Commitment

Backing Into My Prayer Requests

November 12, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

THINK ABOUT THIS ONE: Asking God to do what He says He’ll do is part of Lord’s Prayer, right? Think about it. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors….Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” We know He will do these things. Don’t we need to begin our prayer request affirming by faith what we know He’s going to do?

Let me give you an example. While praying for the Lord’s guidance recently I caught myself attempting to ‘back into’ God’s leadership. In my prayer, I asked God to open the right door of opportunity in His time and in His way. Then I made a commitment to go through the door He opened up. I stopped right there and thought about what I’d just said.

I backed up and started over. I thanked God knowing that He would open the right door of opportunity in His time and in the manner of His choosing. What else would God do? After affirming the work I know He will do, I asked Him to give me patience to wait upon Him; discernment to see His guiding hand along the way; determination to continue serving Him daily; and a joyful peace in my journey.

I know my God. I know His concern and promise of provision for all of my life. My commitment to follow His leadership in my life needs to come up front. I don’t need to back into His plan for my life. My greatest faith comes when I commit to follow Him because I know He will lead me and to do so up front.

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Hearing and Living God’s Message

May 13, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

“A sermon is not finished until it is lived in the world by God’s people” (Dr. C. Mack Roark, 1991).

“We must confess, many of us by hearing sermons, are grown sermon-proof; we know how to scoff and mock at sermons, but we know not how to live sermons” (Edmund Calamy, 1662).

Year in and year out I hear prayers on Sunday morning asking God to speak through the preacher as we listen to the sermon. In Sunday School and Worship Services these prayers, offered on behalf of those assembled, go something like this. “God, speak to us as our pastor brings the message to us this morning.” I can’t help but wonder if this is a prayer of faith or a prayer of ritual?

If it is the prayer of faith, then surely God will answer our prayer and speak to us through His messenger in the pulpit. If it mere ritual, then we’ve flipped the autopilot prayer mode switch in order to speak the appropriate words.

The prayer of faith will lead us to listen carefully for the voice of God speaking through the exposing of Scriptural truth and the cutting edge of Biblical application in our lives and times. How could a prayer of faith do any less? The prayer of faith will cause us to see ourselves through the lens of Biblical proclamation bringing us to the place of confession, repentance, and a joyful recommitment of living everyday for our Lord and Savior.

The prayer of ritual leads us to murmur a hollow, “Amen,” then sit back expecting to be entertained, or to have our emotions stirred, or to have our ideas affirmed on how much better we are than those who are not like us. If the sermon meets our standards then we judge it to be a ‘good’ sermon. This is the natural response to a prayer of ritual.

Yet God is God. I can’t help but believe that God often answers not only the prayer of faith but also the prayer of ritual. Through God’s grace and mercy, He gives us what we ask even when we don’t act upon our ritualistic request. He speaks through His messenger and yet we never genuinely listen for the voice of God and in so doing, we never hear the voice of God. The evidence that we haven’t heard God is that we do not live the message God gives us. We listen only for the voice of man and ignore the message from God.

So as we pray for our pastors and their preparation for the sermons we will hear this Sunday, ought we not with greater fervency commit ourselves to listen for God’s message? Shouldn’t we make the determination now that we will live the sermon Monday – Saturday we hear on Sunday? If we are living by faith not by ritual, we must give thanks today that God will speak to us through His servant on the Lord’s Day. Then, by His grace, we have the privilege of living the sermon the rest of the week.o

It is by grace through faith we have salvation. It is by grace through faith we will hear the voice of God through His messenger Sunday. It is by grace through faith that we will live God’s message day in and day out.

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Success in the Eyes of God

April 20, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

My pastor just completed a series of sermons on Biblical success from Psalm 78. Not only was I challenged to be a successful Christan as God spoke through Bro. John, but I was reminded of the increased attention in recent years from preachers and teachers on how God measures success in His people.

The old, “noses, and nickels” as the primary measurement of a successful church is giving way to a greater emphasis on obedience, faithfulness, and sacrifice. A growing understanding that it is ‘only God who gives the growth’ (1 Corinthians 3:7) reminds us that success in His Kingdom is measured differently than success in the eyes of the world. We know that keeping track of the ‘numbers’ helps us gauge our progress as well as reveal possible symptoms of issues which need to be addressed. But we also know that the Bible instructs us to leave the results in God’s capable hands.

