Our only legitimate goal

     If we are not our own, but the Lord's, it is clear to what purpose all 

our deeds must be directed.  We are not our own, therefore neither our 

reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions.  We are 

not our own, therefore we should not seek what is only expedient to the 

flesh.  We are not our own, therefore let us forget ourselves and our own 

interests as fast as possible.

     We are God's own; to him, therefore, let us live and die.  We are God's 

own; therefore, let his wisdom and will dominate all our actions.  We 

are god's own; therefore let every part of our existence be directed 

towards him as our only legitimate goals.

     Oh, how greatly we have advanced when we have learned not to be 

our own, not to be governed by our own reason, but to surrender our 

minds to God!  The most effective poison to lead us to ruin is to boast 

in ourselves, in our own wisdom and will power.  The only escape to 

safety is simply to follow the guidance of the Lord.

     Our first step should be to take leave of ourselves and to apply all 

of our powers to the service of the Lord.  The service of the Lord does

not only include implicit obedience, but also a willingness to put aside 

our sinful desires to surrender completely to the leadership of the 

Holy Spirit.

     The transformation of our lives by the Holy Spirit, which St. 

Paul calls the renewal of the mind, is  the real beginning of life but 

foreign to pagan philosophers.  The philosophers set up reason as 

the sole guide of life, of wisdom and conduct.  but Christian 

philosophy demands of us that we surrender our reason to the Holy 

Spirit.  This means that we no longer live of ourselves, but that 

Christ lives and reigns within us (Eph. 4:23; Gal. 2:20)

                     John Calvin, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life

Who is John Calvin?  Calvin, 1509-1564, a theologian and reformer, 

was French by birth, but most of his productive years were in 

Geneva, Switzerland.  He was an early and prominent influence 

during the Protestant Reformation through his biblical 

commentaries, sermons, theological tracts.  He is regarded as the 

forefather of Presbyterianism.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Fasting from Criticalness

The Lord continues to deal with me about m critical spirit, convicting 

me that I have been wrong to judge any person or situation:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge 

others, you will be judeged, and with the measure you use, it will be 

measured to you.  (Matt 7:1-2; NIV)

One morning last week He gave me an assignment: for one day I was 

to go on a "fast" from criticism.  I was not to criticize anybody about 

anything.

Into my mind crowded all the usual objections.  "But then what happens 

to value judgments?  You Yourself, Lord, spoke of 'righteous judgement.'  

How could society operate without standards and limits?"

All such resistance was brushed aside.  "Just obey Me without question-

ing:  an absolute fast on any critical statements for this day."

As I pondered this assignment, I realized there was an even humorous 

side to this kind of fast.  What did the Lord want to show me?

The experiment

For the first half of the day, I simply felt a void, almost as if I had been 

wiped out as a person.  This was especially true at lunch with my 

husand, Len, my mother, son Jeff, and my secretary Jeannie Sevigny, 

present.  Several topics came up (school prayer, abortion, the ERA 

amendment) about which I had definite opinions.  I listened to the 

others and kept silent.  Barbed comments on the tip of my tongue 

about certain world leaders were suppressed.  In our talkative family 

no one seemed to notice.

Bemused, I noticed that my comments were not missed.  The federal 

government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could 

apparently  get along fine without my penetrating observations.  But still 

I didn't see what this fast on criticism was accomplishing--until 

mid-afternoon.

For several years, I had been praying for on talented young man whose 

life had gotten sidetracked.  Perhaps my prayers for him had been too 

negative.  That afternoon, a specific, positive vision for my life was 

dropped into my mind with God's unmistakable hallmark on it--joy.

Ideas began to flow in a way I had not experienced in years.  Now it was 

apparent what the Lord wanted me to see.  My critical nature had not 

corrected a single one of the multitudinous things I found fault with.  

What it had done was to stifle my own creativity--in prayer, in 

relationship, perhaps even in writing--ideas that He wanted to give me.

Last Sunday night in a Bible study group, I told of my Day's Fast 

experiment.  The response was startling.  Many admitted that 

criticalness was the chief problem in their offices, or in their marriages, 

or with their teenage children.

