When God created man, He formed Him, in the image of God. When He created each of us, He knitted our bones together in the womb of our mothers. He worked according to His perfect plan, putting the parts together that would work just as He wanted them to. He not only made the machinery which moved and breathed and thought, but deep within the heart of us was placed something we cannot see. It is our soul…a part of us that was created by God to need Him, to want Him.

As Christians, after a time, we feel the tugging of the Holy Spirit upon our hearts. Our souls know that something is missing in our lives, and that something is revealed to us as a real relationship with the Lord. The first moment that we submit ourselves to God, He begins to rebuild the creation He made. The more of Him we hand over, the more He perfects us, according to what His will is for us. What He wants us to do is to recognize that we can become the perfect ‘us’ when we place ourselves in the able hands of the Creator.

There is no other way we will become a work of art…a Masterpiece. HE alone is the Master, and as we live, work, submit, yield to Him, the Masterpiece will become more beautiful, more like Him.

This song from the mid-1970’s is my prayer as He forms me in small and great ways by His mighty hand.

Father, You are the artist with canvas and paint
Color my life with Your blue skies and rain
Paint seasons of sunshine and places of pain
‘Til I am a picture of Him.

Refrain:
Make me a portrait of Jesus.
Paint Your love over my sin.
Let Your life shine like a light through mine,
‘Til I am the picture of Him.

Lord, I am a canvas for You to create
Capture the look of Your Son in my face
And when You paint problems, Lord
Frame them with grace,
‘Til I am the picture of Him.

Refrain

Lord, You paint my future,
According to plan
I trust You though sometimes
I don’t understand
The rainbow of reasons that flows
From Your hand,
To make me a picture of Him.

Refrain

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:21-22

Several years ago my parents built a home.  It was something they had dreamed of doing most of their lives, and after years of job transfers and moving from house to house around the eastern half of the country, they finally set out to accomplish their life-long goal.  Before they could begin staking off the foundation or driving the first nail, they first had to purchase the property where their home would be constructed.  That was an arduous process in and of itself, in that, once they located the property they desired, they sacrificed deeply to pay off the debt for that property in full before they began pouring concrete and erecting walls.  The sacrifice was worth it as they kept their eyes on the goal and the reward that would result from their perseverance and faithfulness. Oh how they rejoiced on the day when the deed to that property was assigned to them and their heirs for time in memorium.

Then, the day came when construction began.  They moved into a temporary apartment near their newly purchased property so they could see and even hear the progress being made daily on their new home.  My father did a lot of the carpentry work himself.  He helped with plumbing, bricking, and many of the finishing details in, around, and under the house.  From their cozy apartment, my mother would often be making dinner in the evening as the sounds of hammers and nails and saws could be heard echoing through the trees.  She recognized those as the sounds of her home drawing that much closer to completion.  Throughout sunny days and rainy days, stormy seasons and perfect skies, the process of construction continued.  The concrete that was once bags of powder lying on the ground eventually became a solid foundation.  The wood that was piled all over the red clay of their 3 acres was summoned one board at a time to form walls and rafters and floor joists.  Shingles eventually covered the plywood on the roof, doors and windows and cabinetry walked through the open thresholds, and the day finally came when we helped them move in their furniture.  In fact, we surprised them one weekend by going into town and helping them move in ahead of schedule and we spent the very first night in their new home with them about 7 years ago now.  It was a very joyous occasion.

But, if you were to talk to my father, you would quickly learn as all homeowners know, that construction is an ongoing process even after you move in.  There are refinements and adjustments and repairs that still need to be done, even on a brand new home.  A homeowner’s work is never really complete.  There is always something to be done to make the home more suitable.

