Mike Fisk & Built with Grace

Empowered!

October 9, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: can God use me?, feeling insignificant, grace, Holy Spirits power, Jesus Christ, John 3:34, my past | 3 comments

For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. John 3:34

I was watching one of those television shows about the rich and famous the other day. I don’t usually do that but I was channel hopping and something caught my eye. It is amazing to me how that side of society lives. That side of life in which you don’t have to count pocket change to see if you have enough money for a cheap cup of gas station coffee. That side of life where you don’t have to decide how you can take your kids to McDonalds and pay the electric bill the same week.

It’s easy to get caught up in the trap of wishing for more. We want more money, more land, more toys, more from our relationships, our church, our children, our government.

M.O.R.E. My Only Reason to Exist!

So much of our world is built around the idea that what we own is what we are; that what we’ve accomplished is our legacy; that the only way to push through life is by our own strength.

If King Solomon were here, he’d tell you different. He had all the wives he wanted, he had the financial resources to acquire anything he wanted and so he did. He bought, he built, he conquered. And when it was all over, he looked at what he possessed and saw that in reality he had nothing of any value.

On the other extreme was Jesus. Jesus and his disciples often used stones as pillows, ate raw grain from fields due to hunger, were ridiculed and looked down upon by society (especially the church) and were homeless! Yet, Jesus spoke of life and fulfillment. Even on the cross he looked out in his pain and said “it is finished.”

Forget, for a moment, all the theological implications of that statement. Focus instead on what Jesus was saying in his heart. “I’m done. The work that I came for is complete. I have accomplished everything I intended to accomplish.”

So what did Jesus accomplish? He didn’t acquire great wealth. While he was very popular among those he touched, the group was relatively small and made up of prostitutes, farmers, the sick, the lame and the destitute. Not extremely impressive, not so that is unless you consider that his lifestyle and his teachings changed the world. Regardless of what liberal theologians, scientists and professors tell you, much of the world is the way it is because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So what was it the drove him to greatness? What power was it that kept him going when all seemed hopeless? It was God’s Spirit working in him and through him.

Now, here’s the good news. The same Spirit that empowered Jesus to make a difference in his world is the same Spirit each of us are filled with when we accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Master of our lives. And we don’t get just a little piece of the ‘Holy Spirit Pie’! John tells us that God’s servants, those that live under the forgiveness of Christ’s sacrifice, are filled to overflowing with that power.

So, still think you are too weak to accomplish much for God? Think you past, or your present are too insignificant to make a difference? Guess again. God’s Spirit is given to each of us with no limits!

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for the times I feel too insignificant to accomplish great things for your Kingdom. Help me to live in the power you have given me for your glory. Amen.

Complete!

October 8, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: can God use me?, Colossians 2:10, God's masterpiece, grace, Hope, Living for Jesus, religious expectations | 3 comments

So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Colossians 2:10 (NLT)

Have you ever had a huge project to do and lamented over getting it done? A home I used to own had a yard built into a hill. I hired an excavator to level part of the yard and then spend hours hauling rocks from farmer’s fields to built a rock wall complete with waterfall and pool. I added a few lights and had my own little backyard paradise. It took many hours and I had many sore muscles from the project. But when it was done the feeling of accomplishment was tremendous.

Paul says we are complete in Jesus; a finished project. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

I like that! I have to admit it’s hard for me to think of myself as a masterpiece. At best I’m a bruised apple. Okay on the outside for awhile, but my true character may come bursting through at any minute.

Do you feel that way too sometimes? Are you constantly reminded of your shortcomings by other people or the voices of your heart?

We’re wrong you know. Our view of ourselves isn’t anything like the view Jesus has of us. I’m a masterpiece, flaws and all…and so are you. I know, I know. I’ve seen the buttons and the T-shirts that say ‘Please be patient with me, God isn’t finished with me.’ I understand the implication. We are growing and as children we stumble and fall, just like when we were toddlers. But the finished product was completed on the cross and that’s really all that matters.

