Speed Limits

For the past few weeks as I have been driving to and fro from different places I have noticed one thing to be very common about my daily life in the car. My conscience has been blasted every time that I have gone over the speed limit. Now, to be honest, I really try not to speed in the first place because I think that as believers we ought to follow all of the rules and laws set up by society unless they are against the Word of God; so that being my conviction I strive to honor that as best I can by the help of the Holy Spirit. That is why it surprised me when this began happening. I mean it has been very unusual to the point that when I am praying or thinking of something else and just kind of coasting along, going down a hill, or something like that and not really paying too close of attention to the speedometer when I go over the speed limit my conscience will go crazy, I'll feel like my prayers are being hindered and my thoughts are blocked from flowing with the Holy Spirit, and I'd be afraid of getting a ticket. As soon as I would slow down back to the speed limit or below though, my conscience would clear, my prayers and thoughts would be be flowing with the Holy Spirit again and I'd have no fear of getting a ticket. Now this may seem odd to you, as it did to me, and to be honest again, it has been kind of annoying and troublesome as I wondered and prayed about what is going on, and I kind of knew where God was headed with it but I wasn't sure and I had no clarity into things...until today. I finally understand what God has been trying to teach me.

As I was driving up the hill close to where I'm living today after work I was going up a hill which is posted at 25mph and I was going about 6 or 7 and when I realized it and my conscience was going crazy and I asked the Lord what was going on, because I knew it just wasn't that I was speeding, and He finally revealed it to me. It has to do with something that has been a theme of my life for a long, long time, but I think this is one of the more significant times that I came to understand what this aspect of the Christian life means. Galatians 5:16-24 says this (which is the major part of what God has been trying to get through to me these past few weeks), "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." Here's the connection, when we walk by the Spirit, which in essence is walking in obedience to God, the Spirit produces the fruits righteousness within us, but when we walk according to the flesh we walk in disobedience toward God. The results of obedience also produce a clear conscience, an unhindered prayer life and thoughts that flow with the Spirit of God, as well as no fear of punishment, for against the fruit of the Spirit there is no law. When we walk according to the deeds of the flesh though we have a guilty conscience, a hindered prayer and thought life, and we walk around with the fear of punishment. The lesson for me was greatly this: If I walk by the Spirit I will produce the peaceful fruit of righteousness, but if I walk outside of the Spirit, in disobedience, outside of the ways and boundaries that God has set for me, then I will produce the disparities of walking by the flesh. I pray that I may find myself more and more walking by the Spirit and not by the flesh, and may you find it to be the same thing too.

Giving Back

Last week I wrote about how Christians need to be careful that works don't take the place of faith in God as a route to salvation. The natural progression, then, is to write this week about why Christians need to do works. The importance of service is found in numerous places throughout the Bible, starting way back in the beginning of the Old Testament and continuing through Jesus' time. In the Old Testament, a lot of the service is directed towards taking care of widows and orphans. In the New Testament, we find Jesus saying "whatever you do for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). He was speaking in response to a question asked about serving the poor, hungry, and strangers.

For a more modern (and abstract - Luther is tough to read) take, Martin Luther says that these works serve the purpose of disciplining the body and purifying it of evil desires. In a broader sense, Luther also says that these works should be done out of service to your neighbors, in a spirit of love, so that we may yield to God in our service.

But what sort of service should one be doing? This can vary greatly from person to person, and the determining factor is really what you're good at. I wrote a couple weeks ago about spiritual gifts - this is where they come into play. Discover what you do best, then go out and do it as a service to your neighbors, but most of all as a service of love to God.

At our Woman's Bible study, we talked about the significance of music, and the great influence it has in our walk with God. This song came to mind, and the words say it so plainly, that I will just let you read them. And really, it is all about Jesus.

When the music fades
And all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I'll bring You more than just a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You Jesus

Its all about you
Jesus

(The Heart of Worship, by Matt Redman)