Mike Fisk & Built with Grace

Leave Your Baggage at the Door

January 5, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: anger, false guilt, fear, forgiveness, guilt, guilty conscience, Jesus Christ, mercy, Proverbs 28:13, worry | 1 comment

You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you. Proverbs 28:13 (GNT)

One time while camping in the north woods of Minnesota we saw an interesting phenomenon. When we retired for the night we’d unknowingly left a jar of peanuts open and on a table. In the early morning hours a chipmunk happened to come along and seeing an opportunity, climbed into the jar and filled his cheeks with delicious peanuts. Unfortunately, the mouth of the jar was just large enough for him to get in, too small for him to get out with his peanut-filled cheeks.

We watched from our camper as he tried repeatedly to escape, but to no avail finally, he took the only recourse he had. He emptied his cheeks and (I imagine) begrudgingly left his treasure behind.

There are times in life when we hold so tightly to things that they keep us from enjoying the freedom God intended for us to have. Guilt is one of those things. Guilt can be ‘real’ guilt, based on things we’ve done against God, against ourselves or against others. Guilt can be false as well, based on the words and activities of others who use their power to keep us subdued and imprisoned by their own anger.

Like the chipmunk, we struggle to move on with victory in sight, but never seem to be able to make that final leap, never seem to be able to rid ourselves of those feelings of guilt and failure that bog us down.

Guilt forces you to focus on the past and clouds your vision for the future;
Guilt focuses on your failures not your strengths;
Guilt sends inaccurate messages about who you are. It tells you that YOU are a bad person when in reality it was your actions that were bad, not you;
Guilt masquerades as anger (leading to bitterness);
Guilt is a breeding ground for fear & worry;
Guilt can shorten your life expectancy by raising your blood pressure, risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and anxiety disorders.

Millions of dollars are spent each year to find cures for a variety of illnesses. The good news is that medical science has made great strides in controlling or even curing many diseases that were once life ending.

The better news is that when we talk about guilt, the cure is already available to us…and it’s free! Guilt will never be resolved by a simple pill. Guilt will never be relieved by counselors or religion. Guilt can only be taken from us through confession to the one person who promises to grant us forgiveness and mercy.

Jesus Christ came to free you of the burden of guilt. He came to cleanse your guilty conscience. Other people may refuse to forgive you; other people may continue to remind you of your faults; there may be physical reminders of your poor choices that you will carry the rest of your life. But through confession of your sin, your guilt is taken away through Jesus Christ, who grants mercy to all of us.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I’ve been lugging this baggage of guilt with me for far too long. I confess my wrongs to you and ask you to forgive me and grant me mercy so that I can live free of the guilt that kept me captive. Amen.

Is It Such a Small Thing to Ask?

January 4, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: admitting I'm wrong, confession of sins, failure, fearing God's judgment, forgiveness, guilt, Jeremiah 31:3, sin | 2 comments

Just admit that you rebelled and worshiped foreign gods under large trees everywhere. Jeremiah 3:13 (CEV)

Admitting guilt.

Not an easy thing to do is it? It’s so much easier to explain our actions than just to say, “I was wrong.” It’s even harder to say, “I was wrong and I knew I was wrong when I did it but I wanted to do it anyway…so I did.”

A friend of mine tells about how frustrating his daughter can be a times. She’s a sweet girl. Compassionate, kind, smart…but rebellious. On several occasions she’s been caught doing something that she knows is wrong, but has gone ahead and done it anyway. When confronted about these things her classic response is: “But I want to.”

Translation? I knew it was wrong when I did it. I knew I’d get in trouble when I was doing it. I know I’m busted now and even though I’m being punished, I’m glad I did it because I liked it.

Before you pass judgment on my friend’s daughter or question his parenting skills, ask yourself this question. Isn’t that what we do when we choose our own way and not God’s way? We know we shouldn’t’ think that way, but…; we know we shouldn’t say this, but…’; we know it’s wrong but…’.

God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah to a stubborn rebellious people. He tells them, I know you’ve been unfaithful. You know you’ve been unfaithful. There’s no question about guilt here, not implication that you didn’t know better. I’m not asking for explanations. I’m not asking for promises [because frankly, you never keep them anyway!]. All I’m asking is admission of your guilt.

