Inside the Parables of Jesus

by David Scott Robertson

“When he [Jesus] was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
“He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
“so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" (Mark 4:10-12)

Jesus rarely taught publicly without using a parable.
He used the natural to illustrate the supernatural.
The common to explain the uncommon.
He called attention to ordinary things to convey spiritual truths.

His words had the potential to either make people mad or set them free.
His illustrated sermons were interesting, enlightening, and absolutely life-altering.
Truly, "no one ever spoke the way this man does…" (John 7:46).

But still, it was possible to hear the
Actual, literal, audible voice of the Son of God live and in Person
And yet still never grasp what the voice of God was saying.

Although Jesus’ words were absolute truth
(For it is impossible for God to lie - Hebrews 6:18)
And were presented in a simple parable,
Many, if not most, of His hearers could not receive the full impact of His words
(Including the Twelve apostles.)

But those that came to Him in private;
Those whose hearts yearned to know the meaning of the parable;
Those who took time to press in close to the Master;
I tell you
These are they who obtained understanding.

Nicodemas heard the Rabbi speak
And came at night to hear Jesus elaborate on what it meant to be “born again” (John 3:2-21).
Nicodemas obtained understanding.

After the crowds had dispersed,
Time and again,
This next verse was the standard operating procedure of His close followers:
“His disciples asked him what this parable meant” (Luke 8:9).

And the standard operating procedure for Jesus went something like this:
“He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'
"This is the meaning of the parable…” (Luke 8:10-11).

Two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13) walked with “a Stranger” a good while
As the Lord (unknown to them) opened the scriptures to them about the Christ.
Jesus privately tutored the men in what the Christ must suffer
And as they broke bread together
The eyes of their understanding were opened and Jesus vanished.
They had just attended the school of Christ.

So we see that knowing the truth of God
Surpasses merely hearing the voice of God.

Jesus explained the reason for this in the verse quoted earlier:
“…but to those who are OUTSIDE, all things come in parables…” (Mark 4:11 - emphasis mine)

According to Jesus,
Remaining on the “outside” resulted in
Seeing but not perceiving,
Hearing but not understanding,
And an unwillingness to turn from sin that they might be healed.

So, getting on the “inside” must mean
Leaving the “crowd” and making your way toward the “core”, right?

As we have seen,
The apostles, Nicodemas, the woman with the issue of blood, blind Bartimeus, others,
All pressed in and received truth, healing, and understanding from the Master.

So then, can we conclude, that it is the “pressing in” to Jesus,
Seeking a personal encounter with the Lord,
That somehow qualifies you to get on the “inside?”

Well, consider this.
A personal encounter with Christ
Didn’t seem to produce much revelation for…
…the rich, young ruler.
…the Pharisees.
…the Sadducees.
…the scribes.
…the teachers of the Law.
…Herod.
…Pilate.
…Judas Iscariot.

Again, scripture provides the answer.
“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Now we know that
God is “…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Therefore, the question remains:
Who is qualified to enter the “inside”,
The core,
The private meeting,
The secret place,
The power encounter with the Son of God?

Answer: Whosoever.
Not just “The Twelve.”
Not just some elite Jewish group of guys who happened to be at the right place at the right time.
Not just the first century church
Who followed after the actual footprints of Jesus Christ on a dusty Judean road.
Whosoever. Check out the hungry souls in the next verse:

“But when He [Jesus] was alone, THOSE AROUND HIM with the Twelve asked about the parable. And He said to them, ‘to YOU, it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God…” (Mark 4:10 - emphasis mine)

Later 108 of THEM would show up in the Upper Room
Along side of the apostles (including Matthias, Judas Iscariot’s replacement)
To receive the Promise of the Father,
The mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1).
(Pentecostal math: 120 in the Upper Room – 12 apostles = 108 whosoevers.)

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).

We get “inside the parables of Jesus”
By allowing the Jesus of the parables
To get on the inside of us!

DSR
2/3/01

356

by David Scott Robertson

“That’ll be $3.56, please, sir,” the Wal-Mart checkout clerk said.
Immediately my mind quotes:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge him,
And he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The license plate on the car ahead of me reads – QRM 356.
Instantly my mind quotes:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge him,
And he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I happen to glance down at my digital watch – it reads- 3:56PM.
Without fail and almost without thinking,
My mind immediately quotes:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge him,
And he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I cannot tell you how many different times
And and the multitude of different ways,
That these three numbers: 3-5-6,
In that exact order,
Have suddenly been brought to my attention by the Holy Spirit.

Has the Lord ever “personalized” a Bible verse for you?
That is to say,
Has He made a verse or passage of scripture
Become so extra special,
So meaningful,
So near and dear to your heart
That perhaps you think of it as one of your “life verses?”

You start collecting bookmarks, pictures and plaques,
Anything that you can get your hands on
That has the verse inscribed on it.
You write it on a sticky note and post it on your bathroom mirror.
You make it your computer screen saver marquis.
You write it on a 3x5 card and carry it in your pocket or purse
And basically do all sorts of innovative and weird things
To keep the Life Verse in front of your face
In order to engrave it on the tablet of your heart.

This is precisely what happened to me with Proverbs 3:5-6.

I like to paraphrase this verse and pray it back to the Lord like this:

“I trust You, Lord,
With all my heart,
And today I resist the temptation to try and figure everything out.
In all my ways, Father,
I acknowledge You,
Trusting You to direct my paths.”

Remember, you always pray God’s will when you pray God’s word.

Got a similar verse in mind?
Ask the Lord to open your eyes
To begin to see with renewed vision
All the many, many reminders
Of your Life Verse
That surrounds you daily.

By the way,
The next time you see 316
Remember…

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

DSR
1/26/01

How to Get and Keep a Word From the Lord

by David Scott Robertson

Who wouldn’t want to hear the audible voice of God?
Who wouldn’t want the Lord Himself
To visit them and have a conversation?
Most of us would even settle for an angel
To visibly manifest in our presence
And give us a message from the Lord.
But it doesn’t always works that way.
Truth be told,
It hardly ever happens that way for me.
OK, it has never happened that way for me!

Notwithstanding,
The sovereign Lord has elected to communicate
With various people
At various times
For a variety of reasons
In just the way I’ve described.

But today I was thinking about a general rule of thumb for
Getting and keeping a word from the Lord.
Perhaps these simple steps will help you out someday:

Step #1: SHOW UP.
You’ve got to show up to a place where God is speaking.
Of course I know He’s everywhere.
But there seem to be certain circumstances where He seems tospeak often.
The prayer meeting.
The corporate assembly of the local church.
The altar or ministry time following a pastor preaching asermon.
(The greatest sermon ever preached is useless to the one that is not there to hear it.)
A prophetic conference.
Spiritual gifts begin to stir up
Where two or three are gathered together in His name.
The private prayer closet is where prayer and personal Bible study happens
And is a superb environment to make part of your daily constitution.

These are all places
Where the atmosphere is right
And conditions are excellent
To hear the word of the Lord.
As we quiet our souls,
In the stillness we can often sense God’s presence easier.
So, we have to SHOW UP to the spot of blessing.

Step #2: WE MUST LISTEN.
He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
It is possible to hear but not listen.
We must prepare our hearts
To be able to receive the word of the Lord
Much like a farmer prepares the soil to
To receive the implanted seed to produce a crop.

As we are in church and participating in the worship time,
A psalm, hymn, or spiritual song might speak to us.
The Spirit of God may cause a passage of scripture to leap off the page of the Bible
Right into our hearts and pierce it like a flaming arrow.

God may have inspired the preacher
To say something under the anointing of the Holy Spirit
So potent and powerful and special and specific
That you know that out of the abundance of God’s heart the man’s mouth speaks.

The Sunday school teacher may have a nugget of truth
So instructive (or corrective) that it literally changes yourlife.

We must be sensitive to listen
To God’s Holy Spirit speaking,
Drawing us, wooing us, to Jesus Christ and
Leading, guiding, and directing us into all truth.

We must have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying
To the church in general and to us specifically
And to avoid the temptation to stumble
Over how or who God chooses to communicate His message.

Step #3: WE MUST EXPECT GOD TO SPEAK.
We must approach the throne of God with an expectant heart.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

This is where faith enters the equation.
God has given to each of us a measure of faith (Romans12:3).
However, it is up to each of us to exercise it!
Faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
Believing God is the easiest, hardest thing you’ll ever do.
A child can master it while a scholar struggles.
However it is arrived at, faith must result.

As we actively seek His face,
Humble ourselves in His presence,
Repent if necessary…
Whatever we need to do
We need to do
In order to get the soil of our hearts expectant and faith-filled
To get and keep the word of the Lord.

How do we increase our faith?
Easy!
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Get into the Word of the Lord and let the Word of the Lordget into you.
Reading God’s Book,
Our Holy Spirit Owner’s Manual,
Can help you quickly discern
Whether a word is genuine, authentic, and truly from the Lord or not.

