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
Thursday, January 13, 2000
Tuesday, December 28, 1999
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 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
Thursday, October 14, 1999
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
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
Monday, August 30, 1999
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
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
Wednesday, August 25, 1999
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
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
Wednesday, August 11, 1999
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
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
Thursday, July 29, 1999
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
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
Wednesday, July 21, 1999
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
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
Tuesday, July 13, 1999
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
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
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
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
Saturday, July 10, 1999
This is Not Supposed to Happen to Christians!
by David Scott Robertson
I sit here at the keyboard this morning
With a throbbing headache,
A very sore leg,
And very humbled spirit.
You see,
I spent about 3 hours in the emergency room last night
After falling out of the back of a stationary pickup truck
And learning that asphalt and gravity make a poor combination.
(Never mind how this dumb thing happened to an adult human being.)
When I fell,
My knee went ways that God did not intend for the knee He designed to go.
Then came the sudden stop at the end of my short flight.
But the real zinger was that the fall and pain somehow caused my body
To go into some type of “glucose shock”.
My blood sugar level “bottomed out”
And all of a sudden the world was fading away fast.
The paramedics could not get a pulse
Nor could they get any blood pressure,
And through my haze and disorientation
I overheard the nice young lady with the nametag
Say that my blood sugar level had plummeted to 39 (whatever that means!).
OK, now I’ve set the stage for you.
Well, to cut to the chase
And make a long story short,
I’m going to limp around for a few days
And simply need some follow-up with testing on my glucose levels
To see why Mr. Pancreas is taking too many sick days at work.
But the nagging question and open issue remains:
Why does this kind of stuff happen to Christians?
I mean,
I pay my tithes,
I’m faithful to church,
To my wife,
To my calling to work in the ministry.
My pedigree of “good works” seems to be somewhat respectable…
And yet you wonder about such things
When you’re sitting in a hospital bed with an I.V. stuck in your arm.
Questions…
Where is God in all of this?
Where did I take a wrong turn and miss His will?
Not only do I try to live right,
I try to eat right, exercise daily and brake for small animals.
What’s the deal, anyway?
Why do “bad” things happen to “good” people?
It’s the classic question
Often unspoken but just as often crossing the mind
When you go to funerals,
Arrive at accident scenes,
Visit people in the hospital,
Or read e-mails of incredible suffering of a missionary in Indonesia.
So, what is the deal?
Does God let the Devil get the upper hand for a few hours in your life?
Are we being punished?
Do these things happen to adjust our life compass
Because we are too hardheaded to make the changes any other way?
You know what I think the conclusion is?
Everything God does is just and fair and right.
All things work together for good (Romans 8:28).
The steps of a righteous man are ordained of God, and God delights in each step (Psalm 37:23).
If the attack originates from the Devil,
God will turn it around for my good.
If the situation was permitted or even instigated by the Lord,
God will turn it around for my good.
No “good” thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).
Sometimes situations that are perceived as “bad”
Really do serve us the most in the long run.
When you get to Heaven, ask Joseph about the time his brothers threw him in a pit
And where all of that mess led to (Genesis 45:5).
On the morning after a traumatic incident in our lives
I think our thoughts ought to gravitate towards
Praise and worship,
Gratitude and thankfulness,
Statement of faith and professions of blessing
To the Lord our God
Coupled with a renewed consecration to boldly proclaim:
“Though you slay me, yet will I trust you, Lord!” (Job 13:15)
Why?
Because He’s God, that’s why!
Does there need to be any other reason?
Because He’s worthy, that’s why!
Because all His promises are “yes” and “amen” and 100% true! (2 Corinthians 1:20)
His greatness and His great love for you and me
Are not based on how we feel in the natural
But on His Son’s supernatural Blood!
My blood was shed last night
But it did not have the power
To untangle the physical and mental battles we face
In our pilgrimage through life from cradle to grave
Like the Blood of Jesus of Nazareth.
His Blood offers peace in the ambulance.
His Word offers hope as you face the unknown
And are waiting for the blood work and X-rays and test results to come back.
His Spirit offers grace to endure
IV’s and blood tests and ignorant statements like,
“Hold on, Sir, you might feel a little discomfort when I do this procedure.”
(Never believe them when they say, “This is just going to pinch a little bit!”)
My advice to you as I close today is this:
Don’t let anything stop you
From giving glory to the Lord our God!
Join me in my resolve to
Get out of God’s way and let Him get glory out of my life!
Lord, I’m listening, this morning!
I want to hear You talk to me through your Word
And through Your still, small voice.
Talk tenderly to Your servant
And lovingly chastise,
Rebuke,
Discipline,
Counsel
And advise.
I shall hear and obey!
DSR, July 10, 1999
I sit here at the keyboard this morning
With a throbbing headache,
A very sore leg,
And very humbled spirit.
You see,
I spent about 3 hours in the emergency room last night
After falling out of the back of a stationary pickup truck
And learning that asphalt and gravity make a poor combination.
(Never mind how this dumb thing happened to an adult human being.)
When I fell,
My knee went ways that God did not intend for the knee He designed to go.
Then came the sudden stop at the end of my short flight.
But the real zinger was that the fall and pain somehow caused my body
To go into some type of “glucose shock”.
My blood sugar level “bottomed out”
And all of a sudden the world was fading away fast.
The paramedics could not get a pulse
Nor could they get any blood pressure,
And through my haze and disorientation
I overheard the nice young lady with the nametag
Say that my blood sugar level had plummeted to 39 (whatever that means!).
OK, now I’ve set the stage for you.
Well, to cut to the chase
And make a long story short,
I’m going to limp around for a few days
And simply need some follow-up with testing on my glucose levels
To see why Mr. Pancreas is taking too many sick days at work.
But the nagging question and open issue remains:
Why does this kind of stuff happen to Christians?
I mean,
I pay my tithes,
I’m faithful to church,
To my wife,
To my calling to work in the ministry.
My pedigree of “good works” seems to be somewhat respectable…
And yet you wonder about such things
When you’re sitting in a hospital bed with an I.V. stuck in your arm.
Questions…
Where is God in all of this?
Where did I take a wrong turn and miss His will?
Not only do I try to live right,
I try to eat right, exercise daily and brake for small animals.
What’s the deal, anyway?
Why do “bad” things happen to “good” people?
It’s the classic question
Often unspoken but just as often crossing the mind
When you go to funerals,
Arrive at accident scenes,
Visit people in the hospital,
Or read e-mails of incredible suffering of a missionary in Indonesia.
So, what is the deal?
Does God let the Devil get the upper hand for a few hours in your life?
Are we being punished?
Do these things happen to adjust our life compass
Because we are too hardheaded to make the changes any other way?
You know what I think the conclusion is?
Everything God does is just and fair and right.
All things work together for good (Romans 8:28).
The steps of a righteous man are ordained of God, and God delights in each step (Psalm 37:23).
If the attack originates from the Devil,
God will turn it around for my good.
If the situation was permitted or even instigated by the Lord,
God will turn it around for my good.
No “good” thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).
Sometimes situations that are perceived as “bad”
Really do serve us the most in the long run.
When you get to Heaven, ask Joseph about the time his brothers threw him in a pit
And where all of that mess led to (Genesis 45:5).
On the morning after a traumatic incident in our lives
I think our thoughts ought to gravitate towards
Praise and worship,
Gratitude and thankfulness,
Statement of faith and professions of blessing
To the Lord our God
Coupled with a renewed consecration to boldly proclaim:
“Though you slay me, yet will I trust you, Lord!” (Job 13:15)
Why?
Because He’s God, that’s why!
Does there need to be any other reason?
Because He’s worthy, that’s why!
Because all His promises are “yes” and “amen” and 100% true! (2 Corinthians 1:20)
His greatness and His great love for you and me
Are not based on how we feel in the natural
But on His Son’s supernatural Blood!
My blood was shed last night
But it did not have the power
To untangle the physical and mental battles we face
In our pilgrimage through life from cradle to grave
Like the Blood of Jesus of Nazareth.
His Blood offers peace in the ambulance.
His Word offers hope as you face the unknown
And are waiting for the blood work and X-rays and test results to come back.
His Spirit offers grace to endure
IV’s and blood tests and ignorant statements like,
“Hold on, Sir, you might feel a little discomfort when I do this procedure.”
(Never believe them when they say, “This is just going to pinch a little bit!”)
My advice to you as I close today is this:
Don’t let anything stop you
From giving glory to the Lord our God!
Join me in my resolve to
Get out of God’s way and let Him get glory out of my life!
Lord, I’m listening, this morning!
I want to hear You talk to me through your Word
And through Your still, small voice.
Talk tenderly to Your servant
And lovingly chastise,
Rebuke,
Discipline,
Counsel
And advise.
I shall hear and obey!
DSR, July 10, 1999
Friday, July 9, 1999
Rebuilders of the Wall - Then and Now
by David Scott Robertson
In my devotional time this morning,
I was reading Nehemiah, Chapter 3
Which chronicles the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem
Under the direction of the man of God, Nehemiah.
At first reading,
The passage reminded me of the genealogies
The Jewish writers often employed in their writing style,
Listing that the son of such-and-such did this-and-that.
But I remembered that
All scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16).
And under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
These names were included in the Holy Scriptures for a purpose.
As I re-read this passage,
It was then I began to see things that I hadn't before.
It caused me to consider that there are people in the church world today
Similar to those found in Nehemiah, Chapter 3.
3:1 "The high priest Eliashib and the other priests rebuilt Sheep Gate and hung its doors." - I've seen pastors, deacons and other church leaders working on decks, painting stairwells and doing all kinds of necessary tasks to inspire the people and lead by example.
3:2 "The people of Jericho rebuilt the next section of the wall, and Zacur son of Imri rebuilt the section after that." - I've seen individuals in the Church (like Zacur who rebuilt an entire section himself) that are so zealous for the Lord that they carry the workload of an entire group of people (like the people of Jericho who rebuilt one section).
3:3 "The family of Hassenaah rebuilt Fish Gate." - For many today, the ministry of God is a family affair. Dad, mom and the kids pull together to serve in the Master's field of labor and consequently enjoy the harvest of a rich family heritage. Perhaps it's a divorced mother single-handedly building the ethic of serving Jesus Christ holding the family together. Whatever the case, the legacy left is one of "family ministry" that keeps the family close to the Lord and to each other.
