I’ve been spending the last few weeks reading through the Old Testament.

I think there is no clearer place to find the answer to the question: What is pleasing to God?

He lays out pretty clearly what He expects from His people in Deuteronomy 10:12-13.

• Fear Him
• Obey Him
• Love Him
• Serve Him

The New Testament clearly gives us the Good News. There is a direct path to salvation and forgiveness of sin–Jesus Christ. However, I think it’s important to diligently pursue a path of pleasing God. In fact, I’m not certain you can truly claim faith, without a burning desire to please (James 2:14).

I often use the analogy of a parent and their child…

You always love your children, but it’s so pleasing when they respect you and heed your loving guidance–and there’s a healthy dose of fear sprinkled in. From that, if your children truly love you it’s impossible not to want to please your parent.

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Take a minute and think back to your first crush…

I was talking to a parent the other day and she was telling me about her daughter’s recent crush. She said her daughter came to her (I hope my daughter is this trusting in me) and said, “Mom this is crazy…he is ALL I can think about.”

Do you remember that time in your life? A time …

• When you would break 100 yard dash World Records to “coincidentally” be the one to pick up something she dropped?
• When you changed your route to Biology class (and were often tardy) just to catch a glimpse of her as she headed to Algebra class?
• When you would go past her house just in case she might be on the front porch?
• When you wouldn’t dare be caught dancing, but you would go to the dances just in case you got the guts up to ask her to dance?
• When you would ditch your buddies, despite all the ribbing, just to hangout with her?

Now let’s switch gears for a minute. Think about some of the recent conversations you have had with your friends, neighbors, and co-workers about their spouses?

What are some typical words or statements used?

• I didn’t get much in return.
• What am I getting out of this relationship anyway?
• I’m putting more in than you are.
• She’s invested a lot in that relationship

Notice the theme? These are words we use when describing commodities, money, or investments. Things where the only focus is OUR return, not Love.

2 Samuel 11: 1-5

This is the bible story most often quoted when we talk about infidelity and adultery. As a result we get marriage advice like this…

• “I invest in my relationship with (insert your wife’s name)”
• “I set specific boundaries”
• “I consider what’s a stake”

Now this is quoted advice from a notable Christian leader, responding to the Arnold Schwarzenegger scandal. Now, I don’t want to disparage or undermine his advice. But, let’s face, it’s cliche. You wanna know where it comes from?

I took a psychology class in college and one of things you always hear people say–it must be in the Psychologist 101 manual–is this…

“You’ve got to love yourself first.”

No you don’t!

In fact, if your life is messed up right now…I can guarantee you that if you start focusing on loving yourself you will really screw things up.

God didn’t command us to love ourselves first. He said love me first.

He didn’t say this because he is a narcissistic God. He says this, like all of the guidance He gives us in His Word, because it’s in our best interest.

If we love ourselves first…we will be Satan’s for sure.

If we leave room for others we will fall away and fail over and over again.

Recall King Solomon–once he started making room for the gods of his many wives he couldn’t stop building temples and idols to them–he lost God.

Think of the cheaters and adulators you know–once they start cheating they do it over and over, they can’t stop without repenting–they will lose their wife and God.

The REAL SECRET…

Love her as (Christ) loves you [Ephesians 5:25-28]

When you begin to love someone–truly love someone–there is no room to fail them. It will crush you to not have them near. It will crush you to disappoint them. You will do anything to protect them, provide for them, and not fail them.

Christ died because he loved us. He wanted to save ALL of us.

If you love your wife as Christ loves you. Not and 50/50 love, but a 100% love, an I will die to save you love. There will be no room for anyone else.

You won’t even see anyone else in the room.

Okay, let’s finish up by diving into His Words to find the path to success.

Four steps to keep you on the path God wants for your relationship with your wife:

• Cherish and nourish her [Ephesians 5:25-29]
• Be considerate and treat them with respect [1 Peter 3:7]
• Call your wife blessed and praise her [Proverbs 5:18-20]
• Accept your responsibility [1 Timothy 5:8]

Here’s the bottom line…

Your marriage is NOT an investment, a commodity. It’s an ALL IN commitment.

Just like Christ’s Love for you was!

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29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

 

~ Matthew 13:29-30

I’m a Christian.

I’m pretty passionate about that. However, I often see a behavior that I think is counterproductive. It’s not that other groups don’t display this same behavior, it’s just that I’m concerned about how it impacts our commission.

Oh, and Jesus told us not to do it.

We spend a lot of time “pulling weeds.”

We attack the “weeds” with venom and poison. Meanwhile, the “wheat” is uprooted and distressed by our behavior.

Our message of Love is lost and so are they.