Spiritually speaking, we are under construction too.  We who have accepted the Lord as our personal Savior are, in fact, the dwelling place of God.  Now many people consider “the church building” to be the place where God lives.  But, the truth is that His people are His dwelling place and His Spirit resides in us as we yield daily to the ongoing process of being constructed to become more like Him.  Just as my parents sacrificed to purchase the land on which to build their new home, so God sacrificed to purchase us.  In reality, the Bible says that we do not belong to ourselves, but rather to God, and that we are to honor him with our bodies that are His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

The people of God are His temple, His home, and He is constructing us to reflect His holiness.  Just as the beams and joists of my parent’s new home had to learn to bear up under many different types of weather, so we too are tested under various circumstances and trials in our lives.  And by God’s grace, and only by His power, are we able to learn to endure and persevere for His glory. (Ephesians 6:13)  Our faith is proven when it counteracts our fears, our character is forged by the purity of what we do in secret, and our maturity is deepened when we pursue holiness rather than happiness.  And like tools in the hands of the Master Carpenter, all of the circumstances of our lives are used to chisel and refine and sand away at our imperfections so that we are a home fit for the King.

What joy filled the Father’s heart the day you deeded your life over to Him!  The sacrifice He made for you was well worth the reward.  And, until the day that He returns, be willing and content to be a work of God under construction.

…he raised us from the dead with Christ and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms – all because we are one with Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6

I can remember sitting at the dinner table growing up. We had high back chairs, antiques. They were creaky, and as dinner would progress we were constantly being told to sit up, not to fidget, not to lean back. Ah, the memories of a child. Probably the most common place I am seated these days is in front of my laptop. My couch isn’t the most comfortable in the world, but in the evening you will likely find me cross-legged, tucked in the corner of the couch, leaning over my laptop keyboard as some show plays in the background. Undoubtedly, you have your own pictures of what it might look like to be “seated”.

When I think about the throne of heaven, I often have a very different picture. One of standing and pleading, or bowing asking for mercy. The only seat I can often imagine is the seat that the criminal sits in, being prosecuted. But this is not the picture Paul paints. We are seated with him in the heavenly realms. Jesus is seated in honor and power, with authority. He is the rightful king of heaven and earth. And we are seated with him, sharing in his honor and in his relationship with the Father.

From all that Paul shares, we should recognize that we were unworthy to stand in God’s presence, let alone sit in a position of authority and honor with Christ. Paul begins Ephesians 2 describing us with phrases such as “dead”, “doomed forever”, “full of sin”, and “under God’s anger.” He is holy, and our nature is so caught up in the world’s ways of thinking and acting. It is a constant battle.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead…he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (Ephesians 1:4-5a) Our position is secure because Christ was raised. His death paid the penalty of our sin, but his resurrection is a promise of new life. Having accepted Christ and followed him in faith, every day is to be lived in light of our position in Christ. If we lose sight of that, all sorts of things go wrong. We may fall into pits of paralyzing guilt when we see our failure to live to the measure of Jesus. Or we slave away in an exhausting path of discipline and self denial, hoping our effort will somehow please a God we have little hope even likes us.

But when we see of our spiritual life from the vantage point of the risen Christ, who bore our sin, we see the depth’s of God’s love, the extent of his willingness to do whatever it takes to restore us and make us like his Son. It’s from this place that we can begin to grow. Seated with Jesus, we have power to walk.

The old pointed toward the new. The old system was a temporary fix. The new system is permanent. The old system used the blood of blemish-free animals and required many sacrifices. The new system required the blood of one perfect, sinless God in flesh-the man Jesus Christ. The old system allowed only the high priests the authority to approach God. The new system allows any believer, Hebrew or Gentile, to boldly come before the throne of God. Hebrews 4:16 puts it this way, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” What freedom! We can approach God for forgiveness of sins and ask for His power in our lives any time!

This brings us to Ephesians, Paul’s letter to the Gentiles in the church at Ephesus. Unlike many of Paul’s letters to various churches, this one was not written to confront problems in the church but rather to encourage believers and strengthen them. Early manuscripts of this letter do not include the words “in Ephesus” so this was probably a circular letter-first sent to Ephesus but then circulated to other local churches. This is a letter of unity, reminding early Christians that we are one in Christ with all other believers.

In chapter 3, Paul prays for the early believers. “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner beings so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge….”

