Path's Light

OBSESSED

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Psalms 62:5 “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.”

Wilderness wanderings create a thirst for God because when he’s all we’ve got, he’s all we want. While writing this psalm, David has lost everything and now he’s able to find the only thing that will truly satisfy God Himself. Psalm 62 is a song that will lead us to true satisfaction no matter what has happened to us. Before David was forced into the wilderness he was obsessed with his own comfort and the satisfaction of his own needs. It’s only when everything is taken from him that he becomes obsessed with God himself, finding full satisfaction in his praise of him.

What are you obsessed with today? An obsession is an “abnormal or intense pre-occupation; an irrational reverence or attachment.” What is it that compels and constrains you? Is it your position? A hobby? A sport? Money? A relationship? Do you obsess about a possession? Are you preoccupied with your health or with your family? Or do you have an “irrational reverence and attachment” to God? How much God do you really want in your life?

I suspect that most of you really want to find full satisfaction in your relationship with God. That reminds me of the man who bought an expensive hunting dog. Eager to see how he would perform, he took off to track a bear. No sooner had they arrived in the woods than the dog picked up the trail. But then the dog stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear’s path. A few minutes later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit. Every couple minutes the dog would stop and follow a different trail. Finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse.

Sometimes we’re a lot like this dog. We start out with high resolve, keeping Christ first in our lives. We know the answer to the first question posed by the Westminster Confession: “What is the chief end of man?” “To glorify God and to enjoy him forever,” but our attention is often diverted to things of lesser importance.

Most of us are more empty than we care to admit. We know in our hearts that we can only find satisfaction and security in God. But we usually look everywhere else first. When we’re wandering in the wilderness, we’re often forced to admit that what the world offers doesn’t last because it promises more than it can deliver. When God is all we have, then he’s all we want. Or, to say it another way: When we allow the Lord to totally possess us, we will be obsessed with him.

Have you ever fully surrendered to God? As you focus inward do you have to admit there’s not much there? Are you ready to focus upward and forward? Are you ready to go hard after God? Cling to him and allow him to hold you in his righteous right hand. Let him possess you fully so that you can become obsessed with him.

COMMITTED TO THE WILL OF GOD

2012-01-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 42:3 “Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."

Francis Schaeffer was a relatively famous pastor and Christian author. When he was 19 years old he had a decision to make. He had to decide whether to stay home and become a mechanical engineer (which was something he was interested in) or go away to Bible College to become a pastor (which was a pull he felt in his heart). His father had demanded that he make a decision—the time was at hand. Francis told his father he needed a few more minutes to think and so he went off to the cellar to pray. Weeping, he asked God for help. Finally, in desperation he took out a coin and said “Heads, I’ll go” It was heads. Then he pleaded, “God, be patient with me. If it comes up tails this time, I’ll go.” It was tails. “Once more, God, Please let it be heads again.” It was heads. Back upstairs Francis went. “Dad, I’ve got to go.” Francis went on to become a pastor, philosopher, lecturer, and an author of 24 books.

Every day we make numerous decisions. What cereal to purchase, what to eat for supper, whether to rent an apartment or buy a home, where to go to college, what career path to take, what church to attend, who to date or marry, how to raise your children, how to invest your money. The choices go on and on.

Our lives can be changed by one decision. While flipping coins, which is akin to casting lots, and asking God for signs has been used by God at various times to communicate his will there are other ways to determining his will.

Here are a few things all Christians should be doing in order to stay in the will of God:

1. Pray

James recognized that is not always easy to know what to do, so as he explains in James 1:5, we are to ask God for the needed wisdom “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

2. Go to the Scripture

In Psalm 119:105 it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”. The point: God’s Word has much to say on how we are to live our lives and what we are to do.

Too often we are guilty of not considering what the Bible says on an issue. In the Bible God has spelled out all we need to know. The Bible is full of God’s clear commands that offer us direction for most of life’s decisions. The more we know of God’s written Word, the more quickly we will know what God wants us to do.

3. Seek Godly Counsel

Psalm 1:1a it says “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” Often times we will go to people for counsel. Sometimes we seek them out because we want approval of plans we have already made. Sometimes we genuinely want their guidance.

When it comes to the matter of God’s will for our lives, our biggest issue is not the determining of it. Yes the determining of God’s will really challenges us as times, however I think biggest thing is actually doing it.

We have at our disposal the necessary tools to determine God’s will. Prayer, patience, the Word of the Lord, Godly counsel: What is often lacking is a commitment on our parts to doing the will of God. We need willing and surrendered spirits that say yes to God regardless of what’s in our heads to the contrary. Remember, it is in his will that we will find perfect contentment.

A TEST FOR A HARD HEART

2012-01-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

Exodus 7:14 “Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.”

Pharaoh had refused to let the Israelites go, even though God showed himself clearly, so the plagues began. The water in the Nile turned to blood and the fish died. The people’s water supply was gone, their food supply was hurt, the place stunk; and what did Pharaoh do? His heart grew only more cold and hardened.

More than anything else, God is concerned with the condition of our heart. More than what we do, where we go, what we say. It is possible to do the right thing, be in the right place, and say the right things all the while having a heart that is indifferent to him. If you are facing difficulty in life; if you find yourself less and less moved by the things of God, it may be time to assess the state of your heart. Here are a few things to watch for when searching you heart.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you blatantly disobey God. Pharaoh’s response to letting God’s people go was to make it worse on them. He did the opposite of what God said to do. Moses took this response to God and God told Moses that he would deal with Pharaoh. Moses was sent back to Pharaoh and this time he performed the miracle of the staff to a serpent, but Pharaoh ignored that also when the magicians were able to do the same thing. The more God punished, the harder Pharaoh’s heart became. Is it the same with you? The more God tries to correct you, the more stubborn you become?

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you become insincere. The second plague that God brought was the plague of the frogs. Aaron stretched forth his hand over the water of Egypt and frogs came up out of the waters and covered the land. This is especially significant because the frog was considered sacred in Egypt and could not be killed. The magicians were again summoned and asked to perform the same miraculous act, and they did; but this wasn’t helpful, because they needed less frogs not more. Pharaoh was only willing to change when there were no other options; but when the problem was gone he had no need to obey God.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you attempt to bargain with God. Pharaoh offers different bargains to God. The proposals that Pharaoh offered to God are the same that Satan offers to Christians today. First, Pharaoh says, “you can go but on my terms.” Sound familiar? “God, I’ll change, but I’ll do it my way”. Later, Pharaoh says, “you can go, but leave your possessions behind.” Does this ring a bell? “God, I’ll conform, but not with everything”

Finally, you might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you refuse to commit. Even when pharaoh said “go”, he couldn’t stay committed to the idea. It is very challenging to have a hardened heart and go “all in” for Christ. Because there will be portions of your heart that are not made available to the work of his hand.

Always remember, any true and meaningful change in our life, must begin with a change of heart. You can temporarily change your behaviour, but if you want true progress in life and the abundance that God has promised you, you must allow his spirit to soften your heart. Watch the warning signs, be sensitive to his voice, and allow your heart to be moved by him.

WHEN FAITH FALTERS

2011-11-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

I Samuel 27:1 “But David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand."

I think that there are at least 3 sources for spiritual doubt, one of which describes David at this point in his life but all of which can lead us to doubt God. (1) There is intellectual doubt. That is when Scripture is inconsistent with our human experience. We read in the Bible where the entire world was destroyed by a flood or where Jonah was swallowed by a great fish or where Goliath was said to be over 9’ tall and intellectually we have a real hard time accepting that. We think, "That must have been myth or legend and if the Bible is not true in those instances then...” (2) There is moral doubt. That happens when a person doesn’t like God’s commands and then rationalizes, "Well, I don’t think I believe in God, or the Bible, after-all." And that becomes a convenient way of relieving guilt or escaping accountability. (3) Is circumstantial doubt. This is the doubt that is produced when a person goes through a long period of problems or a time of extreme difficulty. The adversity begins to wear on us and we doubt that God is really in control.

That’s where David was. His doubt was a result of difficult circumstances. For 8 years he lived the life of a fugitive, constantly in danger. Imagine the pressure of escaping death day in and day out. Eventually, David began to feel sorry for himself. After all, he was innocent. He had spared Saul’s life, he deserved better. Where was God? Why didn’t He do something?

Often circumstances have to knock us to our knees before we will look up. David hit dead bottom, but when that happened, he looked up and saw God’s loving, forgiving face. And then he realized that God had never forsaken him, but he had forsaken God. So he got up and began his reconciliation with his people and with his Lord.

I think the thing that David lost in the wilderness, that which sent him into this spiritual spiral, was that he lost sight of his worth before God. He had lost his “spiritual esteem.” Not his self-esteem, his spiritual esteem. We can all fool ourselves for awhile that we have it all together…for a while. David had forgotten how important he was to God. God was not going to let him die. He was going to be the next king. God had not forsaken him. If you are longing for real fulfillment, if you have drifted away from God or if you see in your life, any of the characteristics of David’s downward spiritual spiral, remember that you have great worth in God’s sight.

Archie Moore, a heavy weight boxing champion, once got knocked down early in a fight. He got back up and won the match by knock-out. Afterwards a reporter asked him, “Archie, what were you thinking while you were on the canvas?” He said, “I thought, Hey, I’m the champ! I don’t belong here!” Don’t allow doubt to creep into your life and derail your purpose. Remember that God sees you as an over comer, even when you’ve been knocked down.

CERTAIN OF A REDEEMER

2011-11-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Job 19:25 “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”

When the Berlin wall came down and when communism fell one of the amazing things that happened was that people had access to the files that the secret police had kept on them. For many people it made uncomfortable reading. People whom they trusted had betrayed them – family members, husbands, wives, children etc. They thought they knew these people but they were wrong. It left them wondering: What can I know for certain? Truth is there is very little we can know for certain.

Job was a man who had everything and lost it all. He had family and friends, health and wealth, position and purpose. But in a few short weeks it was all taken away. His health failed, his wealth disappeared, his family turned their backs and his friends did nothing but criticize him. Job was a man who lost everything. Now in and of itself that is neither unusual nor remarkable. But Job is remarkable in that he wants the answer to the question - Why? He wanted to understand what was going on. He was not satisfied to just shrug his shoulders and retreat into a cocoon. Job wanted to know that his life meant something. His friends put before him all sorts of arguments but none of these answer his questions. Job wanted to know, hard as it is to know anything, that his life could be anchored.

When he speaks these words he is sitting on top of the town dump scraping the sores on his body with a piece of broken pottery. The only thing that had been said to him was some pious prattle that he must have sinned against God and if he would only straighten up then all this would turn out right. There was no evidence in his circumstances or what he had heard which gave him grounds to state that he would be redeemed from this bondage. And yet he states: ‘I know my Redeemer lives.’

Job believes he is close to death. It is a pretty fair conclusion for him to come to – it is the wrong conclusion at this time though. However, Job knew that one day he must die. Job knows that the words he is about to utter may not be heard, heeded or understood by those gathered around him at that moment but he desires for them to be recorded – not for posterity but that future generations would benefit from the truth contained therein. He desires that somehow what he is about to say will not die with him but live on because the truth to which they witness, namely that his redeemer lives, is of eternity – eternal truth, value and consequence for those who hear them. So what Job is about to speak is of such importance to him that he wants it recorded. It is basically his last will and testament. The whole dialogue to this point has been Job seeking to defend and justify himself before his friends and their accusations. He now speaks with a secure knowledge and experience which comes from only through faith.

We like Job know that one day we will die. We like Job know that our bodies will see decay. But here is the real question: Do we like Job know that our Redeemer lives and that one day we shall see him with our own eyes? Job could only speak with the eye of faith. We can speak as people with a fuller revelation – Christ has come and God has revealed to us in His Word that he is the Redeemer – the Savior. Job in the midst of all his despair had this eternal hope – do you? Job said his very heart yearned within him in the knowledge of his redeemer – does yours?

ONLY ONE PLACE TO TURN

2011-11-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Some may depend on their bank accounts, their jobs, their families, their relationships. But our God is a far better refuge than any of those. It is not that relationship we’ve invested so much time in that is our refuge and strength. It is not a job or a house that is our ever present help in time of trouble. It is not the economy that gives us our strength. It is not the age, appearance, condition or health of our bodies which provides us help. It is God who provides us with a place to run, a place to hide.

There are times when everything in the world gets turned upside down. There are times the earth is moved. Sometimes the waters roar and the mountains shake. It seems as everything is against us and out to destroy us. No one is exempt from these realities. Whether it is a national tragedy that involves millions or a lone person sobbing in a hospital waiting room after learning their loved one has died in the night, tragedy in life is a reality.

