Inner Changes or Outward Appearances

“She arrived in Jerusalem accompanied by a very great retinue, including camels bearing spices and gold in great abundance, and precious stones” (1 Kings 10:2). This is, of course, talking about the Queen of Sheba (some theologians believe she should be identified as the Queen of Saba). She came to quiz Solomon with difficult questions. Her purpose was to verify that everything she was hearing about Solomon and Israel was true.

But there was more to it than mere curiosity. She was checking out whether Solomon was worthy of a trading alliance of some type. She was also trying to get an accurate idea of Israel’s God. What impressed her was Solomon’s wisdom AND his wealth (the palace he had built, the food at his table, the way he managed his officials, their clothing). She was indeed impressed. In verses 6-8, this is recorded:

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

Following this, the Queen appears to recognize Israel’s God as the Lord God (Adonai). Verse 9 tells us she said, “Blessed be Adonai your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on the throne of Israel. Because of Adonai’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to administer judgment and justice fairly.” The question is whether or not she truly believed in God. Remember what true belief is as explained in my November 21^st blog article. It involves action, changes in behavior. It’s not enough to recognize God as the supreme God. Believing means our whole lives change because of our understanding of God and His character.

What impressed the Queen? Wisdom, intellect, and wealth. She was basing her whole opinion of God on how wealthy and wise Solomon was. That was basing her belief in God on outward appearances. In her mind, Solomon and Israel were as affluent as they were because of their God. She evaluated the spiritual condition of Solomon and Israel on outward intellectualism and material wealth, not the deep down inner faith of true followers of God.

I see a warning for us. There are many who proclaim they are in tune with God and are, obviously, doing His will because of the material wealth and reputation they have. Are we mesmerized by a leader’s wealth or charisma? Do we believe everything they say because it looks like God has blessed them? That’s exactly what the Queen of Saba was doing. The caution goes further. Are we convincing ourselves that because we have knowledge of an all-powerful God, we are granted eternal life? The Queen of Saba returned to her land not having changed anything in her life. She was returning to worship the moon god. She was returning without applying any of the Law to her or her countrymen’s lives. There was no change in her life from the encounter, the experience.

I am concerned about many who have had an experience at a church service or some other moment of great emotion, but there are no changes in their life. They return to the same behaviors, the same ways of thinking, and the ways of the rest of the world. True salvation comes from believing and acting on the truths of Scripture, yet so many, after their “mountaintop” experience, never look deep into the Scriptures to learn what needs to be changed in their lives. My heart aches for those people, many of whom I notice may be attending my church and churches all around the world. Consider whether you have significantly changed your behaviors, your values, and your thoughts and pursue the God of the Scriptures that changes lives.

Belief vs. Trust

In 2 Samuel 11 and 12 we again see the contrast between King Saul and King David. God left Saul in that when Saul decided not to turn to God, “God left him” (1 Samuel 16:14). However, with David, even when he committed grave sins, God did not leave him. What was different about these two men?

It wasn’t that David believed in God and Saul didn’t. They both acknowledged God’s existence. They both seemed to have a healthy understanding of God’s nature, character, and sovereignty. They both believed in God. Yet we have Scripture telling us that God left Saul. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit wasn’t available to Old Testament people. So in 1 Samuel 16 where it says that God’s spirit left him, it wasn’t talking about the Holy Spirit leaving Saul’s internal being. It means that God pulled back his blessings and support for Saul’s endeavors.

The next question is why did God not pull back from David after he sinned? It’s simply a difference in trusting versus believing. David repented and placed his trust in God for his redemption. Saul tried to bargain with God and perform sacrifices without a contrite heart. So, even though David committed adultery and murder, right standing with God was returned to him. (You can read David’s confession to God for these sins in Psalm 51).

So is “belief” enough to gain salvation? We need to be careful what we mean by “belief.” “Belief is the level of relationship between God and His created beings that even the demons possess. Belief is merely acknowledgment of God’s existence . . . but belief does not include appropriate worship of Him or response to Him” (Bradford). So what are the missing ingredients? Trust and a complete reliance on God in every aspect of our lives. “Trust is when we allow belief to turn to God-centered inner transformation of our hearts . . . that then produces obedience” (Bradford).

I think I know some people who believe in God, but have not fully allowed God to transform their lives. Are they “believers” then? I’m not pretending to know what is in the heart of every man. I don’t know the extent of their relationship with God. I think this is a question each individual has to ask of themselves. I think it’s an urgent question. Believing is not enough. Fully worship and trust in the Almighty God is the way to salvation.

A New Realization on an Old Commitment

I once made commitments and decisions to keep myself safe and talked about them in my blog. However, those commitments and decisions were “date-stamped.” There was always an expiration date attached to them. I’ve wavered in those commitments over time and spent many dark moments in between commitments contemplating suicide and self-harm (even engaging in the self-harm at times).

Today I want to talk about the end of those commitments – those temporary commitments.

As I was reading God’s Word and praising Him this last week, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. (Not an audible spoken word, but gentle nudge). The nudge was for me to contemplate the status of those commitments.

I realized that somewhere in the last year suicide and self-harm had become non-issues. The Spirit’s influence on my life, especially since May when we first learned of the possibility of my having cancer and continuing through treatment and ongoing, has shown me that I want to live. I want to fulfill God’s purpose for my life. I want to be a witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ. I want to spend my every waking moment (and if possible, every dream at night) worshiping and praising the glorious and merciful God of my salvation.

