I wish I could find the words to explain what is burning inside me.

Why - - who wants fragments?  God does.  When Jesus fed the 5000 plus, He told the disciples (John 6:12) to gather up the fragments.  Why?  He knew He could whip up another batch of food but God never wastes anything  - not a sorrow or suffering or difficulty or never one of His saints.  What does God do with the fragments and how can I make this principle a steadfast principle in my own life?

The Lord gathers up the fragments of sorrow and turns them into joy.  He gathers up the fragments of fear and casts them out by love that is greater.  He gathers up the fragments of the shadows and gloom in the dark night of a soul and weaves them into the glory of sunrise. He gathers up the ashes of a burned out life and molds them into a crown of beauty.

King David gathered up the fragments of Saul’s family by being true to his covenant with Jonathan and ( 2 Samuel 9:1  2 Samuel 9:6-7) and found Mephibosheth.

Jehosheba gathered up the fragments of the royal seed and saved Joash from Athaliah’s murdering rampage and hid him safely until he became one of the kings who obeyed and followed the Lord.

Jesus gathered up the fragments of the shattered life of His broken-hearted mother and made them (John 19.26-27) arrangements for her care.

How can I make this my truth?  I was shocked when God joined these words “gather up the fragments” with something else in Scripture.  Definitely I had never seen any connection before.  I wish I could find the words to explain what is burning inside me.

I have written before about what I heard, observed and learned by spending time in Gethsemane and at Calvary.  The stress, brutality, agony, desertion and also Jesus suffered – more than any human ever had or ever will suffer.  I think the worst part for Jesus was the aloneness.  His disciples forsook Him, His Father abandoned Him and made Him a curse and the Holy Spirit left Him.  When spiritual Life and Light went out Jesus was left completely and totally alone in the aloneness of utter darkness.  How could His faith not fail?  How could He possibly gather up all the fragments beginning with Thursday night?  It was in something He said -- not only for Himself but for you and me.  Pilate said he had the power to release Jesus or kill Him.  Now listen to the answer of Jesus, listen as you have never listened before and take it in slowly.  “You could have no power against Me unless it was given to you from ABOVE”.  We all know that God preplanned the crucifixion of Jesus and Satan was a tool in God’s hand.  But do you get the implication that rocked me through my soul?  If “no power except” is true for Jesus it is true for you and for me.  No person, no enemy, no circumstance, no sickness and no persecutor can have any power against me EXCEPT.  This adds amazing power to our prayers for the Persecuted Church.

I know of former ISIS torturers who are now evangelists and Bible teachers but they would never have heard the Gospel if Christians were not being persecuted.  God gathers up the fragments of the broken bones and pain-racked bodies of His precious jewels being beautified in the fire and those fragments will produce an amazing harvest for which we’ll thank God throughout eternity.

Do you see the connection?  On this foundation we can “gather up the fragments” for God’s purpose in every detail and aspects of our lives.  How?  Well, here are a few of the thoughts that are crowding into my mind.

Gather up the fragments of: - - rude drivers and passers-by. 

We frequently encounter rude drivers but are they just selfish or so stressed by what they have to deal with on the job, plus carrying a huge burden of what they have to face at home?  We don’t know but God does.  We pass by people who are lame, blind, in a wheel chair or mentally handicapped.  We can gather up the pain and difficulty and lostness of these drivers and pedestrians with a prayer for their protection and that the Light of the World Himself will shine into their darkened hearts.

-- of our thoughts and imaginations.  Where do our thoughts go when we are free to think anything?  Does our imagination deceive us about ourselves?  We can gather these fragments and surrender them to the Lord by letting the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5) dwell in us.  We have (1 Corinthians 2:16) the mind of Christ. Let’s think about our thoughts and clasp to our hearts this treasure.  A book of remembrance was written (Malachi 3:16) before the Lord for those who feared the Lord and THOUGHT upon His Name.

-- of our money after tithes and offerings.  When the Lord tells us to steward some of HIS money to a specific need, are we eager to experience the fulfillment of God’s promise (Matthew 6:33, Malachi 3:10) and the joy of being allowed to share in God’s projects?  God can do amazing things with fragments.

--of our physical pain.  Most of us have pain and I’ll use one type of pain I have just as an example.  For some reason the pain in my feet from rheumatoid arthritis is worse at night when I’m in bed.  It doesn’t last all night and not every night but it is quite severe and wakens me up or keeps me awake.  God taught me a wonderful secret.  As soon as the pain starts, my thoughts go immediately to the labour camps and prisons where believers are brutally tortured.  I fasten my thoughts on one person (representing many).  He is thirsty but nobody gives him water, he cannot sleep or find a comfortable place for that leg that has been broken so many times and never put into proper position for healing.  I press close to Jesus and feel His heart and I press close to my brother-in Christ and feel His heart.  Do I have the effrontery to complain or even mention my pain except for what I can learn as I gather up the fragments of it so that someone somewhere across the world will receive a deepening awareness of God’s loving Presence and holy purpose.

