Hardman Road – Page 3

Press On

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 3:12-14.

Men, all is loss and distraction apart from Jesus. Paul’s ambition is to know Jesus and to make Him known around the known world at his time. Here in v12, Paul makes it clear that he has not come to a point of arrival, he has not grasped hold of the fullness of Jesus, but he presses on to get a hold of Jesus as Jesus has a hold on Paul.

Paul’s conversion on the road, where Jesus introduced Himself to Paul in blinding light, had a profound effect on Paul. But even with such a radical shift, he had not come to a conclusive understanding of Christ, nor may he/ we ever. Instead, Paul is committedly pursuing deeper depths, more intimate understanding, and a closer experience with Jesus. Paul is 100% living his present life with consciousness that eternity has already begun. The upward call of Christ, where we walk away from the physical and come eternally into the presence of God is a goal and prize for Paul.

What do our own hearts seek? Are we committed to pursuing greater depths with the One who bought us back from death? Are we pursuing knowledge of Him, experience with Him, that we might share it with a world who doesn’t know Him?

Move forward men, reaching ahead, pressing on toward Jesus as a goal and prize. The best experiences with Jesus often aren’t at waist height and in reach, or in convenient moments. Set aside the world’s desires, and reach ahead to grab hold of Him as He has taken hold of you.

Vance Durrance

Tradition

tradition Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. –Philippians 3:1-3

Men, Paul has warned the Philippians before to watch out for false teachers. Again, Paul revisits the subject for their own well-being. These false teachers were committed to hindering the gospel or at least contaminating it with traditional ideology. Common among their false teaching was the traditional teaching of circumcision. Traditional circumcision was appointed by God as an outward sign of Hebrew/Jewish lineage back to Abraham and the Abrahamic covenant and promises. In other words, for a time, to be circumcised was to be identified as persons of God. Traditionalists focused on keeping the rules of God but neglected a desire for the presence of God from within their hearts.

Our hearts gravitate toward fleshly and worldly things. True circumcision is worshipping God in Spirit. Our flesh, our rules, and our traditions may point to problems, they may erect guardrails, and model approved behaviors, but True Circumcision disregards all flesh to pursue the Spirit. This is tricky to communicate in type. This is NOT an abandonment of good customs and practices. But instead, Paul is announcing that we are no longer identified as people of God by our traditions. We are now identified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and our personal connection to worship from the Spirit.

In our time, we might say, heaven is not a reward for perfect church attendance. Traditions abound here in the southeastern U.S. Many attend Sunday services from habit. Family heritages can be traced back to the times of our founding and every generation attended church in the same town center. It makes great history, but is not a passport to Kingdom. Circumcision had been a practice for over 1500 years at Paul’s letter, but never produced a heart of worship to God in the Spirit.

Move forward men, questioning our hearts intent with traditions. Are we being obedient to the Lord God, or to rules handed down? Are we seeking Oneness or perfection?

Vance Durrance

Love

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit. Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” –1 Corinthians 13:1-7

See the astounding love from which only flows from the Father (1Jo 4:8). A love that if we lack of it, our life is a meaningless noise. This is not the limited love of the world that asks us to extend a crumb of kindness in order to “be the bigger person” so we can puff up our pious pride. This love is not the cold “love” of the world that makes peace with broken relationships and equates forgiveness with a faulty memory. No, this love implores affection for those who wound us deeply (Luke 6:32-36), to empty ourselves for their benefit (Rom 5:6-8). This love drives us to our knees for reconciliation (both with God and one another; Mat 5:9), extending boundless forgiveness no matter the history (Mat 18:21-22), joyfully receiving insults, persecutions, and “all kinds of evil things” (Mat 5:11-12).

“I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” –John 13:34

Billy Neal

Consider how God has shined and rained grace upon you (Mat 5:45). Truly consider your lowly state before Him, and that Jesus paid it all (1Jo 2:2). No retribution is owed anyone who has wronged you; the only repayment you have in Christ Jesus is love (Rom 13:8-10). And we are helpless to show this kind of love apart from His empowerment.

Fearlessness

and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. — Phillipians 1:28.

Men, Paul instructs the Philippians to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together.” That one mind is focused on Christ and they are to strive together to know Him more and bear His likeness as a result.

Paul now says, “Don’t in any way be terrified by our enemies.” We know full well that the people of God have very real opposition and enemies. Especially during times and places of physical persecution, believers, understandably, become terrified for what may happen to themselves or loved ones. Some historical and current acts against Christians are nothing short of barbaric. Even so, our lack of fear will be a sign of defeat to the enemy. The person may in fact die, but the fearlessness demonstrated will haunt those who order and carry out the order to bring harm against God’s people.

Furthermore, our fearlessness will be a sign of salvation to believers. Is there a more final act of faith and allegiance to the Lord God than to stare our murderous fate in the face and welcome the occasion to meet Jesus in Glory in an instant? Would the Lord God not welcome such a person with honors? Our time is filled with venom and slur against the ways of God and the people who accept Jesus as Savior and adopt His ways and precepts.