The Life Application Study Bible explains it this way. “God’s love is total. It reaches ever corner of our experience. It is wide-it covers the breadth of our experiences, and it reaches the whole world. God’s love is long-it continues the length of our lives. It is high-it reaches to the heights of our celebration and elation. His love is deep-it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death.”

The love of God is a constant reminder of His presence in our hearts any time we feel shut out or isolated in this world. And if God is for us, even Satan can’t stand against us. What power! What love!

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Heb 10: 19-22

What is Sacrifice?  Webster’s dictionary gives these definitions:

• An act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar
• Something offered in sacrifice
• a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b: something given up or lost

Exactly!  The act of offering to a deity…GOD, something precious…ourselves. With sincere hearts, with complete surrender, we gave our lives to Him at the time of our prayer for salvation. We were, as it says in Heb 10:22 “sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. Following that, we gave our bodies to be ‘washed with pure water” in the act of Baptism. Those activities of a new believer were not the end of it. More was expected of us.

Heb 10: 23 goes on to say that we should ‘hold fast’  (tightly, firmly) to the hope, without wavering.  Hmmm… without wavering.

What does that mean?  Does it mean that we can run and cling to the hem of Christ’s garment when we want something, when we need Him to do something for us?  Does it mean we can return to our old ways and run back and forth to Jesus with a prayer of repentance when we get into trouble?  NO! “Without wavering” means that we must walk in His footsteps, moment by moment. That means seeking God’s will, and yielding to it, regardless of how uncomfortable it may seem at the time. It means that we must surrender our own thoughts and trust in His.

Sacrificial living won’t always feel good. When you  give up something that you are used to doing, however unhealthy it might be, it’s not easy to do. God’s Word tells us that man’s thoughts are not His thoughts and our ways are not His ways.  Sacrificing anything is contrary to man’s selfish nature.

It takes practice to let go of old things and to begin new methods of living. Consider physical exercise. It causes muscles to ache.  However, the more we use those muscles, the stronger they get and the more natural it is to use them. Likewise, exercising these new spiritual muscles may cause moments of pain, but, the more we use those muscles, the stronger they get and the more natural it is to use them. Think of it as ‘growing pains’.  Our sacrificial living is healthier, and it produces growth. Do you see the pattern emerging? Our faithfulness in the practice of giving to and for the Lord, results in our strength, and growth in spiritual things. The more grow, the more we want to please Him.  The more faithful we are, the more He can use us in accomplishing His work.

We are to encourage one another in this vein. When it’s ‘hard’ to run that race set before us, let us call out, first to our Coach Jesus for strength, and then to the other team players, our brothers and sisters in Christ who will be our cheerleaders. We all need a friendly smile, a helping hand, a pat on the back sometimes. We all need a little scolding, too, at times and help in finding our direction. Each of us needs a little nudge, at times, to do our work with a cheerful heart.  Let us pray for one another and encourage one another to ‘keep up the good work’ as we attempt to develop new patterns of sacrificial living.

Rocks have always served as reminders or memorials. They span the ages of time. Ancient petroglyphs, cairns, Stonehenge and Mt. Rushmore all bore significance to their creators. Some meanings have been lost while others are still honored.

While in Savannah, Georgia I made it a point to visit one of the oldest cemeteries. It houses a very large number of Jewish graves. I am fascinated by the Jewish custom of leaving a small stone on the grave of a loved one. Jews do not typically place flowers at grave sites. Instead, they often place little stones on the grave or headstone. The origin of the custom is uncertain but is usually explained as a symbolic act that indicates someone has come to visit and the deceased has not been forgotten. I think it may have deeper roots however.

In ancient times a pile of stones was used as a marker. Two times in particular would be very familiar to Jewish people who know their own history.

In the book of Joshua we read about the Israelites preparation to cross the Jordan river into the Promised Land. Moses had died and Joshua was the new leader. God commanded them to march toward the Jordan River behind the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant. As soon as the priests’ feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing and piled up in a heap a great distance away. The Jordan was at flood stage by the way which just adds all the more to the miracle. And one last thing, the riverbed was bone dry as they crossed, not even the least bit muddy. What a God!