3:5 "The next section was to be repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their town leaders refused to do the hard work they were assigned." - Have you ever known anyone in the Church who turned his or her hand from the plow because the assigned work was too hard? It's a secular cliché but it has spiritual implications: "Winners never quit and quitters never win."
3:8b "Hananiah the perfume maker rebuilt the section next after that, and it went as far as Broad Wall." - Isn't it amazing how the most unlikely characters with odd occupations or talents are often precisely whom God chooses and uses to expand His kingdom? It just goes to show you that no matter who you are and what you do you can make a positive impact for the praise of His glory… if you make yourself available.
3:10 "The section after that was close to the home of Jedaiah son of Harumaph, and he rebuilt it." - Charity begins at home, or at least pretty close to home. Sometimes we don't have to go very far to find a need and meet it.
3:12 "Shallum son of Hallohesh ruled the other half of the Jerusalem District, and he rebuilt the next section of the wall. Shallum's daughters also worked with him." - God has always had a place for women in the ministry. The scriptures don't reveal how old these girls were; perhaps they were teenagers. God has, is and will continue to use young girls, young ladies and older women to do the work of the Kingdom (notice these girls didn't gripe about their assignment like the men of Tekoa!).
3:15 "Shallum son of Colhozeh ruled the district of Mizpah, and he rebuilt Fountain Gate. He put a cover over the gateway, then hung the doors and added metal bolts and wooden beams as locks." - There are always people in the Church who go above and beyond the call of duty. They go all out for God on every project they undertake. I couldn't find in my reading of Nehemiah, Chapter 3, where anyone else put a cover over the gateway. This embellishment was an added feature that made a statement by Shallum that things done for God ought to be the best. Oswald Chambers called it, "My utmost for His highest."
3:20 "Baruch son of Zabbai eagerly rebuilt the section of the wall that went all the way to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest." - Don't you love it when in the company of the saints there is someone with an eager attitude? A positive, cheerful fellow in your church that does his job with a smile on his face. You know this guy… He's the one you can go ask to do anything from weed-eat the church lawn to fix the broken urinal in the men's restroom to serve communion at a Sunday night service and he'll just smile at you and say, "I'm glad to do it!"
3:30 "Hananiah and Hanun rebuilt the next section, which was the second section for them." The scriptures teach, "Two are better than one and a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Here we see two Israelites bonded together to do a work for God. The result? They completed the work on two sections. The buddy system works today in the Church too! In agreeing prayer, it can cause ten times as many of the enemy to flee!
3:32 "The goldsmiths and merchants rebuilt the last section of the wall, which went from the corner room all the way to Sheep Gate." - How pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1) What happens when unity reigns? The "last section" gets done! In other words, we finish the work that God calls us to do. Bear in mind that the Tower of Babel was never completed because the workers got out of unity. God honors unified efforts expended under the auspices of His will and anointing.
4:1 "When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people." - It is not that I want to end on a negative note, but some things never change. Any time a great work for God is undertaken, we can expect the Sanballats of this world to creep out of the woodwork to preach their pessimistic gospel of negativism. We can and should take the stance that Nehemiah did, and not "come off the wall" (Nehemiah 6:3) to stop working for God in order to argue with the naysayers. We may feel better emotionally but the work of God stops. God's work must be done. God's will will be done. God's name must be exalted. Vengeance is His alone (Romans 12:19).
So, there you have it.
Times change but people usually don't.
Whether in ancient Israel building a wall
Or down at the corner church building a handicapped accessible ramp,
You are doubtless going to encounter people in your church
Who display the tendencies and attitudes of the people that
Nehemiah dealt with as they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem!
But you and I can finish the work if we adopt the attitude towards opposition that Nehemiah did:-
"They [the enemies of Israel] were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak from the work, and it will not be completed.' But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.'" (Nehemiah 6:9 NIV).
Pray, and God will strengthen your hands to complete His work.
DSR, July 9, 1999
In my devotional time this morning,
I was reading Nehemiah, Chapter 3
Which chronicles the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem
Under the direction of the man of God, Nehemiah.
At first reading,
The passage reminded me of the genealogies
The Jewish writers often employed in their writing style,
Listing that the son of such-and-such did this-and-that.
But I remembered that
All scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16).
And under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
These names were included in the Holy Scriptures for a purpose.
As I re-read this passage,
It was then I began to see things that I hadn't before.
It caused me to consider that there are people in the church world today
Similar to those found in Nehemiah, Chapter 3.
3:1 "The high priest Eliashib and the other priests rebuilt Sheep Gate and hung its doors." - I've seen pastors, deacons and other church leaders working on decks, painting stairwells and doing all kinds of necessary tasks to inspire the people and lead by example.
3:2 "The people of Jericho rebuilt the next section of the wall, and Zacur son of Imri rebuilt the section after that." - I've seen individuals in the Church (like Zacur who rebuilt an entire section himself) that are so zealous for the Lord that they carry the workload of an entire group of people (like the people of Jericho who rebuilt one section).
3:3 "The family of Hassenaah rebuilt Fish Gate." - For many today, the ministry of God is a family affair. Dad, mom and the kids pull together to serve in the Master's field of labor and consequently enjoy the harvest of a rich family heritage. Perhaps it's a divorced mother single-handedly building the ethic of serving Jesus Christ holding the family together. Whatever the case, the legacy left is one of "family ministry" that keeps the family close to the Lord and to each other.
3:5 "The next section was to be repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their town leaders refused to do the hard work they were assigned." - Have you ever known anyone in the Church who turned his or her hand from the plow because the assigned work was too hard? It's a secular cliché but it has spiritual implications: "Winners never quit and quitters never win."
3:8b "Hananiah the perfume maker rebuilt the section next after that, and it went as far as Broad Wall." - Isn't it amazing how the most unlikely characters with odd occupations or talents are often precisely whom God chooses and uses to expand His kingdom? It just goes to show you that no matter who you are and what you do you can make a positive impact for the praise of His glory… if you make yourself available.
3:10 "The section after that was close to the home of Jedaiah son of Harumaph, and he rebuilt it." - Charity begins at home, or at least pretty close to home. Sometimes we don't have to go very far to find a need and meet it.
3:12 "Shallum son of Hallohesh ruled the other half of the Jerusalem District, and he rebuilt the next section of the wall. Shallum's daughters also worked with him." - God has always had a place for women in the ministry. The scriptures don't reveal how old these girls were; perhaps they were teenagers. God has, is and will continue to use young girls, young ladies and older women to do the work of the Kingdom (notice these girls didn't gripe about their assignment like the men of Tekoa!).
3:15 "Shallum son of Colhozeh ruled the district of Mizpah, and he rebuilt Fountain Gate. He put a cover over the gateway, then hung the doors and added metal bolts and wooden beams as locks." - There are always people in the Church who go above and beyond the call of duty. They go all out for God on every project they undertake. I couldn't find in my reading of Nehemiah, Chapter 3, where anyone else put a cover over the gateway. This embellishment was an added feature that made a statement by Shallum that things done for God ought to be the best. Oswald Chambers called it, "My utmost for His highest."
3:20 "Baruch son of Zabbai eagerly rebuilt the section of the wall that went all the way to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest." - Don't you love it when in the company of the saints there is someone with an eager attitude? A positive, cheerful fellow in your church that does his job with a smile on his face. You know this guy… He's the one you can go ask to do anything from weed-eat the church lawn to fix the broken urinal in the men's restroom to serve communion at a Sunday night service and he'll just smile at you and say, "I'm glad to do it!"
3:30 "Hananiah and Hanun rebuilt the next section, which was the second section for them." The scriptures teach, "Two are better than one and a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Here we see two Israelites bonded together to do a work for God. The result? They completed the work on two sections. The buddy system works today in the Church too! In agreeing prayer, it can cause ten times as many of the enemy to flee!
3:32 "The goldsmiths and merchants rebuilt the last section of the wall, which went from the corner room all the way to Sheep Gate." - How pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1) What happens when unity reigns? The "last section" gets done! In other words, we finish the work that God calls us to do. Bear in mind that the Tower of Babel was never completed because the workers got out of unity. God honors unified efforts expended under the auspices of His will and anointing.
4:1 "When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people." - It is not that I want to end on a negative note, but some things never change. Any time a great work for God is undertaken, we can expect the Sanballats of this world to creep out of the woodwork to preach their pessimistic gospel of negativism. We can and should take the stance that Nehemiah did, and not "come off the wall" (Nehemiah 6:3) to stop working for God in order to argue with the naysayers. We may feel better emotionally but the work of God stops. God's work must be done. God's will will be done. God's name must be exalted. Vengeance is His alone (Romans 12:19).
So, there you have it.
Times change but people usually don't.
Whether in ancient Israel building a wall
Or down at the corner church building a handicapped accessible ramp,
You are doubtless going to encounter people in your church
Who display the tendencies and attitudes of the people that
Nehemiah dealt with as they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem!
But you and I can finish the work if we adopt the attitude towards opposition that Nehemiah did:-
"They [the enemies of Israel] were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak from the work, and it will not be completed.' But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.'" (Nehemiah 6:9 NIV).
Pray, and God will strengthen your hands to complete His work.
DSR, July 9, 1999
Tuesday, July 6, 1999
When, Oh God, When?
by David Scott Robertson
I’m not afraid to die.
I have made my peace with God and trust in the shed blood of Christ
To make provisions for my sins.
Sometimes, though, I’m ashamed to die.
Ashamed because in spite of all the truth I’ve been exposed to
I still have not got my life figured out.
I’ve sat through incredible sermons.
I’ve listened to awesome Sunday School lessons.
I’ve been mentored by people who are light years ahead of me
In their spiritual walk and basic, vital wisdom.
I’ve watched videos by great teachers of the Bible.
I’ve listened to audiotapes by leadership developers that are brilliant and gifted.
I’ve read books written by inspired and motivated individuals.
I’ve thumbed through magazines with articles on discipleship
That are potentially life-transforming.
On top of this,
I have the Bible as an inerrant, inspired, and infallible Word of God
As Life’s Owner’s Manual;
I have a personal tutor in the Person of the Holy Spirit
To lead, guide and direct me into all truth;
I have the love of the Father,
The fellowship of His Son, Jesus,
And the communion of the Holy Spirit,
The fellowship of the saints,
And the constant companionship of a Proverbs 31 wife.
