MasterTruth

Whatsoever Things are Lovely

Time to confess that I’m not doing such a swift job of rallying behind my verse for the year. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Phil 4:8)

In the past week, the conversation has come up twice regarding what it means to think on things that are lovely. I had two thoughts on what it means. First, wouldn’t you say that lovely is a visual term? A beautiful mountain scene is lovely. I could daydream about that for awhile. After all, God made mountains and peaceful lakes with beautiful flowers along with soaring birds and puffy clouds. If I saw a photo, or better, a real live scene like that, I’d say it’s lovely. Here, I’ve included a lovely view. Let’s think about that.

But my second thought is probably more in line with what it probably really means to think on lovely things.

The root of lovely is love. If I love someone, won’t I think lovely thoughts about them? Jesus is the best example. He expressed words of love because He had a heart of love. He had lovely thoughts toward others that we might not. Remember, for of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. (Luke 6:45)

What do I mean? Remember this scene? And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. (Luke 22:31-34)

I see loveliness in what Jesus said that obviously came from thoughts and a heart of loveliness. He knew Peter was going to deny him. What kind of thoughts would I have had in that situation? Knowing that Peter wasn’t such a faithful friend, willing to give up on me, I’d have had critical thoughts. At a minimum. Jesus used His energy not to criticize and condemn, but to pray for Peter and then to expect and express better things of him in the future. Wow. I see a glimpse of what it means to think on things that are lovely instead of the natural thoughts that might pop up when “an issue” arises.

Let’s look at another time Jesus thought on “whatsoever things are lovely.”

How about when he was hanging on the cross, having done nothing wrong, and people were mocking him? Lovely thoughts? Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34a)

Again, what energy Jesus had left in Him while he was hanging on the cross, he used to pray and expect better things ahead….who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. (Heb. 12:2)

So, how do we have lovely thoughts when the circumstances aren’t lovely? In both of these instances, Jesus looked up and prayed prayers of love, expecting better things ahead. He demonstrated a dose of While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:18)

He looked at the bigger picture, and the bigger picture is lovely, because God is in control. Nothing is outside His watchful care and ability to handle. Dear Lord, help us translate this into lovely thoughts this week when not-so-lovely circumstances threaten to take our minds down a God-forsaken path. You are there, and that’s lovely.

Jody

You are a Light

When I grew up, we lived near a grocery store that was close enough to walk to, so it was pretty common to run over there and buy something on a whim. One Sunday early afternoon, around age 12 or 13, while wandering the grocery store aisles, my eyes met a neighbor boy a few years older than me dressed up in church clothes. It was apparent where he had just been. I didn’t go to church and didn’t know the Lord, but just looking at him, my young heart was pricked. Convicted. Guilty. He innocently stood for something I didn’t have, just by being at the store dressed the part. I didn’t even know any Bible truth that I may have rejected, but I sure knew I didn’t measure up to something. The impression he left was so powerful, I clearly remember it now, decades later.

I thought of that incident when I read the following verses: “Therefore seeing we have this ministry (ministers of the New Testament, 2 Cor. 3:6), as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Cor. 4:1-2)

How does that relate, you wonder?

→…by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. That word manifestation means “action that embodies.” My actions that embody the truth affects the conscience of others. Read that sentence again with that understanding. The quiet testimony of some piece of my life that unsaved people happen to see may prick their conscience, just like that boy dressed up in his church clothes at the grocery store. To this day, when I stop at the store on the way home from church, I’m aware that I’m dressed differently than everyone else, and I’m aware that I’m representing Christ visually—because of my experience as a youngster.

→The middle part of the passage above says, But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. I notice that these actions… have renounced…not walking…nor handling, are present tense. Paul assumes we are already living the correct way. This isn’t presented as a command about how to walk. It is stating how we are already walking. And here I want to give the Spirit of God credit. When He comes into our life, He changes us from the inside out (2 Cor. 5:17). He works within us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Therefore, while we walk around with our changed lives, we embody the truth, and people are watching and getting convicted. What I’m trying to say is, just by being surrendered, obedient Christians, we are a testimony. We are presently commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

I don’t even have an admonition to end with. Praise God He has made us little lights that shine for Him everywhere we go. What people do with that light… the next two verses talk about that (2 Cor. 4:3-4). You might want to look at those and tell me what you think.

Jody  

In His Presence is Fullness of Joy

I came across my new favorite verse last week. The picture you see at the left is also framed and sitting on a table at home, and I have put it to music. So I plan to remember it for a long time. Let’s rehearse it: Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Ps 16:11)

I just finished reading the book I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh. It’s the story of a Muslim woman in Pakistan who turned to Christ and how her life changed (drawing persecution from her culture). From the moment she accepted Christ, she experienced God’s unmistakable presence in her life, and she was full of joy. I could testify to that when I accepted Christ. But in her life, after salvation, whenever she would knowingly sin, as in telling a little white lie, God’s discernable presence and that joy would leave her. She recognized right away that God’s sweet fellowship was ruptured by her sin, and she would pray outloud and ask Him to forgive her for the specific sin, submitting to Him again, and that presence and joy would return.

For some people, this dance with spiritual reality would die down, but not with her. Though it’s not the main theme of her book, God’s noticeable presence is a sub-theme. Her life, because she wrote about it, is a “movie for my mind” of my new favorite verse.

When David said in Ps. 16:11, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life,” I don’t think he meant anything terribly mystical. God does show the path of life in His word. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Ps. 119:105 I just need to be sure I’m sitting in front of it and looking for His direction, with plans to follow it.

The next part is a bit more mystical. “In Thy presence is fullness of joy.” I would tend to think that as long as I’m reading my Bible and praying, I’m in His presence. But why can’t we experience His presence all day long—along with the resulting joy? I might not have had that thought except for the author of the book. All I can say is that when we walk in fellowship with God, keeping short accounts and not allowing any sin to nest in our lives, we will know what it is to live in His presence by His Spirit, and we will have joy. Perhaps when we are missing joy, we should check our lives. It would be a good daily habit to develop.

What kind of sins could bubble up that would keep us and God at arm’s length? Holding grudges, being self-centered, greedy, angry, prayerless, oblivious to God, etc. We live in an age of all that.

We’re living in the Laodicean church age (Rev. 3:14-22). That in itself is a study, but if we read that and see ourselves, we know where to start in our confession to God. In summary, the typical Christian in this age is neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm. We think we are rich and have need of nothing and don’t realize that we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Obviously, living in God’s presence isn’t part of that. It’s not common in our age because we are spiritually unconscious. Pretty sad.

I encourage you to think on Ps. 16:11 and take the challenge with me of living in His presence.

Jody