God commanded Joshua to choose 12 men, one from each tribe, to take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan. They carried these stones to their camp and set them down. Joshua then set them up as a memorial and reminder of God’s miracle and faithfulness.

In the distant future, the children and the children’s children would pass this heap of stones and inquire about them. They would be told the story and learn of God’s faithfulness and provision for His people.

In the near future the Israelites would think about the power of this mighty God as they would face a multitude of enemies. The crossing of the Jordan on dry land was above all a sign that the living God was among them and would drive out all other nations from the land promised ages ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Many years later, when God rescued the Israelites from the Philistines, Samuel set a stone up as a memorial once again to God’s help and deliverance.

I’m thinking that this isn’t such a bad idea for us today. We can draw much strength for out present struggles if we take time to remember God’s presence and help during past crises. Why not take time to set up a memorial of some type that will serve as a reminder of past victories through Christ? This will in turn spur us on by giving us the confidence and strength to press on. Not to mention the stories you can pass down to your children when they ask the meaning behind this memorial.

Even in the stories of God’s miracles in the Old Testament He expected to see some action from the people He was acting on behalf. God spared Noah and his family but first they had to build the ark. God parted the Red Sea but the people had to cross on their own two feet. God provided manna from heaven but the Israelites had to go out every morning and gather it. The walls of Jericho tumbled down but only after the Israelites marched around them. Naaman was healed of leprosy but only after he agreed to wash in the muddy Jordan River. God spared the Jews from annihilation but Esther first had to risk her life going before the king.

Jesus, God in flesh, often performed miracles with only a touch or word, but would at other times require action. He turned water into wine only after the servants filled the jars with water. He healed the 10 lepers only after they obediently started their walk away from Jesus and toward the temple to show themselves to the priest. He fed the multitudes but first asked the disciples to bring the loaves and fishes they had found in the crowd. The paralytic was healed as he was commanded to stand up and carry his bed. Jesus produced money to pay the temple taxes but first Peter had to go catch a fish and pull the money from  its mouth. The exhausted disciples who had fished all night, but caught nothing, were blessed with a boatload of fish only after they cast their nets one last time on the side of the boat Jesus commanded.

The writer Philip Yancey put it this way. “Although we may ask God to intervene directly, it should not surprise us if He responds in a more hidden way in cooperation with our own choices. An alcoholic prays, “Lord, keep me from drink today”. The answer to that prayer will likely come from the inside-from a stiffening resolve or a cry for help to a loyal friend-rather than from some marvel like the magical disappearance of liquor bottles from a cabinet.

Whether God supernaturally intervenes or is giving us the power to obey Him, we trust His character. we see a true partnership, intimate and intertwined. “

So never cease  praying and seeking God’s will. At the same time, be ready to spring into action in the direction He leads. He is faithful who has promised us.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6

How will we be satisfied?

Can you imagine going all week, until Sunday, without eating a meal? You’d be tired, grumpy and lethargic without any food in your body, wouldn’t you? You’d have no energy and little interest in anything because you’d be deprived of the fuel it takes to operate in a healthy manner.

The same is true of us when we leave our Bibles, untouched, between church services. A week without the Word of God would be detrimental to our spiritual lives.  There would be no direction, but our own, and that usually ends us up in a place we don’t want to be. There would be no assurance of God’s love that is ours, and that would leave us feeling needy and alone. There would be no chastisement or reminder of sin that we could easily fall prey to when not listening to the Voice of God. Ignoring the Word could result in a disaster for us, spiritually speaking.

When we are malnourished, we are a sad bunch, a weak family of Christians. We haven’t much desire to serve because we have no energy or motivation to do so. What good, then, are we to the Lord?  Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Matthew 5:13)  Even if we have an idea of serving, how will we know what to do or how to do it the way He wants us to without His instruction?