Those desires and behaviors do not allow for taking things into my own hands. I don’t have to think about suicide not being an option anymore. It just isn’t.

This is big. I’ve struggle with mental illness most/all of my life and some of these harmful thoughts have been with me for equally as long. Now they are just gone. The decision wasn’t to make them not an option. The decision was to live my life for God’s purposes, a completely different way of thinking about things. It’s not focusing on what I will NOT do. It’s focusing on what I WILL do. This is a completely different way of approaching life.

I don’t know why the struggles have been such a part of my life, but God allowed them. He, I’m assuming, used them to accomplish His purposes for a time – maybe so my experiences would help or encourage another. I hope so. However, I’m going into a new phase of my life (or returning to an old one like at the time I first accepted Christ).

This is big. I just wanted to share it with all of you. This doesn’t mean there won’t be more struggles (John 16:33 assured us that in this world we will have tribulation) but my perspective has changed. Now I’m looking at Jesus and His promises (John 16:33 continues by saying we are to take courage because Jesus has overcome the world). 

Here's to a new way of living!

Acts Review: Chapters 1 -14

Primarily my review involves looking at the various applications I listed as possibilities for each section of Acts that I studied. I’m finding there are several reoccurring themes that I would like to think more about, pray more about, and apply to my life more than I have in the past. Some of these will be reminiscent of previously talked about thoughts from Acts, and some may be new. However, I’m going to try to highlight the most repeated applications (in the first 14 chapters of Acts; I’m sure they will also show up in the last 14 chapters). I think the best way to do this and include various references to where it came from is to list them with their references. [All references are in Acts and are based on the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.]

      1.      Do I expect and hope in the coming of the eternal kingdom? Do I expect answered prayer?    In other words, do I believe God will fulfill His promises?

            References: 1:6; 7:17; 7:55-56; 10:31

      2.      Am I continually devoted to prayer? Am I involved in earnest prayer? Do I pray with others and not just in isolation?

            References: 1:12-15; 2:42; 7:55; 9:11; 10:31; 12:5; 12:15

      3.      Am I filled by the Holy Spirit for service? Do I have the proper attitude about service? Do I have my priorities straight? Do I use my Spirit-given gifts for service?

            References: 2:4; 5:29; 9:43; 11:27; 13:45

      4.      Does my gospel message include the death of Christ, the physical resurrection of Christ, and the manifestations of Christ in our daily lives? In other words, am I involved in witnessing and am I including all the pertinent points?

            References: 2:40; 2:31; 4:1-2; 8:4; 13:38-31; 14:3; 14:19

      5.       Do I make it clear where my “miracles” or “ministry” come from” From whose authority do I speak? Do I meet people where they are in their spiritual journeys? Do I show tenderness, compassion, and love in sharing the gospel?

            References: 3:12-13; 3:16; 3:17; 7:17-18; 7:55-56; 8:13; 8:30; 8:35; 10:29; 12:23; 13:28; 14:7

      6.      Am I intentional in my ministry? Do I hear and respond to God’s call or take advantage of the Holy Spirit’s opportunities? Do I bravely and boldly share the gospel even in the face of threats or skepticism or rejection? Do I get defensive in those situations?

            References: 4:20; 8:4; 8:26; 9:10; 13

Remember, these are just from the first 14 chapters. Stay tune for next week for the rest. In the meantime, does any one of these areas prick your hearts? Is there something you could be or should be doing better? Don’t wait until next week to take action. It’s in the taking action that our lives are transformed into the likeness of Christ. It’s also where we begin to see growth and change. It’s also what sets us apart from those who have not yet been saved. I call to mind Jesus’ words in John 14:21:

He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.

Brighter and More Beautiful

What does it mean to become more like Christ? What does it mean to be transfigured into the new creatures God wants us to become?

In 2 Corinthians 3:18, in The Message, it says,

"And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him."

Brighter and more beautiful. That’s what it means to become more like Christ, more like God. As Jesus was transfigured into something more than human, so ought we be transformed into more than our current state. I know that this is not an overnight process. It takes time – possibly lots of time, but I like the idea that as God enters our lives and we get to know Him better a little bit at a time, we become more like Him. Thus we also become brighter and more beautiful a little bit at a time.

When I think about becoming more beautiful as I age, and become possibly less physically attractive, I realize that the beauty talked about in this verse is not skin deep. It’s much deeper than that. It’s soul deep. It’s about becoming a more beautiful human being a little at a time. It’s about changing the way I interact with the world and with other people. It’s about changing my demeanor toward others and toward the issues I confront in my life.

I can remain unchanged, but then I would have to question whether I’m having regular encounters with God. 2 Corinthians 3:18 guarantees change in our lives as more of God enters into our lives. So, if I’m not changing, if I’m not becoming brighter and more beautiful, then I need to determine if more of God is entering into my life on a regular basis. I can make sure this is happening by doing a few relatively simple things.

I can read God’s Word, the Bible, daily. I can try to make an application from what I read. Applying the instructions of God to my life is what makes change possible. It might be something as simple as saying a prayer or it might be something as difficult as asking for forgiveness from someone I have offended. Either way, doing something different makes me a brighter person and helps me grow more beautiful a little bit at a time. That’s what I want. To be transformed a little bit at a time into someone who looks more like God, ever increasingly brighter and more beautiful, as God enters my life and I become more like Him.