Tag Archives: What God looks for

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The Spirit of Simeon

How Long Are You Willing To Wait On God?

If you simply look at the lives of those whom the Bible presents as examples of God-honoring faith, you will notice that one of the outstanding characteristics of their lives was their willingness to wait on God for the fulfillment of his promises. They prayed – and didn’t give up. They obeyed – and didn’t grow weary. The expected – and didn’t lose heart. Which begs the question: How long are you willing to wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises in your life? Biblical waiting – your willingness to pray, expect, trust, obey, and in general, live a God-honoring life in the meantime – will in the end be the very thing that determines the strength of your faith, which is the greatest treasure you can offer to God.

The Journey: Luke 2:28-29

Simeon took the infant Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.”

I can just imagine this old, weathered prophet, Simeon, moved by the Holy Spirit, running up to Mary and grabbing the baby Jesus from her arms. Perhaps Mary and Joseph were a bit stunned; maybe they were about to call for the temple guard to arrest this crazy old man, but before they could react, Simeon burst forth in a loud prophetic praise to God,

“…dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation…”

Then as suddenly as he took the baby, Simeon gently laid Jesus back into Mary’s arms. He pronounced a blessing upon the young parents, uttered a few esoteric words, then turned and made his way through the curious onlookers. As Simeon walked away, he shouted his praises to God, and as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone from the temple—and from any further mention in the Bible.

Not much is known about Simeon. Christian tradition suggests that he was very old—over 100 years of age. We don’t know for sure, but because of his eagerness to die, that would be a logical assumption. We’re told in Luke 2:25 that he was looking for the “consolation of Israel”—a reference to the messianic hope of the Jewish nation. Then as we dig a little deeper into this passage, Luke 2:25-35, we actually begin to learn a great deal more about this otherwise obscure man:

  1. We learn that he was a man who was dedicated to the ways of God — “devout and righteous”. (Luke 2:25) Simeon had a consuming passion for God.
  2. We also discover that he was a man who was led by the Spirit of God — “The Holy Spirit was upon him… revealed to him by the Holy Spirit… Moved by the Spirit.” (Luke 2:25-27) Simeon had a unique connection to God.
  3. We likewise find that he was a man who was obedient to the will of God — “He was waiting for the consolation of Israel. It had been revealed to him that he would see it in his lifetime.” (Luke 2:25) Simeon had an unbending dedication to the plan of God.
  4. We then see he was a man who was committed to speaking the truth of God — “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many…And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35) Simeon had an unwavering commitment to speaking the prophetic Word of God.

Now this might seem like nothing more than otherwise unimportant and uninteresting biographical information on this old prophet, but there is something instructive here for you and me. You see, Simeon’s story has been included in Holy Scripture to remind us that God is still looking for people with the spirit of Simeon—people who are equally dedicated to the ways of God, who have learned to be led by the Spirit of God, who are obedient to the will of God, who will speak the Word of God, and who are willing to wait unwaveringly on God.

If you simply look at the lives of those whom the Bible presents as examples of God-honoring faith, you will notice that one of the outstanding characteristics of their lives was their willingness to wait on God for the fulfillment of his promises. They prayed – and didn’t give up. They obeyed – and didn’t grow weary. The expected – and didn’t lose heart. Which begs the question: How long are you willing to wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises in your life? Biblical waiting – your willingness to pray, expect, trust, obey, and in general, live a God-honoring life in the meantime – will in the end be the very thing that determines the strength of your faith, which is the greatest treasure you can offer to God.

Those are the kind of people for whom God is looking, through whom God will speak and to whom God will fulfill his promises.

Will you be that person?

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

God, give me the spirit of Simeon. Grant me the heart to seek, the passion to obey, the courage to speak, the patience to wait.
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A Tale Of Two Churches

Reflect:
Revelation 2:1-3:22

“To the church in Philadelphia…To the church in Laodicea…” (Revelation 3:7 & 14)

To paraphrase the unforgettable opening line of Dickens’ classic, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of churches, it was the worst of churches.”

Throughout the centuries, Biblical scholars have interpreted the letters to the seven churches in Revelation in a variety of ways. Some have suggested that these letters are written literally to seven contemporary churches throughout Asia Minor during the time of John’s imprisonment, describing real conditions that existed in those churches. Others suggest that these seven churches represent eras of church history, with the last two, Philadelphia and Laodicea, concurrently representing the condition of the church at the end of time.

I lean heavily toward the latter, but however you wish to interpret, the message to these last two churches is clear, and quite applicable to the church in our day:

One, God assesses the condition of his church far differently than we do. What we consider weak, ineffective and unattractive in a church God treasures because of that church’s fidelity to his Word. Size, slickness and sizzle do not impress God if his Word is not being honored above all else.

On the other hand, what we might consider attractive, powerful, and impacting in a church because of its bigness, buildings and budget, God may assess as way off the mark because Biblical truth has been neglected or compromised, all in the name of cultural relevance and church growth.

That leads to the second thought: Beware of all the bells and whistles when evaluating the church. If these last two churches do represent the condition of the church in the last days, it is rather obvious that many of today’s churches are indeed the church at Laodicea. Don’t get caught up in the personality cult and celebrity worship of TV preachers or the hype of the mega-church.

Ask yourself: Does my church honor God’s Word above all else? Is my pastor and are my spiritual leaders truly people of God—full of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives and passionate about fulfilling the purposes of God for the church without compromise? Is this a church with whom God is well pleased?

If so, then you’ve got a great church. If not, start praying!

“God evaluates by character not charisma.”

Reflect and Apply: Spend some time praying for your church today.

Posted on

A Tale of Two Churches

Essential 100—Read:
Revelation 2:1-3:22

“To the church in Philadelphia…To the church in Laodicea…” (Revelation 3:7 & 14)

To paraphrase the unforgettable opening line of Dickens’ classic, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of churches, it was the worst of churches.”

Throughout the centuries, Biblical scholars have interpreted the letters to the seven churches in Revelation in a variety of ways.  Some have suggested that these letters are written literally to seven contemporary churches throughout Asia Minor during the time of John’s imprisonment, describing real conditions that existed in those churches. Others suggest that these seven churches represent eras of church history, with the last two, Philadelphia and Laodicea, concurrently representing the condition of the church at the end of time.

I lean heavily toward the latter, but however you wish to interpret, the message to these last two churches is clear, and quite applicable to the church in our day:

One, God assesses the condition of his church far differently than we do. What we consider weak, ineffective and unattractive in a church God treasures because of that church’s fidelity to his Word. Size, slickness and sizzle do not impress God if his Word is not being honored above all else.

On the other hand, what we might consider attractive, powerful, and impacting in a church because of its bigness, buildings and budget, God may assess as way off the mark because Biblical truth has been neglected or compromised, all in the name of cultural relevance and church growth.

That leads to the second thought: Beware of all the bells and whistles when evaluating the church. If these last two churches do represent the condition of the church in the last days, it is rather obvious that many of today’s churches are indeed the church at Laodicea. Don’t get caught up in the personality cult and celebrity worship of TV preachers or the hype of the mega-church.

Ask yourself: Does my church honor God’s Word above all else?  Is my pastor and are my spiritual leaders truly people of God—full of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives and passionate about fulfilling the purposes of God for the church without compromise? Is this a church with whom God is well pleased?

If so, then you’ve got a great church. If not, start praying!

“God evaluates by character not charisma.”

Reflect and Apply: Spend some time praying for your church today.