We cannot control the things that happen to us, but we can control how we respond to those things. The truth is that God often uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It was the broken Jesus who gave us life. And it is broken families, cities, and nations who will rally and become stronger. Just like a broken bone is stronger after it heals. God promises, as we heard in our reading, that He will make all things work out for the good of those who love Him. Don’t forget that when you find yourself in the midst of a calamity. Be sure that you are one of those who have put their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. That relationship is our sure foundation when the earth is shaken.

At times our foundations are shaken. It seems like everything is coming apart beneath us. But those who put their faith in God will not be swallowed up by such events. We have a firm foundation in God. When the waters roar and the mountains shake, we can stand firm. As Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Faith rests on a firmer basis, and is not to be moved by swelling seas. Evil may ferment, wrath may boil, and pride may foam, but the brave heart of holy confidence trembles not.” Even when everything seems to be against us, Christians can remain at peace. This doesn’t mean we will never go through storms for we do. It means Christ is with us in the storm and he brings peace in the midst of that storm.

It is easy to let our calamities overwhelm us until we lose sight of God. Get still long enough to remember who God is and what He is doing. We need to wait and behold the works of God. Remember what He has done and what He surely will do. Get still long enough to see things from God’s perspective. Only God knows how your situation will end. We don’t know where this calamity or others will lead us. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. But we do know who our God is. When calamities come, remember that God is with us.

PRICE CHECK

2011-04-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

1 Chronicles 21:24 “But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."

During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed, “I gave gold for iron, 1813.” The response was overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former jewelry. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewelry, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see.

Our scripture provides a similar situation in the life of King David. The nation of Israel was facing the judgment of God due to the actions of David and the king intended to find a place to build an altar in order to sacrifice to God and petition for his mercy upon the people. Upon finding the desired location, he offered to purchase the place, but was offered it for free along with the oxen and wheat for sacrifice. David replied, “No. I will not sacrifice to God, that which costs me nothing.”

David understood the great difference between a gift and a sacrifice. It is often easy to give to God from any abundance we may have. Think about it. If we have a gathering and serve food, don’t you normally look to send the leftovers home with friends? Sure you do. The thought is, “Take it. We’ll just throw it out.” You don’t normally, however, open your refrigerator and start passing out fresh groceries to your guests on the way out. Because, those are things that you have purchased in order to feed your family for the coming days.

It was the same in the days of Cain and Abel. It is the same today. In Genesis, God honored Abel because he gave his best product. Cain was dishonored because he only offered that which he did not want. Today, God does not want our leftovers. What we give is a direct reflection of the condition of our heart. Since God does not need our substance, He is not interested in the amount or the condition of what we bring to Him. Our gift should reflect a sacrifice on our part.

Ask yourself, “Do the things that I offer God truly cost me something or am I just giving the things that I really don’t want or need? Hold on to the principle of that which costs me something will always mean more to me than that which I got for free. God is looking at our hearts today. He is not looking at the gift. He is looking at the spirit of the giver.

BIGGER THAN US

2011-04-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

I Chronicles 17:16 “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”

Our text is nestled in the middle of dialog between the King and the Prophet and between a worshipper and his God. As David walks throughout his palace, he thinks, “How did this all come to be about me? I live in a palace while the presence of the God of Israel dwells in a pasture.” My, how far David had come. It was a long way back to his early teens tending sheep in Jesse’s fields. The head and armor of the giant had been collecting dust for decades in Israel’s treasury. Long past were the days when David was captain over the 400 distressed, indebted and discontented at Adulliam. Faded were the memories of hatred toward him by a jealous king.

To the onlooker David had arrived. He had climbed the ladder one difficult rung at a time and now, he was on top. But King David had a deeply ingrained truth burned into the fabric of his being. He said in 2 Samuel “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust.”

His life success was due to a connection – a personal, intimate connection with God. I believe it was that connection with God that caused David to desire to honor God in a greater way than he ever had. To, in a way, put God on display. When you and I really get connected to the Kingdom of God and the cause of Christ, we’ll have a similar experience as David.

Living for Christ becomes so little about me, about my desires, about my liberties, about my spiritual “position”, and more about His position in me: King of my heart, Lord of my life, owner of my stuff, purpose of my ministry, reason for my existence.

David realized that his success wasn’t about his kingdom but about God’s. Not about what he had, but about what God had given him to use for the furtherance of God’s purpose. So David wanted to build a temple that would house the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of God. But, God said “No”. That was a privilege that was being reserved for Solomon. You see, David loved God and God was building a legacy for David.

Still, David had to wonder why God would not allow him to build this temple. But David’s sincere desire to honor God was really what God wanted. Sometimes, we may find ourselves wanting to do the right thing. We may find ourselves so hungry to do something specific for God. Maybe, you want to lead worship. Perhaps, you want to teach. Maybe, your hope is to be a pastor. No matter what your dreams may be, the important thing is that your heart is passionate for God. If so, there will always be a way to honor Him. It may not be exactly the way you thought it would be…but God’s perfect plan is for you and me to be connected to the Kingdom and therefore, connected to Christ.

Remember, God has brought us so far. He has so many great things for us. They are bigger than our hopes and dreams. They are bigger than our faults and failures. They are bigger than us.

BANISH DISCOURAGEMENT

2010-12-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

Psalms 77:2 “When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.”

Discouragement is the common cold of emotions. Eventually it affects us all. Elijah, God’s iron man of the Old Testament became so discouraged that he sat down under a juniper tree and prayed to die. According to Mark 8:12, even Jesus himself often “sighed” deep within his spirit. Paul had so many difficult experiences in Asia that according to 2 Corinthians 1:8 he, “despaired even of life.” The word, “despaired” means, “to be at an utter loss.” In other words, Paul’s situation seemed so hopeless that he saw no way out but death.

Many of the world’s and the church’s greatest leaders have been given to despair. Winston Churchill confessed that he was often, “hounded by the black dog of despair.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the greatest preacher since the Apostle Paul fought continually bouts of depression as a result of gout that finally killed him at age 58.

If you are singing the blues in your life it may help to know that the Psalmist understood and wrote about it in Psalm77. The man we meet in this Psalm bore all the marks that would today be diagnosed as depression. He was looking at life through dark colored glasses. He felt forgotten and forsaken by God. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t articulate his thoughts because of emotional exhaustion. He was tired all the time. He lived in the past longing for a day that had passed by. He remembered when he was happy and had a song in his heart, but no more, and he couldn’t seem to get back there no matter how hard he tried.

He became so depressed that he even began to question God (7-9). “Has God rejected his people?” “Does God no longer care?” “Has God lost his compassion?” These are sharp piercing questions, but they were the questions that came from the Psalmist as he wallowed in despair.

He hadn’t reached such a place over night. There is always progression in such emotional experiences. Despair begins with a disappointment that is not handled constructively. The pattern is this: disappointment leads to doubt; doubt leads to depression; and depression leads to despair. Simple disappointment is the father of despair.

Some of you may be like the psalmist and questioning whether God has left you without help in your time of trouble. But he made a startling insight that saved him from his despair. We see it in verse 10, “This is my infirmity,” he says. He recognized that the problem was with himself and not with God.

He saw that his doubts were due to his own weakness, not God’s negligence. It was at this point that he determined to do something about his problem. Four times in verses 10 and 11 he says, “I will ….”

That is significant. We are not helpless victims of our emotions. We do not have to be hijacked by our attitudes. We can take action. Our thoughts govern our moods; therefore if we think right we will feel right. Most depression arises from faulty thinking and we do have within our power to change or control our thoughts. To deal with these harmful emotions we must be mentally tough. If you don’t handle your emotions they will handle you. You must make up your mind that you are not going to allow your circumstances defeat you.

Many times God is at work in our lives when we can’t see his footprints, but he is nonetheless at work. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

INVISIBLE, BUT NOT ABSENT

2010-11-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

Esther 2:15 “Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.”

Esther is the story of how God used one woman to change the fate of an entire nation. As I read through the book, I discovered that the book of Esther is the only book out the 66 books of the bible where God is never named. In fact, a lot of people over the years didn’t think it should even be included as one of the books of the bible for that reason.

But I disagree. Because even if you can’t exactly find God’s name, you can find his fingerprints on every page. In the book of Esther, we find God working through the lives of 5 people to carry out his will. Even though he’s invisible… he isn’t absent. In fact, that’s really the theme of the entire book. “God’s invisible… but he isn’t absent.” And if you could just remember that, it would help you make it through life a lot easier. Even though we can’t see him, God’s working in our lives to carry out his will. Guiding us. Directing us. Leading us, most of the time without us even knowing it.

From my puny perspective, I can only see today and yesterday (even then I have trouble). But God can see tomorrow. Our hindsight is almost 20/20, so we’re great at history, but we stink at prophecy. I have no clue what’s going to happen in the next minute, let alone the next week. But God doesn’t have any problem seeing what’s coming. Augustine put it this way, “Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence”.

The word “providence” actually comes from 2 Latin words, "Pro" which means "before;" and "Video" which means "to see." So, providence means "to see before." In other words, God sees beforehand and plans accordingly. When we talk about the providence of God, we’re talking about God’s ability to see what’s going to happen, before it happens and adjust his plans to deal with it.

God’s never caught by surprise. He never says, “Whoa! I didn’t see that one coming!” While we have no idea what’s going to happen next, our invisible God is continually, constantly, confidently working behind the scenes to work his plans. We’re down here going crazy, screaming at God, and asking “What do you think you’re doing?” Why’d you allow that to happen? But he knows exactly what he’s doing. He blesses us and we praise him for his incredible timing, but when he tests us, we squirm and question his intelligence.

Like back-seat drivers, we’re crying out…“God! Watch out for that oncoming truck! Whoa! Here comes a stop sign. While he’s got his hand on the wheel, he’s perfectly calm weaving through traffic with the greatest of ease. In the midst of all the chaos of our lives, he knows what he’s doing. We’re tempted to take the steering wheel, but the minute we do, we crash.

God placed Esther in the right place at the right time to carry out his will and his plan for the salvation of his people. Mordecai knew that, and Esther learned it. The same holds true for us. God has us in the right place at the right time to serve him and bring about the fulfillment of his will. It’s not coincidental that you work where you do. It’s not fate that you live in the neighborhood you live in. Your life, your relationships, your job, your friends, your “everything” is not just dumb-luck. It’s providence.

THANKSGIVING

2010-11-25T03:52:00.000-08:00

Psalms 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

What do you think of when you think of Thanksgiving? Eating, football, long weekend, shopping, history, or family? Thanksgiving is much more than any of this. True thanksgiving is not just a day for food, football, and family. It’s not just a holiday every fourth Thursday in November. For God’s people, everyday ought to be Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday. It doesn’t commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday. It is simply a day set aside to express our thanks to God. Did you know that in 1789, George Washington made a public proclamation saying that, “it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor?” He recommended and assigned Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 to be a day of Thanksgiving.

Of course most of know the story of the pilgrims and how they and the Indians of the area had a Thanksgiving feast in 1621 – long before Washington’s proclamation. Even earlier than 1621 – we find people offering up thanks to God. In the Old Testament we find a Song of Thanksgiving. It is Psalm 100. It is subtitled “A Psalm of Thanksgiving”. It is an invitation to join together to acknowledge the great things that God has done. Not only does Psalm 100 call us to praise the Lord with thankfulness – but it also describes to us the nature of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is what flows out of a thankful heart. In Luke chapter seventeen there is a very interesting story. Jesus enters a village and upon entering He finds ten men who were lepers. They stood a long way off and yelled out to Jesus, "Jesus, have mercy on us!" When Jesus saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." Did you know that they had not been cleansed yet? They left before they were cured – because the Bible says, “that as they went along, they were cleansed.” Do you know what happened then? One of them – only one of them – when he saw that he was healed, turned around and went back to see Jesus. The Bible says he fell down on his face at the feet of Jesus, glorified God and thanked Jesus for what He had done. Only one out of ten thanked Jesus. Do you remember what Jesus asked him? "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

Thankfulness will come only from a grateful spirit. We should be challenged to consider all of God’s goodness. Upon true, deep consideration of all he has done for us, our hearts should be turned towards thanksgiving. Let us never take for granted who God is to us. Let us never forget just how much he loves us.

This Thanksgiving – with all the preparations, events and excitement – my prayer – is that God is thanked – with joy and gladness – with thankfulness and gratitude – and with a heart dependent on him.

A GOD WHO KNOWS NO LIMIT

2010-11-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 23:23 “Am I only a God nearby, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?”

