Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. Then he said to the king, “Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” (2 Samuel 18-20)

 

   I met an alter ego of myself today, a shadow and type for my flesh. His name is Shemei.

 

   In second Samuel we find an interesting story about King David that occurred at a point in his life where he was getting older and a little less fierce. His Son, Absolam, decided to depose and kill David, and take the throne that would have otherwise come to him in the normal line of ascension rather than wait. He managed to drive King David from Jerusalem and even from Israel. As David left Jerusalem, the servant Shimei helped deceive the King and bitterly cursed him. 

 

   Months later, after David's army had fought those loyal to Absolam and defeated them (including killing Absolam), David and his mighty fighting men congregated on the bank of the Jordan, ready to wade across into Israel. David delayed his crossing until those forces who had supported Absolam's rebellion came to him to resubmit themselves to King David's authority. But Shemei the deceiver didn't hide in the crowd. He came forward first, prostrated himself before David and asked for mercy, Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart...

 

    David's military leaders urged him to put Shemei to death, but David forgave him. Is such mercy really possible? Shemei knew he had committed a great sin and he showed great repentence, accompanied by acknowledgement that David had the authority to impute whatever punishment he deemed appropriate. Shemei's repentance was straight forward and unambiguous. He didn't attempt to justify what he had done, and he revealed his understanding of the gravity of the situation by hurrying to the front of the crowd to fess up as quickly as possible.

 

   I intend to never sin again, but know I will. Sometimes I feel like the boy pictured above, a dunce to sin, making a promise to "be good" that I know Ill never keep. I am a broken man living in a broken world. When I find myself again a sinner against King Jesus, I hurry to his feet, prostrate my heart before him, and request His mercy in the form of forgiveness by Grace. Therefore, here I am....The great preacher Charles Spurgeon put it like this -- “Perhaps you have been like Shimei, who cursed king David, and you are afraid that Jesus will never forgive you. But David forgave Shimei, and Jesus is ready to forgive you. He delighteth in mercy. I do believe that the harps of heaven never give to Christ such happiness as he has when he forgives the ungodly, and saith, ‘Thy sins are forgiven; go in peace.’ “

 

   If [1] we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to [2] cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

 

   I hate that I fall to sin, but I do not have to fear it. Jesus has conquered sin's greatest consequence, death. Death, oh death, where is your sting?  As Spurgeon said, He delighteth in mercy. My sin always has prideful roots that seed renewed rebellion against King Jesus, and my repentance always travels on the wings of renewed submission to Him. My Shemei moments exalt themselves against the throne that will eventually quash them by Grace. Thank you merciful Lord Jesus. My hope is in you, Therefore, here I am.....Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me.

 

  

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be quoted in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

   I've been reading an interesting book entitled, Move: What 1000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth. This book is a project of Pastor Bill Hybels' church designed to determine what conditions and activities foster spiritual growth at all levels of Christian maturity. The project began with a massive survey of attendees at 1,000 churches. Quickly, common denominators for spiritual growth were revealed. I'm going to focus today on three. They  will not surprise you.

 

   The first two walk hand in glove as foundational personal spiritual disciplines, without which spiritual growth is stifled -- reading the Word daily and personal daily prayer time. Across the "spiritual continuum", from infant Christians to seasoned Christians these two were found to be absolutely necessary for spiritual growth to prosper. For those of you who recognize these as personal weaknesses, I'll suggest a simple path for you to walk to restart your spiritual growth and get off the plateau where you are stranded.

 

   First, read the Word. This is so simple and takes only a slight investment of time to produce enormous results. Read a passage of scripture each day. My wife and I read two chapters a day when we are reading a narrative (a portion of the bible which tells a story), and one chapter if we are reading theological explanations (like the book of Romans). Each

day we individually read, then at some point when we are together, we briefly discuss what we have read. Maybe once a week when the discussion goes deep we'll refer to a modern bible commentator like David Guzik to get more clarity. We also usually look up the meanings of names and names of places mentioned to further illuminate the scripture.  All of this involves ten minutes of reading and ten minutes of discussion -- not a burdensome amount of time. It's so simple. Pick a book that interests you and begin to read a little each day. Find a spiritual mentor you can consult when you have a question. In one year, you'll be amazed at the scriptural ground you have covered and spiritual growth you've found. The bible is written so that ordinary people can understand it, but only if they read it. 

 

   Second, daily personal prayer. Genuine Christianity is based on a personal relationship with Jesus. That relationship can never reach the level of intimacy that the Lord desires without daily prayer, a practice that my friend Pastor M.K. Babu rightly calls "sitting with the Lord". Find a quiet place and pray each day. Pray in your normal voice, as if you were taking with a friend (you are). Confess your sins, praise Him, and talk about your concerns. Ask Him to help you understand the scripture you are reading. Tell Him you love Him, and thank Him for saving you. Quickly, this will become your favorite time of the day.

 

   Finally, Move identifies one absolute roadblock to spiritual growth -- failure to recognize and submit to the authority of scripture. If you don't admit that the bible is God's Word and submit to its authority to govern your life, your Christian walk will stifle and die. This presents a simple choice. Do I believe the bible or not? I pray you choose to believe it.

 

   Move has so much more than these things to offer, and I suggest you read it (but not in place of reading the bible). What I have mentioned are simple, but life changing things. Begin today. You'll be blessed.

 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole of in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.bogspot.com

Reaching for Reconciliation (With a Knife in Your Hand)...

   Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve [fn] himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. The men of David said to him, "Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to [fn] you.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. (1 Samuel 24:2-4 NKJV)

 

     After months of relentless pursuit by King Saul who intended to find and kill him, David finally had a chance to return the favor. His men encouraged him to kill King Saul, but David, described by the bible as a man after God's own heart, simply cut the corner from Saul's robe, then revealed himself to Saul and reached for reconciliation. This remarkable event required remarkable faith. David trusted God more than he feared Saul.

 

   Reconciliation with those in our lives with whom we live in brokenness requires simple faith. Christians are called by the bible to reach for reconciliation when relational brokenness invades our lives. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NKJV)

 

   But what about when you are completely innocence of causing the brokenness? What about when the person is being a real jerk about it? What if I am certain that my efforts at reconciliation will be rejected? What if they deserve what they are getting? Yada, yada, yada. There are a thousand self justifications to resist reconciliation, but a command by the Lord to pursue it -- he has committed to us the message of reconciliation....

 

   Peace and resentment can't occupy the same heart. They are biblically incompatible concepts. One comes from the dark forces and seeks to poison our hearts, they other from the Lord. Reconciliation is the anti-venom for a poisoned heart. Christ won't send us to reconciliation alone. He accompanies us. He empowers the necessary forgiveness, and seeds in us a contrite and humble spirit. Experience may have taught us that we've always held a grudge, but the Word reminds us -- the old has gone, the new has come!

 

   As we mature in Christ - that is, as there is less of us in us and more of Him in us - resentments will fade and reconciliation will become our norm. Conflict will be marked in our lives by its rarity and brevity. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.

 

   Is there someone in your life with whom you need to reconcile? Just as the Lord pursued reconciliation through Christ with you, pursue reconciliation through Christ with them. Pray first, the reach for reconciliation today. David reached for reconciliation with a knife in his hand, but decided to use that knife only to cut himself free from fear and resentment.



Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworswednesday.blogspot.com