God doesn’t ask us to admit our guilt to prove we are wrong. He doesn’t ask us to admit our guilt so he is sure we are guilty. He simply wants us to admit our weakness. Why? Because his desire is to free us from the guilt, not condemn us; his desire is to forgive us, not criticize us; his desire is to lift us up, not burden us.

God likens Israel to a prostitute with more lovers than he can count! Not a very kind assessment of them. Yet his desire isn’t to expose their rebellion and failure, his desire is to cleanse them. Confession of sin is hard, but living in guilt is harder. Confession frees us to live, but guilt burdens us with baggage that follows us through life.

It’s interesting that God only asks one thing of the Israelites, confession. He’s already decided he’ll take them back. He’s already committed to loving them and forgiving them and welcoming them back into his arms. All they have to do is admit they were wrong.

The same is true for us today. Your Heavenly Father knows you are weak. He knows you are rebellious. He knows that even if he forgives you, you’ll do it again. But…He loves you and wants a relationship with you. All you have to do is admit it’s your fault. Hard to do? Yes, but essential to live freely in God’s grace.

PRAYER: Father, my failures are constantly before me. Still I find it hard to admit my weakness, even though I know you love me. Give me the strength to confess my weakness so that I can live in your freedom. Amen.

The Power in Losing

January 3, 2013 in Uncategorized | Tags: deny Jesus, Following Christ, Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:10-11, Power of the resurrection, reigning with Christ, religion v relationship, to know him know | Leave a comment

All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, so that somehow I also may be raised to life. Philippians 3:10-11 (CEV)

A crowd of people gathered around a man on a hillside. Excitement fills their eyes and hearts as he teaches. Some have been following him for months. Others have just recently joined the euphoria. Then something he says causes a stir. Expressions of joy fall to concern, some even anger. One by one they leave. Some murmur. Some shake their heads in disgust. Starting in the from the front first and working its way back, the movement begins until just a dozen or so are left. The teacher looks at the remnant and asks, “Will you stop following me too?”

A small room quietly hidden in the streets of Jerusalem. Flickering candles give the only light. The once celebratory atmosphere has left as the teacher begins to tell of his impending doom. One student interrupts him mid-sentence. “I will never leave you! You can count on me to be by your side regardless of what others say or do!” The others nod in agreement until the teacher looks the student in the eye and says “No! No you won’t. You’ll leave me like the others.”

We say we want to know him more. But do we? As one writer states, “Many are willing to reign with Christ, but they would not be willing to suffer with him; many would be willing to wear a crown of glory like him, but not the crown of thorns; many would be willing to put on the robes of splendor which will be worn in heaven, but not the scarlet robe of contempt and mockery.”

To know Jesus deeper involves the risk that we may endure the fellowship of suffering. Peter pledged allegiance—but denied him; the people followed him—but left when his teaching turned to suffering not victory; many today have settled for religion based on rules and feelings, rather than a relationship with the King of Kings.

If you want to wear the robes of glory, you must first bear the scars of earth-life; if you want to experience victory you must pass through the grave, for in death is victory and in suffering comes esteem in God’s eyes and that’s all the really counts.

To know Jesus more is much more than intellectual knowledge, it is experiential and it takes time. Book smarts is knowledge; experience is wisdom. Knowledge without experience is futile for wisdom gives knowledge its power.

Do you want to gain victory? Then use all that is within you to grow in him, without fear, without reservation. For in knowing him in his death and resurrection we receive power and life.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I’ve read this verse many times but today I am aware of my own fears and reservations to totally sell out to you even though I know that is best. Empower me to grow deeper in you. Amen.

Hope that Never Grows Old

December 30, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: Anna, dedication of Jesus, God, Hope, Jesus Christ, Luke 2:38, old people in the church, women in the church | 1 comment

She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. Luke 2:38 (NLT)

God’s message of hope never changes. God’s message of hope never grows old. Just as God’s message of hope never loses its effectiveness, neither do his messengers. Religion tends to hold on to tradition and thus lose its voice in society, or adapts to a changing society and loses its message of hope.