Yet in spite of the fact
That God has graciously provided me with
Everything I need pertaining to life and godliness
I still struggle with having a meaningful prayer time,
Read the Bible sometimes out of devotional duty,
Conduct my ministry as an obligation and moral responsibility,
And love people superficially.
When, O God, when
Am I going to come to the place of
Perfect submission,
Total obedience,
And maximum fruit?
When am I going to
Let go and let God have His wonderful way with me?
When am I going to get out of God’s way
And get out of my own way
And progress into the place of Christlikeness?
When will I dwell in the secret place of the Most High
And abide under the shadow of the Almighty?
When am I going to enter in His rest?
When am I going to swap filthy, righteous rags
For His unfading glory, manifesting daily
Through foolish and weak flesh such as me?
When am I going to lay down my heavy yoke of self-imposed burdens
And take up His light yoke?
When am I going to put faith into action,
Legs on my prayers,
My muscles where my theology is?
In light of the present situation
I could easy talk myself into a
Good cry,
A discouraging predicament,
Or a detour to depression.
But…
I have fallen into the hands of a merciful God.
My Lord King ever lives to make intercession for me
At the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The Kingdom of God is not without but within.
God’s favor is not based on my performance
Rather it is predicated on the Blood of His dear Son, Jesus.
Thanks be to god for the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ.
There is hope
Because God is alive and not only His enemies will be scattered
But mine as well.
Even myself.
Even so,
Lord Jesus,
Help me today to
Trust in you, Lord, with all of my heart
And lean not on my own understanding
But in all my ways acknowledge you
And I truly believe that you shall direct my paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
DSR. July 6, 1999
I’m not afraid to die.
I have made my peace with God and trust in the shed blood of Christ
To make provisions for my sins.
Sometimes, though, I’m ashamed to die.
Ashamed because in spite of all the truth I’ve been exposed to
I still have not got my life figured out.
I’ve sat through incredible sermons.
I’ve listened to awesome Sunday School lessons.
I’ve been mentored by people who are light years ahead of me
In their spiritual walk and basic, vital wisdom.
I’ve watched videos by great teachers of the Bible.
I’ve listened to audiotapes by leadership developers that are brilliant and gifted.
I’ve read books written by inspired and motivated individuals.
I’ve thumbed through magazines with articles on discipleship
That are potentially life-transforming.
On top of this,
I have the Bible as an inerrant, inspired, and infallible Word of God
As Life’s Owner’s Manual;
I have a personal tutor in the Person of the Holy Spirit
To lead, guide and direct me into all truth;
I have the love of the Father,
The fellowship of His Son, Jesus,
And the communion of the Holy Spirit,
The fellowship of the saints,
And the constant companionship of a Proverbs 31 wife.
Yet in spite of the fact
That God has graciously provided me with
Everything I need pertaining to life and godliness
I still struggle with having a meaningful prayer time,
Read the Bible sometimes out of devotional duty,
Conduct my ministry as an obligation and moral responsibility,
And love people superficially.
When, O God, when
Am I going to come to the place of
Perfect submission,
Total obedience,
And maximum fruit?
When am I going to
Let go and let God have His wonderful way with me?
When am I going to get out of God’s way
And get out of my own way
And progress into the place of Christlikeness?
When will I dwell in the secret place of the Most High
And abide under the shadow of the Almighty?
When am I going to enter in His rest?
When am I going to swap filthy, righteous rags
For His unfading glory, manifesting daily
Through foolish and weak flesh such as me?
When am I going to lay down my heavy yoke of self-imposed burdens
And take up His light yoke?
When am I going to put faith into action,
Legs on my prayers,
My muscles where my theology is?
In light of the present situation
I could easy talk myself into a
Good cry,
A discouraging predicament,
Or a detour to depression.
But…
I have fallen into the hands of a merciful God.
My Lord King ever lives to make intercession for me
At the right hand of the Majesty on High.
The Kingdom of God is not without but within.
God’s favor is not based on my performance
Rather it is predicated on the Blood of His dear Son, Jesus.
Thanks be to god for the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ.
There is hope
Because God is alive and not only His enemies will be scattered
But mine as well.
Even myself.
Even so,
Lord Jesus,
Help me today to
Trust in you, Lord, with all of my heart
And lean not on my own understanding
But in all my ways acknowledge you
And I truly believe that you shall direct my paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
DSR. July 6, 1999
Wednesday, September 16, 1998
Silence
by David Scott Robertson
"Silence can seal a fate but it does not prove guilt or innocence.” –DSR
Jesus stood before His accusers, silent.
He did not respond to their railing accusations.
Think about it.
It is contrary to nearly everything I read, saw, heard and did while growing up.
In our society today,
The perception is that if you don’t speak up and defend yourself,
Or hire a lawyer to speak on your behalf,
You’re probably guilty.
When someone takes the 5th Amendment,
The “right to remain silent”,
It is usually taken so as not to incriminate oneself.
Like a police officer reading an arrested man his rights,
“Anything you say can and will be used against you in court.”
The Bible teaches us, “Even a fool appears wise when silent” (Proverbs 17:28).
And the world unwittingly uses this principle to its own legal advantage.
The Kingdom of God, however, does not operate like the kingdom of men.
Jesus stands before us in the Scriptures as a man of through integrity.
His position of silence preaches volumes about self-control,
Faith in His Father,
Trust in the Scriptures that cannot be broken,
And humility.
The reason I marvel at Christ as He stands before Pilate in the Gospels
Is that His response to personal attack is so different from what I was
Taught, modeled and socialized in my American youth.
Not sticking up for yourself was as sign of weakness
In the neighborhood in Chicago where I grew up.
Not “looking out for #1” meant that nobody else was going to do it for you.
But there is an “opposite world” that is more real than the one you and I live in.
It is the Kingdom of God’s dear Son, who blazed a trail of “Follow Me” to access Father God.
Paul followed Him and then went on to write,
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV).
And now it’s our turn.
What will you do, the next time someone brings a railing accusation against you publicly or privately?
Many offenses will come, it is inevitable.
Your reaction, though, is your responsibility.
Someone once remarked,
“It’s not what happens to you, but in you that counts.”
My goal, in light of Jesus’ example, is to imitate Him.
As the Lamb remained silent before the slaughter,
So I want to remain silent and not feel compelled to defend myself.
We see the mudslinging and defensive postures in political campaigns and debates.
But are we much better in the Church?
Sometimes yes; and sadly, sometimes no.
Silence. It goes a long way in private devotions with God,
And it can go a long way in public relations with others.
The Spirit of God inspired a wise Christian to remark:
“Preach all the time and if necessary use words.”
Amen, brother.
DSR, September 16, 1998
"Silence can seal a fate but it does not prove guilt or innocence.” –DSR
Jesus stood before His accusers, silent.
He did not respond to their railing accusations.
Think about it.
It is contrary to nearly everything I read, saw, heard and did while growing up.
In our society today,
The perception is that if you don’t speak up and defend yourself,
Or hire a lawyer to speak on your behalf,
You’re probably guilty.
When someone takes the 5th Amendment,
The “right to remain silent”,
It is usually taken so as not to incriminate oneself.
Like a police officer reading an arrested man his rights,
“Anything you say can and will be used against you in court.”
The Bible teaches us, “Even a fool appears wise when silent” (Proverbs 17:28).
And the world unwittingly uses this principle to its own legal advantage.
The Kingdom of God, however, does not operate like the kingdom of men.
Jesus stands before us in the Scriptures as a man of through integrity.
His position of silence preaches volumes about self-control,
Faith in His Father,
Trust in the Scriptures that cannot be broken,
And humility.
The reason I marvel at Christ as He stands before Pilate in the Gospels
Is that His response to personal attack is so different from what I was
Taught, modeled and socialized in my American youth.
Not sticking up for yourself was as sign of weakness
In the neighborhood in Chicago where I grew up.
Not “looking out for #1” meant that nobody else was going to do it for you.
But there is an “opposite world” that is more real than the one you and I live in.
It is the Kingdom of God’s dear Son, who blazed a trail of “Follow Me” to access Father God.
Paul followed Him and then went on to write,
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV).
And now it’s our turn.
What will you do, the next time someone brings a railing accusation against you publicly or privately?
Many offenses will come, it is inevitable.
Your reaction, though, is your responsibility.
Someone once remarked,
“It’s not what happens to you, but in you that counts.”
My goal, in light of Jesus’ example, is to imitate Him.
As the Lamb remained silent before the slaughter,
So I want to remain silent and not feel compelled to defend myself.
We see the mudslinging and defensive postures in political campaigns and debates.
But are we much better in the Church?
Sometimes yes; and sadly, sometimes no.
Silence. It goes a long way in private devotions with God,
And it can go a long way in public relations with others.
The Spirit of God inspired a wise Christian to remark:
“Preach all the time and if necessary use words.”
Amen, brother.
DSR, September 16, 1998
Saturday, September 12, 1998
A Christian Family Constitution
by David Scott Robertson
By the grace of Christ and power of God’s Holy Spirit, my family will endeavor to uphold the articles of this Family Constitution.
Article #1: Divorce is not an option between Mom and Dad.
Article #2: At all costs, do not lie, misrepresent, purposefully exaggerate, or otherwise distort the truth to one another (or anybody).
Article #3: Name-calling among family members is strictly forbidden.
Article #4: Each family member will pray for another daily.
Article #5: Making derogatory remarks about a family member, the pastor or anyone else (backbiting/gossip) is forbidden.
Article #6: Murmuring, complaining, being ungrateful, and/or conducting your affairs with a poor attitude shall not be tolerated.
Article #7: Taunting another member for past mistakes is not permitted.
Article #8: A lazy and slothful attitude towards one’s family responsibilities, duties or chores is not acceptable behavior.
Article #9: Family members will tithe 10% of allowances/gross income, or any other source of revenue to the local church, and be expected to be a good steward of his/her time and talents.
Article #10: Alcohol, tobacco, and drug usage (for non-medical reasons) is absolutely forbidden in or outside the home.
