POWER, LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND
For God has not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
II Timothy 1:7

Over the weekend my children and I visited my girlfriend in North Carolina. It was a great little trip and we all had fun. We stayed long enough to visit her church as well. The kids were ushered to a Sunday School class with her kids, and the adults were left to enjoy a few minutes with other adults. When the classes were done, my son brought me his paper from class to hold. While I was waiting for service to start I began looking at his lesson. The sheet gave the children a chance to comment on what their worries were. As I read his paper, I saw he had marked:
- not getting along with his sister
- people aren't taking good care of the earth, and
- some country may attack ours
Given the choices on the paper, I'm sure he marked ones that are true to him. But it began to make me think about how I would have responded to this same question. What are MY worries?
- will my finances be enough to support my family
- do my kids know I love them
- am I a good father
- have I missed God's calling on my life
- when I leave this world, will my legacy be positive or negative
Of course I have more worries, but this list will do for now.
But what does God say to us in His Word about fear and worry. If we know that in John 16:33 Jesus tells us we will have troubles but to take heart, He has overcome the world, then shouldn't that give us some relief? And how about II Timothy 1:7 where we are told that God has given us power, love, and a sound mind, and not fear?
Let's take a minute to break this passage in II Timothy down, though. Fear comes from the devil. God did not give us the devil. No! He banished the devil from his place of holiness because the devil was not holy. So then what are we given?
POWER - Acts 1:8 tells us that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us.
LOVE - I John 4:8 states that God is love
SOUND MIND - Isaiah 9:6 shares with us that one of the names for Jesus will be Prince of Peace.
So let's put it all together. God has not given us the devil. No! He has given us the Holy Spirit as our power, God Himself as our love, and Jesus Christ as our peace. It is a three against one battle and we already who is going to win. So the challenge to you and me is to stop focusing on our fears and focus on those who fight for and with us. Sure, we are human and we get tangled in our minds with the things that we see and feel and know, but still our focus should be on the Trinity. Our victory over fear and worry comes from above.

AN ALL-AROUND GOD
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139:7-10

I am honored to say that I am the parent of two young children who I love dearly. But I am also human, and sometimes my children run my last nerve. If you have children, then you will probably agree with me that no matter how much we love them, there are those moments when we just need a few minutes alone. For me, that time normally comes while I am in the shower. For that brief few moments I am alone. I am able to let my thoughts be mine and not my children's, able to filter out my day and prepare for the next moment, and able to focus on what other pressures need my attention. I know that when the water stops and I open my door I will be super-dad again and be asked to bring justice between the two, or prepare a meal, or turn the movie on. But I welcome it.
But in those times when I am able to escape my children for a shower, I am not able to escape my title. If an emergency broke out, I would be quick to end my alone moments and tend to my children. The truth is that they can not escape their title as my children either. And the same is true with God and us. Infact, it is deeper. God is all knowing and all present. He knows our every move. When I am 'alone', I am really not alone. And David says it so well, that there really is no place I can go where His hand will not guide me or hold me fast.
God knows the number of hairs on our head (Matt 10:30), He knows our thoughts and our hearts (Ps 7:9), and He wears our names in the palms of His hands (Isa 49:16). We are always on His mind. But the challenge then becomes where He is in relation to our mindset. In a few days it will be Saint Patrick's Day, and as a student and fan of church history, I want to close today's thoughts with the words of Saint Patrick. Perhaps they will challenge you to wear Christ as we are worn by Him.

Christ With Me, Christ Before Me
Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance or reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

3,024,000 BEATS
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
I Timothy 4:12

I dabble with poetry a little, and a few years back I wrote a poem for someone I cared about. Allow me to share a portion with you as it will help to make my point for today.

The heart is beating, keeping time, the drummer of our lives,
from the moment we’re first conceived, till the day we close our eyes.
In just one small second, the heart of a hummingbird,
will beat twenty times, yet never will it be heard.
In one brief minute while we recite nursery rhymes,
a newborn’s heart beats a hundred and forty times.
An hour passes by and with twenty-four hundred beats,
the black stallion, tone and sleek, is adored by all he meets.
Over forty thousand pulses in one day of the year
for the massive elephant who slowly trudges near.
Three million, twenty-four thousand human beats of the heart,
the constant drumming in just one month is God’s work of art.

