All In

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." Matt 16:24-27 (NKJV)

I have a friend who did not grow up attending a church, but had a measure of faith in his heart that caused him to believe in God. He did not have a relationship with God, but he believed that God existed. He started attending meetings at a church and became a Believer. He recently told me the following: "When I started attending church I was clueless--I didn't realize that this was an all or nothing proposition--I didn't realize the magnitude of the changes that God would make in my life. I'm all in!"

Can I even say those words honestly: "I'm all in?" Or do I have closets in my heart that I've locked away from God. O--I already know that God can see inside those closets--He knows exactly what is going on in my life. Is it possible that I am still grasping to maintain control of some areas in my life where I do not want to give up control--places in my heart where God has not been given permission to clean me up? How long will I hold out against the Holy Spirit and not realize the full measure of His blessing?

What does a surrendered life look like? You surrender to God--deny yourself, pick up your cross and walk in complete obedience. What are the possibilities? Ask yourself this question: "Do I have a better plan for my life than the plan that God has for me?" That has got to be a rhetorical question, because the answer is obvious. My plans cannot measure up to the destiny that God has in mind for me. Time to surrender--time to go "all in."

Secret Place

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." Matt 6:5-8 (NKJV)

In the movie, "The Hollow Man," (A movie that I would highly NOT recommend) Kevin Bacon makes a blood chilling statement as a man who happens to be invisible: "It's amazing what you can do... when you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror any more." No doubt, it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to fully understand ourselves. We seem to have a fuzzy notion of who we are and are sometimes compelled by internal forces that we do not comprehend. 

Not only do we have secrets, in many respects we are a mystery to most of the people who know us. That brings us to God--who is in middle of our secret places. He understands us--fully comprehends what makes us tick--knows what we have need of before we ask or possibly know to ask... He is the mirror that reveals the real essence of who we are. How can we become self-actualized and begin to understand the complexity that is us? Well, you have to meet in the secret place with God.

Jesus suggests that we find a place where we can be sequestered alone with God. A place where we can shut the door, turn off the cell phone and spend some uninterrupted time alone with our Creator. What happens in that quiet time alone with God is between you and God; however, you will find that God is indeed a transforming power that is unmatched by any other in the known universe. Indeed, the time spent alone with God is time well spent!

Safe

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. Psalms 91:1-6 (NKJV)

I was raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho--which was recently ranked as the 18th coldest city in the United States. Dad turned the thermostat down at night, which made scrunching down under the covers a glorious event. In the mornings, Dad would turn up the furnace and warm air would blast up through the vents. Behind the stereo system in the living room was such a vent on the floor. I would sneak up to that secret spot every morning and cover the vent with a blanket and bask in the ensuing heat wave. I would have liked to have stayed there forever. Safe...warm...satisfied...peaceful...happy...

Then real life occurred. I found out that the world is not safe, warm, satisfied, peaceful or happy! I don't think that it takes a genius I.Q. to look at the happenings of our little planet and to accurately conclude that something went wrong. Too much violence--too much conflict--too much greed--too much laziness--too much exploitation--too much foolishness--too much self-destructive behavior--too much abuse--too much tragedy. It's OK...it really is, because, as a Believer, this world is not our home. So, what do I do in the meantime?

I need to go and dwell in the "secret place" where God is. I need to abide under His shadow surrounded by the warmth of His presence. Please understand, I'm not dwelling in this secret place to "run away" from my responsibilities or to deny the reality of the world's true nature. "No," I go to this place of refuge to be strengthened and to be filled with courage, so that when I do out into the darkness I will be absolutely unafraid. That in the midst of all that is crazy and wrong in our world--inside of me--in a secret place--God and I continue to have fellowship; and I face the world...safe...warm...satisfied...peaceful, and happy!

Uninhibited

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" So David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor." 2 Sam 6:20-22 (NKJV)

Are you inhibited by what other people might think? I am sad to admit that in my case it might be true... (Talk about finding it hard to be transparent) IT IS TRUE! Herein is the problem; it is difficult, if not impossible, to be an effective leader if you are always worried about what people might think. A spiritual leader is not called to be a politician, trying to make decisions based on how it effects one's popularity. A spiritual leader is called to be obedient and to lead as God instructs them.

When the Ark of the Covenant was being returned to King David's hometown, he, in a moment of great passion, threw his inhibitions aside and danced before the Ark. It was quite a spectacle as David cast off his clothes and danced with reckless abandon. As the parade came to an end, David was met by the disapproval of his wife, Michal. Her words dripped with sarcasm: "How glorious was the king of Israel today..." LESSON NUMBER ONE: If you step out in uninhibited faith--you will face criticism from some.