Article #11: Participation by any family member in activities deemed contrary to the moral teachings of Jesus Christ as outlined in God’s Word, the Bible, will, without fail, be discovered in due time and will produce punishment, either in this world or the next.
By the grace of Christ and power of God’s Holy Spirit, my family will endeavor to uphold the articles of this Family Constitution.
Article #1: Divorce is not an option between Mom and Dad.
Article #2: At all costs, do not lie, misrepresent, purposefully exaggerate, or otherwise distort the truth to one another (or anybody).
Article #3: Name-calling among family members is strictly forbidden.
Article #4: Each family member will pray for another daily.
Article #5: Making derogatory remarks about a family member, the pastor or anyone else (backbiting/gossip) is forbidden.
Article #6: Murmuring, complaining, being ungrateful, and/or conducting your affairs with a poor attitude shall not be tolerated.
Article #7: Taunting another member for past mistakes is not permitted.
Article #8: A lazy and slothful attitude towards one’s family responsibilities, duties or chores is not acceptable behavior.
Article #9: Family members will tithe 10% of allowances/gross income, or any other source of revenue to the local church, and be expected to be a good steward of his/her time and talents.
Article #10: Alcohol, tobacco, and drug usage (for non-medical reasons) is absolutely forbidden in or outside the home.
Article #11: Participation by any family member in activities deemed contrary to the moral teachings of Jesus Christ as outlined in God’s Word, the Bible, will, without fail, be discovered in due time and will produce punishment, either in this world or the next.
Friday, September 11, 1998
Failing Forward
by David Scott Robertson
For almost one full year I had been planning on going on a mission trip to Indonesia.
I had prayed about it,
And felt very strongly that I had heard that
Still, small voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart gently calling me to go.
In addition to an overwhelming sense of peace,
I got the support
Of my family & pastor, time off work, financial issues settled
And other logistics falling neatly into place.
About one month prior to departure, it was “pop quiz” time.
In typical style,
The assault came on the battlefield of my mind,
Playing on my fears –
Intimidation about being away from work so long, and other subtle deceptions.
To make a long story short,
I thought it was a good idea to bail out of the mission trip.
I had thought, reasoned and concluded that it was best for me to stay.
There was only one problem –
I did not inquire of the Lord.
I think now I know how Moses must have felt
The day after he struck the rock twice instead of once like God commanded (Numbers 20:11).
I think I know what Jonah must have felt like
As he set sail for the wrong port (Jonah 1:3).
I think I know how Joshua might have felt
As he got conned by the Gibeonites
After failing to inquire of the Lord, concerning their true identity (Joshua 9:3-14).
I learned from my failure that I would rather endure a root canal without anesthetic
Than experience the conviction of God’s Holy Spirit.
As a result of my decision to cancel
The mission trip, my airplane ticket and so on…
I was absolutely miserable.
Were you to have asked my family,
I was more than miserable:
I was intolerable.
It was as if the Lord spoke to my heart,
“You have no right to call off what you didn’t call on.”
I repented, and by God’s grace, within 24 hours was back on track to go.
The lesson learned: -
Inquire of the Lord!
Keep God in the loop of your life.
Pause, pray, obey.
Stop, look, listen.
Ask WWJD and linger long enough for an answer from on high.
DSR, September 11, 1998
For almost one full year I had been planning on going on a mission trip to Indonesia.
I had prayed about it,
And felt very strongly that I had heard that
Still, small voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart gently calling me to go.
In addition to an overwhelming sense of peace,
I got the support
Of my family & pastor, time off work, financial issues settled
And other logistics falling neatly into place.
About one month prior to departure, it was “pop quiz” time.
In typical style,
The assault came on the battlefield of my mind,
Playing on my fears –
Intimidation about being away from work so long, and other subtle deceptions.
To make a long story short,
I thought it was a good idea to bail out of the mission trip.
I had thought, reasoned and concluded that it was best for me to stay.
There was only one problem –
I did not inquire of the Lord.
I think now I know how Moses must have felt
The day after he struck the rock twice instead of once like God commanded (Numbers 20:11).
I think I know what Jonah must have felt like
As he set sail for the wrong port (Jonah 1:3).
I think I know how Joshua might have felt
As he got conned by the Gibeonites
After failing to inquire of the Lord, concerning their true identity (Joshua 9:3-14).
I learned from my failure that I would rather endure a root canal without anesthetic
Than experience the conviction of God’s Holy Spirit.
As a result of my decision to cancel
The mission trip, my airplane ticket and so on…
I was absolutely miserable.
Were you to have asked my family,
I was more than miserable:
I was intolerable.
It was as if the Lord spoke to my heart,
“You have no right to call off what you didn’t call on.”
I repented, and by God’s grace, within 24 hours was back on track to go.
The lesson learned: -
Inquire of the Lord!
Keep God in the loop of your life.
Pause, pray, obey.
Stop, look, listen.
Ask WWJD and linger long enough for an answer from on high.
DSR, September 11, 1998
Thursday, August 6, 1998
Chocolate on the Page
by David Scott Robertson
One Christmas, when I was a little boy,
I got a beautiful book as a gift from my Aunt.
As was our custom,
As many as could
Would gather at Grandma and Grandpa’s home in rural Illinois.
On Christmas Eve,
We’d gather around the three and exchange gifts.
Usually, after we had opened a gift, we would hug and kiss our relative
And then pass the gift around for others to look at.
Grandpa was paging through the book I got from my Aunt.
He was eating chocolate fudge cake all the time.
It was all over his fingers and naturally some of it smudged on the pages
As he flipped through the book.
I remember being upset about my crisp new book being soiled by chocolate on the pages!
Time has passed and so has Grandpa.
I kept that beautiful book and some time ago paged through it with my 6-year-old daughter.
And there it was.
Chocolate on the page.
I knew exactly how it got there.
Instantly my mind recreated the entire setting…
In a flash, thoughts, memories and love welled up for a man whom I loved and who loved me all my life.
I guess my point is that no everything that smudges your life is bad.
In the long run,
We may be most grateful
For scars, dents and stains,
Because in their own unlikely way,
They may provide a link to an event
Or a person who has touched our lives in a beautiful way.
DSR, August 6, 1998
One Christmas, when I was a little boy,
I got a beautiful book as a gift from my Aunt.
As was our custom,
As many as could
Would gather at Grandma and Grandpa’s home in rural Illinois.
On Christmas Eve,
We’d gather around the three and exchange gifts.
Usually, after we had opened a gift, we would hug and kiss our relative
And then pass the gift around for others to look at.
Grandpa was paging through the book I got from my Aunt.
He was eating chocolate fudge cake all the time.
It was all over his fingers and naturally some of it smudged on the pages
As he flipped through the book.
I remember being upset about my crisp new book being soiled by chocolate on the pages!
Time has passed and so has Grandpa.
I kept that beautiful book and some time ago paged through it with my 6-year-old daughter.
And there it was.
Chocolate on the page.
I knew exactly how it got there.
Instantly my mind recreated the entire setting…
In a flash, thoughts, memories and love welled up for a man whom I loved and who loved me all my life.
I guess my point is that no everything that smudges your life is bad.
In the long run,
We may be most grateful
For scars, dents and stains,
Because in their own unlikely way,
They may provide a link to an event
Or a person who has touched our lives in a beautiful way.
DSR, August 6, 1998
Tuesday, August 4, 1998
The Govenor
by David Scott Robertson
“…a mechanical device for automatically controlling the speed of an engine by regulating the intake of fuel, steam, etc.” – Webster’s New World Dictionary
I want to share a few thoughts about “the governor”.
No, not the kind of governor that is the political head of a state:
The kind that slows things down.
Perhaps you’ve been to an amusement park that rented go-carts.
Even though you mash the medal all the way down,
The go-cart goes up to a certain MPH and no faster.
Why? The governor.
We could list other devices that have governors limiting the speed at which something happens.
Governors are intended to provide safety, prevent engine burnout and extend engine life.
I experienced a different sort of governor today.
My alarm clock is set for 3:56am every morning.
That’s the time when I want to get up in order to get into my day.
The early bird gets the worm, you know.
After all, he who gets up late must jog all day to catch up.
You see, I want it all.
I want meaningful Bible study.
I want quality prayer time.
I want an exhilarating exercise workout.
I want a healthful breakfast.
I want to listen to a personal development cassette or read a chapter from an Inspirational book.
I want to kiss my wife, hug my daughter, pet my dog,
And burst off to work, clean, exercised and spiritually filled,
Ready to do exploits for God.
And I want all that done before 9am.
Well, today, my eyes opened and the large LED display of my digital clock read 7:00.
Why? The governor.
My internal governor said,
“David, you need more rest.
“You’re plumb tuckered out, man.
“Boy, you’ve got to slow down today.
“You’re worn out, dude.”
I hate it when that happens, don’t you?
My mind, my expectations, my plans, my goals and intentions
Are more or less scheduled on getting up around 4am (with little flexibility)
And hitting the ground running.
What ‘s that you say? Bondage? Legalism? Stupidity?
I think not.
At least, I think I think not.
Well, it doesn’t matter what I think today:
My body had other plans this morning and I couldn’t drag my weary carcass out of bed.
My physiological governor said,
“Nope, I intend to provide your body with safety, prevent burnout and extend engine life.”
As much as I hate to admit it, I can relate to the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane: -
(Mat 26:40 NIV) “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter.
(Mat 26:41 NIV) ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. the spirit is willing but the body is weak.’”
I can’t wait for that glorified body that has no governor.
A governor-ectomy will have been performed to remove all limitations!
I can’t wait for Heaven where there is no sun and no night and no sleep!
Praise God, there is coming a day when we shall be like Him,
For shal see Him as He is.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Until then, Lord, please help to complete the work you have called me to do
In spite of my body’s governor.
DSR, August 4, 1998
“…a mechanical device for automatically controlling the speed of an engine by regulating the intake of fuel, steam, etc.” – Webster’s New World Dictionary
I want to share a few thoughts about “the governor”.
No, not the kind of governor that is the political head of a state:
The kind that slows things down.
Perhaps you’ve been to an amusement park that rented go-carts.
Even though you mash the medal all the way down,
The go-cart goes up to a certain MPH and no faster.
Why? The governor.
We could list other devices that have governors limiting the speed at which something happens.
Governors are intended to provide safety, prevent engine burnout and extend engine life.