It is the last bit I want to focus on. What are we doing with our lives? The human heart beats 3,024,000 times in one month. What are we filling those beats with? Are we seeking God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength? Or are filling those beating moments with sinful pleasures?
Theologians say that Timothy assisted Paul on his second missionary journey and later was left in charge of the work in Ephesus when Paul was in jail. Maybe it was at this time when Timothy needed the encouragement to keep on going. Paul wrote in I Timothy 1:18 to "fight the good fight." But if Timothy was anything like you and I, he probably had those moments when he needed some encouragement. He needed someone to cheer him on. He needed someone to encourage him to not listen to the negative words, or complain when he didn't give into to the status quo. He needed someone to praise him for setting the standard. Perhaps Paul knew how many beats the heart pulsed in a month, maybe he didn't. But he knew that every one of the those beats should beat for God, and he encouraged Timothy to live the same.
We face the same challenge. Like Timothy, we may be ready to give in, tuck tail, call it quits, end the show. But also like Timothy, God brings a 'Paul' into our lives to encourage us to keep fighting, keep setting the standard, and keep living every heartbeat for Christ. I am sure you have a 'Paul' in your life, but then again you may not. I am confident of this one thing, though. When our love is for the things of God, and our dislike is in what God calls sin, then we are beating in unison with Him. I encourage you,as even now I challenge myself, to beat in unison with God's heart.

CHOOSE WISELY
"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."
Deuteronomy 30:19

Just chapters away from Israel entering into the Promised Land, Moses delivers these words to the people. "Israelites, the time is close for you to enter the land we were promised by God. God has shown Himself faithful, by granting your freedom from bondage, drowning the Egyptians in the Red Sea, and providing food and water for you. He has given us His commands, and He has shown His power. All these miracles you have seen. So on the crest of entering your destiny, I call heaven and earth to hear these words from God. Life and death are before you in all you do. Choose life, and you will live. Choose death, and you will die. It is black and white; there is no gray. I beg of you, though, choose life."
We know the story that follows. Joshua takes the people into the Promised Land and Jericho is defeated. Achan takes the devoted things that God told them not to take after the destruction of Jericho, and as a result Ai becomes a bloody battle for Israel. But why? Wasn't God with them? Yes, He was. But God's instruction was clear not to take the devoted things (Joshua 6:18). Because of Achan's sin, innocent people died. But just chapters before, Moses told all of them, Achan present I'm sure, to choose life. Yet his choice was death, for both his family and the innocent soldiers.
We must realize that when we play with sin, we will not win. I thank God that Jesus was sent as a sacrifice for my messes, but that does not give me the right to sin. Sin is death; it's wages are death (Romans 6:23). That is too steep a price for me to pay for a few moments of fun, or a few devoted things. These words Moses spoke out are still truth today. If we choose God's way, we will live. But the man that chooses to disobey will find death. So now, life and death are set before you. Which will you choose?

PEACE! BE STILL!
"[Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!'"
Mark 4:39-41

Imagine with me for a moment being one of the twelve disciples. You are in your boat heading toward the region of the Gerasenes. On the horizon you see the makings of a storm. You've been through many storms as a fisherman, so at first this one doesn't scare you. But as it continues to draw closer, you have second thoughts. Soon enough this storm is festering like a raging bull. Your lack of concern in no time at all becomes panic and fear. You question waking up Jesus. After all, it has been a long day of teaching for Him, and the crowds pushed in for healing all day. But then again, you are afraid...paniced! So you stir Him, quickly point out the storm you're in the midst of, wondering how He managed to sleep through it anyway, and then panic some more. "Don't you even care if we die? Jesus, we're about to die!"
He looks at you and you see it in His eyes. Disappointment. His head drops slightly, His smile begins to fade, and the pep in His step is gone. He walks over to the edge of the boat, raises His arms out across the water and says with authority, "PEACE! BE STILL!" These words echo across the water louder than the waves that rise. You question power as you see the waves around the boat begin to cease in a rippling effect. Then, little by little, you realize that He is greater than you ever thought. With His head still low from disappointment, He gently speaks His rebuke. "Why are you so afraid? You've been with Me, seen Me do miracles, seen My heart for My people, and just today heard about a mustard seed of faith, and still you have no faith. Why do you act like cowards when I am here with you?"
His words cut deep even though they are spoken so gently. But He is right. As you ponder what Jesus has just said, and reflect back on the miracles you have already seen Him perform, the reverence of who He is invades your thoughts. "Who is this? Who is this man that even the wind and waves obey?"
How many times do we find ourselves in that same boat? We cry out, "Jesus, my mortgage is due! Jesus, my marriage is crumbling! Jesus, I just lost my job! Jesus, my family member is dieing! Jesus, Jesus, JESUS!" And He, who never lets us go, says, "PEACE! BE STILL! I already know and have it under control. Where is your faith in Me?" When He brings us through, we praise Him. But when we're in the middle of it, we panic and convince ourselves that He has forgotten us. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "He will never leave you nor forsake you." Why are we so afraid that the God who loves us enough to send His Son to die for us will let us die in our struggles? When will we realize the power that He holds and rest in Him?