All “words” and prophetic utterances
Must pass the litmus test of being checked against the scriptures in order to be valid.

So, SHOW UP to your spot of blessing,
Ready to LISTEN with an EXPECTANT heart.

Step #4: CAPTURE THE WORD.
Unless you come equipped with a photographic memory
You’d better be prepared to somehow remember
What God says to you when He speaks.
That’s precisely why many Christians keep a journal.
When God-inspired
Thoughts, promises, personalized scripture passages,prophecies, and experiences
Are fresh in their mind they write them down in their journal.

If a sermon impacted you in a tremendous way
Buy the audio tape.
Purchase the video.
Order the transcripts.
Grab a napkin and a crayon if that’s all you have
And record the word of the Lord
That you feel the Lord has spoken just for you.

Somehow, someway CAPTURE THE WORD
So you can proceed to the next step.

Step #5: MEDITATE ON THE WORD.
Once you have showed up, listened, by faith received and preserved the word from the Lord
Then later you can review it,
And go over it again and again and again.
You can pray about it,
Pray over it,
Declare it and share it (if the Lord gives you permission)with some trusted counselors.

You can (and should) ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you
Practical ways that you can walk out the word.

What is my part?
What do I need to purge from my life in order for the wordto come to pass?
Is there anything I need to add to my life to facilitate theprophecy?

It is through CONTEMPLATIVE MEDITATION and prayer
(Combining these with fasting really helps!)
That enables God to help you to know what to do next.

Step # 6: KEEP BELIEVING.
Once you have assurance in your spirit
Then your soul (mind, will, and emotions) will eventually catchup.
If your spirit bears witness,
The Bible bears witness (be a good Berean and check it out!(Acts 17:11)
Your trusted counselors bear witness,
And most importantly God’s Spirit bears witness and removes any and all
Flags, checks, and warnings,
Then…GO FOR IT!

Begin believing!
Walk out your faith!
Put legs on your prayers.
Count the deed as done.
Speak the things that are not as though they are.
Practice praise.
Once you are settled on the thing,
Make it part of your normal, regular, usual routine to
Magnify the Lord for the fresh, new thing He is going to doin your life.
Tenaciously defend the word with a courageous “I don’t have to survive” attitude.
Adopt a “pit-bull” grip that refuses, simply refuses, to let go regardless of the nay Sayers.

Don’t compromise your faith.
Don’t lower the standard and give place to the devil.
Don’t allow the enemy (who was defeated at Calvary!) to enter your house,
Assault you (the violent, insolent burglar!)
Rob you (the lawbreaking thief!),
And steal your faith (which is precious to God!) and your joy (which is your strength!)
Don’t give up and allow satan to con you out of the
Word that the Lord has given you.
The enemy will stop at nothing to
Steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) your word.
But defend it with you life.

Once the authenticity of your Lord’s voice has been
Tested, proven, and confirmed,
Just like that God-pleaser, Job, we can say
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:
but I will maintain mine own ways before him” (Job 13:15).

Like the Apostle Paul, we can say,
“…Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written:"So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge” (Romans 3:4).

Like Abraham, we can get the word of the Lord and adopt this attitude:
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he wasable also to perform” (Rom 4:20-21).

In conclusion,
You must believe that God desires to converse with His children.
That’s why He gave us the Bible!
But He also knows we need some help in hearing him sometimes
And I believe that’s why
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to beprophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
to prepare God's people for works of service, so that thebody of Christ may be built up
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledgeof the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Determine to do the basics well of
Getting and keeping a word from the Lord:


SHOWUP.
LISTEN.
EXPECT GOD TO SPEAK.
CAPTURE THE WORD.
MEDITATE ON THE WORD.
KEEP BELIEVING.

“Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:2-3).


DSR
1/14/01

Thank You Lord for Another Day of Life

by David Scott Robertson

I don't bet.
But if I did
I'd bet that 100% of every one of you reading this (including me)
Are guilty of the exact same thing -
Taking important things and people for granted.

Who among us has not from time to time
Taken the obvious for granted?

The fact that our
Digestive system,
Endocrine system,
Respiratory system,
Circulatory system,
And immune system that make our bodies work properly
Day after day,
Year after year
Is a fact that not only escapes the conscious thought of nearly everybody
But rarely do words come out of our mouths of gratitude
Concerning these indispensable body systems.

That's just one example.
That doesn't even touch blessings like
Our spouses,
Our precious children (or grandchildren),
Our jobs and the ability to make money,
Our warm homes,
Transportation,
Sanitation,
Adequate food (and taste buds to enjoy it),
An imperfect government that prevents anarchy and chaos,
And the list could go on endlessly…

Who can truthfully say
"I have nothing for which I am thankful for?"
One anonymous third-world country citizen put it all in perspective for me
When he was quoted as saying,
"I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet."

What, then, should our response be to the staggering truth
That we are blessed and more often than not we take it for granted?
Guilt?
Condemnation?
Neither.
I think the answer,
At least for me,
Can be found in the title I have given this writing,
"Thank You, Lord, For Another Day of Life!"

You see,
The title is really a quote from a friend and former co-worker of mine.
In his B.C. (Before Christ) "pre-saved" days,
My friend was lost and undone without God or His Son.

One night,
My friend and co-worker changed identities.
That particular night he was transformed into a drunk driver.
As the statistics grimly report,
An absurd number of drunk drivers hurt themselves and/or others.
My friend was to become a statistic.

Alcohol robbed my friend of the ability to control himself or his vehicle safely,
And he crashed resulting in a broken neck.

Lying in the hospital
Precariously dangling
Somewhere between life and somewhere between death,
My friend met a Great Physician.
His name was Dr. Jesus Christ, M.D. (Master of Divinity).

Dr. Jesus ordered multiple injections of mercy mixed with grace
Into the decimated body (almost a corpse) of my friend.
While in this incapacitated state,
My friend clearly understood the Doctor's most grave concern,
Far more important than the minor issue of a broken neck…
The most life-threatening issue my friend was facing at that moment
Was the strong possibility of his spirit being expelled from his body into a Christ-less eternity.

My friend understood the severity of the dilemma he faced
And right then and there,
In a pool of his own blood
He accepted the Blood of Jesus Christ
As an atonement for his sins.
The spiritual blood transfusion had taken place
And my friend with the broken neck became spiritually whole.

In the months that followed,
My friend began to regain his physical strength progressively.
His "halo" neck support collar
Served as a conversation-starter and visual aid to his amazing testimony.

As I recall,
From that point on,
I never heard my friend and co-worker pray out loud
But that the first words that came out of his mouth when he began to pray was
"Thank You, Lord, For Another Day of Life!"

His heart overflowed with a recurring theme of gratitude
The sanctity of life was rediscovered.
His daily attitude became one of simple, pure, and heartfelt appreciation
Of the life of God in him and the gift of life through him.
The sobering thought of what could have been was a powerful motivator to live right.
And the screws that fastened the hardware to his head to support his mending neck
Were a reminder of the nails that held the body of his Lord and Savior upright on the cross.

The worst thing that had ever happened to my friend
Was ironically the best thing that had ever happened to my friend.

Out of tragedy God brought triumph.
A sinner had come home because of a thump on the head.

My friend went on to complete his neck therapy,
Return to work,
Eventually he went on to meet and marry a beautiful Christian woman
And currently is in part-time ministry for the Lord.

Now the devil's mad
Because he lost a lad
That he thought he had!
And that makes me glad!

"Lord, help me not to take my friend, or this day, for granted!" Amen.

DSR
1/1/01

The Evening and Morning Were the First Day

by David Scott Robertson

(Gen 1:1 KJV) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
(Gen 1:2 KJV) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
(Gen 1:3 KJV) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
(Gen 1:4 KJV) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
(Gen 1:5 KJV) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

(Gen 1:8 KJV) And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

(Gen 1:13 KJV) And the evening and the morning were the third day.

(Gen 1:19 KJV) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

(Gen 1:23 KJV) And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

(Gen 1:31 KJV) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

My alarm goes off at 5am.
I drag my sleepy body out of my warm bed to start my day.
I go through my daily rituals, routines, constitution and workplans.
Then I return home in time to beat the sunset.

I go through my nightly rituals, routines, constitution and family plans.
Then I fall wearily into bed and call it a day.

Yes sir,
It's been a good day.
A fine day.
I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have liked
But tomorrow is another day.
I'll get up a bit earlier and get a jump on things.
After all, the early bird gets the worm, right?
Now on this very point
I want to go back to the scriptures that I opened with.

You and I probably think that a typical, normal day
Is to get up when it's light and go to bed several hours after it gets dark.
The rooster,
The cows,
The dog,
The UPS delivery person,
And most of the working world agrees.

But the "morning and evening"
Constituting a day is NOT what the Bible text says in Genesis.

It says (6 times)
"And the evening and the morning were the (1st - 6th) day." (Genesis 1:5; 8; 13; 19; 23; and 31.)