I experienced a different sort of governor today.
My alarm clock is set for 3:56am every morning.
That’s the time when I want to get up in order to get into my day.
The early bird gets the worm, you know.
After all, he who gets up late must jog all day to catch up.
You see, I want it all.
I want meaningful Bible study.
I want quality prayer time.
I want an exhilarating exercise workout.
I want a healthful breakfast.
I want to listen to a personal development cassette or read a chapter from an Inspirational book.
I want to kiss my wife, hug my daughter, pet my dog,
And burst off to work, clean, exercised and spiritually filled,
Ready to do exploits for God.
And I want all that done before 9am.
Well, today, my eyes opened and the large LED display of my digital clock read 7:00.
Why? The governor.
My internal governor said,
“David, you need more rest.
“You’re plumb tuckered out, man.
“Boy, you’ve got to slow down today.
“You’re worn out, dude.”
I hate it when that happens, don’t you?
My mind, my expectations, my plans, my goals and intentions
Are more or less scheduled on getting up around 4am (with little flexibility)
And hitting the ground running.
What ‘s that you say? Bondage? Legalism? Stupidity?
I think not.
At least, I think I think not.
Well, it doesn’t matter what I think today:
My body had other plans this morning and I couldn’t drag my weary carcass out of bed.
My physiological governor said,
“Nope, I intend to provide your body with safety, prevent burnout and extend engine life.”
As much as I hate to admit it, I can relate to the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane: -
(Mat 26:40 NIV) “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter.
(Mat 26:41 NIV) ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. the spirit is willing but the body is weak.’”
I can’t wait for that glorified body that has no governor.
A governor-ectomy will have been performed to remove all limitations!
I can’t wait for Heaven where there is no sun and no night and no sleep!
Praise God, there is coming a day when we shall be like Him,
For shal see Him as He is.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Until then, Lord, please help to complete the work you have called me to do
In spite of my body’s governor.
DSR, August 4, 1998
Monday, August 3, 1998
Subtle Affluence
by David Scott Robertson
Have you ever been rinsing off some grapes under the water faucet
And several grapes have fallen into the sink or on to the floor
And instead of picking them up and washing them off,
You simply throw them away?
Have you ever pulled some breath-mints out of your pocket that have a little fuzz on them
And instead of cleaning them up, you toss them?
Have you ever walked past a nickel on the sidewalk
And thought it’s not worth the effort to pick it up?
Have you ever left food on your plate at a restaurant
And not bothered to get a doggie bag to take the leftovers home to eat later?
Have you ever thrown a T-shirt in the laundry just because you wore it once,
Not necessarily because it was dirty?
Have you ever bought something at the store
When you already had one somewhere in the garage
But just couldn’t remember where it was?
Have you ever thrown an apple away
Just because it had a bruise on one side and you didn’t want to eat around it?
You know what I think all the above represent?
I call it “subtle affluence.”
Subtle affluence is where you are rich and you don’t know it.
Your wealth is staggering yet you are oblivious to the fact.
Many people today live a lifestyle of subtle excess.
This is especially true of us who live in America.
We have been weaned on the American dream that if you want it, you can have it.
Usually pretty quickly, too.
After all, where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?
You deserve a break today.
Have it your way.
If you don’t look out for #1, who will, right?
I wonder how that mentality flies on the streets of Calcutta?
I wonder what Ethiopians feel about people who throw away food?
I wonder what Bosnians feel about people who are upset because the lawn
Surrounding their lovely home has too many weeds?
It’s all relative, isn’t it?
A man with a good milk-cow and some seed corn has a hope and future in some parts of the world.
On the subject of subtle influence,
Much care must be taken and the words
“Balance” and “responsibility” must enter into the discussion.
I think it is imperative to understand
That God doesn’t so much have a problem with Christians having stuff:
It’s always been that He doesn’t ant stuff to have them.
As the Word points out,
“For the love of money is the root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10 NIV)
Having traveled to Latin America
And seen first-hand the naked children at the side of the road,
So many potholes in the “paved” road that you almost need a helmet to ride in the bus,
And thinking when old cars die they must come to this place,
I know that it all truly depends on your perspective.
The scriptural truth that seems to rise to the top, on the subject of
“Subtle affluence,” is:
“…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48b NIV).
Increase your prosperity; spend less money.
Increase your wealth; give it away.
Increase your quality of life; focus on simple pleasures.
Increase your treasures in Heaven by committing to the following principle:
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17 NIV).
DSR, August 3, 1998
Have you ever been rinsing off some grapes under the water faucet
And several grapes have fallen into the sink or on to the floor
And instead of picking them up and washing them off,
You simply throw them away?
Have you ever pulled some breath-mints out of your pocket that have a little fuzz on them
And instead of cleaning them up, you toss them?
Have you ever walked past a nickel on the sidewalk
And thought it’s not worth the effort to pick it up?
Have you ever left food on your plate at a restaurant
And not bothered to get a doggie bag to take the leftovers home to eat later?
Have you ever thrown a T-shirt in the laundry just because you wore it once,
Not necessarily because it was dirty?
Have you ever bought something at the store
When you already had one somewhere in the garage
But just couldn’t remember where it was?
Have you ever thrown an apple away
Just because it had a bruise on one side and you didn’t want to eat around it?
You know what I think all the above represent?
I call it “subtle affluence.”
Subtle affluence is where you are rich and you don’t know it.
Your wealth is staggering yet you are oblivious to the fact.
Many people today live a lifestyle of subtle excess.
This is especially true of us who live in America.
We have been weaned on the American dream that if you want it, you can have it.
Usually pretty quickly, too.
After all, where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?
You deserve a break today.
Have it your way.
If you don’t look out for #1, who will, right?
I wonder how that mentality flies on the streets of Calcutta?
I wonder what Ethiopians feel about people who throw away food?
I wonder what Bosnians feel about people who are upset because the lawn
Surrounding their lovely home has too many weeds?
It’s all relative, isn’t it?
A man with a good milk-cow and some seed corn has a hope and future in some parts of the world.
On the subject of subtle influence,
Much care must be taken and the words
“Balance” and “responsibility” must enter into the discussion.
I think it is imperative to understand
That God doesn’t so much have a problem with Christians having stuff:
It’s always been that He doesn’t ant stuff to have them.
As the Word points out,
“For the love of money is the root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10 NIV)
Having traveled to Latin America
And seen first-hand the naked children at the side of the road,
So many potholes in the “paved” road that you almost need a helmet to ride in the bus,
And thinking when old cars die they must come to this place,
I know that it all truly depends on your perspective.
The scriptural truth that seems to rise to the top, on the subject of
“Subtle affluence,” is:
“…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48b NIV).
Increase your prosperity; spend less money.
Increase your wealth; give it away.
Increase your quality of life; focus on simple pleasures.
Increase your treasures in Heaven by committing to the following principle:
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17 NIV).
DSR, August 3, 1998
Thursday, July 30, 1998
Living Life at the Speed of Light
by David Scott Robertson
186,000 miles per second.
The speed of light.
Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Hidden codes in the Bible.
Worm holes In outer space.
The miracle of the conception of Life.
“As the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thights.” (Isaiah 55:9 NIV).
Mysteries all of them, too wonderful for my puny brain to comprehend.
Take the speed of light – 186,000 miles per second.
Some speculate that just beyond this speed Time actually stops.
And perhaps this is the domain of God.
I don’t know.
I do know that life can be lived at such a frantic pace
That we can feel like we are traveling at the speed of light.
I’m reminded of a sermon illustration I once heard
That depicted the aviation exploration of flying faster than the speed of sound.
Test pilot Chuck Yeager was trying to be the first to break the sound barrier in an aircraft.
Attempt after attempt to push the aircraft to enough knots to burst through
Seemed only to vibrate the planes so bad
That the vehicles would literally begin coming apart at the seams.
Someone (humorously or insightfully) referred to it as,
“The demon that lurks at the speed of sound.”
But something interesting happened to Chuck Yeager
After he became the first man in American history
To tear through the atmosphere
And pierce the sound barrier.
He later reported that once he had passed the speed of sound
There That it was the smoothest flight of his life.
All the turbulence was now behind him.
Now here’s the point:
Maybe I’m the only one that feels sometimes like
Life is so busy, hectic and time-sensitive
That life’s turbulence is shaking me, vigorously testing me to see what stuff I’m made of.
I think that if I were to focus and concentrate on Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
Keep my mind stayed on Him,
Keep my nose in the Book,
That I would be able to tear through the atmosphere of busy-ness
(An archenemy of authentic Christianity)
And get lost in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
“Breaking through”
To peace (Isaiah 26:3),
Sabbath rest 9hebrews 4)
And quiet times besides still waters (Psalm 23:2),
Listening to the whispering affirmation and instruction from the Spirit of God.
When the going gets tough,
The tough hit their knees.
In fact, the Bible tells us that the ‘righteous run to Him and are safe [emphasis added]. (Proverbs 18:10).
When things in our lives seem out of control,
It’s at that time that we may not need to slow down;
On the contrary,
We may do better to speed up for a breakthrough!
DSR, July 30, 1998
186,000 miles per second.
The speed of light.
Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Hidden codes in the Bible.
Worm holes In outer space.
The miracle of the conception of Life.
“As the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thights.” (Isaiah 55:9 NIV).
Mysteries all of them, too wonderful for my puny brain to comprehend.
Take the speed of light – 186,000 miles per second.
Some speculate that just beyond this speed Time actually stops.
And perhaps this is the domain of God.
I don’t know.
I do know that life can be lived at such a frantic pace
That we can feel like we are traveling at the speed of light.
I’m reminded of a sermon illustration I once heard
That depicted the aviation exploration of flying faster than the speed of sound.
Test pilot Chuck Yeager was trying to be the first to break the sound barrier in an aircraft.
Attempt after attempt to push the aircraft to enough knots to burst through
Seemed only to vibrate the planes so bad
That the vehicles would literally begin coming apart at the seams.
Someone (humorously or insightfully) referred to it as,
“The demon that lurks at the speed of sound.”
But something interesting happened to Chuck Yeager
After he became the first man in American history
To tear through the atmosphere
And pierce the sound barrier.
He later reported that once he had passed the speed of sound
There That it was the smoothest flight of his life.