Our Sunday School class just finished four weeks of evangelism training. One constant theme was that our responsibility and success in evangelism comes about as we share the gospel regardless of how others respond to the gospel. In other words, when we share the gospel by faith we have been successful.

There is another measurement of success in the Christian life that, at times, we aren’t too crazy about. I’m talking about the world’s reaction to the gospel in general and to us in particular. Jesus told us (John 15:18) that the world would respond to us in the manner and measure in which it responded to Him. The more we live like Jesus the more the world will treat us like Jesus. Some will respond with acceptance. However, many will respond with anger and resentment. Both of these responses are signs of the Holy Spirit’s work of conviction of sin.

If I were to ask you to point to an occasion when Peter was successful in being like Jesus you might well point to the Pentecost sermon in Acts 2 when thousands were saved. That would be a good example. I’d also point to another occasion when Peter’s success in the Kingdom of God was just as evident. In Acts 12, Peter was under arrest for sharing the gospel. It’s that 6th verse which caught my attention helping me to see an affirmation from Heaven that Peter was most certainly doing something right in spreading the gospel. While under arrest in Herod’s custody, Peter was in jail, sleeping between two soldiers, bound by chains, and had two sentries standing guard at his cell door. That Herod went to such lengths to shut Peter up is certainly a sign of a successful ministry as well as a reminder that God’s blessing was on Peter’s life. The world feared this uneducated, unlearned fisherman and the simple words he proclaimed that they treated Him like they treated Jesus.

In our day we see a growing animosity and fear as the world reacts to the deeds and words of faithful Christians. From our own personal experience we know that our ego-centric, sinful reaction to the conviction of the Holy Spirit is one of anger and resentment. We also know this kind of response is a sign that the gospel is opening our eyes to who God is and what God expects of humanity. As believers we know that our resentment when under conviction is a matter of the Spirit reminding us of the eternal truth of the gospel. We know we must confess and repent. When we successfully live the gospel, share the gospel, and leave the results in God’s hands, the world will often respond with all the resistance she can muster. When that happens, we can count ourselves successful in the eyes of God and resolve as did the saints of old to grow in faithful obedience to our Lord’s commission to be witnesses to all the world.

Our call from God is not to look for the fight. Rather we are called to share the gospel in the manner He has prescribed in Scripture. When the fight comes, we respond with love and count ourselves successful in the outcome God ordains.

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The Simplicity of Obedience

April 5, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

Simplicity of Obedience …. Yes or No.
Seriously, when it comes to obeying God, we have only one of two choices, “Yes” or “No”. Obedience or Disobedience. How can it be any other way? It is a simple choice. I’m not saying that obedience is easy, because most of the time it isn’t. When believers choose to obey God rather than man, we choose to reject worldly notions of what is right and what is wrong. Actually we go against the world’s mantra of following the path of least resistance in order to get along. By definition, obeying God means that we can and do step on the toes of our culture. After all, Jesus tells us that if we follow Him the world will be against us for it is against Him (John 15:18-20). We might as well acknowledge that our choices do have consequences. There will be times when obedience will be hard because we quickly find ourselves at odds not only with the world in general, but with friends, co-workers, team members, classmates, and yes, even within our family. Yet as faithful Christians, we know that God doesn’t desert us when we choose to follow His way over the way of the world. In reality, we draw closer to God through our obedience and in this we gain strength, wisdom, and peace. When we obey Him we choose to step away from popularity contests, conventional human wisdom, and figuring it out for ourselves. When we choose to obey our life is simplified because we know what kind of attitude we must have (the mind of Christ – Philippians 2:5); we know what kind of feelings we must have (the love of Christ – John 13:34-35); and we know who is in charge (Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords – Revelation 17:14; 19:16).