Isn't that interesting?
Don't you find that odd?
My little brain looks at that and says, "that's backwards!"
But that's not what God's Word says.
My thinking (again) is out of alignment with God's thinking!

It would seem that the Genesis account of creation has God
Starting with darkness (Genesis 1:1)
And working His way toward light (Genesis 1:3).
Note that the sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day! (Genesis 1:14-19)
Perhaps the first light was the same resplendent Light of the World,
Jesus Himself -( I John 1:5, John 8:12; John 9:5)
That lights the New Jerusalem in our sunless eternity! (Revelation 22:5)

Is there a principle here?
Could it be that we can start tomorrow today?
Or more specifically tonight?
Could there be an advantage to planning ahead,
Preparing the next day's work,
Lining up the 5 W's and 1 H as much in advance as possible?
(Who, what, where, when, why, and how.)

Plan the work,
Work the plan.

This approach gives a whole new meaning to the term "early bird" for me!

I would casually brush this principle aside
Were it not for the fact that God repeats it
No less than six times during His recorded workweek.
Six evenings and six mornings,
Then God takes a day off.

It also interests me that the Jews,
The culture through whom God elected to send His Son,
Caught hold of this principle and to this day begin their Sabbath Friday evening.

The practical, life application of
"The evening and the morning" being the day
Is simply one of
Thoughtful,
Purposeful,
And intentional planning for the following work cycle.
Do this six times a week
Then take a day off to rest.

Worked for God.
Works for me.

DSR
12/24/00

So You Want To Marvel God, Huh?

by David Scott Robertson

Wouldn’t it be awesome to cause Jesus Christ to marvel at you?
Can you imagine God Himself
Observing your or my behavior and marveling?
Think about it!

The Lord knows everything.
He’s seen it all.
He sees it all.
He knows the end from the beginning.
And yet,
The scriptures plainly tell us that Jesus,
The God-Man,
Marveled.

One time during Jesus’ earthly ministry,
A certain Roman centurion sent some elders of the Jews to the Rabbi.
The centurion’s had a servant,
Who was dear to him,
Who was sick and at death’s door.

Certain elders of the Jews implored the Master to accompany them
To meet this worthy Gentile and heal his afflicted worker.
Jesus consented to go and went with them for some distance.

Let’s pick up the amazing story in the 7th chapter of the gospel of Luke:

7:6 "Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

There it is!
Jesus was amazed!
Jesus marveled at such faith!

Faith is the gateway to a “marvelous” relationship with Christ.
The scriptures testify to this by saying

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

So you agree, then, that you want God to marvel at the demonstration of your faith?
Be careful!
Check out the other time that the scriptures tell us Jesus marveled:

Mark 6
6:1 And he [Jesus] went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

I’m not sure at all
That I want God to marvel at me
Because of my unbelief.

Conclusion: It is not enough for our exploits
To cause God to marvel.
Our thoughts, words, and deeds
Must be rooted and grounded in genuine faith in Jesus Christ
And total reliance upon His forever settled Word
In order to qualify for the right kind of marveling.

DSR
12/23/00

Do It Anyway

by David Scott Robertson

This morning I did something I love to do.
I wrote down a "Thought about God."

What may seem trivial and uneventful to you
Is a big deal to me
Because of the circumstances surrounding me writing that thought.

This morning I was tired.
Really tired.
The kind of tired that makes you fall asleep 19 times
While reading 1 chapter in the Bible.
Moreover, I had a headache.
I was running short on time.
I was...
Excuses, excuses, excuses...
Blah, blah, blah...
Yadda, yadda, yadda...
Etc. and so forth.

If you haven't discovered this truth by now you soon will:
Conditions are NEVER perfect to do anything.
There's always something to
Disrupt, interrupt, postpone, or defer
Your ambition to do something significant.
The good often robs you of the best.
The urgent frequently pilfers away the important.
The nemesis of not enough time
Usually pushes your good just one day beyond your grasp.
Somebody always seems to have a need that trumps your desire.
It's always something, isn't it?

My challenge to you today is this:

Do it ANYWAY!
Do it NOW!
Feel the FEAR and do it anyway!
Endure the PAIN and do it anyway!
Overcome the INCONVENIENCE and do it anyway!
Bear the COST and do it anyway!
Take the TIME and do it anyway!

You only reach the mountain top
By clawing your way to the top
One exhausting, sacrificial step at a time.
But, oh, the view from the top!
Once you've been to the top you'll be ruined for life.
Once you taste and see that the Lord is good
In allowing you to persevere through
Many dangers, toils, and snares
To achieve,
To obtain,
To conquer,
To succeed in the thing to which He has called you to do,
You will never, ever be the same.

The philosopher Emerson was right when he said:
"The mind once expanded can never retain its original shape."
Right on!

I dare you!
I challenge you!
I defy you!
In Jesus' name,
Do it anyway!

DSR
11/20/00

The Invincible Man

by David Scott Robertson

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ." -- Luke 2:25-26

Simeon.
The invincible man.
Invincible because it was impossible for him to die...prematurely.
No freak accidents.
No fatal heart attack.
No enemy of Israel to strike him down.
No deadly surprises possible.
No demon in hell could contradict the plan.

For the Spirit of God had revealed to Simeon
That he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ, the Messiah.
Simeon would not, simply could not, die
Until the face of the consolation of Israel,
Who would later become known as Jesus of Nazareth,
Met his old and weary eyes.

Simeon was on a mission from God.
He was on divine assignment from heaven.
With the call came supernatural protection.
He had no idea that his story
Would be part of the canon of scripture for all eternity.
Simeon simply had the word of the Lord
And it changed the way he lived
And impacted the time he died.

Can you imagine how it would make you feel
Knowing that you could not die until
Some precise, exact, and specific event happened?

Such knowledge of God-ordained destiny
Should not promote pride or arrogance.
It should not foster neglect of responsibilities
And fuel an appetite for presumptuous and foolish risk-taking.

It should, instead, spur a person on toward
Watchfulness,
Soberness,
Vigilance.
A daily dynamic expectation of the
Invevitable, supernatural, extraordinary intervention of God.
Constantly,
Daily,
Watching,
Waiting patiently in humility
For the day (perhaps today),
For the hour (what time is it?)
For the momentous moment
To actually see the
Lord's Anointed,
Emmanuel,
The Prophet of all prophets,
The King of all kings,
The Lord of all lords,
Indeed, the Savior of the world.

And one day,
Just as the Holy Spirit had predicted,
It happened.
The event of a thousand lifetimes happened.
Diety met humanity.
Then,
Without any fanfare,
The invincible man went the way of all the earth and died
At some unknown time
At some nondescript place.

What does the account of
The invincible man
Teach us?

Like Simeon.
If we get the word of the Lord
That something will happen,
(Or something will not happen)
Then we can stake our lives
That the thing will come to pass even as the Lord has spoken it
In due season,
In the fulness of time.
But we must we wise when handling holy things.

Don't disqualify yourself.
Don't put the Lord your God to a foolish test.
Don't act presumptuously.
Don't deviate from the plan of God.
Don't add to or take away from the prophecy.
Don't neglect what God has
Instructed, commanded, or required you to do
In order for the thing to come to pass.

Do not let the thief
Steal you prophecy,
Kill your word from God,
Or destroy your vision.

But above all,
Avoid the most dangerous snare of them all:
"[do] not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but [be] strengthened in [your] faith and [give] glory to God, being fully persuaded that God [has] power to do what he [has] promised." Romans 4:20-21

DSR
11/6/00

The Extremely Beautiful Woman

by David Scott Robertson

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

She was beautiful.
Extremely beautiful.
Her hair was so blonde it was almost white.
Her facial features were naturally attractive requiring no makeup at all.
Her teeth were perfect.
Her skin was dark and tan from hours at the tanning bed.
Her body was the kind that unscrupulous magazine editors preyed upon to exploit.
She was,
By nearly any standard or definition, beautiful.
Extremely beautiful.

But things are not always as they seem.
Although her outward beauty might be considered extreme,
Judging a person by their appearance is
Subjective, dangerous, and unfair.

Growing up with this kind of body and without God in her life caused a few problems.

Early sexual activity.
Pregnancy.
Abortion.
Pornography.
Sexual promiscuity.
STD.
Soul ties.
Marriage.
Sexual abuse.
Pregnancy.
Abortion.
Divorce.
Alcoholism.
Marriage.
Divorce.
Cancer.
Radical masectomy.
Anger.
Bitterness.
Loneliness.

She was unattractive.
Extremely unattractive.
Her hair had fallen out from chemo.
Her heavy makeup barely concealed the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes.
Her dentures hurt her tender gums.
Her skin was wrinkled, dry, and shrunken from too many hours in the sun.
Patches of melanoma dotted her nose and shoulders.
Her body was the kind that medical journals wanted to study to help combat disease.
She was,
By nearly any standard or definition, unattractive.
Extremely unattractive.

One day a preacher visited her hospital room
And told her how beautiful Jesus Christ thought she was.