All the turbulence was now behind him.
Now here’s the point:
Maybe I’m the only one that feels sometimes like
Life is so busy, hectic and time-sensitive
That life’s turbulence is shaking me, vigorously testing me to see what stuff I’m made of.
I think that if I were to focus and concentrate on Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
Keep my mind stayed on Him,
Keep my nose in the Book,
That I would be able to tear through the atmosphere of busy-ness
(An archenemy of authentic Christianity)
And get lost in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
“Breaking through”
To peace (Isaiah 26:3),
Sabbath rest 9hebrews 4)
And quiet times besides still waters (Psalm 23:2),
Listening to the whispering affirmation and instruction from the Spirit of God.
When the going gets tough,
The tough hit their knees.
In fact, the Bible tells us that the ‘righteous run to Him and are safe [emphasis added]. (Proverbs 18:10).
When things in our lives seem out of control,
It’s at that time that we may not need to slow down;
On the contrary,
We may do better to speed up for a breakthrough!
DSR, July 30, 1998
Thursday, July 23, 1998
Stressed Out
by David Scott Robertson
We’ve probably all heard the term, “nervous breakdown”.
Apart from some clinical or physiological problem,
I’m not sure the Christian,
Particularly the Spirit-filled Christian,
Ever needs to go there.
We hear a great deal about stress these days.
And if hearing is not enough,
We experience it first-hand on a daily basis!
Factors of Life that can be stress generators will inevitably come.
But there is a “Sabbath rest” available for the man or woman of God (see Hebrews 4).
Predictably, it’s found in Jesus Christ.
I was e-mailing one of my very dear friends this morning,
And I lifted the following quote from my message to him concerning stress:
“It’s interesting, how being knee-deep in doing Kingdom work sometimes adds some stress. Do you know what I think? I think that I sometimes wear ‘my yoke’ instead of Christ’s yoke. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Whenever I am not walking in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3) then there can be no other conclusion except that I am not keeping my mind stayed on Him. When it’s God, it’s not necessarily trouble-free or sacrifice-free, but it can be worry-free (Philippians 4:6-7). Please pray for me. Monica and I are enjoining our faith and targeting our prayers, that I might be able to ‘enter His rest’. No matter how busy I am, I still want to enter into Christ’s rest in my heart and mind. Being a paramedic or fireman for Jesus (figuratively speaking) should not put such a yoke on the worker that it robs our joy.”
I want to be transparent this morning and confess to you
That I sometimes allow
The heavy “yoke of David” to supersede the light “yoke of Christ”.
That’s not very spiritual but that’s where I live sometimes.
Taken to its extreme,
“…and everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
I believe we’ve got to be careful of how far we permit our minds
To dwell on the stresses of Life in general.
Keeping our eyes trained on Jesus,
Trusting in His unfailing love (Proverbs 3:5-6),
Believing wholeheartedly that our steps are ordained by God (Psalm 36:23),
Embracing the fact that all things are working together for our good (Romans 8:28),
Walking in faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7),
Rejecting this world’s yoke and embracing the cross (Romans 12:2),
I think therein lies not only the battle but the victory as well (1 John 5:4).
Today, even today, let us enter into Sabbath rest.
DSR, July 23, 1998
We’ve probably all heard the term, “nervous breakdown”.
Apart from some clinical or physiological problem,
I’m not sure the Christian,
Particularly the Spirit-filled Christian,
Ever needs to go there.
We hear a great deal about stress these days.
And if hearing is not enough,
We experience it first-hand on a daily basis!
Factors of Life that can be stress generators will inevitably come.
But there is a “Sabbath rest” available for the man or woman of God (see Hebrews 4).
Predictably, it’s found in Jesus Christ.
I was e-mailing one of my very dear friends this morning,
And I lifted the following quote from my message to him concerning stress:
“It’s interesting, how being knee-deep in doing Kingdom work sometimes adds some stress. Do you know what I think? I think that I sometimes wear ‘my yoke’ instead of Christ’s yoke. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Whenever I am not walking in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3) then there can be no other conclusion except that I am not keeping my mind stayed on Him. When it’s God, it’s not necessarily trouble-free or sacrifice-free, but it can be worry-free (Philippians 4:6-7). Please pray for me. Monica and I are enjoining our faith and targeting our prayers, that I might be able to ‘enter His rest’. No matter how busy I am, I still want to enter into Christ’s rest in my heart and mind. Being a paramedic or fireman for Jesus (figuratively speaking) should not put such a yoke on the worker that it robs our joy.”
I want to be transparent this morning and confess to you
That I sometimes allow
The heavy “yoke of David” to supersede the light “yoke of Christ”.
That’s not very spiritual but that’s where I live sometimes.
Taken to its extreme,
“…and everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
I believe we’ve got to be careful of how far we permit our minds
To dwell on the stresses of Life in general.
Keeping our eyes trained on Jesus,
Trusting in His unfailing love (Proverbs 3:5-6),
Believing wholeheartedly that our steps are ordained by God (Psalm 36:23),
Embracing the fact that all things are working together for our good (Romans 8:28),
Walking in faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7),
Rejecting this world’s yoke and embracing the cross (Romans 12:2),
I think therein lies not only the battle but the victory as well (1 John 5:4).
Today, even today, let us enter into Sabbath rest.
DSR, July 23, 1998
Monday, July 20, 1998
Thirty Wise Sayings
by David Scott Robertson
“So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you. Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?” – Proverbs 22:19-21
Along Life’s narrow way there are many course corrections and adjustments to be made. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to work. The Bible talks about, “[continuing] to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). That’s what I’ve been doing today. (It’s raining hard and I’m feeling contemplative.)
I haven’t gotten it all figured out, but in meditating on my personal pilgrimage towards Christlikeness and trying to somehow gauge my progress… what follows is a list of thirty things I’ve come to believe and principles I’ve discovered to be true.
Many of you will recognize them because they are lifted right out of the Bible (which I hold to be infallible, inspired and inerrant), some are from preachers and teachers I’ve read and heard, some natural observations, and some really are original thoughts. Our lives are like a mosaic, a beautiful tapestry interwoven by many skilled fingers. Following are things that are shaping the person you know as David: -
30 WISE SAYINGS
1. The Bible is utterly right regardless of what you and I think.
2. Right is right, no matter who opposes it. Wrong is wrong, no matter who endorses it.
3. With God, all things are ally are possible.
4. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch; yard by yard, it’s hard.
5. The anything I’m doing is better than the nothing that I’ve done.
6. Many hands lighten the load, so discover the delight of delegation.
7. Never do ministry alone if you can help it.
8. The top 20% of your priorities will yield you 80% of your results.
9. Everything rises and falls on leadership.
10. I would rather pay the price of good communication than suffer the consequences of poor communication.
11. Consistency is the key,
12. Success is a journey – and there’s joy in the journey. It’s not all in the reaping, there’s plenty of joy in the sowing.
13. If you aim at nothing you will most certainly hit it. Written goals are important.
14. Don’t expect unless you inspect.
15. Every task needs a deadline.
16. If a project doesn’t make it to my calendar it won’t make it.
17. If usually doesn’t take much (time, energy, money) to please most people.
18. Success in Life doesn’t rise too high above doing the basics well.
19. God uses the most unlikely characters.
20. One person can make a difference.
21. There are advantages to adversity.
22. Failure is not final if you fail forward.
23. Mistakes are not always a waste of time and resources.
24. We can never go wrong when we put God first and people second (both ahead of yourself).
25. Beware of people who always respond to your question of ‘how are you doing?’ with ‘super fantastic!’
26. No-one has a monopoly on the truth.
27. Listening well is more important than speaking well.
28. Many, many worthwhile things are have been done by people who didn’t feel well at the time but did it anyway.
29. Take God more seriously and your self less so.
30. You can do more after you have prayed but you cannot do more until you have prayed.
“So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you. Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?” – Proverbs 22:19-21
Along Life’s narrow way there are many course corrections and adjustments to be made. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to work. The Bible talks about, “[continuing] to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). That’s what I’ve been doing today. (It’s raining hard and I’m feeling contemplative.)
I haven’t gotten it all figured out, but in meditating on my personal pilgrimage towards Christlikeness and trying to somehow gauge my progress… what follows is a list of thirty things I’ve come to believe and principles I’ve discovered to be true.
Many of you will recognize them because they are lifted right out of the Bible (which I hold to be infallible, inspired and inerrant), some are from preachers and teachers I’ve read and heard, some natural observations, and some really are original thoughts. Our lives are like a mosaic, a beautiful tapestry interwoven by many skilled fingers. Following are things that are shaping the person you know as David: -
30 WISE SAYINGS
1. The Bible is utterly right regardless of what you and I think.
2. Right is right, no matter who opposes it. Wrong is wrong, no matter who endorses it.
3. With God, all things are ally are possible.
4. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch; yard by yard, it’s hard.
5. The anything I’m doing is better than the nothing that I’ve done.
6. Many hands lighten the load, so discover the delight of delegation.
7. Never do ministry alone if you can help it.
8. The top 20% of your priorities will yield you 80% of your results.
9. Everything rises and falls on leadership.
10. I would rather pay the price of good communication than suffer the consequences of poor communication.
11. Consistency is the key,
12. Success is a journey – and there’s joy in the journey. It’s not all in the reaping, there’s plenty of joy in the sowing.
13. If you aim at nothing you will most certainly hit it. Written goals are important.
14. Don’t expect unless you inspect.
15. Every task needs a deadline.
16. If a project doesn’t make it to my calendar it won’t make it.
17. If usually doesn’t take much (time, energy, money) to please most people.
18. Success in Life doesn’t rise too high above doing the basics well.
19. God uses the most unlikely characters.
20. One person can make a difference.
21. There are advantages to adversity.
22. Failure is not final if you fail forward.
23. Mistakes are not always a waste of time and resources.
24. We can never go wrong when we put God first and people second (both ahead of yourself).
25. Beware of people who always respond to your question of ‘how are you doing?’ with ‘super fantastic!’
26. No-one has a monopoly on the truth.
27. Listening well is more important than speaking well.
28. Many, many worthwhile things are have been done by people who didn’t feel well at the time but did it anyway.
29. Take God more seriously and your self less so.
30. You can do more after you have prayed but you cannot do more until you have prayed.
Monday, July 13, 1998
Transformed by Fire
by David Scott Robertson
I was in the church yesterday
Basking in the presence of God during the praise & worship portion of the service –
You know how it is,
You close your eyes,
Raise your hands,
And proceed to get lost in the presence of the sweet Holy Ghost.
