Category Archives: Christian Life

FOUNDATION STONES – 5

Christian Life, ,

SHARE GOD’S SECRETS

Psalms 25:14 NIV
[14] “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.”

The Hebrew word “sod”, translated “confides” or “secret”, conveys the idea of intimacy which flows from close association. God shares the deep meaning of His covenant, not with casual observers but with those who honour and revere Him to the extent that they share His heart for what He loves and what pleases Him.

When we speak about foundation stones, we are referring to those values we hold to that are the solid rock on which we build our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. To fear the Lord is to adopt a lifestyle that honours, trusts, and obeys God as a priority. God says that it’s this attitude that opens our hearts to the closest possible connection with Him.

David prayed…

Psalms 86:11 NIV
[11] “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may (walk in your truth) rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

The Hebrew word, “halak” means “to come, go, or walk” depending on the context.

What is David asking of God? His desire is to align his life with God’s ways…His nature and what flows from it, so that his life is pointed in the direction of His will rather than flip-flopping between trying to please God and himself at the same time.

God hates a divided heart. He calls it “lukewarm”. He refuses to answer those who are divided between themselves and Him. Lukewarmness makes Him sick.

James 1:5-8 NIV
[5] “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [6] But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. [7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

How important it is that we build our lives on the determination to do God’s will in His way that refuses to
give in to self, no matter what the cost. When we choose to “walk” with God in His way, not ours, He opens His heart to us and reveals more about Himself and His covenant than we can ever imagine.

A heart that is passionate for Him and His Word is the way to intimacy.

As Isaiah wrote…

Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV
[5] “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. [6] He will be the sure foundation for your times (i.e., “season”, the times in which you live), a rich store of salvation, and wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit, whom He would send from the Father after His return to heaven, would teach them truths about Himself and what He will do in the future that is only for those who faithfully follow Him…disciples, not freeloaders.

John 16:13-15 NIV
[13] “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. [14] He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Intimacy with Jesus, union with Him that we maintain by trust and obedience, is the way to “know” God through revelation of His ways.

Outside of this intimate union with the Lord, we are still vulnerable to the uncertainties that we face. We have no real assurance of God’s sovereignty in our lives. We are influenced more by our circumstances than by our commitment to Jesus as Lord. Whatever we build on the foundation we choose will determine whether, in the end, we stand on solid truth or fall for the latest fad or fancy. God leaves that choice to us.

FOUNDATION STONES – 4

Christian Life, ,

FEAR THE LORD

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
[10] “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”

Here’s a huge, solid stone on which to build a life. From cover to cover, the Bible teaches us to fear the Lord, the key to every other blessing in this life and the life to come.

Just as “a-b-c” is the foundation of all language, and language is the most important part of communication, so the fear of the Lord is the essence and source of all the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that we can acquire only through Him.

No child will ever learn to read and write without knowing the alphabet. No child of God will ever learn to know and trust God without the fear of the Lord.

What is the fear of the Lord?

My definition of the fear of the Lord is basic and simple…to fear the Lord is to take Him seriously because of who He is.

Although there is much more to the fear of the Lord than my simple definition, my definition helps me to keep the fear of the Lord in focus when I interact with Him.

Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV
[5] “The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. [6] He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

How easy it is to ignore or dismiss God, who He is and what He says, in a secular environment where we are driven and directed by our senses and our selfish nature. Most of the world does this…treats the Lord as though He doesn’t exist. Their neglect lies at the base of the world’s wickedness. The Apostle Paul concludes that the whole human race is guilty of gross sin…

Romans 3:10-18 NIV
[10] “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; [11] there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. [12] All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” [13] “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” [14] “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” [15] “Their feet are swift to shed blood; [16] ruin and misery mark their ways, [17] and the way of peace they do not know.”

And diagnoses the cause…

[18] “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

When we fear the Lord, when we hold Him in highest reverence, awe, and honour, when we listen to Him and take Him seriously, the door swings wide open to a multiplicity of blessings and benefits. God’s promises, built on His unfailing faithfulness, provide the hope that steadies and steers us through all the ups and downs of a turbulent life on this fallen planet until we reach the safe haven of His eternal presence.

The fear of the Lord exposes us, first, to God’s mercy without which we are doomed from birth.