DSR
10/4/00

And Him Name Shall Be Called...Jealous

by David Scott Robertson

"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." - Exodus 34:14

"And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins." - Joshua 24:19

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." - Exodus 20:5

"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." - Deuteronomy 4:24

"(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth." - Deuteronomy 6:15

"Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people." - Joel 2:18

"God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." - Nahum 1:2

"So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy." - Zechariah 1:14

'Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury." - Zechariah 8:2

"For I [the Apostle Paul] am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 11:2


"Whom do you serve?"
"What is He like?"
"What is the name of your God?'

A right response,
A correct comment,
A biblical, scriptually accurate reply would be...

"I serve Jealous."
"He is jealous."
"His name is Jealous."

"What? Your zealous for Jealous?"
"I thought your God was love?"
"I thought your God was just?"
"I thought your God was
Wonderful
A Counselor
A Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace?
Where do you get off calling Him Jealous?"

My response is that I didn't describe Him as Jealous,
God described Himself as Jealous in the scriptures He inspired.

Jehovah is jealous for His land and for His people.
Yaweh is jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.
Elohim is jealous for the loyalty and purity and faithfulness of His children.
He won't tolerate idolatry in any shape, form, or fashion.

God is good and if God compared Himself to jealousy
So much so as to identify Himself with the proper name "Jealous" (Exodus 34:14)
Then there must be some redeeming value in jealously.
Paul the Apostle called it a "godly jealousy"
In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians (11:2).


Jesus was ANGRY (Matthew 21:12)
As He turned over the moneychangers tables in the temple...
Yet He sinned not.

Jesus was SORROWFUL unto death (Matthew 26:38)
As He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane...
Yet He sinned not.

Jesus was TEMPTED in all points as we are (Hebrews 4:15)
Yet He sinned not.

King David said, "Do not I HATE them, O LORD, that HATE thee?" (Psalm 139:21)
"I HATE [the enemies of God] them with perfect hatred:
I count them mine enemies." (Psalm 139:22) [emphasis mine]
David hated yet sinned not.

So, then, to be
ANGRY,
SORROWFUL,
TEMPTED,
To HATE,
Or be JEALOUS
Is not sin nor necessarily leads to sin
IF they are expressed within the context of God's guidelines.

So God calling Himself Jealous is not a
Paradox,
A lie,
Or a mistake.

It is an attribute of the Almighty and thoroughly Holy God.
It is a spiritual characteristic
That we should strive for and work towards by the Spirit of God.
It should work out in our lives in practical ways similar to a fruit of the Spirit
Causing us to jealously guard the deposit of God
In us,
Our loved ones,
Our church,
Our nation,
And our world.

Godly jealously should spur us on toward love and good deeds,
And encourage us to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.

So my advice today is:
Be zealous for Jealous!

DSR
10/4/00

The Propostion

by David Scott Robertson

He was married.
She was not.
She was lonely.
He was not.
He was saved.
She was not.

"I have a proposition for you," she said, "come to bed with me."

"How much will it cost me?" he said.

"Why nothing," she said (slightly offended), "I'm not a prostitute!
It will cost you absolutely nothing."

"That's an interesting proposition," he said, "but let me first count the cost..."

"You can be sure our sin will find us out," he said.
All that's done in secret will one day be revealed.
Then it will time to pay the cost."

He said...
"My wife will find out - it could cost me my marriage."
"My children will find out - it could cost me the opportunity to raise them."
"My church will find out - it could cost me my ministry."
"My friends will find out - it could cost me their respect."
"The young men I am mentoring will find out - it could cost me their confidence."
"I might contract a disease - it could cost me my health or even my life."
"My Jesus will find out - it could cost me my soul."

"So you see," he said, "the cost is too high.
And I cannot afford to pay it."

"I'm hurting," she said.
I know," he said.

"I have a good Friend I'd like to introduce you to," he said.
"His name is Jesus, would you like to meet Him?"

"I would," she said.

DSR
10/4/00

The Perfect Day

by David Scott Robertson

What would a perfect day look like?
I'm not just talking about perfect weather,
But an all-around perfect day for you?

So get out your legal pad and pen
And let's write down the components of a perfect day.

THE PERFECT DAY ACCORDING TO ME
- I'm with my family.
- My spouse and I are in love like newlyweds.
- It's my day off work.
- We're all at the park on a picnic.
- I don't have a headache.
- We're playing Frisbee.
- Then we fish in the stream at the park.
- We are laughing.
- We are happy.
- We are together.
- To top it off we go out for dinner at a fine restaurant and let them do the dishes.
- Finally, we close the day eating popcorn and playing games in front of the fireplace.
- It has been the perfect day.

Wow!
That IS a great day!
To be together with those you love the most
Who love you back
In a safe, comfortable, fun environment…
Who could ask for anything more?
Surely, this comes close to most people's idea of a perfect day!

But wait a minute.
Let's think about this.
If our definition of a perfect day
Looks anything close to this idyllic scenario
Then by default that rules out all other days unlike this one as being perfect.

That means that no day that I am at work can be perfect.
That means that no day it rains can be perfect.
That means that no day my wife and I have a disagreement can be perfect.
If my family and I are not at the park,
Or maybe I have a headache,
Or perhaps we don't have the extra cash to eat out…
In other words,
If anything else on our list is not just right
Then we cannot experience a perfect day.
Think of it!
That might average out to two or three perfect days in an entire lifetime!

Clearly,
Our reality,
Our perceptions,
Our core values of life cannot be based upon external circumstances.

If we wait for conditions to be perfect we'll never accomplish anything.

Most everything on planet Earth that
Has been done
Has been done
By people who were operating in less than perfect
Bodies, circumstances, or conditions.

As I pen these words
My right foot is propped up with an ice pack on my swollen ankle
That I twisted when I fell down the stairs this morning.
So does the fact that I have to limp painfully everywhere I go today
Negate my chances for the perfect day?

No way!
I choose not to live a "perfect bowling score" lifestyle.
If you miss knocking down even one pin in the game of bowling
You cannot achieve a perfect score.
So what!

Hear me!
Life is a wondrous gift from God.
God's presence makes bad things
Tolerable,
Bearable,
Even beneficial to my personal growth and character development.

Whether good or bad,
Sunshine or rain,
In sickness or in health,
The Lord Jesus Christ can literally make every day the perfect day
When it is lived out according to His divine will and plan.

DSR
10/4/00

The Prayer Spot

by David Scott Robertson

It's early morning.
The best time of my day.
It's my time with the Lord.
My quiet time.
My "devotions."
My sweet hour of prayer.
My "manna in the morning" to feast on the Word of God.

And today
I've discovered the ideal prayer spot.
I'm on vacation for a week in what some would call a "tropical paradise."

Today I have parked my skinny frame on a wooden bench
Overlooking a lush, exotic Floridian lagoon.
Cool, fresh air kisses my face.
A symphony of nature sounds tickle my ears.
The sum of my senses drink in
The serenity,
The solitude,
The peacefulness of this prayer spot.

If conditions ever were right
To "be still and know that [He] is God"
Then I guess this would be it.
Circumstances seem to be ripe
For my soul finding rest in God alone here
In this special prayer spot.
I think I have all the necessary ingredients
For a fruitful, highly productive, and wonderful "hour of power" with God.
But in a week,
I'll be back home in Tennessee.
Then what?
Will I have less of an opportunity to find the ideal prayer spot?

What about the Christian businessman at O'hare Airport in Chicago this morning?
Does he have an equal shot to hear from God in the crowded terminal?
How about the single mom raising twin boys in Omaha
Scrambling to get her kids off to day care?
Can she enjoy meaningful fellowship with Jesus this morning?

Our God can make sending a fax or making photocopies
A spiritual experience
As prayer is offered up to Him while conducting routine business
In the most unlikely (and irreligious) places.

So what advantage do I have today
In my tropical paradise prayer spot
Over Christian men and women
Godly boys and girls
Who, even as I write this, are meeting with the Lord in
Bedrooms,
Bathrooms,
Board rooms,
And broom closets?
No advantage whatsoever.
None at all.

"'Do not come any closer,' God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground'" Exodus 3:5 NIV.

DSR
10/3/00

My Lettter of Resignation

by David Scott Robertson

I quit.
I resign.
I’m done.
It is finished.
I’ve done all that I know to do and it’s not been enough.

I’ve come to the end of my strength.
I’ve been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
I have pulled from all my natural resources,
All my abilities,
All my experience,
And still I have fallen short.
I have cashed in all my favors from friends
And collected on every debt owed me and still I’m coming up short.

I have tried hard and cried hard
And put forth maximum effort with minimum results.
I am undone.
I am disqualified.
I am beached,
Sidelined,
Out of the race,
Run aground on the coral reef of life
And am utterly disgusted at the prospect of being beat to pieces by the pounding tide.

In short,
I am in the very process of
Dying to self,
The very act of crucifying the fallen nature I inherited from my ancestor Adam.
I resign from life as I have known it to be.
And this, I tell you, is good.
Very good.

