Embracing the Mess

Embracing the Mess
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
08-09-2012

"Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest." Proverbs 14:4

I used to walk through a new home subdivision. Often I would see the street filled with red clay from the land as bulldozers clear it to lay a foundation. The job site is littered with lumber, all sorts of trash from workers, and is generally a mess. The house looks ugly; it has all its insides exposed as it is being pieced together, yet this process is necessary to get to the finished product. When completed, the home is beautiful. The landscaping looks like it came out of a home-design magazine. Everything is clean and perfect in order for the new homeowner to move in.

Our walk with God is much the same process. Often we must go through a messy period of our lives in which all aspects of it are in disarray. It is in these times that God builds a new structure. He might remove some structural timbers in our lives and replace them with new ones. He might even add on another room. And unless this process takes place, we will never see the end product. The goal is more Christlikeness. In order to achieve this in us, He requires a period of removing all that is not of Him. It can be a painful process.
It would be impossible to keep oxen in a barn without having to clean up the mess from time to time. It just comes with the territory, but the result of the oxen is an abundant harvest. God may be allowing a mess in order to ensure a fruitful harvest in your life. Learn from Him so that you might experience the fulfillment of His purposes for you in these times. 

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*We* *Persuade* *Men*.

We Persuade Men
2 Corinthians 5:11

In 2 Corinthians 5:10, the apostle Paul turns our attention to the judgment, and our accountability before the Lord. The day of judgment will bring great joy for some, yet upon others, it will bestow great terror (Romans 2:4-11). Based upon this knowledge of the terror of the Lord which will be revealed, Paul declares,"...we persuade men..." Let us consider some necessary lessons from this phrase.

What Can We Know Of God's Terror?
It is equal to His goodness. (Romans 11:22) Paul speaks of the goodness and the severity of God (ie. wrath/terror), and treats them as equals on opposite ends of the scale of justice. On those who fell from serving the Lord, His severity is visited. Upon those who continue in His service, His goodness is experienced.

The Bible gives us several examples of the severity or terror of God. Consider Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2); Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 15:26-33); the fiery serpents sent upon Israel (Numbers 21:6); Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19); Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), etc.. The Bible clearly illustrates for us the completeness of God's terror.

The Hebrew writer speaks explicitly, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (10:31), and again, "For our God is a consuming fire."(12:29)

*WE* Persuade Men

Notice, it is we, not angels. (2 Corinthians 4:7, 13) The gospel is carried in earthen vessels -- human beings. The lost are saved by the saved preaching the gospel to them (1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 1:16-17). Returning the erring Christian to the way of truth is accomplished by his brethren seeking to restore him (James 5:19-20).

More and more it seems that people are looking for supernatural means to accomplish the work of God in saving men. Men seek after dreams, visions, experiences, etc.. The Bible clearly expresses the necessity of human agency in the saving of men, through the preaching of the gospel message (Romans 10:13-14).

Teaching is the exclusive method to bring men to Christ (Luke 16:29, 31). If men will not be won by teaching, they cannot be won to the Lord. How important then that we fulfill our responsibility as the Lord's people! Why then, knowing the terror of the Lord, shall we ever fail in our duty to teach and preach to the lost?

We *PERSUADE* Men
Entrance into the Lord's kingdom is voluntary. None can be forced into the Lord's church. Our duty is to persuade / convince men of the things of God. This is accomplished through sound reason and logical argumentation. We are to ask no man to have a blind faith in an unknown God. The apostle Paul "...went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But whens ome were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." (Acts 19:8-9) Our obligation today is like that of Paul's in his day.

It is necessary that we be able to defend the faith. Jude exhorted that we"...contend earnestly for the faith..." (Jude 1:3) Peter explained how,"...always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meakness and fear..." (1 Peter 3:15) Thus, we must be capable students of the word (2 Timothy 2:15). We must be equipped for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 3:16-17).

We Persuade *MEN*
Understand, it is not necessary to persuade the Lord to save man. He is willing (1 Timothy 2:1-4; 2 Peter 3:9). The problem is that man has separated himself from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Therefore, we must persuade men, by means of the Scriptures to take of the Lord's gracious gift. The Lord would have all come to Him. Thus, let us be busy in the Father's kingdom, persuading men and women to be obedient to the commandment of God, and thus, partaking in the inheritence of the Lord.

Paul persuaded men to believe, repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins (Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3-4). He persuaded men to be nothing more or less than a Christian (Acts 26:28). If you have not submitted to the Lord's will, would you not be persuaded today? Might I persuade you to believe in the Christ, turn from the error of your way, and to be immersed with the Lord in baptism, to the saving of your soul? To those who are the saints of God, may we ever be persuaded to persuade men, lest we fall short of His glory.