Before we can ever connect with a heavenly Father, we need mercy. God’s mercy, is His “chesed”, an untranslatable Hebrew word that encompasses the vast, indescribable, covenant love of God. He saw our lost condition. He planned and executed a just solution at His own expense. He sacrificed His own Son to a cruel and humiliating death, and He welcomes us back into His favour because of His “chesed”.

How immeasurable is His mercy?

Psalms 103:9-12 NIV
[9] “He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; [10] he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. [11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love (chesed) for those WHO FEAR HIM; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Who are the ones who receive this mercy?

“… so great is his love FOR THOSE WHO FEAR HIM… “

God’s mercy, reserved for those who fear Him, opens the door to everything we receive from Him in this great salvation.

Second, the fear of the Lord calls us to respond in faith and obedience. Once we have received God’s mercy and, since He is holy, He requires us to hate and distance ourselves from sin as much as He does.

Proverbs 8:10-13 NLT
[10] “Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. [11] For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. [12] “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. [13] All who FEAR THE LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”

Listen to David’s wise counsel…

Psalms 34:11-14 NLT
[11]”Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. [12] Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? [13] Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! [14] Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”

In essence, we show our fear of the Lord by the way we speak and act.

The Bible has much more to say about the fear of the Lord that brings us into close contact with Him, opens us to His mercy and favour for ourselves and our descendants, and guides us through the maze of tests and temptations to our desired eternal destiny.

Without the fear of the Lord, we have no solid foundation on which to build our lives, and no support for the superstructure of thoughts, decisions, and actions that we build on our foundation. However, guided by a commitment to take God seriously because we honour Him for who He is, we can be absolutely sure that He will honour that commitment by His utter faithfulness to Himself and His Word.

Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [7] Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. [8] Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”

FOUNDATION STONES – 3

Christian Life, ,

WATCH YOUR TONGUE

Proverbs 18:21 NIV
[21] “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

The next stone to build into our foundation for a healthy life is the “stone” of what we say. Jesus told us that the mouth is the opening from which what is in our hearts flows.

Luke 6:45 NLT
[45] “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

This shows us how closely our hearts and mouths are connected.

There are serious consequences for good or evil that come from what we say. Proverbs 18 highlights the end result of our words…life or death! How often a cruel or thoughtless word can damage a child’s life to the end of his days. Words like, “You can do better,” “You’ll never amount to anything,” or “Why are you so stupid?” can kill a child’s heart and drag him down to self-destruction.

James warns God’s people about the problem of a polluted heart.

James 1:26 NLT
[26] “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.”

He has harsh words for those who claim to be believers but can’t or don’t control their tongues.

James 3:2, 4-12 NLT
[2] “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way…
[4] And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. [5] In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. [6] And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. [7] People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, [8] but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. [9] Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. [10] And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! [11] Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? [12] Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”

Our tongues, then, are the fountainhead of what is in our hearts. If good and evil flow from the same mouth, be sure that the heart is evil and the good that comes from it is polluted.

David gives us sound advice.

Psalms 34:12-13 NLT
[12] “Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? [13] Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!”

First, then, as I have already written, is the importance of filling our hearts with the truth of God’s pure Word. We also know that we have the potential to speak evil things because we still have our old nature inside us which demands attention and influences us to speak what it thinks without considering the consequences.

To guard our lips, then, is to think first and then speak, disciplining our hearts to release the truth that is in us rather than the first thing that comes into our heads.

Isaiah 12 has a wonderful prescription for releasing the water from a pure fountain.

Isaiah 12:3-6 NLT
[3] “With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! [4] In that wonderful day you will sing: “THANK the Lord! PRAISE his name! TELL the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! [5] SING to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. [6] Let all the people of Jerusalem SHOUT his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

Here’s the cure for a polluted heart. Drink deeply from the wells of salvation. Then thank, praise, tell, sing, and shout what the Lord has done.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
[18] “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

FOUNDATION STONES – 2

Christian Life,

GUARD YOUR HEART

If “the fear of the Lord” is the cornerstone, then “guard your heart” is the first stone on which to build the foundation of our lives.

Our physical heart is the organ that keeps us alive. When our hearts stop, we stop. To live in our physical bodies, we need healthy hearts to drive all our other systems.