You see,
Until I die to my carnality,
That fleshly part of all of us that presumes to be the center of the universe,
Until that comes under the
Subjection, authority and blood of Jesus Christ,
We am hamstrung in being of much good to God or anyone else for that matter.
Oh yes, God loves me and you unconditionally when we fall short.
But that’s not the point.

The point is that He created us for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11).
He created us to worship Him;
To Love Him,
To enter into that place that a man in the Old Testament named Enoch did
When he had the testimony that he pleased God
And then Enoch was no more for God took him.

John the Baptist caught the vision when and said,
“He must increase, I must decrease.”

The Apostle Paul caught the vision and said,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Peter the vision and said,
“Depart from me Lord I am a sinful man” [reference]

The prophet Isaiah caught the vision and said
”Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips…”

The Roman Centurion caught the vision and said,
“I am not worthy to even come to you…”

The Syrophoenician woman with the demon possessed child caught the vision and said,
“[In effect, yes it’s true that I am a dog] but even the puppies eat the crumbs…”

Job caught the vision and said,
“I abhor myself and put my hand over my mouth and shall speak no more.”

John the Beloved caught the vision of the resplendent, glorified Christ in the book of Revelation
And fell at his feet like a dead man.

David Robertson caught the vision and said,
I resign! I deny myself. I take up my cross and follow Jesus. I resign that I have no rights. I resign that I don’t even have to “succeed” in order for me to believe that God loves me. I resign that I am not the master of my own fate, the lifter of my own head, the captain of my own destiny. I resign to the fact that I am neither competent nor qualified to be a man of God, a child of the King, let alone a minister of the gospel. I resign FROM all my reliance on my weak flesh and resign TO be cloaked in the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I resign that He alone has A plan and THE plan for my life.”

So there you have it.
My letter of resignation.

I QUIT…looking to myself and other men for answers and I resolve to look to Father God instead.

I RESIGN…from presumptuous thinking that my gifts, talents, and abilities are what God needs to advance His kingdom, and I resolve to look to Jesus Christ.

I’M DONE…expecting other people to do my praying for me, my fasting for me, or my praising for me. I resolve to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.

Today begins the process of daily mortification of my fleshly nature,
Regular, disciplined, and scheduled abandon
To the spontaneous movement of the Holy Spirit in and through my life.

To live is Christ, to die is gain!

DSR
9/5/00

The Divine To-Do List

by David Scott Robertson

The Divine To-do List
subtitled: “Action Items from Heaven”
also subtitled: “Minister to Them!”
also subtitled: “Get to Work!”
also subtitled: “Don’t Just Listen, Do the Word!”
by David Scott Robertson

There I was,
Doing my devotions early one morning,
Minding my own business,
When the Word of God
Leaped off the page and grabbed me by my jugular vein!


What started as simply a simple devotional reading of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5
Suddenly, without warning, turned into a Divine To-do List!
(Always exercise caution when reading the Bible: it could change your life!)

In his first epistle to the church at Thessalonica,
The Apostle Paul writes to the believers
And especially in the 5th chapter
Hammers out an inspired list of action items.

The commands in this Divine To-do List demand a response –
Not just from the Thessalonians of around AD 51,
But from followers of “The Way” in Y2K.

How about adding some of these tasks to your Daytimers?

(1 Th 5:11 NIV) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Action item: A simple word of encouragement can build up someone who is torn down. It’s cheap, quick and mighty powerful. Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:12 NIV) Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Action item: Identify those leaders who are doing a bang-up job for Jesus. Affirm them with a note, e-mail, call, or get really spiritual and give them a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:13 NIV) Hold them in the highest regard ni love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
Action item: How can I tangibly demonstrate my respect for those who serve the Lord so faithfully? Ask yourself today, “How can I be an ambassador of peace?” Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:14 NIV) And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Action item: Who is timid? Who is fearful? Who is lacking in the grace of confidence? Whose self-esteem is soiled and at an all-time low? Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:15 NIV) Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Action item: Who has gotten the short end of the stick? Who got a raw deal? Who was treated unfairly at your workplace? Who is vengeful? Who ahs hurt feelings that you know? Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:16 NIV) Be joyful always;
Action item: Do you know an unhappy person?: Or worse, a joyless Christian? Who can I take before the throne of grace that I know is grappling for God, groping for His will and grasping for Joy? Who can I call today and tell them, “I’m praying for you?” Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:17 NIV) pray continually;
Action item: Is there someone whom God has laid on your heart? Can I find someone to agree with me in prayer concerning an issue on someone else’s behalf? Is anyone interceding? Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:18 NIV) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Action item: How can I have an attitude of gratitude today? How can I be thankful in a circumstance I’m not thankful for? Who needs to see a genuine Christian be joyful, hopeful and thankful in spite of crummy circumstances? There’s not but two times to praise God – when you feel like it and when you don’t; and when you don’t is the best time of all. Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:19 NIV) Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.
Action item: How can I be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit today? Can I get quiet in His presence long enough to hear His still, small voice? How can I make sure I don’t “offend the Dove” and cause the Holy Spirit to lift His anointing from me? Minister to him!

(1 Th 5:20 NIV) do not treat prophecies with contempt.
Action item: What has God spoken prophetically into your life? What do the scriptures say? Which commands have been given that I am not obeying? How can I revere and respect God’s word more? How can I share God’s word with others in such a way that it will edify, exhort and console them? Minister to them!

(1 Th 5:21a NIV) Test everything…
Action item: Is this scriptural? Does this person’s teaching line up with the Bible? Does my decision bear witness among godly advisors? Have I prayed and fasted about this decision?

(1 Th 5:21b NIV) …Hold on to the good.
Action item: Have I forgotten all of God’s past mercies towards me? Has this present crisis negated God’s previous blessings? Shall I so quickly forget the ugly pit of sin I was in prior to coming to Christ?

(1 Th 5:22 NIV) Avoid every kind of evil.
Action item: Abstain from every appearance of evil. Flee from youthful lusts. Have nothing to do with the foolish deeds of darkness but rather expose them. Don’t go to places of questionable entertainment. Don’t compromise! Don’t’ lower the standard for anybody!

(1 Th 5:23a NIV) May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through…”
Action item: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” (1 Th 4:3 KJV).

(1 Th 5:23b NIV) “…May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Action item: Christ alone can make us “whole.” Honor God with all three parts of your life – your body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

(1 Th 5:24 NIV) The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
Action item: He is faithful. Am I faithful? No-one can be faithful for me. Am I faithful to my marriage vows? To my kids in sharing adequate time with them? Am I faithful in paying my tithes? Am I faithful to using my God-given talents to advance God’s kingdom?

(1 Th 5:25 NIV) Brothers, pray for us.
Action item: Prayer is the engine that drives revival. Get on your knees and fight like a man (or woman)! God healed Job when he prayed for his friends. Intercession for others is God’s will for your life.

(1 Th 5:26 NIV) Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
Action item: Get discernment on this one! Sometimes a firm handshake is more culturally acceptable…

(1 Th 5:27 NIV) I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
Action item: Share God’s Word! Be a living epistle! Have family devotions! Talk about God’s Word every day in every way! Hid God’s Word in your heart so that you are either quoting it or paraphrasing its timeless truths in your speech.

(1 Th 5:28 NIV) The grace of oru Lord Jesus Christ be with you…
Action item: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)



DSR
2/3/00

Retirement Banquet

by David Scott Robertson

(1 Sam 12:1-5 NIV) “[1] Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. [2] Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. [3] Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”

[4] ‘You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied. ‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’ [5] Samuel said to them, ‘The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.’ ‘He is witness,’ they said.”

The prophet Samuel’s ministry was beginning to draw to a close.
To be sure there were a few more key assignments for Samuel on God’s task list –
There were prophecies to utter,
King Saul to rebuke,
King Agag to put to death before the Lord,
A shepherd boy to anoint as King over Israel –
Btu still, for the most part, Samuel was old and gary and winding down his career.

A lifetime ago,
Actually before Samuel’s life began,
His mother had cried out in anguish to Jehovah to end her barrenness.
Hannah prayed through
And Samuel was the result.
The boy was devoted to the Lord for a lifetime
And eventually entrusted to the care of Eli the priest to raise.
From a child Samuel had known the holy scriptures
Which had made him wise unto salvation.
Now he was old and gray
And surrounded by his sons.
Samuel had been a natural,
Or could we say – supernaturally – born leader.

Samuel lived a lifetime of ministry with integrity.
Now he stands and addresses the nation of Israel
At a gathering of the people and makes one of his most memorable speeches.

I sort of think of this occasion as Samuel’s Retirement Banquet.
The Bible doesn’t’ say there was a banquet.
But you know as well as I do that
Wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord
There is usually food in the midst.

But what the man of God says
Moves me to awe, inspiration, admiration and wonder: -

“Whose ox have I taken?”
“Whose donkey have I taken?”
“Whom have I cheated?”
“Whom have I oppressed?”

“From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any one of these things I will make it right/” (1 Samuel 12:2-3).