It was then that a word-picture came to my mind as we sang one of the worshipful choruses.
I forget the context of the song that led me to this thought,
But what I focused on was the progressive revelation of being ON FIRE FOR JESUS.
If I stay in the flame of Jesus long enough,
Eventually I will become RED-HOT.
I can pray effectual and fervent prayers that avail much.
Jesus preferred the church at Laodicea to be hot over cold, but either one was better than lukewarm.
But then I thought I wanted to go beyond being red-hot for Christ.
If you heat up metal long enough in the fire, it becomes WHITE-HOT.
This stage is even hotter than red-hot.
More dross is burned away and we draw closer to Christ
Having abandoned ourselves to the purifying effect of the Flame.
Finally, I desired to go beyond even white-hot.
I wanted to be MELTED in his presence into molten liquid.
The Bible declares in Psalm 75 (KHV) that:-
“The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth.”
Fifteen times in 14 verses the Bible uses the word “melt” to describe the transformation of a substance in the presence of the Lord.
You know, a piece o red-hot, white-hot metal can be in a rushing river and still stay unmoved.
But molten lava flows and moves and goes wherever the river takes it.
I want to be so pliable, movable, shapeable,
That I conform into the image of Christ,
That I flow with the moving of the Holy Spirit,
That I melt in the presence fo God like wax before a flame.
So my challenge today,
To myself and to you,
Is to ask, seek, and knock for the Lord to rearrange the atomic structure of our being,
And allow the Master Craftsman,
Abba Father Himself,
To lovingly pour us into His magnificent mold so that we conform to the image
Of His dear Son, Jesus Christ.
DSR, July 13, 1998
I was in the church yesterday
Basking in the presence of God during the praise & worship portion of the service –
You know how it is,
You close your eyes,
Raise your hands,
And proceed to get lost in the presence of the sweet Holy Ghost.
It was then that a word-picture came to my mind as we sang one of the worshipful choruses.
I forget the context of the song that led me to this thought,
But what I focused on was the progressive revelation of being ON FIRE FOR JESUS.
If I stay in the flame of Jesus long enough,
Eventually I will become RED-HOT.
I can pray effectual and fervent prayers that avail much.
Jesus preferred the church at Laodicea to be hot over cold, but either one was better than lukewarm.
But then I thought I wanted to go beyond being red-hot for Christ.
If you heat up metal long enough in the fire, it becomes WHITE-HOT.
This stage is even hotter than red-hot.
More dross is burned away and we draw closer to Christ
Having abandoned ourselves to the purifying effect of the Flame.
Finally, I desired to go beyond even white-hot.
I wanted to be MELTED in his presence into molten liquid.
The Bible declares in Psalm 75 (KHV) that:-
“The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth.”
Fifteen times in 14 verses the Bible uses the word “melt” to describe the transformation of a substance in the presence of the Lord.
You know, a piece o red-hot, white-hot metal can be in a rushing river and still stay unmoved.
But molten lava flows and moves and goes wherever the river takes it.
I want to be so pliable, movable, shapeable,
That I conform into the image of Christ,
That I flow with the moving of the Holy Spirit,
That I melt in the presence fo God like wax before a flame.
So my challenge today,
To myself and to you,
Is to ask, seek, and knock for the Lord to rearrange the atomic structure of our being,
And allow the Master Craftsman,
Abba Father Himself,
To lovingly pour us into His magnificent mold so that we conform to the image
Of His dear Son, Jesus Christ.
DSR, July 13, 1998
Monday, July 6, 1998
Most Blessed, Least Deserving
by David Scott Robertson
This is a saying that I heard a man say over ten years ago.
I have never forgotten what he said,
And have in fact adopted the statement as my own.
Talk about an impression point.
Not only does this go to show you that we influence others heavily with our words,
But the greater truth is the statement itself.
Could you, in your heart of hearts,
Honestly make this statement and mean it?
Do you consider yourself among all men (or women) most blessed and least deserving?
In a society that celebrates the Bill Gates wealth model of success,
Is there still room for celebration of simple pleasures?
I think so.
I believe in my heart that I have the most wonderful wife,
The best daughter,
The greatest spiritual leaders in the world.
I feel like I have the most awesome job.
I love my family.
I love my dog.
My car runs well.
Etc. And so forth.
Remember the hymn,
“Count your blessings / name them one by one”?
Try it.
On the occasion of honoring a pastor for a momentous anniversary at the church,
A wise, old man got up and made a remarkable comment to the congregation publicly.
He said, “I know that your pastor has done so much for you and means so much to you that you could not ever possibly thank him enough… Well, try.”
Try.
Go ahead and give it a shot.
I think we ought to try to thank the Lord
For what He has done,
For what we have,
And for the destiny that is ours ni Christ.
I think everyone has the God-given inalienable right
To think that they have the best spouse, children, friends, church and so on.
Life was not designed to be perfect
But our attitude towards it can filter the character-building lessons into
“Blessing after blessing keeps on following me…”
It all depends on how you look at it.
So, my view is that “an attitude of gratitude leads to longevity in Christ.”
I truly believe that I am among the men most blessed but least deserving.
And this in spite of the fact that I consider myself the “little toe” in the body of Christ.
If Jesus will do this for me –
The least of His children –
Consider what He will do for you.
DSR, July 6, 1998
This is a saying that I heard a man say over ten years ago.
I have never forgotten what he said,
And have in fact adopted the statement as my own.
Talk about an impression point.
Not only does this go to show you that we influence others heavily with our words,
But the greater truth is the statement itself.
Could you, in your heart of hearts,
Honestly make this statement and mean it?
Do you consider yourself among all men (or women) most blessed and least deserving?
In a society that celebrates the Bill Gates wealth model of success,
Is there still room for celebration of simple pleasures?
I think so.
I believe in my heart that I have the most wonderful wife,
The best daughter,
The greatest spiritual leaders in the world.
I feel like I have the most awesome job.
I love my family.
I love my dog.
My car runs well.
Etc. And so forth.
Remember the hymn,
“Count your blessings / name them one by one”?
Try it.
On the occasion of honoring a pastor for a momentous anniversary at the church,
A wise, old man got up and made a remarkable comment to the congregation publicly.
He said, “I know that your pastor has done so much for you and means so much to you that you could not ever possibly thank him enough… Well, try.”
Try.
Go ahead and give it a shot.
I think we ought to try to thank the Lord
For what He has done,
For what we have,
And for the destiny that is ours ni Christ.
I think everyone has the God-given inalienable right
To think that they have the best spouse, children, friends, church and so on.
Life was not designed to be perfect
But our attitude towards it can filter the character-building lessons into
“Blessing after blessing keeps on following me…”
It all depends on how you look at it.
So, my view is that “an attitude of gratitude leads to longevity in Christ.”
I truly believe that I am among the men most blessed but least deserving.
And this in spite of the fact that I consider myself the “little toe” in the body of Christ.
If Jesus will do this for me –
The least of His children –
Consider what He will do for you.
DSR, July 6, 1998
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
by David Scott Robertson
(Proverbs 9:1 NJV) Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
(Proverbs 9:1 KJV) Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.
There are many factors in Life that are beyond our control – our height (not our width!), the color of our eyes, our blood type, into what race we are born and where. These circumstances are outside the realm of our control.
There are, however, factors in our lives that are directly under our control. They are contingent upon our will. They are items which, I believe, we will be judged by at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
As the text suggests, wisdom has built her house on seven pillars. I would suggest that the bedrock and foundation of our faith is none other than the Lord Jesus Chris Himself. He is not only the cornerstone, the capstone, but He is the Rock Christ Jesus and he will be standing after the storm has passed.
But what about the seven pillars that sit squarely on this foundation? What could they be? What might they represent? Perhaps they could be likened to seven acts of our conscious will that we have direct control over…
1. Faithfulness
Only we determine how faithful we will be. We alone have the power to be faithful in stewardship, faithful in prayer, faithful in relationships, faithful in responsibilities. Jesus commends the “faithful” servant. The faithless have no share in the Tree of Life.
2. Obedience
To obey is better than sacrifice. God has this thing about obedience. With it, you will eat the best of the land. Without it, you will be swallowed up, your enemies will overtake you, and you will be the cause of your own destruction.
3. Humility
God instructs us to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up (James 4:10). Humility brings wealth and honor and life (Proverbs 22:4). Humility lines the pathway to greatness. Jesus Himself came as a humble man to serve and not be served; to save and not condemn (Mark 10:45; John 3:17). The Father places a great deal of emphasis on humbling yourself because of His exceeding hatred of pride.
4. Gratitude
An attitude of gratitude leads to longevity in Christ. The Holy Spirit chose to include a story in the sacred text about ten lepers who were healed and only one healed ex-leper returned to give thanks, and he a foreigner (Luke 17:12-16). Our children are wonderful working models of gratitude linked to more grace granted by a parent when they display an attitude of gratitude.
5. Attitude
Dr. John Maxwell says that, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Although this is not scripture, it is scriptural. How many times have we seen our own attitude do us in? How effective is a negative, pessimistic attitude in spreading the gospel? Most people, given the choice, would rather be around a positive, upbeat, joyful person than a person who looks like they were baptized in pickle juice.
6. Love
God is love. It all begins and ends there. Jesus essentially reduced the ten commandments down to two main ones – love God and love one another. Greater love hath no man than this, than he lay down his life for his friend (John 15:13). In this final analysis, only three things remain – faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). And guess what God says is the greatest?
7. Hunger
Perhaps “hunger” seems like an unusual pillar of wisdom, but hunger is critical. The prophet asked the Lord for two things: neither riches, or he might be swelled with pride and think that he didn’t need God; nor poverty, lest he steal and so defame the name of the Lord (Proverbs 30:7-10). Proverbs goes on to say that hunger works for you, it keeps a worker motivated (Proverbs 16:26). Jesus said that those are blessed who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Without hunger the Christian and non-Christian are in trouble. When we lose our appetite, either for physical food or spiritual things, it is an indicator that something is wrong. Hunger for God is important.