These are just a few of the fragments we all find in our lives every day in various ways.  If we make it a practice to gather up the fragments and turn them over to the Lord we will be astounded by what God will do with them and what He will make of them.

Almighty God gathered up the fragments of more than 300 prophecies and fulfilled every one in His beloved Son, the Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world.

For since the beginning of the world (Isaiah 64:4) men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, any God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waits for Him.

Satan prefers hypocrites to out and out sinners because they can do much more damage to the cause of Christ.

A couple of weeks ago a thought dropped into my mind concerning 2 major events in the Bible.  Although the verses were very familiar it was an aspect I’d never seen so clearly before.  I thought of it once in a while but I didn’t think it was going any further.  But this morning at the hair salon, while sitting under the dryer, that initial thought began to grow.  Are you ready to take another trip in our time machine?  We have two destinations.  One is thousands of years ago and the other eons ago – we have no way of estimating how long ago it was but we know it’s true.  These two events were world-shattering and eternity-changing.

First stop – Heaven.  We see an angel of such breath-taking beauty that we are stunned.  You know about Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-17), you know about him being on the mountain of God, walking on the stones of fire, leading the worship etc. but there is one thing he said that I want to come back to - - but first let’s shoot forward billions of years to the Garden of Eden.  The fragrance, the fruit, the trees overwhelm us with their loveliness.  Suddenly, we see a woman strolling in the garden and she is as lovely as the creation.  Look!  There’s a strong, huge, beautiful serpent approaching her.  You also know (Genesis 3) about the temptation of Eve but there’s one thing Satan said that took me right back to Heaven.  It was almost as if I got into Satan’s head after he was hurled out of Heaven.

What was the main thing that cost Lucifer his position and his place?  I WILL BE (Isaiah 14:14) LIKE THE MOST HIGH.

Can you see his wheels turning?  Cast down to earth in murderous rage and furious determination for revenge, he devised a plan.

What was the most effective thing he said to Eve?

                     YOU SHALL BE (Genesis 3:5) LIKE GOD

That’s what got him out of Heaven so he decided to use it as a strategy to get Adam and Eve out of Paradise/Eden.

We all know his strategy worked and is still working to-day.  Satan will promise anything to satisfy the pride of our hearts and now perverted and with his fallen wisdom he is extremely subtle and crafty.  We need to be on guard and never underestimate him.

That’s why pride is the worst of all sins.  It can look so spiritual.  Satan prefers hypocrites to out and out sinners because they can do much more damage to the cause of Christ.  Satan is pleased when sin seems to go unpunished – e.g. Barabbas, a murderer is released.  He can get more mileage out of a religious hypocrite like Judas.  Hypocrisy in the slightest form carries the nauseating stench of anti-God Pride.  I need to be aware constantly.  It’s so easy it can become a very real and dangerous snare that we may not even recognize.

Back into the time machine headed for Caesarea just in time to overhear a conversation between (Matthew 16:23) Jesus and Peter.  We are horrified to hear Jesus say to Peter – get behind Me Satan! Why would Jesus say such a thing to a man He had just blessed?  Peter decided that his personal opinion was superior to the truth Jesus had declared.

Look back at the title of these notes.  Do we realize that with every decision and choice we make it is one or the other?

Take a single day in our lives – how many decisions, choices, motives, attitudes etc. - if Jesus tells us to do something we don’t fully understand, do we obey promptly or argue that our way is better?

In every unkind word, fleshly indulgence, unforgiveness, selfishness, neglect of God’s Word and prayer - - I am saying – get behind me Jesus, I can do it better my way.

We are not ignorant (2 Corinthians 2:11) of Satan’s devices and yet how often we fall for them.  Remember Eve and remember the satanic strategy which can be so pleasantly promising.  You can do it – you can handle it – you can decide for yourself.  Just another way of saying – Get behind me Jesus, - I’m god here!

Often I spend time meditating on all the details of Gethsemane and Calvary and it brings only one desire - - to have my will totally surrendered to the Lord and give up all rights to myself.  Then I will never need to be concerned with my circumstances because the all-wise, all-powerful God is calling the shots and for everything He brings or allows in my circumstances He is abundantly sufficient.

Get behind me Satan – away way far behind.

JESUS CHRIST IS MY LORD

Why are there times when we are more susceptible to temptation?