IN NEED OF DIRECTION
"After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."
Exodus 13:20-22

Many of the traits I have come from my dad, such as the ability to plan ahead, a love for history, and a sense of navigation. He is the one who got me hooked on maps. I know it seems strange to some, but I can spend hours just looking at an atlas and plan the perfect trip that I may never take. I can tell you an estimate of how long it will take to drive somewhere, and what possible landmarks you may pass along the way. I owe this weird ability to my dad, who I would watch growing up just sitting with a map on the couch.
In a similar way, the people of Israel had the same opportunity. After Moses had brought the people out of Egypt and they began their journey to the promised land, God chose to make the way clear. The people followed Moses in the direction he took them, sometimes happily and sometimes grumbling, but nevertheless they did reach their destination. But God chose to give a sign that no one could mistake. He provided a cloud during the day and a fire at night. He provided for the Israelites and all those who watched them a clear sign of guidance.
I know in my own life that there are times when I wonder if I am on the right road. I make a decision and hope I have made the right one. A few years back I started grad school and after a few online sessions I stopped. I don't know if the right decision was to stop, or to go in the first place. But I do this...that in the whole process I had God's peace and I saw His provision. Maybe in some brief way that is what the Israelites felt also. They knew they were coming out of slavery, and they knew that God was leading them into THEIR land and they would have to take it by force, yet God was with them. The cloud and the fire were a representation that they were in His hands.
Maybe you're like me, and you like to read maps. Maybe you're not. It is not a right or wrong thing. But what really matters is are we allowing God to lead us to the final destination. Are we looking for His guiding hand, just like the Israelites looked for the cloud and the fire? The passage tells us that the cloud and fire never left their place in the front. If God is unchanging, then that must mean that God will never deny us His leading also. The challenge is are we looking backwards wondering where we are, or are we focused on what is ahead and watching the direction He leads us? God never let the Israelites down, and He won't let us down either.

S.T.A.N.D.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
I Corinthians 16:13

Growing up I was in the choir. Yes, I was a choir boy. But I loved it. I loved the singing, the performances, the spot light of the solo, and the blending of many voices. I started in choir in elementary school and continued all the way up to college. I remember the choir teachers, the happy singers, and the countless rehearsals. But one memory I will never forget happened in junior high. It's as if it were yesterday, standing in front of the crowds at Christmas singing Christmas carols to the older people in the retirement home. There I was in my spot giving all my joy to the world when suddenly the room went black. I don't know if you've ever fainted, but this being my first time, I had no idea what was happening. One second you're fine, then the next you're seeing black spots and trying to stand up after coming face to face with the ground. I was helped to my feet and after I regained awareness, told what had happened as I was offered a drink of water.
So what did happen? Outside of the overly warm temperature inside to counter balance the cold temperature outside, I did one thing wrong. Can you guess? If you've ever been in choir you know the answer. I locked my knees. I did what choir teachers tell you to never do. And under the heat and nervousness of the people watching, I fainted. I did not hold my stance.
The Bible talks about standing. In both I Corinthians 15:58 and 16:13, Paul warns us to stand firm. In the same book, Paul tells us to stand under God's way out when we are tempted (10:13). Gideon was told to have his troops stand firm and God would smite the enemies without the soldiers making a move (Jud 7:21). Paul again tells us that when we have done all we can, we stand (Eph 6:13). But what does standing mean? A simple definition is our 'established position'. I have my own definition: Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated. Look at these verses with me using this as our definition.
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, be Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated." Eph 6:13.
"Be on your guard; be Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated in the faith; be men of courage; be strong" I Cor 16:13.
If I had held the position in choir of standing, but not locking my knees, I would not have fainted. But because I did not stand correctly, I fell. So that is the challenge. How are you standing? Are you wobbly, close to fainting, propped up against the wall, or relying on crutches? If so, I urge you to stand on the solid rock. Are you Solid, Tenacious, And Never Defeated? There is only one way to get there. Let us all STAND on Christ.