Scripture seems to teach that God IS finished with me. Sure, I have some maturing to do, but I am his masterpiece and I feel pretty good about that. So should you. So, when you sin, when you stumble for the umpteenth time, remember this. God IS finished with you and YOU are his masterpiece. There is nothing you need to add. There is no religious activity you need to complete, no schooling you need to take. Jesus Christ knows you inside and out. He knows your struggles, your fears, and your rebellious actions. He knows the secret you’ve been trying to hide for years. He knows all this, and you know what he says about you?

“Look, there, right there in your mirror. THAT is my masterpiece!”

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I get tired of the struggle. I get fatigued trying to measure up. Help me to remember that it isn’t about my striving. It’s not about what others may think of me. It’s not about me at all. I AM your masterpiece and by the power of your Holy Spirit I resolve to live worthy of your love. Amen.

Promise in the Midst of Darkness

October 4, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: anxiety, depression, fear, fear of future, Genesis 15:12, trust, worry | Leave a comment

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Genesis 15:12

It’s during those darkest times of our lives that God often reveals himself. It’s when we are too tired from striving that his strength comforts us. It’s during those times when we can’t see his hand that he reveals himself.

Imagine the scene when God revealed himself to Abram. Jehovah God had promised Abram that his descendants would be more numerous than the sand and that his seed would deliver mankind from their captivity.

God’s promise was sealed with sacrifice but not until Abram fell into a deep sleep and a thick and dreadful darkness encompassed him. It was then, at this darkest time in Abram’s life that God restated his promise.

That’s the way God tends to work. We don’t understand it. It doesn’t always seem real loving for a God who is, in essence love, but it’s the way he works and our trust in him is the foundation on which we enter into the darkness and exit in his timing.

Hundreds of years later, on a stormy Sea of Galilee, a small boat was tossed about in the darkness. The crew was trying desperately to get the boat to shore before the waves broke up the ship and sent them all to a watery grave.

In the midst of the terror, someone noticed a lone figure asleep in the bow. “Jesus!” They screamed over the howling wind, “Don’t you care that we are drowning?” It wasn’t a gentle question. It wasn’t whispered in his ear. It was a scream of terror.

How could Jesus sleep through the darkness and fierceness of the storm? It’s easy to do when you trust the one directing the wind. Complete trust in God allows us to rest in the midst of the most dreadful periods of our lives.

If you are like me, you will admit that most of the time, we lay awake at night because of worry. It could be worry based on our own poor choices. It could be worry over the effect others can have on us. It can be worry over things we know we should have done, or not done, long ago.

Abram, like Jesus, teach us something important for life. During the darkest, scariest, most dreadful times of our lives, our hearts can rest when we completely trust a God who loves us and has promised he will never leave us. EVER.

PRAYER: Father, I confess to you that I’m scared. The things I see in my world, my relationships, and my future are dark and dreadful. Through the power of your Spirit I ask that you would help me rest in you because my trust lay wholly in you for my tomorrows, regardless of my past. Amen.

I Promise

October 3, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: Abrahamic covenant, broken hearts, broken promises, forgiveness, Genesis 15:17, grace, trust, unconditional love | 4 comments

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. Genesis 15:17

All of us, at one time or another have suffered from broken promises. It started when we were young with the promises of parents and other ‘trusted adults’ who promised to play with us, take us to the zoo, or go on that fishing trip.

As we grew older the promises became more complex, but no more secure.

“I’ll be your best friend forever.”

“I promise I won’t tell anyone your secret. You can trust me.”

“I promise I will never leave you. I will always be here for you.”

Broken promises break our hearts, wound our souls and cause us to doubt others as well as ourselves.

The problem with promises is that they are only as strong as the person making them. A common misconception we have is that some promises are conditional.

“I promise I’ll go to the dance with you if…”

“We’ll watch the ball game together if you promise you’ll clean your room.”