Have you ever said that, thought that or in your secret heart accused God of injustice?  Broken hearted Jeremiah certainly did but not secretly.  He said it directly to God (Jeremiah 20:7) Thou hath deceived me and I am deceived.  As we read on here and in all Scriptures we learn to trust God’s timing and the ultimate good of His purpose.  Our Teacher the wonderful Holy Spirit, will continually take us deeper into the eternal Truth if we are willing to take the time to meditate on that Truth while in conversation with Him.  Superficial reading will cause us to see unfairness, from our perspective, in Joseph being sold as a slave, David being hunted with a desire to murder him – first by Saul and then by his own son Absalom, Paul’s thorn in the flesh which God refused to remove.

Before we dig a little deeper, I want to mention a verse which I think many Christians misinterpret.  I’ve heard people say – the Bible says (Romans 8:28) All things work together for good.  Is that what it says?  Bad place to stop.  Some, who consider themselves more spiritual, add – to them that love God.  Why do they leave off the next sentence and the next verse which hold the key to the true meaning and ultimate goal of God?

Many things in my life and I’m sure in yours also, have not looked good, seemed good or felt good.  Is God lying to us?  Certainly not!  We stopped too soon.  Go to – all things work together for the good of God’s purpose.  What is His purpose in all their things?  His purpose and goal - - read it - - is to make us like Jesus!!!  From that viewpoint we can clearly see the good of the “all things together”.  Never forget that God is far more interested in our long-term holiness than in our short-term happiness.

Let’s go to a case where, if we read quickly with no digging, we can jump to the conclusion of a glaring injustice on God’s part.  King Jeroboam had plunged deeply into sin and took all Israel with him.  God sent a prophet from Judah to Bethel (1 Kings 13) to prophesy against the altar of incense to false gods and to warn Jeroboam of coming judgment.  The Lord had commanded the prophet not to eat or drink in Bethel and to return home by a different way than he came.  Jeroboam raised his hand to harm the prophet and his hand was paralyzed.  Then he asked the prophet to entreat the Lord for him and when the prophet prayed Jeroboam’s hand was restored.  He was so glad about his hand, he invited the prophet to his house for a meal and a reward.  But the prophet refused and obeyed God in every detail.  But an old prophet in Bethel lied to him by telling him that an angel had appeared to him and told him that the prophet from Judah was to come home with him to eat and drink.  So he did and then the old prophet told him he would die for his disobedience.  You know the story, you know about the lion.

What was the first step in his disobedience?  Taking man’s word over God’s Word.  If we ever take man’s word over God’s there is always a lion waiting.

But why – after standing firm all day – did he suddenly give way to temptation.  There is something very important here for us and it confirms something Dr. Charles Stanley said several months ago. Why are there times when we are more susceptible to temptation?

HALT - - take the letters of that word - - when we are Hungry or Angry or Lonely or Tired.  The prophet from Judah was both hungry and tired and on that weak point he caved because he didn’t pause/HALT so remember that God never gives a clear command and then changes His mind.

Now let`s consider the apparent unfairness of God.  The hungry, weary prophet disobeyed and was killed by a lion.  The old prophet deliberately deceived him, even brought God into his lie – and got off scot-free.  HOLD IT !!!  How do you know or dare to think you know that?  Did you hear God say He was obligated to explain to you about the old prophet`s future?  We know the holy character of God and that He will never overlook sin.  Stay in context.  This story is not about the old prophet - - it is the story of King Jeroboam and God’s judgment.  We need to stick with the principles God is teaching us in Scripture.

Whenever you are tempted to think that God is dealing unfairly with you, remember that your own sense of fairness was given to you by your Creator and never forget (Romans 8:28-29) the “all things”.

Oh, (Ephesians 3:10) the manifold wisdom of God.

I can make you two promises and both come with a guarantee.

1.     If you keep your thoughts, mind and focus on yourself and your circumstances, you will have a miserable life.

2.     If you keep your thoughts, mind and focus on the Lord Jesus, your very worst of times will be your very best of times.

Do you think it might benefit us to consider the many times we have truly, deeply painfully treated God unfairly?

The open secret for all of our life - - (John 15:1-11) if we continually abide in Jesus - - the very LIFE of Jesus will be reproduced in us.

I`m thinking about (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Pray without ceasing.  As I see it, that means to be in the throne room, the holy of holies, with God continually.  How would that work out in my practical life?  For me and my desire it means to be (John 17:11, John 17:22) so one with the Father that at any hour of the day or night the Holy Spirit can communicate to me – actually share with me – a burden that requires prayer – a need to be met – or an action to be taken.  It is all about deepening fellowship and loving intimacy.

Do I even begin to grasp the wonder and privilege of such amazing friendship with the Almighty Transcendent Creator of the universe – WHO – at the same time – is my personal loving, heavenly Father?

Do I even begin to grasp the width, the depth, the endless scope of what our glorious Saviour accomplished by His stupendous faith and astounding atonement?

Truly He is the Alpha and the Omega!

Jesus disposition was never geared to self-realization.