God has no limits. That’s hard for us to even imagine, because most of our frustrations in life are a direct result of limitations. We’re limited by space because we can only be in one place at one time. We’re also limited in our knowledge. The old adage is true, "The more you learn, the more you know how much you don’t know". Living in an information based society like we do, we realize that we’ll never know even a fraction of what we could know. We encounter more information in one issue of The New York Times than a person in 18th century England encountered in his or her entire life. We’re constantly facing circumstances where we don’t know what to do, trying to answer questions we don’t know the answers to.

We also face limitations in our resources. As much as we like to pretend that we’re invincible, all of us have a breaking point; all of us reach the point of being physically exhausted, mentally spent, spiritually empty, and financially busted. We’re overwhelmed with the needs around us, whether it’s the transient at the gas station or a co-worker who can’t meet his rent, yet we look at our own resource and realize how limited they are. Because we’re so accustomed to these kinds of limitations it’s hard for us to conceive of a God who isn’t bothered by limitations.

As Christians we sometimes forget that God is already present. We tend to think of God’s presence is being like a NASA spy satellite. The satellite is roaming around the atmosphere, present one day, gone the next. You never know when it’s here and when it’s not. Sometimes our worship songs reflect a misunderstanding of God’s presence. When we ask God to "come" and "fill this place" we’re not asking God to be more present now then he was yesterday or last week. God is as present today as he ever has been and ever will be. When we sing these words we’re not asking God to be present, we’re asking God to make his presence known, to draw us into an awareness of his presence, to help us experience his presence as we worship.

We don’t have to beg and plead with God to show up, we don’t have to worry a Sunday might come when he doesn’t show up in our worship. Since God isn’t limited by space, we can draw near to him at any time, in any place. God is as present today in the local restaurant as he is in our worship service. God is as present today in the adult bookstores as he is on the seminary campus, as present in the bedroom as he is in the chapel, as present on the battlefield as he is at the peace negotiation table.

We can be absolutely confident of this reality, that God is always present with us wherever we are. We may not always feel his presence, we may even feel alone, but we can be confident that he’s here.

God is working to bring about his will, to fulfill his purposes, and he has all the resources he needs to accomplish his will. Because of this, we can anticipate God working in our lives, often in surprising ways. We can anticipate God bringing about amazing circumstances in our lives. We can expect to even see God intervene miraculously in our lives.

GOD IS IN CONTROL

2010-11-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

Haggai 2:21-23 “"Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. " 'On that day,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the Lord, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the Lord Almighty."

How much of your life do you control? You can eat right and exercise daily, but you don’t control the number of your days. You can live a healthy lifestyle and see your doctor regularly, but when an illness comes you can’t prevent it. How many people, who by the power of their own will kept cancer away or prevented some sickness? We cling to our jobs as though they provide us security, but anyone who has ever lost a job can tell you the loss of control that is felt in that moment. There is much of life you cannot and will not control, but you can be sure that God is in absolute control of everything, including your life.

Six times in our passage God tells us that he is in control. He says,

• “I will shake the heavens and the earth;”
• “I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms,”
• “I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms…”
• “I will overthrow the chariots and those that ride in them…”
• “I will take thee…”
• “I will make thee a signet…”

These are not foolish statements given by a braggart, but promises made by the Sovereign God of the universe. “I will,” without a doubt, you can take it to the bank, write it down and date it – I will do this and that. I am in control.”

Why did Zerubbabel need to hear that? Because when things got so bleak in the nation of Israel there may have been some cause for the faint of heart and weak of faith to doubt God’s control over their physical circumstances. God in essence says to these people, “You know it was bad yesterday, and you see it is bad today, and you have grown to believe that things are never going to get any better, but I want to remind you that I’m in charge around here!”

The people could not control whether or not it rained. They could not control how much their crops and vineyards and orchards produced. They could not control many things about their lives, but they could control the one thing that mattered most in all of that – they could control their responses.

Sometimes bad things happen because we invite them. Sometimes we simply live recklessly with our relationships, our possessions, with our time and talents and we bring them home with us. Other times bad things just happen. Regardless of why we go through trying circumstances that are beyond our ability to control, the one thing we do control is our response to God in the midst of those circumstances.

God is in control. That is the response I absolutely must give when things in my life are falling apart. Do you remember the old westerns where we’d see an enclosed buggy being pulled along by a team of horses? There would be passengers inside the buggy being led along by the driver on his seat perched atop the buggy. Imagine if the ride got pretty bumpy and the riders inside the buggy insisted that the driver hand them the reigns. Can you imagine the outcome if some one thought that he could effectively drive that coach from inside with such limited vision and sense of direction? Well isn’t that exactly what we are doing when we try to take the reigns from God? From where God sits he can see everything. He knows exactly where we’re headed and knows the way that is best for us – but too often when the ride gets bumpy we, with our limited vision and sense of direction, try to take over and drive ourselves.

No matter how down and discouraged you get; no matter how much you want to quit and give up; don’t ever forget that God is in control. When the people of Israel got down, they got way down. They had hit bottom, and they were right where God wanted them to be. The good news is that that’s not where God wanted them to stay. After considering their ways God wanted them to consider his ways. He is in control. He keeps his promises, and he is on our side.

GOD IS GOOD

2010-11-22T08:06:00.001-08:00

Job 34:10 “So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong.”

How many of you say grace at meals? As children grow older, they want to have a little fun with the prayer itself. So you sometimes get prayers like this: "Good bread, good meat, good Lord, let’s eat." Or this: "Thank you, Lord, for this meal; we know you are the giver. But thank you, Lord, most of all, that we ain’t havin’ liver." Now, you will have to decide for your own household whether these prayers will be tolerated as expressions of youthful wit, or suppressed as sacrilegious. At our house, we take a firm stand. Those kinds of prayers are not allowed, unless they’re really funny.

When I was growing up, I learned this prayer: "God is great, God is good, and we thank him for this food: By his hand we all are fed, give us, Lord, our daily bread." Any of you use that? Short, simple, good theology. And when you’re done, the potatoes are still warm. Do you believe that God is good?

It’s easy to just reflexively answer, "Yes." We know that’s what we’re supposed to say. And of course, it’s easy to say "God is good" when things are going well. But when we’re suffering, when we’re going through a time of pain, or difficulty, or trial, then it becomes more of an open question, doesn’t it? Our response at those times to the question of whether God is good doesn’t come so quickly and automatically. We wonder, "If God is good, then why this?" Why this illness, why this painful relationship, why this financial problem, why this loss, why this disappointment? And so, even if we keep saying to ourselves and others that God is good, there’s a nagging voice in the back of our head that says, "Really?" "Is God really good?"

The Bible teaches that God is good. He is morally upright and pure. He is just and righteous. There is not the slightest hint of evil, or sin, or wrongdoing in his nature. He is absolutely perfect and holy. God always does what is right. Period. God will never treat us unfairly. He will never break his promises. He will never punish anyone unjustly. Now, sometimes we have a problem with this idea, because we have a very high opinion of what we deserve. We believe that we deserve good health. And so when the biopsy comes back positive we conclude that God is treating us unfairly. We have a "right" to financial security and prosperity. So when we get handed a pink slip, we think God has slipped up somehow. We deserve a trouble-free life. So when the storms of life blow through, we grumble against God and his oversight of our lives.

But the Bible says that God always does what is right. So if there’s a discrepancy between my expectations and the reality, then the problem isn’t with the quality of God’s justice. The problem is with my expectations, my inflated idea of what God owes me. God is good all the time.

God is good to us. I could quote literally dozens of verses to make the same point. Most of us could think of examples in our lives of how God has been good to us. God is good to his people. But if that’s true, then why do we doubt? Why do we wonder whether God is really good? Because we lack God’s perspective. We lack his wisdom and knowledge and understanding. Sometimes the work God is doing in our lives doesn’t seem good at all. It just seems painful and destructive. We look at what’s happening and say, "How could this possibly be anything but bad?" We don’t understand, and so we resist and rebel. But here’s the key: God loves us so much that he is willing to do what is necessary in our lives to bless us, even if we can’t understand or appreciate it. He is willing to do what is in our long-term interest; He is willing to seek our eternal good, even at the cost of short-term pain. God loves us enough not to stop when we complain or protest, but to continue working in our lives even when we resist and complain.

God doesn’t ask us to understand. He only asks us to believe that he is good, and to trust, and follow, and obey. He asks us to believe that the end result is worth the pain and struggle, to believe that he knows what he’s doing, to be willing to place our confidence in him rather than in ourselves or our own understanding. Will you do that today?

TRUSTING VS. TRYING

2010-11-21T03:24:00.000-08:00

Galatians 3:14 “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

In our scripture we come to the heart of the matter that Paul has been referring to up to this point in his letter to the Galatians: The conflict between two alternate roads to righteousness: trusting and trying. How does one please God? What makes a person truly a Christian-- trying to act in a way that seems pure and Godly or trusting in a Savior who paid the price for sin?

Paul Points out that there is a vast difference between these two roads to righteousness. So what’s the difference between trusting and trying and more importantly which is the right road? It’s a leading question that Paul is asking, because he knows that they received the Spirit when they believed the good news that Jesus died for their sins--he was there when it happened. These other teachers who claimed that they must follow the external requirements of the law--what to eat, what to wear, how to look--they came along later with their new prescription. Paul asks which prescription, faith or the law led to your receiving the Spirit and salvation? The law isn’t able to work salvation, nor to change human hearts, all that it is able to do is show the need for salvation.

The law is like a dentist’s little mirror, which he sticks into the patient’s mouth. With the mirror he can detect any cavities. But he doesn’t drill with it or use it to pull teeth. It can show him the decayed area or other abnormality, but it can’t provide the solution. So the prescription of the Law leaves us sick, but the prescription of faith leads to salvation.

A story is told about Fiorello LaGuardia, who was mayor of New York City during the worst days of the Great Depression and all of WWII. One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her daughter’s husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges. "It’s a real bad neighborhood, your Honor," the man told the mayor. "She’s got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson."

LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said "I’ve got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions—ten dollars or ten days in jail." But even as he pronounced sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket. He extracted a bill and tossed it into his famous sombrero saying: "Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. ’Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant.’"

So the following day the New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren, fifty cents of that amount being contributed by the red-faced grocery store owner, while some seventy petty criminals and New York City policemen chipped in the rest.

Just like that lady we have each been caught red-handed, with nothing to say for ourselves. A just God knew that the penalty had to be paid, and he gave his most precious treasure, his beloved son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of our sin. But he didn’t just redeem us from the curse; he also showered us with blessing, giving us life more abundantly, life in the Spirit, which beats $47.50 any day.

MAY I HELP YOU?

2010-11-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

Psalms 121:2 “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

“May I help you?” That is a familiar greeting when we walk into a store. Anyone who has ever worked in a retail environment knows that question well. We need help most of the places we go. If we go out to eat someone may help us find a table. They take our order. Someone else even cooks the food. Do you remember the days when gas station attendants would fill ‘er up? There were times when grocery stores employed bag boys to carry your groceries out to the car.

When you think about it, we are all dependent on someone for something. We all need someone’s help. The problem occurs when others let us down. Even if something has a lifetime warranty, it is useless if the one who gave you the warranty goes out of business. People will fail us, but there is someone to whom we can turn for help that is reliable.

People and things will let us down. There will always be someone who doesn’t come through for us. I am a baseball fan. There are always some players that are called “clutch players.” They are the ones who make the perfect pitch or get the timely hit at a key spot in the game. When the game is on the line he is the one you want on the mound or in the batter’s box. Not everyone is perfect though. The best pitchers give up home runs. The best hitters strike out at key moments. Even the best “clutch player” fails from time to time. God never fails.

You see God created all the stuff we depend on. God created the Church. God created the family. God created the universe. I think it is a better idea to go to the source. Back at the turn of the 20th century there was an inventor who invented a new machine. He built several of these machines. One factory bought a machine. After a while they had a problem with it, and it quit working. Engineers from the company looked at it and tried to figure out what was wrong with it. No one could figure out what was wrong. Finally the owner of the factory called the inventor. He came out. He looked at it for a couple minutes, and then he got out a tool and tinkered on it for a couple minutes. He turned to the owner and said, “Well, your problem is solved.” The inventor handed the owner a bill for $100. Now remember this was over 100 years ago and $100 was a lot of money then. The owner exclaimed, “$100! You were only tinkered around for a few minutes.” The inventor replied, “$10 for tinkering and $90 for knowing where to tinker.”

When we need help it only stands to reason to go to the one who created the world to begin with. The inventor knew more about the machine than anyone because he built it. God knows more about what we need because he created us to begin with. God’s greatest desire is for us to have a relationship with him that is right. He wants us to depend on him. There is no other way than to trust him.

THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION

2010-11-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 15:23 “When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life."

Suppose you were walking past a farm one day and saw someone sitting in the field crying. There they sit, inconsolable at the head of a furrowed row. Concerned, you approach them and ask what’s wrong. They look up from beneath their John Deere tractor hat and extend a palm full of seeds in your direction. “My heart breaks for the seeds,” they weep. “Excuse me?” you might ask. Between sobs they explain, “The seeds will be placed in the ground and covered with dirt. They’ll decay, and we will never see them again.” As they weep, you are stunned. Finally, you explain to them a basic principle of farming: Out of the decay of the seed comes the birth of a plant. You kindly remind them: “Don’t mourn the burial of the seed. Don’t you know that you will soon witness a mighty miracle of God? Given time and tender care, this tiny kernel will break from its prison of soil and blossom into a plant far beyond its dreams.”

Any farmer who grieves over the burial of a seed needs a reminder—a time of planting is not a time of grief. Any person who anguishes over the burial of a body might need the same reminder. We may need the reminder that Paul gave the Christians in Corinth. The resurrection should be one of the most anticipated events of Christ’s coming and it’s an essential element of the Christian faith. When Jesus returns the first major event will be the resurrection of the dead. In fact, the Bible says, “the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT).

Just as with our Lord, our bodies, which are now perishable, dishonored, weak, and natural, will be raised into bodies that are imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. The coming resurrection is the hope and motivation of the church and of all believers. Whatever happens to our present bodies—whether they are healthy or unhealthy, beautiful or plain, short-lived or long-lived, or whether they are indulged or tortured—they are but a seed that is placed in the ground and one day our blessed hope and assurance is that these created natural bodies will be transformed into wonderful, eternal spiritual bodies. Although we have only a glimpse of what those new bodies will be like, it should be enough to know that “we shall be like him.”

Unless Christ comes first, your body will be buried. Like a seed is placed in the ground, so your body will be placed in a tomb. And for a season, your soul will be in heaven while your body is in the grave. But the seed buried in the earth will blossom in heaven. Your soul and body will reunite, and you will be like Jesus.

FIXING OUR FOCUS

2010-11-16T07:52:00.001-08:00

Psalms 73: 1-2 “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.”

A little boy was sitting on a street corner trying to sell his little puppy. A salesman passed the corner each day, and after a week he began to pity the boy who was striving to sell his puppy. The salesman knew the boy didn’t “think big”. He stopped and said, "Son, do you really want to sell this dog?" The boy replied, "I certainly do." "Well you’re never going to sell him until you learn to “think big”. What I mean is, take this dog home, clean him up, doll him up, raise your price, make people think they’re getting something big, and you’ll sell him."

That noon the salesman came by and there was the boy with a puppy that was groomed, perfumed, and beribboned alongside a big sign: TREEMENNDOUS Puppy For Sale--$5,000. The salesman gulped and realized he had forgotten to tell the boy about keeping it simple as well. That evening he stopped by to tell the boy the other half of the formula, only to discover that the boy was gone, the puppy was gone and the sign lay there with "SOLD" written across it in big letters.

The salesman couldn’t believe it. This kid couldn’t have sold the dog for $5,000. His curiosity got the best of him and he rang the boy’s doorbell. The boy came to the door and the salesman blurted, "Son you didn’t really sell that dog for $5,000 now, did you?" The boy replied, "Yes, sir, I did and I want to thank you for all your help." The salesman said, "How in the world did you do it?" The boy replied, "Oh, it was easy. I just took two $2,500 cats in exchange!"

We can sometimes be the creators of our own problems in life. You see, the problem comes when we do not focus on the right things. That boy was looking to sell his puppy, but he was approaching it from the wrong perspective. As soon as he made the dog more attractive, that helped him “sell” the puppy. Think of it this way. If you go shopping for a car, and you see an old, beat-up Yugo with 300,000 miles on it, would you take that car? Of course not. We tend to look at things that way—what we can see, feel, touch, smell, taste. Those are what we give the most importance in our decision making.

So why does it surprise us when our vision constantly trips us up? We tend to take a look around and focus on the wrong things, and as we do so, that tends to bring us down. We start to develop our own little pity party—why aren’t things going my why? Why does so and so get everything they want? Why do bad, sinful people get to do so much, and here I am stuck with nothing? Why do I never get the breaks in life? Why is it that bad things always come into my life? The problem is that we often look at things with earthly eyes, rather than heavenly eyes. We tend to look at things through our own glasses, than with glasses equipped with faith.

We tend to look at our lives, our hardships as evidence that things are going wrong. But sometimes, when things go wrong, it’s because we are doing things right. Consider Job. He was living rightly when everything went wrong—it was his proper perspective that allowed him to not sin against God.

We need to do the same—we need to walk by faith, not by sight. And when the things of this world start to get us down, we need to remember to see things as God sees them. We need to worship him—draw near to him. We need to recognize our sin. And we need to see our security in God.

CHOOSE TO OBEY

2010-11-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 11:17 “the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today”

Do you have any idea how many choices you make every day? You have to decide to get out of bed, what you will wear, what to eat for breakfast, and on and on the simple choices go. Our lives are filled with an endless run of choices. There are everyday choices like the ones listed. Then there are big-time choices like deciding on your education and career, who you will marry, and where you will live. Then there are the ‘once in a lifetime’ choices that make all the others pale in comparison. In Deuteronomy, God gives us a once in a lifetime kind of choice. “Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse...” Or as Moses later puts it “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live...”

As far as I know everyone wants the good life, they want to be blessed. We want health, happiness, peace, prosperity. We’ve even made these our constitutional rights. There aren’t too many folks who would say “gee, I think being miserable would be so much better.” So why are there so many miserable situations out there? The world promises us so much of the good life. I am reminded of an old credit card commercial that said, “There are things in this world money can’t buy, of course for everything else there’s MasterCard.” (At least until you file for bankruptcy). God warns us about following the way that leads to a calamity, but that is not the most important point. So many people can get caught in the trap of wanting the “good life”, believing that is all the blessing they will ever need. This often demonstrates a failure to understand what life is all about.

God offers us real blessing - real life. So how do we get “the good stuff” - the real blessing that doesn’t turn to ashes? It is really rather simple and very, very difficult at the same time. We must obey God. “The blessing shall be yours, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God” There is a direct correlation between doing things God’s way and receiving God’s promises.

God has instituted certain principles for our lives. These principles are found within scripture. They are a road map to the best life. They lead us into a path of fulfillment. They direct us into a realm of blessing. There is no other way to find the realization of his promises except we live in obedience to him. You may find another way to riches. You may find another way to promotion. But don’t be deceived, accomplishments attained outside of obedience are natural and will pass away. God desires that each of us find life and blessings that are eternal.

The great thing about God’s love is that these promises of life are available to everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from – if you obey God, you are choosing life. It is a simple choice that leads to a grand conclusion.

PREPARE THE WAY

2010-10-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Matthew 3:10 “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

An old farmer had plowed around a large rock in one of his fields for years. He had broken several plowshares and a cultivator on it and had grown rather morbid about the rock. After breaking another plowshare one day, and remembering all the trouble the rock had caused him through the years, he finally decided to do something about it. When he put the crowbar under the rock, he was surprised to discover that it was only about six inches thick and that he could break it up easily with a sledgehammer. As he was carting the pieces away he had to smile, remembering all the trouble that the rock had caused him over the years and how easy it would have been to get rid of it sooner.

Creating something new often requires that we first remove any obstacles to that new creation. For instance, putting up a new building first requires that we prepare the land. Many rocks, bushes and trees, at times, have to be removed. At times, wet lands have to be filled in with soil so that a new building will be able to have a stronger foundation. If you don’t get rid of the obstacles, you simply cannot build. Try putting a foundation on a piece of land filled with stumps, bush, water and rocks and see what will happen. It just can’t be done.

When we enter into a new relationship with a person, one of the tasks we have to engage in is removing obstacles to that relationship. Some people know each other at work or at church for years, but they never get close because there are obstacles to furthering such a relationship. Perhaps, some surface things like appearance or language, or an apparent difference of opinion or lifestyle, keep people apart. Only when those obstacles get swept aside do two people have any chance of really becoming friends.

If we have purchased a piece of land and want to build our home there, we carefully look at the land and ask ourselves: What do I need to do in order to prepare this land for my home? As we reflect on our lives we could ask: What are the major obstacles that hinder us from really developing a strong with relationship with Christ?

Are we allowing a certain sin to constantly drag us down, robbing us of our peace and injecting sadness into everything we do? Perhaps it is something that happened in the past, something that we consider to be such a heavy burden that we don’t know how we have carried it so long and so far. We can still relive the past in our imaginations, still blaming ourselves, still wishing it had never happened. If such is the case, we need to focus on Christ and not on ourselves. Jesus wants to free us from these past burdens. He died to bring us freedom. God is a God of mercy, forgiveness and freedom. Allow the Lord to carry those things which are too heavy for you. Take them to him in prayer.

The first, middle and last step to clearing the ground for a right relationship to Jesus is prayer. Through sincere and persevering prayer Jesus will most certainly lead us back to himself. Any obstacle standing in the way of a healthy relationship with Jesus is an obstacle to our true peace and happiness. Allow the Lord to remove all obstacles in your life.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

2010-10-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

One of my earliest movie memories was the 1978 version of Superman. The storyline and special effects aren’t as impressive now as they were then, but I was just a child. I remember one scene in particular. Lois Lane was driving through the desert when her car is swallowed by an earthquake and Superman can’t get there in time to save her. Superman gets super angry and he starts flying around the earth at supersonic speed and he reverses time by reversing the rotation of the earth thus saving Lois.

Don’t you wish you could do that? I know that isn’t based on very good science. For one thing, the earth rotates around its axis at about 1,000 mph so if Superman had done what he did he would have saved Lois but the entire planet would have died from whiplash. But it’s a cool concept.

Wouldn’t it be great if you were having a conversation with someone and you said something you wish you hadn’t said and you could simply excuse yourself from the conversation, fly around the earth a few times, and pick up before you left off? Of course, the real danger then would be mid-air collisions because we’d all be flying around the earth all the time. I wish I could reverse time but the arrow of time points in one direction. You can’t undo what you’ve done. In other words, some things in life are irreversible.

When I was a freshman in high school, I blew out my elbow in the last game of our baseball season. I went to the doctor for a diagnosis and he said I tore my radial collateral ligament. I asked him how long it’d take to heal. He said, “Never.” I’ll never forget the feeling of finality—the damage was done and there was nothing I could do to change it. I learned a lesson the hard way that day: some things in life are irreversible. You can’t untear a ligament. For what it’s worth, I’ve also learned from personal experience that you can’t undelete documents, unbake cookies, uncut hair or unrun red lights with surveillance cameras. Some things in life are irreversible. But here’s some good news: God is in the business of reversing the irreversible.

If you read the gospels you’ll discover that Jesus reversed weather patterns. He reversed blindness. He reversed paralysis. And 2,000 years ago, He reversed death. I love the way Acts 2:24 says it. “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” I love that language. We tend to think of dying and coming back to life as being impossible. Peter says the exact opposite. It was impossible for death to keep its grip on Christ.

Our scripture paints a picture of how I believe God wanted things to be from the beginning. God, living in holy communion with creation, free from hurt, pain, disappointment, sickness, loss, etc. Life may be difficult at times. We all have felt the effects of a problematic world. But one day, God will reverse the ill impacts of our fleshly existence. In the end, he will bring his people to a glorious place, safe with him. Now that’s a happy ending.

LOVE GOD WITH EVERYTHING

2010-10-24T03:14:00.000-07:00

Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

I remember a Peanuts cartoon in which Charlie Brown was talking to Lucy. He remarked about the tragedy of so much apathy in the world today. And Lucy responded, "Yeah, it’s terrible. But who cares?"

To love the Lord with all your heart means to love him with pure devotion. It’s not enough to give Christ a place in our hearts. We are called to love him with all of our heart. When you love someone with all of your heart, you think about them almost all of the time. You long to be with them. They’re the priority in your life. And to love God with all your heart is the same. It means that your heart is devoted to him. It means that you are faithful to him. He becomes the most important thing in your life. But the love we are to have for God has another characteristic. You are not only to love God with all your heart; you are to love him with all your soul. To love God with all our soul means that our love for God ought to be full of passion. And we are all people of passion. Some people are passionate about sports, some people are passionate about their work, some people are passionate about hobbies, like art, or music. People are passionate about all sorts of things, but how many of us have the same passion for God that we have for these other things?