These are the seven pillars of wisdom that I see that you and I have direct control over. Many things are out of our hands. But I believe that as free moral agents created in God’s image, having the knowledge of good and evil, we can make choices that either glorify Christ or deify man/ourselves.
DSR, July 9, 1998
(Proverbs 9:1 NJV) Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
(Proverbs 9:1 KJV) Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.
There are many factors in Life that are beyond our control – our height (not our width!), the color of our eyes, our blood type, into what race we are born and where. These circumstances are outside the realm of our control.
There are, however, factors in our lives that are directly under our control. They are contingent upon our will. They are items which, I believe, we will be judged by at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
As the text suggests, wisdom has built her house on seven pillars. I would suggest that the bedrock and foundation of our faith is none other than the Lord Jesus Chris Himself. He is not only the cornerstone, the capstone, but He is the Rock Christ Jesus and he will be standing after the storm has passed.
But what about the seven pillars that sit squarely on this foundation? What could they be? What might they represent? Perhaps they could be likened to seven acts of our conscious will that we have direct control over…
1. Faithfulness
Only we determine how faithful we will be. We alone have the power to be faithful in stewardship, faithful in prayer, faithful in relationships, faithful in responsibilities. Jesus commends the “faithful” servant. The faithless have no share in the Tree of Life.
2. Obedience
To obey is better than sacrifice. God has this thing about obedience. With it, you will eat the best of the land. Without it, you will be swallowed up, your enemies will overtake you, and you will be the cause of your own destruction.
3. Humility
God instructs us to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up (James 4:10). Humility brings wealth and honor and life (Proverbs 22:4). Humility lines the pathway to greatness. Jesus Himself came as a humble man to serve and not be served; to save and not condemn (Mark 10:45; John 3:17). The Father places a great deal of emphasis on humbling yourself because of His exceeding hatred of pride.
4. Gratitude
An attitude of gratitude leads to longevity in Christ. The Holy Spirit chose to include a story in the sacred text about ten lepers who were healed and only one healed ex-leper returned to give thanks, and he a foreigner (Luke 17:12-16). Our children are wonderful working models of gratitude linked to more grace granted by a parent when they display an attitude of gratitude.
5. Attitude
Dr. John Maxwell says that, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Although this is not scripture, it is scriptural. How many times have we seen our own attitude do us in? How effective is a negative, pessimistic attitude in spreading the gospel? Most people, given the choice, would rather be around a positive, upbeat, joyful person than a person who looks like they were baptized in pickle juice.
6. Love
God is love. It all begins and ends there. Jesus essentially reduced the ten commandments down to two main ones – love God and love one another. Greater love hath no man than this, than he lay down his life for his friend (John 15:13). In this final analysis, only three things remain – faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). And guess what God says is the greatest?
7. Hunger
Perhaps “hunger” seems like an unusual pillar of wisdom, but hunger is critical. The prophet asked the Lord for two things: neither riches, or he might be swelled with pride and think that he didn’t need God; nor poverty, lest he steal and so defame the name of the Lord (Proverbs 30:7-10). Proverbs goes on to say that hunger works for you, it keeps a worker motivated (Proverbs 16:26). Jesus said that those are blessed who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Without hunger the Christian and non-Christian are in trouble. When we lose our appetite, either for physical food or spiritual things, it is an indicator that something is wrong. Hunger for God is important.
These are the seven pillars of wisdom that I see that you and I have direct control over. Many things are out of our hands. But I believe that as free moral agents created in God’s image, having the knowledge of good and evil, we can make choices that either glorify Christ or deify man/ourselves.
DSR, July 9, 1998
Thursday, July 2, 1998
The Quest
by David Scott Robertson
What is your “Quest” in Life?
Do you have a personal mission statement?
What is the prime directive of your reason for being?
What’s the object of your life?
Do you know your purpose and your highest goal?
What if the Lord were to appear to you in a dream, just as He did to Solomon,
And offer you anything you wanted?
Can you imagine a blank check from God with His signature on it?
I have meditated on this thought many times,
And every single time, I came back to what I would ask the Lord for.
I call it, “The Quest”.
On my mirror in the bathroom I have Scotch-taped a 4” by 6” postcard
With a logo imprinted on it that says The Quest.
Whenever I swim at the YMCA,
I usually review each point of The Quest.
I have typed this up, framed it, and it hangs on my wall in my home.
Whenever I am facing major decisions and choices in life,
I evaluate it in light of The Quest.
Will it advance my cause or detract from it?
Following is The Quest of myt life:-
1. Righteousness
2. Wisdom
3. Dominion over my tongue
4. Dominion over my flesh
5. Evangelization of the lost in every conceivable way at every available opportunity
6. Prayer without ceasing through Pause – Pray – Obey (Nehemiah 2)
7. Perfect submission – total obedience – maximum fruit
8. Return to my First Love and my first works
9. Rediscover the joy of my salvation and experience spiritual strength through joy
10. Complete faith in God
11. Become a true worshipper of God and worship God in spirit and in truth
12. Walk in unconditional love (agape)
13. Develop a thorough knowledge and application of the Word of God
Well, there you have it.
For about 10 years this has been the passionate, concentrated focus of my life.
For me, it all boils down to The Quest.
What’s your “quest in Life”?
I think every Christian ought to have one, write it down, memorize it, share it with others,
And believe God for it.
After all, if God be your partner, make your plans BIG!
DSR, July 2, 1998
What is your “Quest” in Life?
Do you have a personal mission statement?
What is the prime directive of your reason for being?
What’s the object of your life?
Do you know your purpose and your highest goal?
What if the Lord were to appear to you in a dream, just as He did to Solomon,
And offer you anything you wanted?
Can you imagine a blank check from God with His signature on it?
I have meditated on this thought many times,
And every single time, I came back to what I would ask the Lord for.
I call it, “The Quest”.
On my mirror in the bathroom I have Scotch-taped a 4” by 6” postcard
With a logo imprinted on it that says The Quest.
Whenever I swim at the YMCA,
I usually review each point of The Quest.
I have typed this up, framed it, and it hangs on my wall in my home.
Whenever I am facing major decisions and choices in life,
I evaluate it in light of The Quest.
Will it advance my cause or detract from it?
Following is The Quest of myt life:-
1. Righteousness
2. Wisdom
3. Dominion over my tongue
4. Dominion over my flesh
5. Evangelization of the lost in every conceivable way at every available opportunity
6. Prayer without ceasing through Pause – Pray – Obey (Nehemiah 2)
7. Perfect submission – total obedience – maximum fruit
8. Return to my First Love and my first works
9. Rediscover the joy of my salvation and experience spiritual strength through joy
10. Complete faith in God
11. Become a true worshipper of God and worship God in spirit and in truth
12. Walk in unconditional love (agape)
13. Develop a thorough knowledge and application of the Word of God
Well, there you have it.
For about 10 years this has been the passionate, concentrated focus of my life.
For me, it all boils down to The Quest.
What’s your “quest in Life”?
I think every Christian ought to have one, write it down, memorize it, share it with others,
And believe God for it.
After all, if God be your partner, make your plans BIG!
DSR, July 2, 1998
Saturday, May 16, 1987
The Magnitude of God
By David Scott Robertson
* * BLAST FROM THE PAST - WRITTEN MAY 16, 1987 * * *
As I was seated outside in the wee hours of the morning in quiet meditation and prayer, an interesting thing happened…
While I was pondering the things of God, a tiny insect, a gnat, landed on my leg. I looked at it and thought to myself how easy it would be to reach down and squish the gnat between my fingers, instantly snuffing its little life out.
Think about it, one moment, the bug is alive, in the next, instant obliteration. In less than one second, the tiny creature would go from being a mature bug with reproductive capability to being utterly non-existent, gone without a trace.
It was at that split second that God dropped the thought into my spirit that this was precisely the way it is with human beings, too.
God is so big and we are so small. If He wanted to, God could instantly, effortlessly, snuff out our lives with a word from His mouth. In less than one second, we could go from being a mature man or woman with reproductive capability to being utterly non-existent, gone without a trace, all at the word of the Lord.
We are completely helpless and at His mercy. The fact of the matter is that God so loved the world that He actually condescended to become one of us to save us from certain destruction and eternal separation from Him.
It's like you or me becoming a gnat just so we could communicate the truth to them in their language and on their level of understanding.
For God to attribute that much worth to the human race is astonishing to me. God is so incredibly big, His intellect is boundless, His creativity surpasses all understanding, His knowledge is limitless, and His mercy endures forever.
The magnitude of God cannot be measured by earthly instruments nor comprehended by finite minds such as ours. His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence defy all attempts to grasp them, yet God can be understood in one word - love - and experienced in another - obedience.
DSR
5/16/87
* * BLAST FROM THE PAST - WRITTEN MAY 16, 1987 * * *
As I was seated outside in the wee hours of the morning in quiet meditation and prayer, an interesting thing happened…
While I was pondering the things of God, a tiny insect, a gnat, landed on my leg. I looked at it and thought to myself how easy it would be to reach down and squish the gnat between my fingers, instantly snuffing its little life out.
Think about it, one moment, the bug is alive, in the next, instant obliteration. In less than one second, the tiny creature would go from being a mature bug with reproductive capability to being utterly non-existent, gone without a trace.
It was at that split second that God dropped the thought into my spirit that this was precisely the way it is with human beings, too.
God is so big and we are so small. If He wanted to, God could instantly, effortlessly, snuff out our lives with a word from His mouth. In less than one second, we could go from being a mature man or woman with reproductive capability to being utterly non-existent, gone without a trace, all at the word of the Lord.
We are completely helpless and at His mercy. The fact of the matter is that God so loved the world that He actually condescended to become one of us to save us from certain destruction and eternal separation from Him.
It's like you or me becoming a gnat just so we could communicate the truth to them in their language and on their level of understanding.
For God to attribute that much worth to the human race is astonishing to me. God is so incredibly big, His intellect is boundless, His creativity surpasses all understanding, His knowledge is limitless, and His mercy endures forever.
The magnitude of God cannot be measured by earthly instruments nor comprehended by finite minds such as ours. His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence defy all attempts to grasp them, yet God can be understood in one word - love - and experienced in another - obedience.
DSR
5/16/87
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