputation; 4. “And took upon him the form of a servant”…
His Kingdom coming is connected with the sabbath of rest from our own works; with living waters (the Holy Ghost Himself) that satisfy us completely, and being great by serving – giving – to benefit others.
Jesus
came to live among us, to
show us how this works
 |
| The Crib, The Cross and The Crown illustration painted by Elise for Dr. Werner Gitt's tract by the same name, circa 2006 |
Here, at last, is the Christmas Application!!
J
When Jesus came into this world to be our Emmanuel (“God with us”),
He gave up all His massive heavenly wealth, beauty,
power and fame.
He came as a little baby – defenseless, dependant,
small and without means.
He lay in a manger, among the animals, because there
was no room for him in the Inn.
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” - II Corinthians 8:9
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” - Philippians 2:5-8
It was prophecied in Isaiah that Jesus wouldn’t be
highly physically attractive:
“He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…” - Isaiah 53:2b-3a
Yet, he had such a beautiful inner spirit, that his
presence was greatly sought after:
“And there followed him great multitudes of people…” - Matthew 4:25a
“And great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there.” - Matthew 19:2
“And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.” - Matthew 20:29
Jesus’ gifts of healing and his compassion in
ministering to people made him very famous.
His beauty was a reflection of His oneness with His
Father.
Children loved him and felt comfortable in his
presence.
He was pure, without any wrong thoughts or desires.
And it showed.
_____________________
God suffered, seeing his only Son die.
But in His death, Jesus gained for us life
everlasting.
Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the throne of
God,
and He possesses all
the wealth, beauty, power and fame of His Father.
These are the riches in glory He offers to us, now.
“Wherefore [because of Jesus’ death on the cross in place of us], God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2:9-11
“We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” - Hebrews 1b-2
“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
“For every beast of the forest is mine [says God], and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.” - Psalm 50:10-11
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.’ And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, ‘Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” - Revelation 5:12-14
“God did not create Adam holy, He created him innocent, without self-consciousness (as we understand the word) before God; the one thing Adam was conscious of was God and only of himself in relation to the Being Whose commands he was to fill; the main trend of his spirit was towards God. Adam was intended by God to take part in his own development by a series of moral choices whereby he would transform innocence into holiness. Adam failed to do this. Jesus Christ came on the same platform as Adam and did not fail.” – Oswald Chambers
All are invited to come to know this
gentle man,
Jesus, Y’Shua, the Ever-Living Son of
God
Becoming God’s Son means we must be born again, spiritually.
He takes us where we are.
Receiving His gift of forgiveness for anything wrong we have ever done means two very simple things:
1. Change your mind about sin and agree with God, turn
around (repent).
2. Believe from your heart that Christ Jesus died for
you. Receive and accept His precious blood, perfect in voltage, sinless, holy, shed
for your forgiveness.
Then Follow Him - talk to our Father in heaven, hear and
obey His answers.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” – Romans 10:9-10
This Christmas and in the New Year of our Lord, 2020
A.D.,
May we each personally
experience the Rest and Peace
found in knowing Jesus Christ.
May we attain, by humbling ourselves,
the true riches, beauty, power and fame
found in knowing the Lamb of God.
May we decrease so that He might increase!!!
With love from your painting-friend,
Elise
An old friend sang me the words to this little song
written in 1995:
“I could wish you joy and peace to last a whole life
long/
I could wish you sunshine, or a cheerful little song/
Or wish you all the happiness that this life could
bring/
But I wish you Jesus more than anything/
‘Cause when I wish you Jesus, I’ve wished you everything!”
~ Scott Wesley Brown