Oswald Chambers has been in heaven for years but he has long been one of my cherished mentors through his books.  As I meditate on his godly wisdom – all based strictly on Scripture – my mind explodes with related thoughts.  Something he said years ago is still needed by Christians to-day:

“The miracle of Redemption is that God turns me, the unholy me, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One, by putting into me a new disposition – the disposition of Jesus Christ”

Then why have I sometimes observed a nasty disposition in myself and other Christians?

You will remember what Pharaoh (Genesis 41:40-44) said to Joseph.  Only in the throne will I be greater than you.  Joseph could have strutted his stuff, tossed around his authority, even helped himself to the riches pouring into Pharaoh’s coffers.  But he chose to live humbly and obediently before God and he transformed the possibility of starvation into plenty for the Egyptians and his own family.  What can that teach me?

My body is (1 Corinthians 6:19) the temple of the Holy Spirit. God is absolutely sovereign.  He is KING.  But He has appointed me as governor of this body.  With awe I am seeing deeper and deeper into the magnificence and terror of my God-given free will.  I can (Philippians 2:5) LET the mind of Christ be in me or I can CHOOSE to make up my own mind and do it my way.  Whatever I choose there is a day coming when the King will demand an accounting for how I governed.

I’ve not forgotten disposition.  If this seems jumbled, I apologize but I’m just following my thoughts.

I’ve read the Book of Job many times but this time – like never before – I feel the deep, cutting hurt from the cruel words of self-righteous, judgmental, arrogant know-it-alls.  I enter into Job’s pain and as I read, I find myself actually talking to him – trying to comfort him by telling him the purpose and what is up ahead.  Then I hear Jesus say, (John 14:10) the words that I speak, I speak not of Myself.  Jesus also said (Luke 2:49) I must be about My Father’s business.  What business was that?  To reveal the Father by EVERY thought and word and deed.  How was that continuously possible?  Because the disposition within Him was never geared to self-realization.  What kind of an attitude did His disposition give Him?  He was ALWAYS in every situation –understanding, compassionate, patient – and all of this clothed in selfless love.

I want that disposition to operate in and through me.  When I was born again, Jesus came to indwell me by the Holy Spirit.  All of Him came – He didn’t leave His disposition behind.  As governor in this temple/body what do I need to do?  Is my natural disposition bent on self-realization – what I want to say (remember Job) what I choose to do in order to please me?

They that are Christ’s (Galatians 5:24) have crucified the flesh.  HOW?  Definitely we have nothing to do with sin, which belongs to hell and the devil.  The natural life is not sinful but sin made it necessary for God to make the natural spiritual.  It is not a matter of giving up sin.  It is a matter of giving up my right to myself – my natural independence and self-assertiveness.  I need to see that it is the right and good from the natural standpoint which keeps me back from God’s best.  My debate is not with sordid – evil – wrong but with the good that hates the best.  To crucify my flesh will cost the natural in me everything.  If I choose to be a disciple of Jesus (Matthew 16:24) how do I deny myself?  Give up all rights to myself – whether choices – words – actions and attitudes etc.  My natural life can only be made spiritual by sacrifices.  If I refuse to sacrifice/crucify the natural – the supernatural will never become natural in me.  It’s entirely up to me – it’s not a question of praying but of doing.  I must continually discipline myself.  The natural in me must be turned into the spiritual by sacrifice.

There will be times when it feels so right to say - or to do – but discipline will teach me whether or not my attitude has its source in the disposition of the indwelling Lord Jesus.  Crucifixion of my flesh by continual sacrifice means – deny self and take up my cross (Matthew 16:24).  The cross always speaks of death – the death of everything in me that was never in Jesus.  Self-consideration can be a landmine.  Self-pity is Satanic because it is a declaration that God is wrong in what He allows.  Let the circumstances be what they may – maintain complete reliance on Jesus.

Keeping my eyes on circumstances instead of on Jesus will always make me miserable.  Let’s say I find myself in a bad mood.  HOLD IT!  What possible right could I have for a bad mood?  Am I hungry – homeless – without warm clothes or clean drinking water?  Moods go by kicking not by praying.  I need to kick my mood to the curb where all garbage is picked up – then count my blessings – then pray for precious persecuted believers who are hungry – homeless – without warm clothes plus brutal torture.  If I can receive God’s lavish grace and dare to permit a bad mood –I need to repent.

For myself – 3 questions:

 Am I using words to assert myself or are the words that I speak (John 14:10) not of myself but of the Lord Jesus Who lives in me?

1)    Am I busy with my plans – my desires – my ideas – my preferences or am I (Luke 2:49) about my Father’s business so that (Galatians 1:15-16) God is pleased to reveal His Son in me?

As governor of the Holy Spirit’s temple – under the King’s authority – am I (Galatians 2:20) living the crucified life?