But promises are unconditional. Once you add a condition to a promise the promise and it’s accompanying obedience becomes a rule/wage situation. None of this is more true than with the story of Abram and Jehovah God.

Abram bursts onto the Old Testament scene rather abruptly and from out of nowhere. For no apparent reason, God promises him tremendous blessing both in wealth in this life and in a legacy that will last throughout history.

In Abram’s day, promises were covenants that were sealed with sacrifice. The ceremony involved cutting animals in half and laying them end to end. The participants in the sacrifice would walk together through the carcasses as a sign of their allegiance to the sacrifice. In a sense it would be like saying, ‘may I be like one of these animals if I break this promise.’

The interesting thing is, Abram didn’t walk down the path, only God did. The meaning is amazing. The promise of God’s love and blessing is entirely dependent on him alone, not Abram. The blazing torch symbolizes the Shekinah Glory, God himself in all his power and majesty. The smoking fire pot may symbolize despair and pain. To me, it symbolizes the pain Jesus bore on the cross for me.

God’s promise is not dependent on us in the least. There is nothing we can do to tear us away from his love and power and forgiveness. Without God’s love, our lives are full of pain and broken promises. With him we shine as lights in the darkness.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your promise of salvation. Thank you that there is nothing I can do to invalidate the covenant because it all rides on you. And thank you for the forgiveness that only comes through Jesus. Amen.

How Can You Be So Stupid?

September 28, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: am i good enough, creeds, forgiveness of sin, Galatians 3:3, getting close to God, grace, legalism | 4 comments

How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God’s Spirit started in you? Galatians 3:3 (CEV)

When I was growing up, it was almost considered a swear word to call someone ‘stupid’. Put downs and sarcasm were simply not tolerated. But when Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia, he doesn’t sugar coat what he is trying to get across to these new believers.

Somewhere along their faith walk they had made a decision, most likely sub-consciously, to try to draw closer to God through their own efforts. The Galatians were prodded along by Judaizers who insisted that they follow Jewish customs in order to be ‘good Christians’. Paul was completely dumbfounded by their actions. How could a people who clearly understood the sacrificial death of Christ experience the freedom he has to offer and then put themselves back in bondage?

The answer can be found in the example Peter unwittingly gave us earlier in Paul’s letter. Peter slipped into the same trap, and pulled several others with him. The bait was ‘living for God’. The motivation for stepping into it was fear. Fear that they wouldn’t measure up. Fear that their past was too bad for God to accept them. Fear that he may not approve of them. Fear that they hadn’t done enough to thank him for all Jesus did on the cross. A fear driven belief that grace is too easy, that there must be more than simply believing.

Don’t be too hard on the Galatians though. Don’t we do the same thing? We go to church because that’s what Christians do. We sing certain songs because that’s how we are told we need to worship. We say certain creeds because they draw us closer to God. We go through baptism and confirmation and communion because we have been led to believe that these are all things that HAVE to be done for us to be holy.

Don’t get me wrong. Church attendance, Bible Study, Worship and other activities of the church certainly have their place. However, if those things are done to grant us a closer standing with God they are nothing more than the legalistic trap that got Paul so agitated with the Galatians.

Here’s the thing. God is far more concerned about the condition of your heart than he is your behavior. He’s far more concerned about a love relationship with you than he is watching your attempts to ‘be good.’

Paul’s words should strike deeply into our hearts. They should draw us to scrutinize carefully all that we do to make sure we are doing what we do for the right reasons. Too often we get sucked into thinking that even though salvation is by grace, Christian living in on our own power. Grace covers it all. Grace beings me into relationship with God; Grace empowers me to live daily in his love.

PRAYER: Father God, please guard my heart. Thank you for the free grace given to me by Jesus sacrificial death. Help me to live in the freedom of that grace and protect me from my own desires to earn what you gave me freely. Amen.