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I’m reading a fabulous book by Andy Stanley, The Principle of the Path (affiliate link). I’m not quite finished with it so I won’t review it here just yet. However, I want to pass along a critical centerpiece of the book.

¹² The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

~ Proverbs 27:12

What a you doing today that you know has you on the wrong path? What behaviors or friends are moving you closer to danger? Danger that you can see, danger that you have seen others suffer for in the past.

We’re all on one or two dangerous paths.

Take today and step off one of those paths. Take refuge–in your Bible, in a friend, a spouse, a quite place in prayer.

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6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

~ Mark 16:6-7

Amen!

Need proof? One of my favorites, of many “Evidence for Resurrection” arguments is made by Josh McDowell. A compilation can be found on his website.

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“You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Matthew 4:7). In other words, “You don’t presume on God.” When you believe Him to care for you on a trip, you don’t lie in the freeway. There’s a big difference between trust and presumption.

~ John MacArthur, How to Study the Bible

Get off your lazy butt, discard the self-pity, and trust Him.

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How is it possible to declare something as ghastly as a crucifixion good?

For me it is simple. Jesus said it was, passionately.

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

~ Matthew 16:21-23

It is a Good Friday. Although the scene is horrific for Man to behold, imagine the joy in the heart of God. He knows what Sunday brings and ALL of his children were freed from sin and free to come (directly) to Him.

Pray today for wisdom and knowledge. Help to discover how God wills you to introduce more people to this Good News.

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This was my first introduction to Timothy Keller. I’m not quite sure how his name came across my desk, but I’m glad it did. I throughly enjoyed King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus (affiliate link).

Keller digs into the Gospel of Mark in a unique way. Although it is positioned as a biography of Jesus it is equally a useful commentary on the Gospel of Mark. Keller has a tight and straight-forward writing style that supports his frequent comparison to C.S. Lewis (a personal favorite).

I think he was targeting the believer. Although I think King’s Cross might open the heart of a seeker or non-believer, I think it’s ideal for Christians that are seeking to deepen their understanding of and relationship with Jesus Christ.

I really enjoyed how Keller organized King’s Cross. I think it really grabbed and led you deeper, without intimidating the reader.

He starts by carefully exploring and revealing how magnificent Jesus really was/is. He dissects Religion, Sin, Faith, Belief and shows how radical Jesus was to the people that first experienced him–even to his fellow Jews, who knew the prophesies he was fulfilling.

Then in the second half of the book Keller tackles The Why of Jesus–his purpose and necessity. This is where I took the most notes. These are the foundations of our Faith that Mark and the other Gospel authors document to help us understand why our relationship with Jesus Christ is so important.

I highlighted a ton of passages on my Kindle (affiliate link) as read through Part Two. Keller hits home with so many insightful comments and analogies that create “ah-ha” moments, insights that you surely want to recall or share at just the time in the future.

Here are just a few I really enjoyed, with my associated notes:

On overcoming doubt. Or, how to believe: If you want to believe but can’t, stop looking inside; go to Jesus and say, “Help me believe.” Go to him and say, “So you’re the one who gives faith! I’ve been trying to work it out by reasoning and thinking and meditating and going to church in hopes that a sermon will move me—I’ve been trying to get faith by myself. Now I see that you’re the source of faith. Please give it to me.” If you do that, you’ll find that Jesus has been seeking you—he’s the author of faith, the provider of faith, and the object of faith.

My reading note: Ironic that we hear over and over that we can do ALL things through him, but then the most fundamental elements of our faith–even faith itself–we try to accomplish on our own. Go to Him with your doubts.

On the power of a little Sin in our lives: Fire is never satisfied. It can’t be allowed to smolder; it can’t be confined to a corner. It will overtake you eventually. Sin is the same way: It never stays in its place. It always leads to separation from God, which results in intense suffering, first in this life and then in the next.

My reading note: I think we have become to comfortable with Sin. Somehow we foolishly believe we can control it, even use it with discretion. Dangerous thought.

On failing to accept Grace: See, there are two ways to fail to let Jesus be your Savior. One is by being too proud, having a superiority complex—not to accept his challenge. But the other is through an inferiority complex—being so self-absorbed that you say, “I’m just so awful that God couldn’t love me.” That is, not to accept his offer.

My reading note: Careful not to ever give anyone the impression there there are conditions on God’s Grace. Or, Heaven forbid–we are above needing it.

A great book. I’ll definitely be adding more Keller titles to my Kindle (affiliate link) library. I think the next will be his first: The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (affiliate link)

What do you think?

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I visited Israel earlier this year. I can’t wait to tell you more about this amazing experience and share more pictures.

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