I’d like to imagine that there was a period of silence in the crowd.
Time to let any accusers speak out against Samuel.
But there were none!
Nobody had any dirt no Samuel.
There were no skeletons to drag out of his closet.
No woman called out from the group to mention an affair.
No man challenged the prophet’s bold questions.
Instead, Israel’s response was,
“’You have not cheated or oppressed us,’ they replied.
‘You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.’” (1 Samuel 12-4)

There it is!
Ministry with integrity!
Year after year of integrity,
Decade after decade of integrity,
An entire lifetime of ministry with integrity.

O God my Father!
May this be my testimony
At my retirement banquet
Should Jesus tarry His coming.

May I be able to ask bold questions:
“What office supplies did I steal?”
“Whose character did I assassinate?”
“Can you find one dollar that I embezzled?”
“Whom have I misrepresented?”
“If I have one any of these, I shall make it right.”

Incidentally,
Before you leave any office, church, neighborhood or relationship,
Make it right!
Make what right?
Your heart, conscience, and the Holy Spirit will tell you.

At the time of writing,
I am nearly forty years old.
As far as the prophetic time-clock is concerned,
I believe I’ve lived too long to die now.;
However, should Father God postpone for many years picking up the kids
And I go the way of the grave,
My earnest, fervent, heartfelt prayer to God is
That I might have a testimony at my
Retirement banquet
Like Samuel had at his.

DSR
2/1/00

The Other Jesus

by David Scott Robertson

(Colossians 4:11 NIV) “Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.”

This verse in the New Testament absolutely fascinates me.

The Apostle Paul,
Writing a letter to the church at Colosse
To emphasize the supremacy and centrality of Christ,
Mentions a Jewish believer whose name,
Translated in Greek,
Was “Jesus”.

The name “Jesus” is the Greek form
Of the Hebrew word, ‘Yeshua’ (Joshua)
Meaning, “The Lord saves.”

In the economy of God,
The Other Jesus’ path somehow intersected Paul’s.
And the Other Jesus became a help and a comfort to the imprisoned apostle.

It seems very apparent that the Other Jesus
Was a messianic Jew
But obviously not the Messianic Jew.

Somewhere along the line,
The Other Jesus became a believer in Jesus of Nazareth.
And at some point,
The Other Jesus altered the Greek pronunciation of his name by t wo letters
To become simply “Justus”,
A common Jewish personal name.

Now this whole scenario intrigues me.
For you see,
Embedded in this one verse (Colossians 4:11)
Is a fantastic story;
One that I cannot know
And am not qualified to tell.

But that doesn’t stop me from wondering,
Who was it that recommended that the Other Jesus change his name to “Justus”?
Was it Paul, who may have explained “the Way” more perfectly to him?
Once Justus invited Jesus to come into his heart and became a believer,
Was he overwhelmed by the need to change is name
To something, anything, except “Jesus”?

I don’t know.
But I do know that
There’s nobody like the real Jesus.

In the last days,
Many false Christs will come proclaiming that they are Jesus.
But of course, they are imposters.

Jesus Christ provides such a thorough transofmration
Of the lives He comes to be Lord over
That the Bible declares,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

When Jesus arrives in a person’s heart
Their former identity sheds
And the man is, “Born again.”

There’s a name change destined
For all those whose names are found in the Lamb’s Book of Life: -

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.
I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it,
Known only to him who receives it.” (Rev 2:17 NIV)

Just as
Justus
Made room for Jesus,
Jesus made room for Justus.
Justus was served
And though undeserved
Justice was served.

DSR, 1/13/00

Instant Gratification

by David Scott Robertson

I was just starting to read the book of Hebrews
This morning in my devotions
When I got a revelation.

Now I know this sounds really corny,
Perhaps even unspiritual,
But the “revelation” of spiritual truth
Did not come from the first chapter of my Bible study.
Instead it came from the orange I was going to eat while I was studying.
(The juice is dripping off my fingers as I write this.)

Sometimes I enjoy eating my breakfast during my Bible study.
But today,
I had to stop my Bible study altogether
To peel an orange.
(Imagine – having to stop a religious activity to learn a spiritual truth!)

As you well know,
Sometimes peeling an orange is sticky business.
Often the skin is thin and it comes off only in little teeny chunks.
In fact, I had to take a pall point pen
And stab the orange’s skin just to get started peeling it.
Then it took about five full minutes of effort
To get that little juicy ball to the point where I could eat it.
(Now you understand that five minutes of deferred gratification
Is a long time for an impatient American!)

It was then that I got the revelation.
See if you agree.

God thought oranges up.
Like black holes in space
Oranges are His idea.
He created them to bring
Sustenance, vitamins, energy, calories, sweetness and enjoyment to His creation.
(He didn’t have to give mankind taste buds to survive but that’s more GOOD NEWS)

But in order to enjoy the orange,
I had to peel it.
I had to pay the price.
I had to get messy.
I had to exert some effort.
I had to wait (my least fun thing and greatest challenge).
I had to postpone my Bible reading.

But God is so wise
Because He gave me a revelation
About something we call “instant gratification”.
You know,
Having what you want when you want it.
(Actually having it before you want it would be even better!)

In five short minutes
I believe the Lord impressed some thoughts on me
About instant gratification…

Instant gratification does not build character.
Instant gratification does not aid faith.
Instant gratification does not promote patience.
Instant gratification does not enhance self-control and discipline.
Instant gratification is not all it is cracked up to be.

The quest for instant gratification assigns us
To the place of immature babies who want it right now or they cry
And insecure adults who want it right now or they rebel.

Some other thoughts that the neurons in my brain tossed around: -

Good things do come to those who wait.
Anything worth having takes effort to obtain.
Hands-on learning is real learning.
God made certain things hard for us to get – on purpose, no less!
Sometimes God wants us to figure stuff out.
Sometimes obstacles really are tests to see how badly we want it.
Victory is often sweeter when you have to work for it.
As a matter of fact, you don’t need it immediately.
If you are impatient, you will miss out on a lot of good living.
Many things (and people) are tossed aside because they take time to develop.

So…
The next time you or I are
Waiting in a long line at Wal-Mart…
Or sitting with an elderly loved one in a nursing home…
Or tapping our fingers on the steering wheel in the drive-through lane…
Or dealing with people and oranges with thin skin…
Remember, instant gratification is not in our best interests!

I hope my little revelation today
Was as a-peeling to you
As it was to me.

DSR
12/28/99

I Will Rejoice

by David Scott Robertson

Have you ever thought these kinds of thoughts?
Have you ever prayed these kinds of prayers?

“Lord, how do I do it?
How do I get from where I am to where you want me to be?
How do I break the ‘habitual ritual’
That I sometimes find myself in, spiritually?
Am I in a ‘religious rut’?
Where is ‘the abundant life’ that Jesus described in John 10:10?
How is my life currently displaying an attitude of
Being an overcomer, a victor and more than a conqueror?
Am I really ‘walking in the Spirit’?
Am I bearing ‘much fruit’ and glorifying my Father in heaven?”

Have you ever taken out a legal pad
And humbly, thoughtfully and very prayerfully
Asked Father God to enlighten your mind on how to revamp your life?
Then, by faith, you write out your new schedule: -

“On Sundays, I shall get up early for a time of worship to prepare my heart for church.”
“On Mondays, I shall get up at 5am for prayer and Bible study.”
“On Tuesdays, I shall pray for missionaries and government officials.”
“On Wednesdays, I shall get involved at church in a ministry to children.”
“On Thursdays, I shall meet with an accountability partner to pray.”
“On Fridays, I shall fast.”
“On Saturdays, I shall make entries into a spiritual journal to document my week.”

Oh, it gets worse!
“I shall exercise daily.”
“I shall eat right.”
“I shall do family devotions each night.”
“I shall go out on a date with my spouse once a week.”
“I shall find a new Christian and mentor him.”
“I shall call my mom and go to lunch with her this week.”
“I shall have my unchurched neighbors over for dinner this weekend.”
“I shall go to the prayer meeting.”
“I shall memorize some scripture this week.”

And it works great… for ten days.
Then you catch a cold and feel rotten and oversleep for nine straight days, trying to get over it.
What happened to my spiritual momentum?
How did my new life get derailed so quickly?
What do I do now?

OK. Now, perhaps you can understand the perspective I’m writing from.
I’m not writing about someone else.
I’m writing about myself.
Perhaps I’m writing about you too.

Life is interesting.

If you think long enough and hard enough about all the
Mishaps,
Detours,
And frustrating setbacks that you have along the way
You can easily talk yourself into being
Discouraged,
Dismayed,
Disoriented,
Disenchanted,
And all those other negative “dis-“ words which lead to “dat” word – depressed!

It’s no wonder the Bible instructs us to: -
(Colossians 3:2 NIV) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
(Philippians 4:8 NIV) “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

God promised us through the prophet Isaiah…
(Isaiah 26:3 NIV) “You will keep in perfect peace him [or her] whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

We will (get it?) WE WILL TO,
We make a conscious decision,
An act of our own volition,
We decide to exercise our free will
And choose to REJOICE AND BE LAD!