David responded to his wife's critique: "I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight." LESSON NUMBER TWO: When you step out and lead, realize that it may only be the first step of doing more of the same. You may be even more undignified--and mortify your critics. However, there are two benefits that overshadow all else: The fruit of humility is given a great opportunity to grow in our lives. Secondly, God is glorified through our acts of obedience and passion. We need to continually weigh the question: Are we trying to please man or God?

Author's note: I have a friend that was a classmate at Northwest University.  I recently saw this posted on his social media.  Uninhibited worship to the one who is worthy.  This is what God desires, a people who worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Unashamed--Uninhibited--Unafraid!  The court of public opinion should have no impact on whether we worship or how we worship; rather, we should only concern ourselves with the audience of one.  The only One that really matters.  RJ

Fresh Start

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"  Lamentations 3:21-24 (NKJV) 

We are entering a new year and many people are making New Year’s Resolutions, which represent changes that they want to make in the coming days ahead. There seems to be a bit of backlash against making resolutions, but seeing and seizing the opportunity to make changes can be spiritually significant. The process called “Christian Discipleship” is all about progress and transformation…and it should go without saying, “transformation” and becoming a “new creation” is all about profound and substantial change.

Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus that birth into the kingdom of God requires a new birth. (You can read the story in John 3)  A fresh start, a reset, a new beginning, a clean slate, another shot, renewal; all of these phrases and words point us in the direction of hope. Hope that life will work out for our good. Hope that we can make the necessary life changes that point in a more beneficial direction. With God’s guidance and strength this possibility for change moves from unlikely to possible. With our submission to God’s transforming work we move from possible to probable.

Here is an encouraging word: God’s mercies are “new” every morning. That means that you can have a fresh start every day. Regardless of the past—it’s failures and disappointments—today is a new day full of possibilities. The future looks extremely bright, not from wishful thinking, but from the provision of an Almighty God who is overflowing with grace, mercy and love. Make a fresh start today!

I Am Not Good

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (NKJV)

I am really not a very “good” person. Really…I am always more concerned with how I look than how you look. I am always more focused on what I eat and don’t give a second thought to what you are eating. I care more about how much money is in my bank account than what you have in yours. I could go on…’cause you see, I’m really not a very good person, and that’s a real problem.

The scribes and Pharisees were pretty amazing when it came to being good. They were miles better than myself when it came to following God’s rules. They probably did a lot more “good” kind of servant works than I will ever even consider doing. (Moment of truth—they were a lot more “good” than I am!) Let me tell you that I feel a bit out of sorts, because Jesus said that I will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless my righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. "Are you kidding me? Jesus, are you really expecting me to be that good?"

Further into this teaching, Jesus doubled down and said that the expectation is that I (Ron Dugone) should be perfect, even as God is perfect. My goose is so cooked! (Poetic Pause) “What’s that Lord? What are you saying? That Your grace is sufficient for me? What does that mean?”

It means that I will never be “good” enough to “earn” my salvation, but that God’s grace will cover my short-comings. As far as my righteousness is concerned, I am covered in the beauty of Christ’s righteousness, a righteousness that far surpasses the religious works of the scribes and the Pharisees. One more thing before I go…knowing that I’m called to be perfect as God is perfect causes a new wave of humility. I have an incredible journey ahead as I humble myself and chase after the God who calls me to be like Him.

The List

One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4 (NKJV)

When I was a young man I desired a lot of things. Maintaining a relationship with God was on the list, but in practical terms of how I lived, He certainly wasn’t on or maybe even near the top. It’s not that I was a wild and crazy guy diving into the vices of the world, because, I did not have a desire to be like the prodigal son. So, what were the things that occupied the top of my list of desires? To be successful, to be popular with my peers, to be adored by my wife, to be worshiped by my children, to make a better than average income, to be praised by my parishioners, to be in control… I could go on ad nauseam.

Everything in the way I lived screamed, “I want to be somebody!” This leads to an unconscious preoccupation with comparing and measuring yourself against everyone else who seems to be accomplishing “your” list. It triggers envy. It depresses with insecurity. It strokes and manipulates the ego. It frustrates in its endless futility. In the center of this maniacal firestorm is you…you sitting on the throne of your own heart. Alone, and still preoccupied with the person in the mirror.

One day I woke up…and I realized that Solomon was on to something when he wrote that all in life was vanity. That is when it dawned on me that God needed to be at the top of my list and "yours truly" thrown off the throne! Life is not about the image that I see in the mirror, it is about the one who is preparing a place for me beyond this life. I now understand the words of the Psalmist David, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” Being with the Lord, life does not get any better than that!