We cannot afford to be apathetic about our love for God. We must be excited about our relationship with Jesus. We must be passionate. In the Song of Solomon, we hear about the passionate kind of love we ought to have for God. Song of Solomon is a pretty racy book, if you think about it. But it’s describing a passionate, all consuming love. And about giving everything you’ve got to the one you love. And it’s a perfect example of how our love for the Lord should be. Real love is passionate love. To love God with all our soul means that we must be involved with all our emotions in our relationship to him. When you’ve really given Jesus all of your heart, then it’s easy to become excited about following him.

Our love for Christ begins with a pure devotion and expresses itself by being full of passion, but there is another element. Jesus says that you are to love the Lord your God with your entire mind. This is a love that is thoroughly considered. Today it seems that some Christians are so open minded that their brains are falling out. Emotionalism is a big problem in the body of Christ today. In Romans chapter one the apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. Loving God is not an emotional expression that bypasses the mind. It is true that when people rely on their own intellectual capacity to figure out God, they always come up short. Because God is too big to be totally figured out by human minds. But we can learn and know what God has revealed to us. It is clear from the Scripture that God fully intends for our minds to be involved in our love for him.

Do you have a passion for God? Is that fire burning within you today? Make the conscious choice to ignite and maintain your passion.

WHERE IS GOD WHEN I'M HURTING?

2010-10-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Job 23:10 “But He knows the way that I take. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold.”

One of the biggest speed bumps to understanding God can be our encounters with pain and suffering. The hurts we experience may stem from abandonment or abuse, sorrow and loss, fears and failures, setbacks and confrontations, chronic illness and pain - the list is long. We all hurt for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes God’s hand of comfort and his compassion toward us in our pain and sorrow is so wonderful we can’t describe it. He appears on the scene of our calamity with assistance and provision and we stand in awe of his presence. At other times, however, he seems distant and disinterested, like he’s moved and hasn’t left a forwarding address. He has all the power and provision necessary to alleviate our misery but he doesn’t seem to be lifting a finger to come to our rescue. It’s at times like that when our faith is tested. Our cries for help seem to go unanswered; our thirst for answers unquenched. If we’re not careful we can become fearful and disillusioned with God when we’re hurting.

The classic biblical example of searching for God when you’re hurting is the story of Job. Job quickly lost his possessions, his health and his children in a succession of natural disasters. And even though he knew God, he made an honest admission in his pain. Have you ever had an experience like Job’s? Have you had those times when you searched for God and you couldn’t find him? You knew he was at work but you had no immediate indication that he was doing anything to come to your rescue in the midst of your pain? Where is God when I’m hurting?

HE’S PROMPTING POSITIVE CHANGES IN ME

What tests have you been experiencing lately? Do you think nothing good can come of them? If so, think again. Testing has the potential to burn out our impurities. Difficulties are part of God’s refining process. Our pain is often the fire that makes us better. And as we become a better person, we experience more of the joy and fulfillment in life that God created us to experience. We become more like God. Difficulties in our life have tremendous power to change us – for better or for worse. We get stronger or weaker – more positive or more negative. We become more hopeful or more cynical – depending on our response to our pain.

Sometimes our biggest problem is waiting. We don’t want to wait. We want to wrestle. We’re like Jacob in the Old Testament. We want to wrestle with God and we want to wrestle with our problems. But that’s not always what God wants. God wants us to approach our problems with faith in him. He wants us to exercise confidence in his timing. God doesn’t always take away our problems because, quite frankly, his goal isn’t for us to live a problem-free life. His design is for us to become more like his son Jesus.

GOD IS SHOWING ME THAT HE LOVES ME

The initial reaction to that statement is, “If God wants to show me how much he loves me why doesn’t he just stop the pain?” Sometimes, our hurts are not always because we have done wrong, but sometimes God doesn’t stop the hurting in our life because the pain is meant to keep us from straying off into even more hurtful and harmful territory. He loves us enough to protect us by confronting us with pain to make us think about how we’re living, how we’re thinking or acting. He loves us enough to use our pain as a boundary that keeps us from hurting ourselves even more.

If God were as weak-willed as we are he wouldn’t be as consistent in his discipline. But he’s not a doting father who gives his children everything they want when they want it because he knows that’s not always best for us. We want the pain to stop and God wants the pain to stop. He doesn’t enjoy disciplining us any more than we enjoy being disciplined. But he wants to burn the impurities out of our life.

Sometimes you’re going to have pain. Sometimes you’re going to hurt. Where is God when this happens? He’s right there with us because he loves us.

RESTORATION

2010-10-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Joel 2:25 “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.”

Joel was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah between 835-796 B.C. about the same time Elisha was prophesying to the Northern Kingdom, Israel in 848 BC. Joel speaks to people who had become very complacent and self centered. They took God for granted and worshiped idols. They had become insensitive to the condition of their spiritual lives. Joel warned them that sooner or later their sinful lifestyle would bring down the judgment of God, yet their physical and moral senses were dulled to the point that they seemed oblivious to their need. Why did they need God? Up to this time they had been experiencing a great abundance agriculturally--they had plenty of grain, corn and wine and oil. They didn’t want for a thing. Occasionally they would go to the temple to offer the sacrifices that were required and go through the outward religious motions. But it didn’t really mean much to them. As they continued on this downward spiral, a crisis occurred that stopped them right in their tracks. A terrible plague of locust swarmed into the land and nothing was left in the fields--once overflowing, they are now empty of crops. It affected the animals as well as the agriculture of the area. The magnitude of the destruction was so devastating that it would take a long time to recover from it.

Joel comes on the scene at this time to speak not only a message of judgment to these wayward people, but also a message of hope. I wonder how these people felt as they looked around at the devastation in their lives. Maybe they felt hopeless that they could do nothing to change the way things were. Maybe they felt depressed. Maybe they felt like giving up completely. Some may have felt like working very hard to do something to change things.

How do you feel when things hit your life like a destructive swarm of locust? Scripture points out here that what the swarming locusts didn’t ruin the other types did. In the King James Version the four types mentioned are: the locust, the cankerworm, the palmerworm, and the caterpillar. These represent destruction of different types--stripping, cutting, swarming, and hopping. It is like when things hit us we might say, “well when one problem gets taken care of I was hit from a different direction.” What each of the locust groups had left behind, the others had eaten. Problems came in from all directions and just devoured everything.

There are seasons in our life that involve famine and devastation and then there are times of restoration. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives and they accomplish things that only these hard places can accomplish. Sometimes God can’t get our attention when everything is going along fine. Sometimes we wonder where the bad things come from. What is their source? Is it God’s judgment? Is it just natural circumstances? Does it come from our own bad choices? Or does it happen just because we are in the wrong place at the wrong time? We can probably answer, “All of the above.”

Hope is found in the fact that no matter how devastating things seem, God desires to restore us. Restoration can come to us even when it looks impossible--even after devastation of long standing. God says, “I will restore to you the years...” Sometimes when devastation comes it seems to eat away years of blessing. There are times when it is the result of personal sin or of fortuitous circumstances.

Restoration has some prerequisites that can’t be overlooked. There has to be a genuine turning to God and repentance. Not just an outward ritual. He will give you a new spiritual perception to recognize what God is really doing for you. God wants each of us to know that there is a time when he will restore in order to demonstrate his hand in our lives. If God has taken you through some lean times, know that he is the restorer of what the locusts have eaten and acknowledge him and praise him for doing it for you too.

SAME SOLUTION TO AN AGE OLD PROBLEM

2010-10-20T03:18:00.000-07:00

Leviticus 1:3 “…that he may be accepted before the Lord.”

The word sin is used 90 times in the book of Leviticus, more than any other book in the Bible, and it is used over 4 times as much in Leviticus than in Genesis and Exodus combined. In Exodus, we find God being concerned with getting his people out of Egypt. God was concerned with releasing them from the bonds of Egyptian slavery. In the book of Leviticus, which covers a one month period of time after the building of the tabernacle, we find God now concerned with getting Egypt out of his people. God was concerned with dealing with the people’s problem of sin. Ever since Adam and Eve started the process in the garden, mankind has continually throughout the years, sought to do things their own way, and they have openly rebelled against and rejected God’s way. Sin is disobedience to God’s laws and commands. And as Paul says in Romans, we sin when we fall short and when we don’t measure up to what God expects us to be and what God expects us to do.

Sin is disobeying God and breaking his laws. Sin separates us from God. God is Holy. Four times in the book of Leviticus God tells his people to be holy because he is holy. As God speaks to Moses from the tabernacle, he not only pointed out to Moses mans problem of sin. God also, told Moses of the provision that he was instituting to deal with the sins of God’s people.

You see man’s problem of sin must be dealt with, before man can be restored to fellowship with a holy God. And God seeing man’s need and knowing that man was in no position to do anything about his sin, called from the tabernacle to Moses. He spoke to Moses informing him of his provision for man’s need. That provision was through offerings and sacrifice. The words offering and sacrifice are used over 90 times in this book and the first 7 chapters deal with the 7 sacrifices that God established. As you reflect on the Mosaic Sacrificial system you will see many common threads and applications to our own worship of God today.

Does mankind and God’s people still struggle with the problem of sin? They most certainly do. The majority of the world is still lost in sin. And Christians struggle with sin as well. The apostle John in his first letter to the church writes that if any Christian says he is without sin he is a liar. God still makes provision for our sin by sacrifice. When were sinners God demonstrated his love for us in this way - he gave his one and only son to die on a cross for us, while we were still his enemies. Jesus bore the burden of our sin upon his beaten back. Jesus carried the penalty of our sin away from us. Our sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west. God provided the ultimate sacrifice for sin himself in Christ.

SLOW TO ANGER

2010-10-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

Nahum 1:3 “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.”

In today’s world it seems like good guys finish last…or at least that’s what people want us to think. Winning from God’s point-of-view is different. In the end you may not wind up with a million dollars, but you have God’s approval. True happiness in life comes from living right, with a clear conscience. When we trust in the Lord, we experience victory and we survive not only this world, but we have a guarantee for the world to come.

The prophet Nahum delivered a sober message of judgment to Nineveh, but in the middle of his harsh prophecy he offers hope. God knows us and wants to protect us. Nahum’s name means “comfort” or “consolation”. But for those who reject God, the prophet cries, “Where can I find anyone to comfort you?” (3:7). Nahum presents God as our refuge, a shelter in the time of storm.

Protection doesn’t mean a carefree life. When trials come we trust in God and seek his refuge. Faith requires trust without full knowledge; it means living with uncertainty. God chooses our circumstances and trials; we choose our attitudes and reactions to them. I’m reminded of an affirmation found written on a cellar wall in Germany where Jews hid from the Nazis: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I am feeling it not. I believe in God even when He is silent.”

Nahum wrote 150 years after the time of Jonah. Under Jonah’s reluctant preaching the Ninevites repented and God withheld his wrath. But their repentance wore off and they sank deeply into all kinds of sin. Nineveh was again a place of unparalleled wickedness. It was also the wealthiest city in the world, furnished with priceless objects taken as plunder from conquered nations.

God makes it plain that he is angry with Nineveh. We don’t like to think of God as being angry, yet the Bible is clear that he hates sin. You’ve likely heard about billboards along the highway with messages from God. One says, “Don’t make me come down there.” There’s an old children’s hymn that begins, “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild.” This is perfectly true about our Lord, but it is not all the truth. Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem and prophesied that this city which rejected him would be destroyed. The Hebrew word used by Nahum for anger literally means “heavy or hot breathing”. When considering the wrath of God, there are two words we tend to confuse. One is retaliation; the other retribution. To retaliate is to seek revenge and get even. God does not retaliate. Martin Luther (in his typical manner) said, “If I was God and the world had treated me as it did Christ, I would kick the wretched thing to pieces.” In His justice, God brings retribution. Paul makes this clear in Romans when he says “The payment for sin is death” (6:23). He has the power to deliver or destroy. He offers us the option to decide which one it will be.

Yet even when God is angry at sin, he is patient with us. He holds back his vengeance. He waits for us to repent. He doesn’t slam dunk us the moment we step out of line. He is “slow to anger.” He has control over his wrath. He gives us many chances to repent. When we place our trust in Christ, God in his grace gives us what we don’t deserve—eternal life. God in his mercy does not give us what we do deserve.

A FUTURE HOPE

2010-10-18T03:14:00.000-07:00

Lamentations 1:7 “In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old.”

Have you ever had one of those days where you wanted so badly for it to just be over? Because you knew that tomorrow had to be better. Because there’s just no way that any two days could ever be this bad.