Think about what we gain when we live in simple obedience to God’s guidance:

Power of Obedience …. God’s Strength
When we obey, we place ourselves not only in the will of God, but also in the arena of His capabilities. Isn’t it amazing how capable we think ourselves to be? Seriously, when something needs to be done, more often than not, we jump right in to do the work and only after a season of struggling against the enemy (as well as struggling against ourselves) do we remember to rely upon the Lord’s provision. When you stop to think about it, doesn’t simple, genuine obedience begin with our reliance on the Lord’s capabilities and power? When I was 9 years old I’d flex my muscles to see how ‘big’ my biceps were. With more bone than bicep showing, my capabilities were not only limited, but obvious to anyone who cared to look. The next time you see a small child flex his muscles I guarantee that you’ll smile at the notion of just how strong that boy thinks he is. As children of God, isn’t it about time we stop flexing our muscles and begin relying on His strength? The power of obedience comes when we stop trying to get the job done in the sphere of our abilities. Remember, His strength is made manifest in our weakness. Paul clearly spells this out for us in 2 Corinthians 2:9, “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

There is an added bonus that comes when relying on God’s strength. He is not only strong enough to get His work done through us, He also enables us to endure the attacks of the enemy and to do so victoriously. He knows just how to deal with those who oppose His will and take care of those who come after His children. Why do we foolishly think we know how to deal with our accusers when God said He’d take care of it for us? “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Blessing through Obedience …. God’s Provision
Consider the blessings which come through obedience. Better yet, meditate on what we receive from our Lord when we choose to simply obey Him in a well reasoned, Biblical manner.

– Blessing of Assurance.
God promises to be with His children as they faithfully persevere in both the good and the bad seasons of life. Jesus promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:18-20), but isn’t His presence all the sweeter when we, like Peter, proclaim Him to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16)? Isn’t it assuring to know the promise that we are His eternally (Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 1:11-14; Philippians 1:6)?

– Blessing of Confidence.
The confidence we gain when people applaud us as we follow the crowd peaks immediately. Admit it, as soon as the crowd stops cheering we seek new ways to get their approval and applause. This soon becomes a vicious cycle draining our strength. The confidence God gives in obedience builds our character in Christ giving us greater courage to face our detractors. Is there anything that gives us more confidence in life than doing the right thing, the right way? Surely our faithful obedience is the supreme act of doing the right thing, the right way, which is another way of saying doing it God’s way.

– Blessing of Peace.
Paul speaks of the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Recently I’ve come to experience the peace of God in deeper ways as I’ve obeyed Him in the simple, everyday course of life. The blessing of peace through obedience is hard to describe, but it is there.

– Blessing of Humility.
One of the key cornerstones of obedience is recognizing where true power and authority lies. The more consistent our obedience, the more we come to know just how faithful, powerful, and reliable He is. As this awareness grows in our lives, we find contentment in letting God be God in every aspect of life. One of my favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 66:2. Having declared His overwhelming sovereignty, God reminds the prophet, “…This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” I don’t know about you, but I find great blessing in knowing that in my humility, God is looking to me. Remember, humility is that wonderful virtue which allows us to set aside our ego, our obsession to figure it all out as well as our feeble attempts to advise & direct God. Aren’t these things worth laying at the feet of our Lord and Savior? I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of trying to tell God what to do. I think, no, I know that He’s got a better plan than I could ever devise. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21)!

As I stated earlier, obedience will not always be easy. The path will be difficult as we deal with the world around us and our inner struggles. As the hymn writer so eloquently put it, we will have we have “fightings within and fears without.” In spite of the fightings and fears, there is no greater, nobler path than to walk the path of God’s Power and Blessing which comes through simple obedience.

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Choose Wisely

December 28, 2015 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

My favorite Indiana Jones movie is “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” I love the scene when the venerable knight warns Jones to “choose wisely” as he seeks the Holy Grail. Indiana did just that as he selected the true Grail setting among the false grails. However, he soon faced another crucial test calling for wisdom with the choice of leaving the grail behind or being buried in the collapsing Temple. Once again Jones chose wisely. Apparently one wise choice in life doesn’t guarantee wisdom along the way.

In 1 Kings 3:5, God made Solomon an offer he couldn’t refuse, “Ask what I shall give you.” This was an open ended offer, an opportunity for wealth or power or long life or anything he wanted. Solomon responded by asking God for wisdom in order to discern between good & evil as he led the people of Israel. God gave him his request and it was the best thing Solomon could have sought.