The prophetess, Anna, is a perfect example of the fact that age never disqualifies you from ministry. Nor does age rob you of the ability to minister effectively. Scholars disagree somewhat on Anna’s age. Some think she was 84, some think she was a widow for 84 years. Either way it’s safe to assume Anna was…OLD!

Even so, her age never kept her from seeking God. She was always in the temple. Some think she may have even been employed there. At any rate she was in the temple worshipping, praying, fasting and seeking God.

While her age may have kept her from performing some of the duties of the temple, it didn’t stop her from the most important part of the believer’s life. She prayed often and spoke to others about God’s love, forgiveness and hope.

She no doubt gave courage to the fearful, words of encouragement to those in desperate times; wisdom to those facing uncertain futures; offered praises to God when people found victory in their faith.

It’s interesting that when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to offer sacrifice and to dedicate him to the Lord the baby was seen as nothing special. No fanfare greeted the new parents. No public announcement of the baby born in a manger.

The only ones to ‘see’ the couple and the baby on that busy temple day were two elderly people who had spent a life time seeking after God. Anna never lost her desire to serve. She never lost her focus on what was important: Prayer, worship, testifying to the hope we have in God’s provision of forgiveness and hope.

I’m thankful today for the Anna’s of our world. To those dear saints who haven’t let their age detract from their ministry. To those who may not understand all the ‘new things’ in the world, but embrace them and use them to further the Kingdom. Age is never an excuse for lack of effectiveness for God.

As the old hymn states so well:

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, Lord Jesus, ’tis now.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for those who have grown old in you yet young in spirit and in faith. I ask that you would encourage them with your spirit and that those of us who are younger would not lose sight of their usefulness to you and to us. Amen.

Waiting, Watching and Worshiping

December 29, 2012 in Uncategorized | Tags: godless society, grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Luke 2:25, signs of the end times, Simeon, the dedication of Jesus | 3 comments

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Luke 2:25

So many times in the Bible we read of people who come on stage for one short scene and then are gone. Simeon was one of those people. Historians and theologians have speculated about who he might have been, the son of Hillel, a great teacher in Jerusalem, a member of the Sanhedrin, etc. But we really don’t know who he was and it’s probably not important we know. If it was, God would have revealed that to us.

Simeon reminds us that God works through the common people; through those who have just a few lines in the drama of life. We look for the big parts. We all want to be stars, but reality is, God’s best work is done through the ‘also ran’s’. It’s not the size of the part we play that is important, but our actions when we are on stage that count.

Just like us, Simeon lived in a very dark time in the life of the nation Israel. They lived under the control of a godless government. They were being taxed without hope of relief. Those that were paying attention saw the signs of something on the horizon, something good, the consolation of Israel.

Most of us don’t have any idea what it’s like to live as captives in your own land, but the Jews did. They sought freedom. They sought comfort. Those who were aware of the downward spiral of their society eagerly waited for the Messiah to relieve their pain.

When Mary and Joseph arrived at the temple with their new baby he was immediately recognized by Simeon. Simeon praised God for the arrival of the infant. His life was complete. He’d checked off the final item on his list. He could die in peace now because the Messiah had come.

What allowed Simeon to recognize the Messiah is available to each of us. First of all, he was continually watching the signs in anticipation of Messiah. It’s so easy for us to be distracted by world events and miss the main event. There wasn’t a day that didn’t go by that Simeon didn’t look for Jesus.

Secondly, Simeon didn’t allow himself to be affected by the godless society in which he lived. He focused on his relationship with God, not on the religious and political issues of the day. His lifestyle allowed him to live with integrity. He was esteemed my men and pleased God.

Lastly, Simeon lived in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of the Living God. During his time on earth, the Holy Spirit came upon people for a time and would leave. Today we have the privilege of having the very Spirit of the living God indwell us from the moment we accept Christ. His Spirit gives us power to live in integrity, comfort in the midst of pain, and the ability to see Jesus when he comes to us.

As followers of Jesus Christ, our responsibility isn’t to be thrown about by every doctrine, every fear, every prognostication of ‘world experts.’ Ours is to wait, watch and worship.

PRAYER: Father God, empower me with your Spirit to walk as Simeon did. Give me patience to wait for your coming, wisdom to discern the signs and a passionate worship of Jesus. Amen.