Likewise, we need healthy spiritual hearts to drive every other part of who we are… our thinking, choosing, and doing, to keep us spiritually alive. A diseased heart will lead to a diseased life. A diseased life will end in spiritual death, and no one wants to go there!

Proverbs 4:23 NLT
[23] “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

What does the Bible mean by “heart”? What is the counterpart of our physical heart our heart, if it doesn’t refer to the pump that keeps our bodies alive?

The “heart” is difficult to define. Your heart is the real you… your core, your innermost being, your spirit and soul, what you think, what you believe, what you value, who or what you worship, what drives you… all rolled into one. Everything you are, think, and do, flows from your heart.

This makes the heart the vital centre and hub of your being. Just as you must choose what you put into your body to protect your heart if you are to live a long and healthy life so, too, you must guard your inner being from the spiritual diseases that will infect your choices and actions and which will lead to death if you allow your sin-diseased heart to be in charge.

How can we protect our hearts and keep them healthy? Just as we protect our homes by standards of cleanliness and order and by building a fence around our property, so we make our “inside” strong by maintaining truth and integrity and by putting a boundary around our hearts to keep intruders out.

Our first step towards guarding our hearts is to fill our hearts with truth. We are all, unfortunately, born with diseased hearts. Rebellion against God is in our genes. We need a drastic change to turn around and go God’s way.

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
[9] “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”

God’s remedy for an incurably diseased heart is a heart transplant. He doesn’t apply medicine to fix our rebellious disposition. He puts a new heart inside of us.

Ezekiel 36:26 NLT
[26]”And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”

By His grace, the Father made this heart transplant possible by giving His Son to die for our sin in our place. He raised us from spiritual death and changed our hearts from rebel to son.

However, He has also given us the responsibility to maintain our new hearts, first, by feeding them with truth.

Romans 12:2 NLT
[2] “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Since our minds are the entry point through which we feed and maintain the health of our new hearts, what we think will determine the way we function. What we believe is built from what we think, what we value, and what we choose. What we believe determines our desires and our destiny. Our new hearts will want to do God’s will which, for each one of us, is “good, acceptable, and perfect.”

From where can we source truth to steer our lives towards our goal of doing God’s perfect will?

John 17:17 NLT
[17] “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”

So, the Bible doesn’t only tell us to guard our hearts. It also tells us HOW to guard our hearts by what we pit in and what we keep out.

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT
[8] “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [9] Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

All of the above are found within the covers of God’s book. The Bible is the best and only text book for living the life that our new hearts demand.

Together with the Word, we are privileged to have its author resident in us. The Holy Spirit is both author and interpreter of the truth which will guide our thinking, believing, and doing throughout our lives.

John 16:13-14 NLT
[13] “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [14] He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”

We build the foundation on two truths…

Colossians 2:20 NLT
[20]”You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world…”

Our new lives in Christ have severed the connection between us and the world’s evil influence over us.

Colossians 3:1, 3 NLT
[1] “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
[3] For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Now we must act on the fact of our death to the influences of the world around us. How do we do this? By changing the way we think. I was taught that I cannot think two opposite thoughts at the same time. If my mind is full of worldly thoughts, I cannot think the truth that Jesus is in charge and that I am aligned with Him, not with the world.

Having taken care of our new hearts by feeding them with truth, we must also protect them from squatters and intruders that will attempt to derail us by their evil influence.

Despite God’s grace in giving us a heart transplant, He has not entirely removed the influence of our diseased hearts. The Father intends to train us, during the course of our earthly lives, for our role in His heavenly kingdom. In His wisdom, He has left in us the potential to go our own way! You see, just as our first parent, Adam, had to choose to love God or not by obedience or disobedience, so we, too, must continue to choose to love the Lord by obeying or not obeying Him. Without the right and power to choose, we are robots.

Choosing means that we must select from at least two alternatives. Choosing, therefore, means what we put in, truth or lies, and whom we allow in, friends or enemies.

The world and its ways, under Satan’s dominion, is our arch enemy. John cautions us…

1 John 2:15-17 NLT
[15] “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17] And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

The influence of the world on our lives comes, not only from what we allow to influence from the world’s ways but also from those with whom we choose to keep company.