                                                                Catherine Marshall, A Closer Walk

Who is Catherine Marshall?  Catherine Marshall was the wife of famed, 

Presbyterian minister and preacher, Peter Marshall.  She came into the 

public after his death when she published a memoir about him, 

A Man Called Peter.  Catherine went onto write a large number of 

books and eventually became a publisher.  She lived from 1914 to 1983.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

God's Instrument

     No Christian should ever think or say that he is not fit to be God's 

instrument, for that in fact is what it means to be a Christian.  We may 

be humble about many things, but we may never decline to be used.  

John the Baptist told the people by the river Jordan, "I baptize you 

with water, for repentance, but the one who comes after me is mightier 

than I, and I am not fit to take off his shoes."  Then Jesus himself came 

to be baptized by him, and John tried to dissuade him, saying to him, 

"Do you come to me?  I need rather to be baptized by you."  Jesus 

replied, "Let it be so for the present; we do well to conform in this 

way with all that God requires."  So John baptized him whose shoes he 

was not fit to take off.

     The gospel is full of reassurances to us, some of them startling.  You 

are salt to the world!  You are light to all the world!  Even the hairs of  

your head have all been counted!  These words were exciting to those 

who heard them.  Things might be dark but they were to be the light of 

the world.  They were given a new sense of their value as persons.  

Especially was this true of women.  One can hardly describe the joy of 

the first disciples, who were given by Jesus such a sense of their 

significance in the world.  This same sense of significance has been 

given again and again to other people by disciples of Jesus.  Of these 

none was greater than Fancis of Assisi.  He might well have prayed:

 

     To those who have lost their way, let me restore it to them.

     To those who are aimless, let me bring purpose.

     To those who do not know who they are, let me teach them that they 

     are the children of God and can be used as His instruments in the 

     never-ending work of healing and redemption.

There are therefore two things for us to do.  The first is never to 

doubt that God can use us if we are willing to be used, no matter what 

our weaknesses.  The second is to see that God can use any other person 

who is willing to be used, whatever his weaknesses, and if need be, to 

assure him of this truth."

                                                         Alan Paton, Instrument of Thy Peace

Who is Alan Paton?  Alan Stewart Paton was an anglican priest educated 

at the University of Natal in South Africa.  He was an outspoken 

opponent of apartheid, and perhaps best know for his novel Cry, the 

Beloved Country.  He also wrote a series of meditations inspired by 

St. Francis of Assisi's familiar prayer on being an instrument of God's 

peace.  Paton lived from 1903 to 1988.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Holy Fellowship with Jesus

     But even if our conduct and conversation were more consistent with 

our faith, I would still have this third charge against us:  there is too 

little real communion with Jesus Christ.  If, by the grace of God, our 

conduct and conversation were consistent and our lives were 

unblemished, many of us are still sorely lacking in that area we call holy 

fellowship with Jesus.

     Men and women, let me ask you, How long has it been since you have 

had an intimate conversation with Jesus Christ?  Some of you may be 

able to say, "It was only this morning that I last spoke with him; I beheld 

his face with joy."  But I fear that the great majority of you will have to 

say, "It has been months since I have been with the Lord."

     What have you been doing with your life?  Is Christ living in your 

home and yet you have not spoken to him for months?  Do not let me 

condemn you or judge; only let your conscience speak:  Have we not all 

lived too much without Jesus?  Have we not grown contented with the 

world to the neglect of Christ?

Charles Spurgeon, Spiritual Revival, the Need of the Church (audio cd)

Who is Charles Spurgeon? Spurgeon was a baptist preacher in England

who lived from 1834 to 1892. He was an amazing preacher that is often

referred to as the "prince of preachers." He also founded a pastor's

college, an orphanage, and an institution to promote literacy.

Spurgeon was a strong Calvinist whose preaching often caused much

controversy.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Conduct and conversation

     In the first place, look at the conduct and conversation of too many

of us who profess to be children of God.

     It has become very popular to join the Church in our day. Many

people have recently joined the Church in our country. But are there

any fewer cheats than there used to be? Are there less frauds

committed? Do we find morality more extensive? Do we find vice

coming to an end? No, we do not. Our age is as immoral as any that

preceded it. There is still as much sin, though perhaps it is more cloaked

and hidden.

