Should the King in Exile Pretend He Is Happy?

We use a phrase to try to console ourselves after what we think is an irrecoverable loss: “All good things come to an end.” I hate that phrase. It’s a lie. Even our troubles and our heartbreaks tell us something about our true destiny. The tragedies that strike us to the core and elicit the cry, “This isn’t the way it was supposed to be!” are also telling the truth—it isn’t the way it was supposed to be. Pascal writes, 

Man is so great that his greatness appears even in knowing himself to be miserable. A tree has no sense of its misery. It is true that to know we are miserable is to be miserable; but to know we are miserable is also to be great. Thus all the miseries of man prove his grandeur; they are the miseries of a dignified personage, the miseries of a dethroned monarch . . . What can this incessant craving, and this impotence of attainment mean, unless there was once a happiness belonging to man, of which only the faintest traces remain, in that void which he attempts to fill with everything within his reach? (Pensées)

Should the king in exile pretend he is happy there? Should he not seek his own country? His miseries are his ally; they urge him on. And so let them grow, if need be. But do not forsake the secret of life; do not despise those kingly desires. We abandon the most important journey of our lives when we abandon desire. We leave our hearts by the side of the road and head off in the direction of fitting in, getting by, being productive, what have you. Whatever we might gain— money, position, the approval of others, or just absence of the discontent itself—it’s not worth it. “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matt. 16:26). 

(Desire , 12–13) 

Leading through Faithfulness

This week we are going to read Nehemiah!  It is one of the largest testiments to faithfulness in the bible.  If Nehemiah was not faithful in his time the Israelites would not have come back and our future would be very different. If one faithful man can change the world what can you do?

Read Nehemiah 1- Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem´s deterioration.

INSIGHT
One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem´s condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life "hits" you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there.

PRAYER
Being used by the Lord is a joyful experience. Praise Him as you consider how He might use you:
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 
Before the mountains were brought forth, 
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting,
You are God. . . . 
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, 
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! 
(Psalm 90:1-2, 14)

As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
"Come now, and let us reason together," 
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, 
They shall be as white as snow; 
Though they are red like crimson, 
They shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
If you cry out for discernment, 
And lift up your voice for understanding, 
If you seek her as silver, 
And search for her as for hidden treasures; 
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God
(Proverbs 2:3-5).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:

• Contentment in the circumstances of your life
• Greater sensitivity to sin
• The ministry of your local church
• Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Be of good courage, 
And He shall strengthen your heart, 
All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24).

Make Me a Christian

What happens when you take 13 non-Christians and get them to live by the Bible’s instruction for 3 weeks? The UK reality TV series Make Me a Christian attempted to answer that question last year.

The contestants included an atheist biker and a lesbian schoolteacher. They were mentored by four clergy—an Anglican, a Catholic, an Evangelical, and a Pentecostal. Though this is a bizarre idea for presenting Jesus to unbelievers, some of the contestants stated that they were going to “pursue Christianity further.” The apostle Paul had some hard words for the Galatians when they were trying to “make themselves Christians” by works (Galatians 3). He asked four clarifying questions:

1. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? (3:2). The answer was no—for the indwelling of the Spirit had come by belief, by faith.

2. Why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? (v.3). The Galatians were foolishly following the instruction of the Judaizers who were telling them that they could move toward spiritual maturity by works and externals, not by grace and the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

3. Have you experienced so much for nothing? (v.4). Paul’s people had been persecuted for their grace-based faith. If they had returned to following Mosaic Law— denying grace—then they would have suffered for nothing.

4. Does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? (v.5). His answer, “Of course not!” The miracles were not of the Law, but were all about the hearing that leads to faith.

You and I can lose sight of the basis of our own salvation at times—thinking that it’s based on doing the right things. The reality? Our faith flows from God’s amazing grace. Only God can make a Christian