1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT
[33]”Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

Google says of this proverb…

“The proverb emphasizes the importance of choosing one’s company wisely, as associating with people who engage in immoral or harmful behaviors can negatively impact a person’s character and values.

” The proverb suggests that spending time with those who have bad morals or engage in negative behaviors can lead to a gradual erosion of one’s own good character and moral principles.”

In simple terms, learning to determine who is our friend and who is our enemy is the process of setting boundaries. We must learn when it is the right thing to say “No!” This part of our duty to guard our hearts is as important as filling our thoughts with God’s Word.

Hebrews 5:14 NLT
[14] “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

A simple summary of the foundation stone, “guard your heart”, then, is…

Fill your mind with God’s truth, and…
Build a protective boundary around your heart. Only keep company with those who contribute to the health of your heart.

FOUNDATION STONES – 1

Christian Life, ,

WISDOM

God’s Word is like a scratch patch of jewels. As we dig through its treasures, we find priceless stones of wisdom that form the foundation upon which we can safely build our lives.

John saw the new Jerusalem as a city built of gold and precious stones.

Revelation 21:19-20 NIV
[19] “The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20] the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.”

Let’s examine some of these precious stones that secure our lives in wisdom and truth.

The first stone, let’s call it the cornerstone, the stone that holds the whole structure together, is wisdom. What is wisdom?

Wisdom is truth in action.

A simple definition of wisdom…doing what works. It’s is said that a wise person does what works. A fool knows what works but doesn’t do it.

True wisdom comes from God.

Proverbs 2:6 NLT
[6] “For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

In Proverbs 8, Solomon paints a comprehensive picture of a person called “Wisdom”.

Wisdom calls people to listen to good judgement and understanding.

Wisdom is available to all people.

Proverbs 8:4 NIV
[4] “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.”

Proverbs 8:6-7, 12 NLT

[6]” Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, [7] for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception….
[12] “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.”

Wisdom is to hate and shun all evil, to speak and to live by the truth,

Proverbs 8:7-8 NIV
[7]”My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. [8] All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.”

Wisdom is of greater value than wealth.

Proverbs 8:10-11 NIV
[10] “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, [11] for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”

Solomon sums up the foundation of true wisdom in two statements.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
[10]”Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”

Proverbs 8:13 NIV
[13] “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

Only as we hold God in highest reverence and awe, and do as He instructs us, can we learn to think as He thinks and do as He says. This is wisdom, the solid foundation that leads to a safe, happy, and prosperous life.

Wisdom doesn’t guarantee a trouble-free life but it does guarantee God’s presence and favour that will see us through the worst of circumstances to a secure end.

In the New Covenant, wisdom is a person. Jesus is God’s wisdom personified of whom Solomon wrote.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
[30] “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit, God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

God’s wisdom, encapsulated in Jesus and through Him, did everything needed to restore us to fellowship with Him and to reset His eternal plan for mankind.

Isaiah presents the Messiah as the one on whom God’s Spirit will rest… (Hebrew “nuach”, meaning “to settle down”, “remain” or “dwell”).

Isaiah 11:1-3 NIV
[1] A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. [2] The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— [3] and he will delight in the fear of the Lord…”

The Spirit who rested on Jesus at His baptism and accompanied Him throughout His life, death, and resurrection, was the Spirit of “the fear of the Lord”.

When we examine the life of Jesus closely, as recorded in the gospels, we find that His outstanding characteristic was the fear of the Lord. Even as He faced the horror of His impending death, nothing could shift Him from His avowed intention to do the Father’s will.

Psalms 40:7-8 NIV
[7] “Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

To Jesus, to fear the Lord was not only an obligation but a delight. The fear of the Lord was the foundation of His life, providing His meaning, His purpose, and His obedience to the Father’s will. He did nothing without consulting the Father. He and the Father were “joined at the hip” and no effort of His enemies or His arch-enemy could drive a wedge between them.

He could testify with absolute truth…

John 8:29 NIV
[29] “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

If we build our lives on Jesus, our foundation and cornerstone, His wisdom, established on the fear of the Lord, will secure our present and future as we listen, follow and obey Him.

Matthew 7:24-25 NIV
[24] “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”