Working Versus Striving

Working Versus Striving
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman

"So he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord Almighty."'" - Zechariah 4:6

Your greatest obstacle in fulfilling God's purposes in your life is the skills you have acquired to perform well in your work life. One of the great paradoxes in Scripture relates to our need to depend on the Lord; yet at the same time, we're instructed to use the talents and abilities God gives us to accomplish the work He gives us to do. It has been one of the most difficult principles to live out. How do we know that what we achieve is by the power of the Holy Spirit in our life versus our own abilities, and is there a difference? When we reach a level of excellence and performance in our fields, it actually becomes an obstacle to seeing God's power manifest in our work. What we naturally do well becomes the object of our trust. When this happens, God retreats. You see, God allows us to develop skills, but these must be continually yielded to God's Spirit. There will be times when God will use these skills to accomplish His purposes. There will be other times that God will not use any of our skills just to ensure that we know it is by His power that we can do anything.


It is the oxymoron of all oxymorons for Christian workplace believers. Learning not to act until God shows you to act is a sign of maturity in God. "Do not lean on the natural skill which you have been given. Let God manifest Himself in what you are doing," said a mentor who has learned this balance of skill and walking with God. "You must almost restrain from doing those things you know you are prone to do and actually go against them."
I was learning this lesson recently when I was asked to participate in a large event that would give great exposure and much needed financial increase to my ministry. It made all the sense in the world to participate. Then I prayed with a friend and asked the Lord His mind on it. The Lord showed us this was not His plan for me. I declined the invitation.


Ask God to teach you what it means to walk according to the power of the Holy Spirit in your business life. Develop a listening ear to the small voice inside that wants to direct your efforts by His Spirit. 

Becoming a Mighty Man

Becoming a Mighty Man
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
05-20-2012

"All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him." - 1 Samuel 22:2

Have you ever felt that you could accomplish a whole lot more if you had more talented people around you? Perhaps you are in an office and think that some of your fellow workers don't quite measure up. Imagine what David must have thought in the years following his anointing by the prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel. He spent the next many years running from King Saul. Now God was beginning to bring men to support David. But what kind of men? The down-and-out. God gave David not the elite or the sophisticated; He gave him those who were in debt and discontented with life. David turned those men into the best fighting men of their day. In fact, David never lost a battle during his entire reign as king of Israel-quite a feat for a bunch of no-name, lowlifes! Some of those men became an elite group known as David's Mighty Men. These were the elite of the elite, the Navy Seals, the Few Good Men, the Green Berets. Whatever you call them, they were exceptional warriors.

Jesus took a few men who weren't exactly the cream of the crop either. He built His life into these men, which resulted in 12 men who turned the world upside down. Are you one of God's mighty men or women? Are you investing your life to build other mighty men or women? David and Jesus set the example of what can be done when we invest in others. God does extraordinary things through men who have an extraordinary God. Ask God to use your life to be a mighty man or woman for a cause greater than yourself. He delights in such prayers. 

John Piper - Radical Christian Sacrifice -

This is edited pieces from John Piper's sermon entitled, "How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice" put to music from "This Will Destroy You". You can watch the whole sermon at John Piper's website, "www.desiringGod.org".

Galatians 6

Galatians 6

 ^1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

 ^4-5Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

 ⁶Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.

 ^7-8Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

 ^9-10So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

Being Given Over to Death

Being Given Over to Death
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman

"For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake.... So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." - 2 Corinthians 4:11-12

It is the great mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Death gives life. Jesus' death on the cross gave life. The death of a vision brings new vision. The death of a seed gives new life. It is the central focus of God's requirement for experiencing Him--death. When Jesus extended us an invitation to experience salvation and a relationship with Him, it came with a great cost, our very lives. Yet what we don't realize is that until we relinquish our total lives, we really aren't living at all. Without this death we will continue to strive, manipulate, and fret over every detail of life. It is when we finally say, "Yes, Lord, I am Yours completely," that we experience real freedom for the first time. This is the only time when Christ is fully seen in and through our lives. Christ describes our lives as vessels - vessels for Him to be revealed in and seen by others.

How is your vessel today? When people look inside, will they see a life that is dead to all things, save the life of Christ revealed? In the workplace, we are faced with challenges each day that seek to instill fear and control at every turn, but Christ says He wants to live through your life in the workplace. He wants to reveal Himself to your fellow workers today. However, He can only do this if our vessel is free of ourselves. Ask Jesus what things must die today in order for Him to live completely in and through you.