We need to encourage one another to read the Word, faithfully and often. We need to be self-disciplined, setting a specific block of time for the studying of the Bible. Devouring the delectable tidbits from the banquet table that God sets before us will nourish our spiritual lives in ways we cannot imagine!  We will grow closer to Him, we will move in Him, we will serve Him, we will please Him!  A proper spiritual diet is one that incorporates prayer, studying the Word, and then carrying out what we have learned.  Praying, alone, won’t accomplish the work of God. Neither will reading His Word. We must put what we’ve learned into practice.  There is no sense knowing something without using the knowledge. All this may not come easily, but it is not always easy to do what is best for us or for the good of someone else.

Think of it this way, would we, if we were carpenters, go off to a job without the tools we’d need in our toolboxes? No, of course not. We’d accomplish little that day, having left our tools at home. The same is true of the Bible. Leaving it untouched, unread, does not prepare us for the work God wants to have done in the world around us. We have a kingdom to build for Him. Just as we cannot hammer a nail with our hand alone, we cannot build a kingdom without His blueprints and instruction.  Let’s remember to use the tools He has supplied us with for the job!

Let us each find a time each morning, when we may sit with Jesus in a quiet place. (”Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10)  Unhurried, let’s spend time speaking with Him through prayer, listening to Him through the reading of the Bible.  Then we can go forth into the new day with a calm assurance that we are prepared to do the work He puts before us.

Thank God, whether you are in the midst of blessing or trial, from the depth of your being:

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!
Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Palm 103, NLT

So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.

Colossians 1:9-10

When we think about the call of Christ, we often focus on the cost first, and never move beyond that. We think of what we might be called to sacrifice. We imagine the extremes, and allow ourselves to get caught up in worries about what we might have to give up, what we might have to endure. Rather than loosening up our lives to be used by Christ, we hunker down and cling even more closely to the familiar. No matter how much or little we have – or even whether we are happy with who we are and the way we live our lives – when our tunnel-vision takes over, the call to discipleship is an imposing monument. All too often, we choose what we know over what is unknown.

The truly unfortunate thing here is that when we settle for life-as-we-know-it, we often realize we are missing the boat. The guilt we feel could be truth hitting us in the gut, telling us we have settled for less than God, less than the truth. But we build up defensive walls against this guilt. We offer excuses to assure ourselves that we are doing the right thing. We have children to take care of. We have aging parents. We have retirement to save for. We have debt. We are uncomfortable in new situations. We don’t have the right skills or training. We have never done that before, whatever that is. People might accuse us of being arrogant or “religious” if we stepped out into the unknown. And what if we messed up?

What would be different if instead of focusing on the cost (often imagined) first, we focused on what God could do, what God wants to do? What if we focused on what he was capable and willing to do, and only then looked at the the cost to make it reality?

Let’s start simple: God is not limited by our resources. He can provide what is needed for our families and for our community. He wants to! He is kind and loving. He knows that we have needs, having created us with those needs. But those needs were never meant to be an excuse for avoiding him. If we started from the premise that God will meet our needs as we follow him – wherever he leads – I think we would find more satisfaction and more joy.

God wants us to reach our friends, family and community, and is uniquely gifting us to do just that. We can see lives changed, marriages healed. We can see people respond to God. God will move in our midst! And while God never guarantees to “show up” according to our time-frame or expectations, we have every reason to have confidence that God is with us. We will not find true satisfaction unless we embrace God’s call for our lives!

He isn’t calling everyone to Africa. He isn’t calling everyone to be a pastor or teacher or to get a seminary degree. But we should question ourselves if we are comfortable with an “ordinary Christian” life. God wants us to experience him abundantly! And living in a Christian rut of endless book studies and worship services was never the point. These are not bad things – but they are just means to and end: a closer relationship with God; as Paul wrote, “to know God better and better”.

God’s call is not a guarantee of happiness or ease. But are we really all that “happy” seeking our own comfort? Is the world offering anything that is a fair trade for fulfilling our purpose and receiving the commendation of the God who created us? Think about how the time you spend serving someone in need could end in God receiving glory and even a soul in new and rich relationship with its God. What cost would keep you from vision like that?