     It is well known that it is no guarantee of a man's honesty that he is

a member of the Church. The lives of too many of the men and women

of the Church give the world cause to wonder if there is godliness in any

of us. We reach after money, we cover, we follow the wicked ways of

this world, we oppress the poor and deny rights to the working class--

and yet we profess to be people of God! The Church lacks revival in the

lives of its members.

     Second, let us take a look at the conversation of many professing

Christians. Pay attention to the conversation of the average professing

Christian. You might spend from the first of January to the end of

December and never hear them speak about their faith. They will

scarcely even mention the name of Jesus Christ at all. On Sunday

afternoon what will they talk about at the dinner table? It will not

be about the minister's sermon, unless they want to point out some

faults.

     Do they ever talk about what Jesus said and did? What he suffered

for us? When we go to each other's houses, what will we talk about?

I have concluded this: you will not know how to get to heaven simply

by eavesdropping on the conversations of the members of the Church!

We talk too little about our Lord. Is this not the truth? Many of us

need to pray, "O Lord, revive your work in my soul, that my conver-

sation may be more Christ-like, seasoned with salt, and kept by the

Holy Spirit."

Charles Spurgeon, Spiritual Revival, the Need of the Church (audio cd)

Who is Charles Spurgeon? Spurgeon was a baptist preacher in England

who lived from 1834 to 1892. He was an amazing preacher that is often

referred to as the "prince of preachers." He also founded a pastor's

college, an orphanage, and an institution to promote literacy.

Spurgeon was a strong Calvinist whose preaching often caused much

controversy.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Temptations

     There is a vast difference between being tempted and yielding to it.  

And yet, if I know in advance that certain places will tempt me and I go 

there anyway, I am guilty of each temptation that comes my way.

     The way to deal with temptations is to look away from them and at 

the Lord.  if you are still subject to them, continue to resist.  There is 

no sin as long as you say no.

     For every great temptation there will be many small ones.  Wolves 

and bears are more dangerous than flies, but we are bothered most by 

the latter.  You may never murder anyone, but you will certainly 

become angry.  You may avoid adultery, but it is not easy to control 

your eyes.  You may never steal anything from your neighbor but you 

may covet it.

     Let these flies and gnats buzz around you.  Instead of fighting with 

them, do the very opposite of what the temptation is suggesting.  For 

instance, if you are tempted to be vain, think about the troubles of 

others.  If you are greedy, remember how death will take it all away 

from you, and then go give something away or pass up a profit.  Make 

the effort and you will be hardened against future temptations.

                                   Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life

Who is Francis de Sales? Saint Francis de Sales, August 21, 1567-

December 28, 1622, was Bishop of Geneva and a Roman Catholic saint. 

As an accomplished preacher he sought to bring Protestants back to 

Catholicism. He is mostly known for his writings on spiritual formation.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.

Obedience, the golden rule of spiritual undestanding

     The golden rule of understanding spiritually is not intellect, but

 obedience.  If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity

 is his guide; but if he wants insights into what Jesus Christ teaches, 

he can only get it by obedience.  If things are dark to me, then I may be 

sure there is something I will not do.  Intellectual darkness comes 

through ignorance;  spiritual darkness comes because of something I do 

not intend to obey.

     No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put 

to the test by it.  We disobey and then wonder why we don't go on 

spiritually.  "If when you come to the altar," said Jesus, "there you 

remember your brother hath ought against you... don't say another 

word to Me, but first go and put that thing right."  The teaching of Jesus 

hits us where we live.  We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one 

second.  He educates us down to the scruple.  The Spirit of God unearths 

the spirit of self-vindication; he makes us sensitive to things we never 

thought of before.

     When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don't shirk it.  If you 

do, you will become a religious humbug.  Watch the things you shrug 

your shoulders over, and you will know how you do not go on 

spiritually.  First go---at the risk of being thought fanatical you must 

obey what God tells you.

                                    Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Who is Oswald Chambers?  Chambers, born July 24th, 1874 in 

Aberdeen, Scotland, died November 15th 1917 in Egypt, became a 

Christian following a service conducted by renowned preacher, 

Charles Spurgeon.  We was Scottish Protestant Christian minister 

and teacher, best known as the author of the widely-read 

devotional My Utmost For His Highest.

To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.

To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.