(Philippians 4:4 KJV) “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV) “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

(Galatians 5:22-23 NIV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Conclusion: (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV) “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the manner. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

DSR
10/14/99

It's Not Over Yet

by David Scott Robertson

Job 42:16-17 (CEV) – “Job lived another one hundred forty years – long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own – and when he died, he was very old.”

In my devotions this morning,
I was finishing up my study of the book of Job.
You probably know the story of a man who,
Apart from the Messiah Himself,
Probably suffered from sustained physical pain than anyone else in the Bible.

What so strongly thumped me on my head during my study
Was not the fact that God was able to say to the devil,

“Have you noticed my servant, Job?” (Job 1:8)

(Can you imagine God saying that about you or me?
“Have you noticed my servant, David Robertson?”
“Have you noticed my servant, [your name]?”
But that’s another story.)

Another interesting aspect of this passage
Is that nobody,
Not Job,
Or his four “comforters”,
Ever seems to make the connection that
Maybe, perhaps, possibly
God was testing Job?
Could it be that the Judge of all the Earth
Was doing that which was right in His sight
And had a specific purpose for Job’s suffering?
But that too is another story.

But if I were a preacher,
I would preach on Job 42:16-17.
Job 42:16-17 (CEV) – “Job lived another one hundred forty years – long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own – and when he died, he was very old.”

Do you see it?
Job was in a bad spot.
No doubt he was in the roughest, toughest predicament of his entire life.
The physical pain he endured was incomprehensible.
He lost it all, humanly speaking.
The pain of the death of a single child is without comparison,
But to lose all your kids at once transcends tragedy.
All his vast wealth evaporated.
And to top it off,
His theology was being challenged at why this was all happening.

And then we read Job’s response about his struggle to understand the situation.
He thought his life was over.
Or at least it should be over.
“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3;11 NIV)

But that’s when the God of a second chance happened to stop by in a storm!
Never forget “the God factor”!
When Jehovah God Himself is on your side,
There is hope!
Never count the man or woman of God out of the game!
When the counsel of men is to “throw in the towel”
Or “curse God and die” (Job 2:9)
Don’t do it!
It’s not over…yet!

Although God is rarely early,
He is never late!
Everything He does is just and fair and right.
He truly is an “on-time God!”
When man can’t
Like a wonderful gospel singer, the Spirit proclaims, “God can!”

Job 42:12-13 (CEV) “The Lord now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters.”

Here’s the point
And if you can receive it…
Here is the encouragement that I believe Jesus wants you to get out of this note:

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with life…
If you are in the throes of divorce and think it’s all over…
If your company just “reorganized” and you didn’t make the cut…
If your doctor just told you about a problem you have that begins with the letter “C”…
If your report card stinks…
If your relationships are strained…
If your finances are a joke…
If your ministry isn’t bearing the fruit that you had hoped for…
If a thousand other minor, intermediate and mega-serious problems have surface in your life…

The answer today is
It’s not over.. yet!
Don’t attempt a permanent solution to a temporary problem!

You would be astonished at what God can do in 24 hours!
You can be in the ambulance one day
And shopping in Wal-Mart the next!
You can have 3 IV’s in you one night
And be on the treadmill at the YMCA by the next weekend.
You can be alone one day
And meet your future spouse the next (not realizing it could be her or him).
You can be in prison one day
And be the Prime Minister of a great nation the next, just like Joseph!
Hey, it happens
Because God is always up to something for our good (Romans 8:28).

I believe God delights in
Contradicting the bad reports, forecasts and prophecies of unregenerate mankind
To bless and honor and exalt His children in due season!
I’ll betcha that God gets a kick
Out of breaking the Devil’s assignments,
His conspiracies,
His false prophecies,
His negative, pessimistic bad report against us.

Hold on to your integrity (Job 2:3)
And trust in the Lord to bring about your deliverance and He will do it!
Remember, it’s not over… yet!

DSR
8/30/99

A Christian Pledge of Allegiance

by David Scott Robertson

I pledge allegiance
To the flag,
Of the United States of America,
And to the Republic
For which it stands,
One nation
Under God…

Under the only true and living God,
The Creator of Heaven and Earth.
The God and Father
Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
The God who sent His only begotten Son
To die on the cross of Calvary for humankind’s sin.
The God who willingly left the portals of glory
To be born of a virgin,
Live a sinless life,
And die a vicarious, substitutionary and atoning death,
To reconcile a sin-cursed world with a loving Heavenly Father.
The God who promised to send His Holy Spirit,
To set up a kingdom in our hearts and lives
And baptize us with the Holy Spirit to endue us with power from on high to witness.
The God who is returning soon
To rapture away those who are ready for His appearing;
The righteous God who will one day
Judge both the living and the dead,
The saved and the lost,
And resurrect the blood-bought to everlasting life
And the ungodly to everlasting damnation.

One nation,
Under this God,
Indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all.

DSR
8/25/99

Be Faithful to Your Spouse

by David Scott Robertson

I love the Word of God.
It cuts to the chase.
It lays its ax at the root of your problem.
It does not mince words, it is the Word.

Take infidelity, for example –
A sin so tragic
That the full ramifications cannot be comprehended.

But “The Answer Book,”
God’s Holy Word,
The Scriptures which cannot be broken,
Will address the issue in no-nonsense terms
To both help prevent it from happening
And offer the antidote to those who have fallen prey.

Proverbs 5:7-8 speaks to those who may have been tempted but have not fallen
Into this sin against their own body.

“My son, LISTEN to me
And DO everything I say.
STAY AWAY from a bad woman!
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR the door of her house.” (CEV, emphasis added)

These 2 verses,
Written in plain English,
About half an inch tall on the page of the Bible
Can save a lifetime of regret and grief.

First, we must be willing to LISTEN to our mentors (v.7).
Wisdom is often found in the experience of others.
We can learn from others who have suffered.
We can observe and see what has happened to the unfortunate person
Who has dabbled in this forbidden activity.

Secondly, we must be willing to DO what is right (v.7).
Knowing what’s right and doing what’s right
Has been a point of great controversy for many souls.
The action verb “do” must take effect to protect us from destruction.
Martin Luther King was once quoted as saying,
“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Next, we must be willing to STAY AWAY from a bad person (v.8).
If you are a married man,
Don’t go to lunch with a woman who is not your wife.
Whenever possible,
Don’t be in a room with the door closed with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t ride in the car with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t go play tennis with a woman who is not your wife.
Don’t [fill in the blank] with a woman who is not your wife.

The same goes for married ladies.
Give the Devil a foothold and he’ll shoot for a stronghold.

Finally, DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE (v.8).
Use common sense to avoid every appearance of evil.
Apply the “Joseph Strategy” for staying out of sexual impurity.

“And though she [Potipher’s wife] spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” (Genesis 39:10 NIV)

Don’t even go near the door of the house of a potential problem relationship.
Don’t even go sit at the workstation of a person who might tempt you.
Don’t go to the beach if you struggle with lust and can’t handle the bikinis.
Don’t go to the video store if the video jackets give you a problem.
Don’t stare at the tabloids and magazines at the Wal-Mart checkout lane
If it causes you to stumble with awkward fantasies.
Don’t channel-surf if you linger too long on inappropriate images.
Don’t allow the blessing of the Internet to be a curse on your thought-life.

The Bible frankly and in brutal honesty lists some of the results of infidelity: -

“You will lose your self-respect and end up in debt to some cruel person for the rest of your life.” (Proverbs 5:9)

“Strangers will get your money and everything else you have worked for.” (5:10)

“When it’s all over, your body will waste away, as you grown (5:11)
and shout, ‘I hated advice and correction! (5:12)
‘I paid no attention to my teachers, (5:13)
‘And now I am disgraced in front of everyone.’” (5:14)

Man of God,
Woman of God:
LISTEN TO GOD,
DO EVERYTHING THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS!
STAY AWAY from evil companions that corrupt good morals.
DON’T EVEN GO NEAR THE DOOR of those who might cause you to sin sexually.

Ask God to help you love your spouse as Christ loves the Church
And gave Himself for her.
With man this is impossible,
But with God all things are possible.

Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The antidote to infidelity is of course the cross of Jesus Christ.
The “pound of cure” was the nails pounded into divine hands and feet
That caused the lifeblood of the Son of God to die.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Chris the Righteous (1 John 2:1).
His blood can erase the condemnation of sexual impurity,
Restore the years the locusts have eaten,
And do a new things in a person’s life who has morally failed.
What consequences you must live with
As a result of infidelity are in the Lord’s hands.

The best advice I can give
Is to go to the best advice ever given
And that is found in the pages of the Bible.
Discover for yourself in “Life’s Owner’s Manual”
How to operate your life in accordance with god’s perfect plan for your life
Then you will enjoy a great marriage,
Great parenting,
Great ministry,
And the abundant life that Jesus died that we might obtain (John 10:10).