It’s been said that mankind tends to live on one of three levels. The first level is survival. For some, this survival is literal. They are poor and destitute, and they must spend every waking moment trying to make it through another day. For others, survival means making it to another weekend. Their struggle is simply to exist. But it’s really not much of an existence. The second level is success. Some people live to make it big. To get a big salary, a big car, and a big house. But nothing they get ever brings the satisfaction that they thought it would and there’s always something bigger and better just out of reach. The third level of living goes beyond survival and beyond success. And that is the level of significance. Living a life of significance depends on finding and following God’s purpose for your life - your divine destiny.

The people who have the highest impact are not the most educated, or the wealthiest, or even the most powerful. The people that make the biggest difference and find the most fulfillment in life are those with the clearest sense of God’s purpose for their lives. God has a plan for each and every one of our lives. We must grasp the fact that we’re all called to fit into the kingdom of God in different capacities and facilitate the working of the will of God in the earth.

But it’s easy to lose sight of this in the daily grind. The devil tries to divert us, the world tries to distract us, and our own flesh just wants immediate gratification. None of which are conducive to being who God wants you to be. If we are to live at that desired level of significance we must:

LET GO OF THE PAST

Have you ever met someone that’s stuck in their past? Whether it’s good or bad, they just can’t seem to get over it? Maybe it was some tragedy - “I just can’t forgive myself.” “I know my parents divorce was my fault.” Maybe it is some past glory - “I was the Homecoming Queen.” But how many know that if you’re going to live a happy, quasi-normal life, you’re going to have to let go of your past. Especially as a Christian. And I’m not talking about forgetting where you came from but about putting your past in proper perspective. You can’t dwell there and you can’t go back. Relish the fond memories, learn from past mistakes, and allow God to heal past hurts. Let it go. Because until you’re willing to let go of your past you’ll never be able to move on into what God has for your life.

DON’T JUST LIVE FOR THE MOMENT

We can get so stuck in the here and now, living for the moment, with no thought of the future. No thought that there are consequences to their actions. No thought of how their decisions are going to pan out down the road and how those decisions will affect their life and the lives of those around them. This is a self-centered age.

It’s a whole different ballgame when your hearts into it and you see things from a proper perspective, isn’t it. That’s what God is looking for from us. To live for him today while living for the future hope that he has promised.

LIVE WITH HOPE FOR TOMORROW

Hebrews 11:13-14 says “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.”

In this case, the end really does justify the means. You can’t let anything stand in your way. You must do anything necessary to get to where you need to be. You must cut off any relation that hinders your destiny. Break any ungodly habit. Deny any unwholesome affection. Relinquish anything that captivates your dedication.

Does this mean that we have to pine away our days as spiritual robots? Not at all. It’s all about priorities. God must be first and foremost in your life. And his destiny for you must take priority. The sobering truth is that every area you refuse to surrender to the will of God, you allow to dictate your destiny.

What is it that captivates your heart? Be it God or earthly treasure… fame or fortune… material or spiritual… temporal or eternal… know this… it dictates your destiny.

THE WAY UP IS DOWN

2010-10-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

Revelation 5:6 “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne.”

Here are some of my favorite oxymorons: artificial grass, boneless ribs, big town, harmless lie, communist party, green oranges, easy labor, fresh frozen, jumbo shrimp, cafeteria food, military intelligence, one choice, random order, slumber party, freezer burn, small fortune, government organization, living dead, same difference, plastic glasses, peace force, pretty ugly, head butt, working vacation, Dodge Ram, work party, healthy tan, good grief, and devout atheist.

Chapter 5 of the book of Revelation gives us another oxymoron. Something that sounds impossible, but yet it is still true. We see a lion that is a lamb. Two very opposite things, but yet in Christ they are the same. The first part of Revelation 5 is a picture of heaven. God is sitting on a throne, and in his hand is a scroll. Not just any scroll. It was double-sided, and super-sealed. This scroll was full, with room for nothing else to be added. And, it was closed tightly, so that no-one could open it. Most Bible scholars think that this scroll represents God’s plans and purposes for the world. This scroll contains what God wants to see happen, and will see happen. And no one knows what these plans are. They are sealed. And since the scroll is double-sided, scholars take it to mean that the plans are made in full. Nothing surprises God. So then, these perfect plans and purposes of God, they are complete, and no-one knows what they are.

You know, we wish we knew what God had in store for us. We wish we could see his plans. But as frustrating as that is, be confident in one thing: God knows his plans. He knows what’s in store for us. He can see the beginning from the end. He knows exactly what’s coming up. He knows what he’s doing. Does it sometimes look like he doesn’t? Yes. But take heart. He will reveal himself to you in due time.

But the problem is, we want to be in control of things. We want to know. We want to be in charge of our own lives. We want to be able to make our own decisions. We want to sit on the throne. None of us are worthy to be in control of our own destiny. No one is good enough to be in control. As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t be a very good God.

That’s maddening at times. We wish we could just take control of our own lives but we can’t. We mess things up. Whenever we try to take control, we make messes. That’s why peace treaties fail. That’s why marriages fail. That’s why churches split. That’s why there is prejudice and pride, adultery and abortions. Because mankind thinks he can control his own life and future. But it just leads to pain and suffering and messes.

One day Jesus will return to earth as the conquering king. Someday he will bring all of the earth into submission to his plans. But until then, Jesus invades our planet by invading our hearts. I mean, we would love to have him conquer all the sin “out there” now. To storm in like a lion and kick all the evil out. But, as the lamb, he would rather deal with the sin within our hearts. His plans for your life include getting you straightened up, getting you submissive to his plans, getting you to say “yes”, and then using you to go out and help defeat the evil, one person at a time. That’s why he died for you and me.

Submission to God is tough. It isn’t easy to put his plans ahead of ours, his priorities ahead of ours, and his desires ahead of ours. It isn’t always easy to say “yes”. And so we try to reign ourselves, to rule ourselves, to be in charge of our own lives. But if we would only wait and let God’s plans unfold, we would find a much longer lasting reward. An untainted reward with no lingering guilt or emptiness. A reward that lasts longer than however many years we live on this earth. A reward that will not fade away.

Just as John may have been surprised to see a lamb when he expected a lion, we must understand that the best way to go up is to humble down. Allow him to control your life and you will find elevation beyond your greatest hopes.

HAVING A BAD DAY?

2010-10-16T03:38:00.000-07:00

Job 1:20 “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship."

So, you are having a bad day?

Let’s put your bad day experiences in the right perspective. Imagine with me if you will, Job living in the 21st century, in our day and time. Job, a modern day business person, - his business is doing better than most, he has a lovely family. They all get along with one another. Though they sometimes have differences of opinions and sometimes disappoint one another, they know how to forgive and forget. As an independent business man , Job is respected in his field of work and is seen as a pillar in the community. Job attends church regularly and is an active participant. As a matter of fact, his ten children were active missionaries to Honduras. Get the Picture?

So let’s listen in on Job’s conversation as he relaxes on the patio after a delightful afternoon with Mrs. Job. His blackberry buzzes relentlessly, his pager goes off violently, his Nextel begins to ring non-stop and the house phone is chiming extremely loud throughout the house. I can hear Job saying to himself “Lord, don’t these people know that it’s the weekend.” Lazily Job grabs the blackberry, because it’s near by. And from that point on, Job’s life will never be the same……“Hello” ……

Blackberry Message from V.P. of Operations: John
“Our largest customer has just merged with our major competitor…. And all competing contracts have been canceled as of Monday.”

Nextel Message from V.P. of Finance: Veronica
“The bank just called and has put a freeze on all our assets…… And they’re calling in all outstanding accounts immediately.”

House Phone Message V.P. of Sales: Mark
“Our second largest customer just phoned in and canceled all future orders…… And Job, they looking to return all excess inventory.

Door Bell Rings, its Sam, the Chief of Police, Job's long time friend:
“Job, you did allow the local Missions Team to use your corporate jet to fly to Honduras….Job, I’m sorry to report but the jet crashed about an hour ago….. There are no survivors.

Job is in shock. He’s devastated and in total disbelief. But he goes to his study, falls on his knees, and begins to pray to God, the source of his strength. Repeating the Lord’s Prayer over and over, knowing that God will see him through this day. Job is having a really bad day.

You will find in studying the Book of Job that God asked the question of Satan. “Have you considered my servant Job?”

The Bible did not record Satan’s direct answer, but the answer to the question is: Yes, Satan had considered Job. His response revealed not only what he had been up to, where he had been, but also who he had been trying to deceive. In modern day vernacular it would have sounded something like this: “Look God, let’s be real… if it weren’t for your all those things you keep blessing him with, I would have had him a long time ago…”

Satan unleashed an all-out onslaught upon Job. He did so with the hope that Job’s real passion was for the things that God had given him instead of God himself. And although things got worse before they got better, Job demonstrated that, in the end, his heart was turned towards God. At the darkest moment Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this, Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Remember that God is your source of strength and when life has you backed in a corner. Remember Job and hold on.

REDEMPTIVE LOVE

2010-10-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Genesis 45:7 “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”

God was with Joseph. He was with him in his father Jacob’s house. He was with Joseph in the house of Potiphar. He was with Joseph in the dungeon and he was with Joseph when he ruled all Egypt. Joseph never forgot that God was with him—in good times and bad. Joseph never forgot that he was part of a divine plan. This is made clear in Genesis 50:20, a verse that perfectly sums up Joseph’s faith and his view of life: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” Joseph had lived as a slave and prisoner on the bottom rung of society, friendless and powerless, yet he never wore the chains of a slave mentality. He maintained faith in God, never doubting God’s power, love, or plan. We see how God used Joseph to save Egypt and preserve a remnant of his chosen people. Joseph has been called the most Christ-like individual of the Bible; in his life of suffering, victory, and redemptive love he bears the image of Jesus.

We might think that Joseph was giving his brothers a hard time to get revenge for how they had mistreated him. But as we examine the events surrounding our scripture, we can see that he was not harassing them for his own pleasure. Joseph felt compassion on them, wept for them, and was leading them, step-by-step, to repent of their sins. Joseph shows us that real love is redemptive; it is helping those we love come to God and live in a right relationship with God.

God wanted to use Joseph not only to save the lives of his family from starvation, but to redeem them spiritually. God wanted to change them from evil murderers, full of jealousy and hatred, into men of God, patriarchs of God’s chosen people.

Joseph chose to cancel his brothers’ treachery through forgiveness. His goal was reconciliation. To forgive, we have to give up some power—namely the advantage of being the injured party, and the right to get even. The Hebrew word “forgiveness” (salach) means “to have anger in one’s fist and to release it.” Joseph knew his relationship with his brothers was more important than his hurt.

Joseph declares that ultimately it was not his brothers who sent him to Egypt—it was God. God had a great purpose in sending him to Egypt ahead of them. Because Joseph believed in the sovereignty of God he is able to love and forgive his brothers

Is there someone in your life who needs your forgiveness? Is someone you know in need of redemptive love? Is there someone—a friend, neighbor, relative, who is far from God? You can be their Joseph, leading them back to God through your life and love. Don’t let the hurt of the past keep you from this. Let go of the pain of the past and look instead at their need. When people hurt us, it reveals that they have a need which only God can heal. We can be used by God to help bring about healing and reconciliation.

NEVER TIRE OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT

2010-10-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”

Doing right is a personal matter. Doing what is right lies squarely on the shoulder of the individual. No matter what others do, you know what you have to do. If you know the difference between right and wrong, then you know what you need to do to please the Lord. God makes this personal. The Bible says, “Never tire of doing what is right.” He puts it in our lap.

This is similar to what we hear in Joshua, “...as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) We may not be able to speak for others, but we can speak for ourselves. We may not answer for others, but we will answer for ourselves. Therefore our chief concern is that we are doing right. Every Christian is judged on his individual service. We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, by ourselves. No one will be there to run interference; none will offer defense. It will just be us and the record of all our deeds.

When we were little we tried to blame other kids for what we did wrong. My parents used to ask, "If they jumped off the bridge, would you jump off too?" or "If they stuck their head in the fire would you stick yours in too?" The lesson they were trying to get across was that we should act based on our own knowledge of right and wrong. That’s what God is saying here. Doing right is not an option in the Christian life. James says, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17) It’s not like doing right is a luxury enjoyed only by the super-righteous. It is all our responsibility.

When Paul says we are to never tire of doing right, he hints of the effort required to please God. It isn’t always easy to do the right thing. Sometimes it means disagreeing with a friend. They might get angry with you if you refuse to cover for their sin. It may require that you stand on principle. You could lose your employer’s approval. You may have to choose between money and integrity. Doing right could mean you have to stand up against a bully for someone else. Whatever the price of doing right may be, it will be repaid in the judgment. In the end, the cost of doing right will never be as high as the cost of doing wrong.