Solomon started out well, but he did not continue to choose wisely. In time he followed the morality and customs of the unbelieving world around him. Solomon traveled a path eventually leading him to worship many gods, turning his back on the One, True God. The people of Israel followed his leadership and the nation was fractured when Solomon died.

God warned him that this would happen when He said, “I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you have been before and none like you shall arise after you…..If you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days” (1 Kings 3:12, 14).

We sometimes forget that being a child of God entails a journey, not an event. We are called to be faithful throughout our days. God gives us His Word, His church, His Spirit, and fellow believers to guide and encourage us along the way. Just because we were faithful to God at one time does not guarantee that we are traveling on the right and proper road now. The life of a believer is a Journey, not an Event. Baptism, knowledge of God & His Bible, and good intentions are of little value if we do not continue to put them into practice.

If Godly wisdom guides our path, we must choose wisely and continue to do so.

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Seeing God….Committing to Christ

December 17, 2015 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

Its amazing to see the various ways God reveals Himself in the Bible. While at worship, Isaiah catches a vision of the wonder of God (Isaiah 6)…..At the end of a season of suffering, Job sees God’s majesty (Job 42:5-6)… Peter sees Jesus’ holiness through a great catch of fish (Luke 5:6).

There are those today who think God wants to ‘invade’ our times of worship and reveal Himself merely to give us some sort of spiritual adrenaline rush. I don’t see this happening in the Bible, do you? God reveals Himself for a purpose……His purpose, not ours. Certainly He wants our praise. But if our praise is genuine will it not include our confession, our repentance, and our surrender to service?

Read the story of the miraculous catch in Luke 5:1-11. The flow of events is fairly simple, isn’t it? The word of God is taught…..Apparently the seeds of faith are sown because obedience was rendered…..Christ revealed Himself……Confession was offered……Call was given….Commitment was made.

The commitment to leave all behind and follow Jesus was a costly one. “True discipleship is always costly because it means giving up what we want for us so that we can have what Jesus wants for us” (Philip Ryken). Ryken’s comment drives deep into my heart. I know I’m supposed to want what Jesus wants for me……but am I willing both to count the cost and consider it worth surrendering all to Jesus?

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Flipping the Switch

November 27, 2015 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

Human nature is a funny thing. A few years ago our television set stopped working. It just went out and would not come back on. I tried pushing the ‘power’ button on the remote and that did not work. I even pushed the power button on the tv set and it still would not come on. I cannot tell you how many times I went to the set, pushed the power button in a 24 hour time frame hoping that the set would ‘magically’ fix itself.

I would feel silly confessing my repeated attempts to turn on the broken tv, but I have seen too many other people in similar situations. Someone walks into a room and flips the light switch. When the lights do not come on, that person keeps flipping that switch over and over hoping that the lights will fix themselves. We’ve all been there, done that.

As I said, human nature is a funny thing. We may know something is wrong, but rather than research the problem or admit that things are not the way we want them to be, we prefer to keep on doing what we have always done.

Gary Oliver addresses this quirk of human nature by saying, “Crazy is to discover what doesn’t work and keep on doing it…..Everybody wants to be different, but few people want to change.” How many things in our lives do not ‘work’ anymore and yet we keep on doing them. We know maxing out the credit card adds stress to our budget and emotions, but we keep on doing it. We know that working 60-70 hours every week may enhance the ‘bottom line’, but it drains us of the energy and desire necessary to build a solid, emotional base for a good marriage. We know that ignoring daily time with God and neglecting the assembling with His people on a weekly basis causes us to drift further and further from His love. Furthermore, it causes us to feel less and less secure about our relationship with Him. Yet there are so many paths we follow which easily set aside our time with God and obedience to Him. We know better. But we do not do better.

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God.” Perhaps its time for us to learn to stop doing so much and learn how to be still in the presence of God. To be still and simply listen for God’s voice. To be still and read the Bible slowly to drink in the Word so that we might come to know God.

Crazy is to discover what doesn’t work and keep on doing it. Perhaps it is time for you and I to actively pursue a holy sanity and stop being so crazy.

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