Most of it is noise at the moment here, but elsewhere, real hate and risk is volleyed against believers. Let us be in prayer for believers to be strengthened in their hour of trouble, that Spirit empowered fearlessness strikes terror in the hearts of the enemy, and drives them to consider, who is this Jesus really?

Move forward men, in no way terrified, but in all ways faithful, with focus on the finish line of seeing Christ Jesus and hearing His welcome into eternal Kingdom presence. These days, as they were for the Philippians, and for Paul, are “momentary afflictions.”

Vance Durrance

The Fruits of Righteousness

Fruits of Righteousness

… being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. — Philippians 1:11 NKJV

Men, Paul prays that the Philippians love one another with an affection that grows out of knowledge and discernment. Not a blind affection, or one that flows from rules, but instead, that flows from a heart that understands and senses as Christ’s heart does. Paul now adds that he desires that the Philippians be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ.

Earlier in Galatians 5, we find a list of fruits we can expect to have through the Spirit of God, including love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, and self control. In 2 Corinthians 3:17, Paul has said, “The Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Through an increase in knowledge and discernment, we should grow in love, which matures into fruits of the Spirit. Experiencing the Spirit filled life should lead us into freedom. Freedom not from oppressive political regimes, but from hate, greed, prejudice, etc. and freedom from fleshly lusts.

Today it’s hard to catch our breath from one crisis to another. It’s easy to get carried away in a torrent of calamity fueled by agenda and power grab. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ” isn’t something that is going to happen by accident or by keeping proximity to a building with a steeple. Growing in knowledge and discernment will take commitment and effort. Choosing to engage a broken world through Christ’s love instead of our fleshly disgust may not come naturally or easy.

However, moving forward, the choice to do so is for the glory and praise of our God. Be aware of the strategies of the world and our enemy to hinder brotherly affection. Combat it by growing in knowledge and discernment. Approve of what is excellent in Christ. Spare offenses by engaging people with the fruits of Christ’s Spirit flowing from within, and may God be glorified.

Vance Durrance

Get Wet

GET WET

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.

And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
— Ezekiel 47:1-6.

Men, Ezekiel is filled with spiritual vision from a guided perspective far beyond our time. Much is a literal picture of the future yet revealed. Some is metaphor. It’s hard to find consensus on many passages.

Here, Ezekiel’s guide returns to the temple door. Ezekiel has been to this door before, but now sees water flowing from under the threshold of the temple towards the east. (Perhaps from tears of repentance) At 4 different increments, Ezekiel acknowledges its depths. First at ankle depth, then knee deep, waist deep and then it is so deep it can’t be crossed without swimming.

Right away we know this doesn’t fit with a natural experience. Water sources are generally reduced as they flow. A spring only produces what it produces and it soaks into the soil as it flows. Unless it is fed by other waters. Ezekiel calls it a river once it can’t be crossed but never mentions any other water source feeding into it.

Commentators suggest that this river is the Holy Spirit empowered gospel message. This makes sense. The gospel has One source, in Messiah our Christ, but is shared throughout all the lands. The more it is shared the deeper the message becomes, the deeper our experience with God the Father becomes. The depth of God’s love, mercy, and grace are a raging current the longer it is explored. So deep that Ezekiel’s guide had to return him to the banks of the river. This gospel starts simple but the more we inquire, the more we are inundated by who the Lord is and what He has done.

Move forward men, stick your toes into His stream. Share what you encounter, watch and experience, observe its depths increase as more of His message is revealed to our own hearts and others as we share. Once you’re over your head, ENJOY, the Lord will return you to the banks when it’s time.

Vance Durrance

Instrument of War – The Sword

Sword

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12, NET

As a kid, I was not allowed to watch the cartoon He-Man due to its pagan elements. But I have to confess, my brother and I snuck around and watched some episodes when my parents were not at home. As ridiculous as the show is, I love that magical moment when He-man lifts his sword and summons a great transformational power. I am drawn to those moments in movies where the hero grasps a weapon of great power (ex: Arthur draws out Excalibur; Aragorn takes the sword Anduril; Harry is given his wand by Olivander; Peter unsheathes the sword given by Father Christmas).

Consider the magic of the moment, when transformation power is presented to an otherwise ordinary individual. We have a weapon like that. The atonement is our transforming sword (2Co 3:18) that purchased our glorious sonship (Gal 4:6; Rom 8:14-17). It has made us holy soldiers (2Ti 2:3-4), granting us the power of the Spirit to love and bring our flesh into submission (2Ti 1:7-8), and to be enlightened in our understanding and sight (Eph 3:16-20), bold in our testimony (Acts 1:8), and sacrificial in our love (Eph 5:1-2). For we are promised the victory (1Co 15:57) as conquerors (1Jo 4:4).

Draw it out and gaze upon its majestic gleam. Recite its inscription until it is etched on your heart. Hold it aloft and feel it transforming you into something greater.