The Thessalonians lived in troubled times. They faced the threat of persecution. They feared the danger of corrupt teaching. They knew the challenges of the Christian life. They struggled with one another, and they struggled with personal issues. It wasn’t any easier for them to be Christians than it is for us. Isn’t that encouraging? If it wasn’t any easier for those who fleshed out Christianity in the first century, it isn’t any harder for us in the 21st century. You and I can enjoy the same peace they enjoyed. We, too, can have peace at all times.

That’s not pie-in-the-sky-theology; it’s a spiritual reality. Is it always easy? Never was. Is it possible? Always has been. How can we have peace in troubled times? We just need Jesus. We need the peace Jesus gives. Christianity is lived out one Christian at a time. But it is also lived out simultaneously within a community of other believers. Those who seek to live a life pleasing to God are encouraged by the hope of his peace. Serve God individually. Keep a watchful eye on one another and enjoy the presence and peace of Jesus.

THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS

2010-10-13T03:24:00.000-07:00

Exodus 3:14 “I am the one who always is.”

To the Hebrew people the statement “I AM” became a very holy phrase. They would refuse to say this word as they believed the name of God was too holy to repeat. What does it mean? It is the expression of what God is, the sum of his being and the greatest of all his names. A commentator paraphrased the verse: "If Israel shall ask: What are the nature and attributes of Him who hath sent thee to bring us out of Egypt? Tell them it is the eternal, self-existent, immutable being who only can say that He always will be what He always has been.” The Lord was saying, “Let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from Me and are wholly dependent upon Me”

This is his name: Jehovah (YHVH).

His name shows us a number of things:

(1) He is self-existent: he has his being of himself. In one sense God is continually and eternally recreating himself. And yet in another he is always the same. He is ever youthful and yet he is the “Ancient of Days.”

(2) That he is eternal and unchangeable, (immutable) and his character is always the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

(3) That he is incomprehensible. We cannot by searching find him out.

(4) That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature.

Whenever Jesus used this name some of his hearers would be scandalized and others would be confused. It was a name which was simply not used by them, because it was so holy. Only God would use it. But Jesus did so many other things which confused or offended his hearers.

We, however, must not be in any way limited in the use of this name. After all, the name of Jesus means “Jehovah saves”. Every time we say the name of Jesus we are using the name Jehovah and all that it means. And then the name is supported by all that the Kingdom of Heaven is: it is irresistible.

In the Old Testament we see that God calls himself by seven covenant names. Jehovah Jireh meaning the Lord my provider, Jehovah Rohi meaning the Lord is my shepherd, Jehovah Shalom meaning the Lord is my peace, Jehovah Nissi meaning the Lord is my banner or my conqueror, Jehovah Tsidkenu is the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah Shammah meaning the Lord is there (or the Lord is here), and Jehovah Rapha meaning the Lord who heals.

When you add up these redemptive names of Jehovah all you get is the name of Jesus. And the name of Jesus is powerful. It never matters what the name of the problem is. It is always inferior to the name of Jesus. When we have difficulties we should find out what to call it, and then remind both it, and ourselves that it has to bow its knee to his authority.

Moses was to remind the Israelites that God was sufficient to accomplish everything they needed. He is still that same God today, the one who always is.

WORSHIP - NOW AND FOREVER

2010-10-12T02:01:00.000-07:00

Psalms 145:1 “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.”

This is really David’s crown jewel of praise. This is the last psalm that has David’s name associated with it and the title, “A psalm of praise” is used only for this one. This hymn is characterized by praise, ¬ not thanksgiving or even prayer. It’s set apart for a specific purpose. It is magnificent in its beauty and almost breathtaking in its grandeur. This psalm has a special blessing associated with it. According to the ancient Israelites, who recited this psalm twice in the morning and once in the evening, a person who sang this psalm out loud three different times during the day would be “happy.”

David as God’s king adores Almighty God as his king above all kings. To “exalt” is to set on high above all others, it’s the expression of the greatest possible admiration. The phrase “for ever” means that David’s praise has no end, but when he adds another “ever” to it he forbids all idea of a close to his praise. Our praise of God shall be as eternal as the God we praise. Praise is the only activity that we’re called to do now that we’ll continue doing in eternity. We pray now, but there will be a time when our prayers will no longer be needed. We believe, but there shall be a time when our faith will be lost in sight when we see him face to face. We hope but a time is coming when what we hope for will come to glorious fruition. But, praise is with us now and will continue in heaven. We are to praise him “every day” regardless of how our day looks. When we’re up and everything looks good, we’re to praise him. And, when we’re down and things look dark, we’re still to praise him. Every day is a new opportunity to praise him.

C.S. Lewis says, “We praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.”

And so, because of God’s position, we are to praise him daily.

Our worship should be in some ways like the object of our worship ¬- great praise for a great God. There is no part of God’s greatness which is not worthy of great praise. Spurgeon has said, “Praise may said to be great when the song contains great matter, when the hearts producing it are intensely fervent, and when large numbers unite in the grand acclaim.” No chorus or hymn is too loud, no band or orchestra too large, no psalm too lofty for the lauding of the Lord of Hosts.

While God is great, David recognizes that “no one can fathom” his great power completely. When we contemplate the immensity of God, we find ourselves surrounded by unknowable wonders. Paul put it this way in Romans 11:33: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out.”

I read recently about a Christian conference that was held at a church in Omaha, Nebraska. People were given helium-filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. All during the service balloons ascended, but when the service was over, 1/3 of the people were still holding on to their balloons. Don’t hold back ¬ let’s let our praise rise up to God.

A MODEL FOR COPING WITH GRIEF

2010-10-11T03:49:00.000-07:00

2 Samuel 12:21 “His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat"

Every Christian deals with loss and grief at some time during their life. It might come in the form of the death of a loved one, the loss of a financial position, the loss of good health or the shattering of dreams. When this happens, we naturally ask, "Why?" and along with the original loss, we are sometimes tempted to lose our faith in God’s goodness. We enter a period of grief. How should we deal with this grief? Is it wrong to grieve? Has God forsaken us?

The first thing the Christian faced with a loss should understand is, that it is "okay" to grieve. Jesus said, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." The word "mourn" comes from a Greek word that means "to lament or bemoan oneself". Jesus said that we who bemoan ourselves are to be envied - blessed. Why is that? Because those who mourn will be comforted. We are not helpless in our grief. He is here to give us the strength to go on and to live successful lives. In fact, he wants to change our losses into gains.

Our scripture offers a Biblical pattern for the grief process in a story from the life of David. You may recall that David committed adultery with Bathsheba, she became pregnant with his child and he had her husband killed. They then married but their child died soon after birth.

How did David respond? First, we see that David got down on the ground, fasted and prayed. That’s what we should do as well, when we are faced with new pain, disability or loss. We should humble ourselves, fast and pray. We should seek the Lord and ask him to restore us. When it became evident that God had not answered David’s prayer in the way he had hoped, the scripture says that he "arose". That is what we need to do as well. At some point, we must "rise above" our grief and sorrow, pick up the pieces and go on. Next, it says he "washed". Each one of us is God’s vessel to be used for his purposes. Then, he "anointed himself". Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. We know that one of the very names used for the Holy Spirit is "The Comforter". At this point in the grief process, we must let the Holy Spirit minister to us in two ways: First, we need for him to comfort us in our grief. Then we need to let him empower us for the road ahead. Next, he "changed his garments". We need to do that as well. Put away the mourning clothes - God is about to do something new. Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Then, he "worshipped" God. We, too, need to worship him. In his extreme situation, Job was able to say, "The Lord gives, the Lord takes away; Blessed be the Name of the Lord." Does that sound too difficult? If God is God, he deserves our worship whether things are going well in our lives or not. Once you really know him, you will find it possible to worship him - even in the worst of circumstances. Finally, he "went in to Bathsheba and lay with her" and she gave birth to Solomon. I’m sure that David and Bathsheba, like all parents, had dreams for that first child - dreams and hopes that were dashed and left unfulfilled when he died.

Do you have dreams that now seem destined to remain unfulfilled? Had you hoped that your life would turn out differently? Give up those hopes and dreams to God and let him give you new ones, just as he gave David and Bathsheba a new son. God has created us for good works that we should walk in them.

CUSTOM-BUILT RELIGION

2010-10-10T03:15:00.000-07:00

Judges 17:5 “Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest.”

A certain credit card company had a commercial set in the board room of some international corporation. A merger is in progress. The CEO says everything is set to be finalized on the 28th. One office flunky at the copier turns and says, "Sorry, I’m only available on the 12th. There is a moment of silence while the board members look at each other in wonderment. Then the CEO says, "OK, the 12th it is." A narrator then asks, "Wouldn’t you like to world to revolve around you?" The commercial goes on to inform you that if you will subscribe to their credit card you can choose your own billing date.

In fact, most of us would like the world to revolve around us. This is particularly true in the religious realm. Multitudes seek a Church or religious group that fits their preference. They go from one to another because they don’t like the preacher, the singing, the seating, etc. Failing to find the church that suits them, they may even resort to starting a new group or just quitting altogether and finding a service they like on TV. We think everyone should agree with us and everything should go our way. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) it seldom happens.

Our scripture tells a story of a man who thought everything should revolve around him. His name was Micah. Micah lived in the hill country of Ephraim, probably not too far from "The House of the Lord at Shiloh" where God’s people were supposed to worship at that time. No doubt there was something he didn’t like about Shiloh. Maybe it was just inconvenient for him to travel the short distance. In any case, he had built a little chapel of shrine at his home. Soon, Micah had built silver shrines to worship and he even hired a wandering Levite to be the priest of his self-made temple. It was no longer necessary for him to go to Shiloh and put up with the dull preaching, hard seats, and tasteless unleavened bread. In the end, his "homemade religion" turned out to be a real disappointment.

What was wrong with Micah’s little family cult? It was superficial: A surface thing only. He saw God as someone he could manipulate and move from place to place. As a guest in his spare bedroom. He thought he could buy God’s blessing by hiring a priest. There is no evidence any of his efforts to achieve God’s blessing changed his life in the least or made him a more spiritual man. It was self righteous. Everything he did was thought up in his own mind. No indication he prayed and asked for guidance, let alone consulted God’s Law. Even the priest he hired had no influence in his life. Micah said, "live with me and be my father." but the record states, "the man was to him like one of his sons."

Micah wanted a faith and religion that revolved around his every whim. He wanted something that would operate just the way he wanted it. No one else could please him, so he created his own. Micah proved he didn’t need God. He made his own gods. He had a personal, private, customized religion. We can do the same. No one will stop us as long as we do nothing illegal. But, like Micah, we will experience a terrible disappointment in the end because no religion is adequate to the needs of the spirit of man and no religion can grant forgiveness and eternal life except that which God has given us. The only way to enjoy these blessings is through Jesus Christ.

SOLD OUT

2010-10-09T03:11:00.000-07:00

1 Kings 19:21 “So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.”

On April 21, 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico. He brought with him only about 600 men, and yet over the next two years his vastly outnumbered forces were able to defeat Montezuma and all the warriors of the Aztec empire, making Cortez the conqueror of all Mexico. How was this incredible feat accomplished, when two prior expeditions had failed even to establish a colony on Mexican soil? Here’s the secret. Cortez knew from the very beginning that he and his men faced incredible odds. He knew that the road before them would be dangerous and difficult. He knew that his men would be tempted to abandon their quest and return to Spain. And so, as soon as Cortez and his men had come ashore and unloaded their provisions, he ordered their entire fleet of eleven ships destroyed. His men stood on the shore and watched as their only possibility of retreat burned and sank. And from that point on, they knew beyond any doubt there was no return, no turning back. Nothing lay behind them but an empty ocean. Their only option was to go forward, to conquer or die.

In our scripture we see Elisha, a simple farmer, who is suddenly and unexpectedly approached by the famous prophet Elijah and invited to accompany him and serve him as his personal attendant. When Elisha requests time to first go home and say good-bye to his parents, Elijah makes it clear that the decision to come is entirely Elisha’s to make. In other words, Elisha is free to stay or go. In response, Elisha not only chooses to accept the call, but he slaughters his oxen and feeds them to his neighbors, burning his plowing equipment to cook the meat. By doing this, he publicly and irrevocably declares his intention to leave his former way of life and follow Elijah.

What does it mean to be committed? It means making a firm choice. It means not worrying about keeping your options open, or leaving yourself a way out. It means pursuing something wholeheartedly, with no contingency plans to fall back on. It means being 100% sold out to a person, or a cause, or a goal; not holding anything back, not keeping anything in reserve.