DSR
8/11/99

The Name's in the Book

by David Scott Robertson

I am not a Levite.
I don’t belong to any tribe of Israel.
I am not one of “God’s chosen people.”
I am not a part of the house and line of David.
My name is not listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
I was not one of the twelve apostles.
I wasn’t in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.
To be sure, my name didn’t make it into the Holy Scriptures at all.

FURTHER…
I did not predict the Messiah’s coming as a prophet of God.
I was not at the temple the day Mary and Joseph dedicated the Infant King.
I did not even exist when John the Baptist declared,
“…Look, the Lamb of Good, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV)

MOREOVER…
I visibly saw no miracles performed by the Son of God.
I audibly heard no words of the Sermon on the Mount.
I didn’t eat fish with the Master on the beaches of Galilee.
I wasn’t within earshot of Moses and Elijah as the Christ was
Transfigured before them on the Mount.
I didn’t partake of the last Passover meal that Jesus would enjoy with His disciples.
I wasn’t there to defend Jesus,
Or flee with the rest,
When they took Him from Gethsemane.

I performed no work,
Small or great…
(Whether that was placing two small coins in an offering box as Jesus watched
To killing a giant and delivering his head to a king)
That has captured the attention of History
So that generations might know my story and exploits.

JUST THE FACTS…
I am a Gentile writing these words in 1999.
Independent of my will
I was born.

When I was born,
How I was born,
And where I was born
Quite obviously was beyond my control.

BUT I SAY UNTO YOU THIS MORNING BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD:
Just as surely as Jesus of Nazareth
Made eye contact with the tax collector, Mathew, and said, “Follow Me,” (Matthew 9;9)
He has made the same offer to you and me.

You see, I was mentioned in scripture after all!
I did make it in the Book of books
Written by the King of kings.
You will find mention of me (and yourself!) in verses like:

(John 3:16 NIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Emphasis added)

(Rev 3:20 NIV) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Emphasis added)

(Acts 2:39 NIV) “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Emphasis added)

(John 10:9 KJV) “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (Emphasis added.)

Not only am I in God’s Word,
I’m in the Lamb’s Book of Life!
My name is there too!

I don’t mind at all being listed as
WHOEVER,
ANYONE,
ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF,
ANY MAN…

The point is, I’m in!

I’m in God’s kingdom
And God’s kingdom is in me!

So now,
Having entered into a covenant relationshi
With the Holy One of Israel,
I now know that the Author of Scripture
Had me
(Yes, me –
And you,
If you will receive it)
In mind when the Holy Spirit
Had these words recorded in the Bible for eternity:

(1 Pet 2:9 NIV) “But you [me too!] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood [I’m a priest of Jehovah!], a holy nation [I’m in God’s tribe!], a people belonging to God [I am my Beloved’s and He is mine!], that you may declare the praises of Him [praise His name forever!] who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light [I was dead in my sins but Jesus saved me!].”
(1 pet 2:10 NIV) “Once you were not a people [I was lost and undone!], but now you are the people of God [the Spirit of Adoption!]; once you had not received mercy [I was destined for Hell!], but now you have received mercy [I am bound for Heaven!].”

DSR
7/29/99

A Good Idea vs. A God Idea

by David Scott Robertson

Have you ever started a project and not finished it?
Could it be that the fact that it petered out
Is an indicator that it may have been
“A good idea” and not necessarily “a God idea”?

I have launched so many
Projects, tasks and to-dos
That have eventually flopped, fizzled and failed.
My life has been a lot like shooting skeet.
I yell, “Pull!” as I launch what I think is a good idea
Only to watch in horror as it explodes in mid-air,
Having been shot to smithereens,
And crashes and burns to the ground like Skylab re-entering orbit.
“Well,” I reason, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Can you not discern,
David,
The difference between, “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”

God ideas have staying power.
God ideas last and last and stand the test of time.
God ideas finish the race,
Navigate the icebergs,
Pass over the speed bumps,
Clear the hurdles,
Scale the walls,
Make it through the obstacle course of oppression,
And survive the combat that always comes against them.
God ideas come to their logical conclusion
At God’s appointed time and season.
God ideas do not return void
But accomplish what the Lord desires
And succeed in the matter for which He sent them.

Can you not discern,
David,
The difference between, “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”

Good is often the enemy of best.
The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.

King David thought it was a good idea to build a magnificent temple for God.
It was not a God idea.
Joshua thought it was a good idea to make a pact with the Gibeonites.
It was not a God idea.
History is replete with good ideas
Gone sour,
Plans gone awry,
“Strokes of genius” having devastating and catastrophic results.

But a God idea is not that way at all.
It has more going for it than momentum…
It has anointing!

A God idea is a concept that is
Jehovah-sanctioned,
Trinity-approved,
Holy Ghost-empowered,
Divinely enabled,
Supernaturally guided,
Lord Jesus-ordained
Which makes things happen –
“Suddenly” or in the fullness of time.

This kind of God idea
Grows a church to the thousands,
Demolishes strongholds,
Heals the sick,
Raises the dead,
Confounds the wise,
Promotes the foolish,
Gets the job done,
Finishes the work.

My advice to myself,
And to you if you can receive it,
Is to inquire of the Lord.
Pray things through.
And include the Lord in the loop of your life.

Before you begin a journey of a thousand miles,
Ask the Lord, ‘Now, is this my idea or Yours?”
Before you prepare to go down a pathway of great sacrifice,
Consider if God has ordered these steps.
Before you enlist in the military,
Sign up for medical school,
Propose to your girlfriend,
Divorce your wife,
Accept a job offer,
Get into debt…
Why not ask the Lord,
“Is this what I am supposed to do?”
“Is this what I am supposed to be?”

Can you not discern,
Dear reader,
The difference between “a good idea,” and “a God idea?”

DSR
7/21/99

The Message of the Spring

by David Scott Robertson

Yesterday, I got up 2½ hours late.

There is a tendency,
A weakness,
A flaw in me
That causes me to think that not only is my Daytimers now messed up,
But somehow my whole day is now out of whack,
That somehow I am defeated before I get started
And no doubt things that must get done today will not get done today.
It reminds me of when I last went bowling;
I threw the first ball and didn’t get a strike.
I commented,
“Well, there goes a perfect game!”

But you know what I’ve discovered?
Jesus is Lord even of our Daytimers!
He is more powerful than Personal Information Managers!
He has a divine purpose,
A sovereign plan for each day,
And the power to back it up and make things happen
That defies our personal plans,
Overrides our goal-setting,
And vetoes our agendas.

As I was pondering my fate
On a less than “maximum productivity day”
Due to my slothfulness, laziness and lack of self-discipline –
While I was exercising in the lap pool at the YMCA
The Lord began to speak to my heart…

He began to deal with me
About living life in the right order.
About first things first.
About the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God
Whether I get up at
4am or 10am.

Maybe it was because I was totally immersed in water
As I was swimming laps,
But the Lord used the word-picture of a fresh, clean spring
To teach me about the importance of seeing God first.

Now, we know that water is vital for our health and life.
We use it
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For its highest and most noble purpose
Of preserving our life and maintaining essential bodily functions.
The body needs water; without it, we die.
Really simple Biology.
Less mission-critical
But still important
Are the uses of water – for bathing,
Washing our clothes
And even exercising, as I was presently doing.

Now, here is what I felt the Lord shared with me:-

In your mind’s eye, picture a water spring.
An invigorating pool of water spring-fed with pure water
Bubbling up from the water table deep under the Earth’s crust.

Now, FIRST THING each morning, I picture myself going to such a spring.
The spring, to me, represents the Living Water of God
And intimacy, fellowship, worship and interaction with His life-giving Spirit.

While its waters are crystal clear, fresh and perfect for drawing my drinking water.
I take a long, satisfying drink to fill up my internal canteen,
And actually gather up a supply to share
With my family and others throughout the day.
The water is carefully, gently, even tenderly gathered
In the quietness of the first moments of the day,
So as not to stir up all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
That has settled overnight on to the bottom of the shallow spring.

If I were to go to the spring first thing
And bathe in it with soap,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and launder my clothes in the spring first thing,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
If I were to go and exercise in the spring to get my heart rate up
In the training zone for 20 minutes for the cardiovascular benefit,
The water wouldn’t be good for drinking at that point.
It would take time for all the dirt and silt and sand and stuff
To settle back down at the bottom
Before I could at last enjoy again
Pure, fresh, crystal-clear drinking water.

Through this very simple metaphor,
God began to emphasize to my heart
The absolute importance
Of putting Him first in my life.

Time management is not the issue.
Time spent with the Son of God and in His Word is the issue.
First and foremost,
Directly or indirectly,
For our highest and most noble purpose
Of loving our Creator-God and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth.
We require Living Water to
Preserve our spiritual life and maintain essential body-of-Christ functions.
The bone-dry spirit devoid of Living Water will die.
Really simple Biology.

DSR. July 13, 1999