“I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.” –2 Peter 1:3-4, NET

Billy Neal

Christmas

CHRISTMAS

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. — Galatians 4:4-5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s LOVE has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. — Romans 5:1-5, ESV

“Does anyone really know what Christmas is all about?”
— Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas

I think we’d all agree that the last couple of Christmases have been different. For all of the hope, peace, joy and love that the season brings there has been much in the way of despair, strife, sadness and hate. For Kathy and I, it has been different, too. Yesterday I went to a funeral of one my former parishioners and it was the anniversary of the homegoing of one of Kathy’s clients (who happened to be the wife of a good friend).

Yesterday was a mixture of feelings; it was a beautiful day and the drive through the Georgia countryside to get to the church was peaceful. Traveled some new roads and some roads I had not been on in a while. Lots of memories came rushing in – some happy, some sad. Getting to the church, I was pleased to see some familar faces and especially in seeing a young man that I had mentored years ago and receiving a warm hug. I was saddened to see those mourning the passing of a loved one and I was angered that death causes so much pain. The funeral sermon was one of the best I have heard and its theme was “focus on the important – faith and family”. I found myself nodding in agreement.

As I have grown older, I have spent more time pondering Christmas and its meaning. One of my favorite things is to wake up early Christmas morning, turn on the tree lights and music and sit with a cup of coffee (or tea) and just enjoy the stillness – I have long been the first one up in the house; the reason is the major change. One of the problems for me is that Christmas doesn’t last long enough; sure we have a lot of build-up but the actual event is rather anti-climatic.

But that is far different from that first Christmas; yes, there was a lot of buildup (and 400 years of “silence”) but the event itself was anything but anti-climatic! It is the event that splits history, it is the event that happened in the “fullness of time” and it is the event that signaled our redemption and adoption. The redemption of the cross starts at the manger.

I have included the Romans passage in each of these Advent devotions. I see it as a Christmas scripture since it speaks of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. All of this come in and through Jesus. Despite our sufferings, despite our despair, despite strife, sadness and hate, we have Jesus, whom God sent forth and of whom angels and shepherds sing. This is the good news – this is what Christmas is all about. Focus on the important, take it to heart and go tell it on the mountains: Jesus Christ, our Hope, our Peace, our Joy and our Love, is born!

Merry Christmas,
Steve Pierce

Advent: Love

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
— Psalm 136:1-3, ESV

He brought me to the banqueting house,and his banner over me was love. — Song of Solomon 2:4, ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22-23, ESV

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. — 1 John 4:8

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
— 1 John 4:18a, ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in
hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not
put us to shame, because God’s LOVE has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has
been given to us.
— Romans 5:1-5, ESV

What is love? I love my wife. I love my family and friends. I love Mexican food. I love Jesus. Same word, lot of difference in what it means (and yes, I love Jesus and Kathy way more than Mexican food!) Unfortunately, English doesn’t have several different words that give us the nuances we need.

John gives a good definition: God is Love. There is the Christmas song, “Love Came Down at Christmas”. Jesus, the embodiment – the incarnation – of God’s love, came to us; we don’t find Him, He finds us! His love for us is steadfast and enduring and He prepares a table for us and calls us to safety under His banner. The first fruit of the Spirit is love and indeed, John also tells us that if we do not love, we do not know God – thus we don’t know what Love is!

Love and fear do not mix. Perfect love casts out fear – ALL fear. A few years ago, I had a vision of seeing this verse “enacted”: I have put my fear on a pedestal; it controled me. But then Jesus came along with a baseball bat marked “Perfect Love” and He knocked fear “out of the park” – He also destroyed that pedestal and stood in its place.

So what are you afraid of? Do you have fear on a pedestal? Fear not delta or omicron, come under the banner of the Alpha and Omega. Fear nothing for His steadfast love endures forever. Let Love be poured into your heart to overflowing; bear much of this Spirit fruit. Share Love this season.

Steve Pierce

Advent: Joy

Advent: Joy And do not be grieved, for the JOY of the Lord is your strength. – Nehemiah 8:10b

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22-23, ESV

…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:2, ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we REJOICE in
hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we REJOICE in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not
put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has
been given to us.
— Romans 5:1-5, ESV

What is joy? I hope you will agree that is more than happiness in our circumstances. The radio station I listen to in my truck has a tagline, “Helping your find joy”. How do we find joy?

As you will probably guess, especially if you have read the previous two Advent posts, joy is not a thing, or something we can manufacture or produce within ourselves but it something that comes from God and I would argue is is found in the Person, Jesus, who is our Joy. The fruit of the Spirit are all aspects of Jesus and if we have this fruit, it is because the Spirit resides in us. I find it interesting that Paul and the writer of Hebrews both mention joy and suffering in the same breath; this is not something that comes easy to us as we do anything to avoid suffering but it is the JOY OF THE LORD that is our strength and this is where we find joy in ALL circumstances. Ask our persecuted brothers and sisters about this!

This Christmas let us not be grieved due to circumstances. I am not making light of anyone’s situation; I am preaching to myself on this one! The second fruit of the Spirit mentioned is joy and it is a much needed gift this season. Find and share Joy this season.

Steve Pierce