The idea of being this committed – to anyone, or anything – makes some people uncomfortable. It feels risky. It feels like they’re going out on a limb. What if the person you’ve committed yourself to lets you down? What if the cause turns out to be not as worthy as you thought? There’s a lot to be said for caution. God isn’t calling us to be reckless or foolhardy. He doesn’t want us to just rush into things without counting the cost. But once we’ve determined the path we’re going to take; once we’ve discerned to the best of our ability what God is calling us to do; then what he wants are sold-out followers who won’t look back when the going gets tough. What he wants are disciples who are so committed to him that they will burn their bridges, or their boats, or their oxen, disciples who will jettison whatever is holding them back, and who will follow him wherever he leads. Are you that kind of disciple? Do you want to be?

When we undertake to follow Christ, he invites us to first count the cost. Because once we set out on that road, there will be many temptations to turn back, to turn aside from the path. Jesus wants us to consider carefully what we’re getting into, so that we don’t fail at a critical moment and dishonor ourselves and him as well. He wants us to determine in our hearts, once and for all, that when we follow him, there will be no turning back. Be committed today. Don’t look back. Press forward for God.

HONOR GOD BECAUSE HE HONORS US

2010-10-08T03:20:00.000-07:00

Psalms 91:15 “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”

We all want a place to go when we’re stressed or sad, tired or lonely, fearful or tempted, disappointed or discouraged. We want a place where we can unload our burdens and get some relief. When we feel insecure and inadequate we need a refuge - a shelter. We need a retreat. Prayer can transport us to such a place.

One young boy was telling the pastor that his mother said his prayers for him each night. "What do you mean, your mother says your prayers for you?" the puzzled minister inquired. The youngster replied, "When mom tucks me in she always says, "Thank God he’s in bed." Well that’s one way of utilizing prayer as a way to get away from it all, but there’s much more.

Talking to God is much more effective when we’ve been walking with God. We need to seek his face, not just his hand. Let’s say we need a favor. Who are we going to ask, a friend or a stranger? Naturally we’re going to ask a friend because we have a relationship with him. The closer the friend the more we may feel inclined to make bigger requests. That’s why we need to constantly nurture our friendship with God. Friendship is a two-way street. God is the initiator but we’re given an opportunity to reciprocate.

If we come to God only when we’re in trouble and not on a daily basis - what kind of friendship is that? That’s a one-way street kind of friendship. We’re just using God. On the other hand, when we have a lifestyle of continually walking and talking with God, like we do our other friends, we can call on him and he will answer. But be forewarned - he may call on us too. Psalm 50:15 puts it this way, "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

God wants us to honor him when he answers our prayers. When he delivers us he expects some sort of appreciation. Isn’t that just good manners? Don’t we at least say thanks to our other friends when they help us? Our Father in heaven isn’t asking us to do something he doesn’t do. God certainly honors those who participate in a friendship relationship with him. Our scripture reinforces this principle.

Can you imagine that? God honoring us? That’s precisely what he says he will do for those who make him their dwelling. The Hebrew word for "honor" literally means "to make heavy."

Here’s what happens. We go to God with a heavy load of burdens and we leave with a heavy load of blessings. That’s how God honors us. He doesn’t stop at delivering us from our difficulties. He goes on to make us heavy with blessings.

Why wouldn’t we want to honor him in return? Psalm 91 is not just a song of confidence that God will provide a place for us to get away from it all. It is also a song of thanksgiving and adoration.

RESIST NEGATIVITY

2010-10-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

Negativity is human nature – actually it is human fallen nature. Do you know where the first negative complaint is found in the Bible? It is found in found in Genesis chapter 3 verse 12. “And the man said,’ the woman whom Thou gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.’” I can almost hear it – “Lord it’s your fault. If you hadn’t given me this woman – I wouldn’t be in this fix.”

Because of our fallen nature - negativity comes naturally. How many of you had to teach your children to be negative? We tend to believe in the worst. It is easy to talk ourselves out of something by using negativity. For example if you want to try something new, what do you start thinking? Well, I don’t know if it’s going to work – there’s not enough time – no one is going to like it. We tend to emphasize the negative.

Negativity reflects what is going on inside a person. If you want to know the condition of your heart, listen to what is coming out of your mouth. Negativity justifies itself. Just because something looks right to you that does not mean it is right. If you put on rose colored glasses everything will look rosy. If you put on dark glasses everything will look dark. What you see is a product of your eyes. All of us can have a distorted view of the world. It all depends on what you are looking through.

I have heard these statements so many times: “I have a right to be this way – look at what has happened to me.” “Nobody likes me. I have no friends.” “You always act this way. You’re never going to change.” Let me ask you a simple question: Is the glass half empty or half full? Are you looking at the problems or the possibilities? Which ever way you look at the glass you have not changed the level of it one bit. But your perspective of it has a tremendous impact on your thought processes and eventually your words.

Negativity chooses your friends for you. Negativity will draw negativity. You know the saying “Birds of a feather flock together. If you want to know the type of person you are just look at who is hanging around you. When negative people come together it creates a momentum of negativity. They feed off of one another. With each negative word that is spoken, the negative thoughts in our minds become justified to us and then turn into our words. It is a vicious cycle that tears down and destroys.

Positive thinking does not advocate a lack of reality. It is true that some situations are tough and sometimes bad things happen. However, negative thoughts and words will never improve your situation.

What is going on in your life? Are you living a life of negativity? Remember Jesus said, “I have come to give life – and not just life – but abundant life.” Don’t waist you time in negativity. Look toward the positive.

FROM FAITH TO FAITH

2010-10-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 1:17 “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith."

Listen to some of the titles that have appeared in the tabloids: Cow Mattresses Help Cows Produce More Milk - Mom On Diet Of Only Chicken, Lays Huge Egg - World War II Bomber Found On The Moon - Women Gives Birth To Two-Year-Old Baby: Child Walks And Talks In Three Days - Adam And Eve’s Bones Found In Asia: Eve Was A Space Alien.

The sad thing is that many people believe this nonsense. Being gullible is certainly a word that can be used to describe many people. But gullible has also been used to describe Christians. Some people, who consider themselves to be logical or rational, believe that Christians are gullible for their faith in God. We believe in miracles and in an unseen God and (to them) that is evidence of our gullibility. However, there is nothing gullible about believing in the Lord.

The Bible teaches that faith is the key to everything for the Christian. By faith we come to Christ. By faith we live our Christian lives with joy and gladness. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the core of our Christian living.

A famous Baptist evangelist once told the story of an elderly lady who was very upset by all of her real and imaginary troubles. Out of frustration her family told her, "Grandma, we’ve done all we can do for you. You’ll just have to trust God for the rest." A look of despair spread over her face as she replied, "Oh, dear, has it come to that?" To tell the truth, it always comes to that. So we might as well begin with that. Let’s begin with faith and see just what happens.

Paul makes it clear in our scripture that God works in a powerful way with his word. In it we have righteousness revealed to us. In a lot of passages Paul points out the truth that everyone who believes in the message of the Gospel is saved from their sins. This shows us that Jesus Christ is the center point of our faith. When Paul writes that in the Gospel righteousness from God is revealed, he is really speaking of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. You see, Jesus Christ is the message of the Gospel. The Gospel centers in the person of Christ. It is all about his sinless life, the atonement of our sins, and the supernatural resurrection. He is the center of the Gospel, so he is the center of our faith.

The way that the righteousness of God is given to us is only through faith. That is why it is called Good News. If all we understand is that Christ is righteous and we are not, that is not Good News. The Bad News is when we don’t have faith in this truth. The righteousness of God is offered to us only if we exercise our faith to receive it. In fact, we are told that this righteousness comes to us by faith from first to last.

True faith is never a work we perform because we are somehow good and worthy. True faith means rejecting all of our works and trusting completely in Christ for everything. Faith is the only way we can live. Faith is not just something by which we enter into a right relationship with God. Faith is also what we live with every single day. It is not that we come to Christ by faith and then we live by good works. Remember, it is "from faith to faith."

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

2010-10-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

2 Samuel 15:13 “A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom."

Horatio G. Spafford, a successful Chicago lawyer, lost most of his wealth in the financial crisis of 1873. He sent his wife and four daughters on a trip to France, but on their way, their ship was struck by another, and sank. Of 225 passengers, only 87 of them survived. Mrs. Spafford was among the survivors, but the four daughters perished. As soon as she reached land, she telegraphed to her husband: "Saved alone. Children lost. What shall I do?"

Spafford left for France to join his wife and return her to Chicago. In the depth of this bereavement, he wrote his only hymn: It is Well with My Soul. Perhaps the words of the first stanza will take on new meaning for you, as you ponder them:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrow like sea billow roll;
Whatever my lot,
Thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

In the midst of the greatest crisis of his life, Horatio Spafford was able to rise above the power of his pain. How do people live through a crisis? Most of us will not go through situations like that of Spafford, but when we go through personal turmoil, how do we get through the problems of life?

The most painful crises are those of a personal nature. Picture the scene for a moment that is found in our scripture, a messenger enters the palace throne room and brings urgent news of dire proportions. As the messenger speaks the words stab at David’s heart like a knife. David hears that the nation of Israel has turned against him but the worst part is the cause. Absalom, David’s own son, was leading a rebellion to overthrow him and seize the throne. It has become clear that Absalom has the goal of killing David to take over the kingdom.

What a heartbreaking moment for David. This situation is soaked in personal turmoil and literally tears at the fabric of David’s own family. This national crisis flows with personal heartbreak. You may even know, to a degree, the pain that David was feeling. A crisis can come at you through your workplace, your home or even as you just mind your own business. Crisis is not a respecter of persons nor is it fair when it comes.

Crises are a fact of life and we all have to deal with them. Your problems may not be to the extent that David had to deal with but the reality is that when you go through them, you don’t go through them alone. Too often we try to hold our emotions in when we experience the difficulties of a crisis. We rely on our own strength to get us through and we put up a brave face. The reality is that there are times when the emotions simply must come out. Like David, there will be times when the tears have to flow.

When trials face you; that is the time to seek God’s presence and provision even more earnestly than ever before. If you are facing a time of crisis take some time to seek God and find his strength and support for your life in a fresh way.

CONCEAL OR CONFESS

2010-10-04T05:24:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 28:13 “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

The Apostle John proclaims an undeniable truth, in 1 John 1:8, 10, when he says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us…If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

It is true that we Christians will sin. No matter how diligently we devote ourselves to practicing righteousness and striving to perfect holiness in our lives, we are - from time to time - going to miss the mark and sin. From time to time, we are going to disobey God’s commandments and sin. Anyone who should deny this, says John, is just deceiving themselves and they make God a liar.

The Word of God basically tells us that we have two options in responding to sin in our lives. We find those two options in our scripture. Wise old Solomon says that our two options are ‘concealing’ and ‘confessing’. The concealing option is when we choose not to acknowledge our transgression or sin to God and we go about our life as if nothing happened. The confessing option is when we choose to acknowledge our transgression or sin to God, ask for forgiveness and seek the grace needed to change. Solomon says that those who choose the concealment option “will not prosper.” Those who choose the confession option “will find compassion.”

We need to understand that the concealment option is pure folly. The truth is that we can never conceal or hide our sin from God. In Jeremiah 2:22, we read "Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before me, declares the Lord God.” There simply isn’t any manner in which we can truly conceal our sin. The great consequence of concealing our transgressions or sin is that it creates a barrier between us and God. The separation that is created is not based upon God being angry as much as it is based upon the fact that a Holy God cannot casually fellowship with sin. If we sin and casually go about our lives, with an attitude of indifference, our relationship with God is damaged or broken. The sin that we have attempted to conceal produces a wall between us and God. We are not showing a true desire for closeness. Whereas, we may not show much of a desire for closeness, God does desire that bond. He built us in such a fashion that concealed sin would vex us. He gave us a conscience that can be burdened by guilt.

Whereas concealment brings a barrier between God and us, confessing and forsaking our transgressions maintains our fellowship with God. Whereas concealment brings guilt, confession brings the blessing of forgiveness or pardon.

Christians will sin or transgress God’s law from time to time. When we do, we are faced with two very different options. God wants us to maintain a healthy fellowship with him. He wants us to experience his peace and joy. Let us confess and forsake our transgressions. This is the path of growth and maturity which brings blessings now and an assurance for tomorrow.

LOOK AND LIVE

2010-10-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

Numbers 21:9 “So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”

British author Peter Mayle wrote about rich people in his book Acquired Tastes. He says they complain a lot and are rarely happy. The reason they complain so much is that, with their money, they figure they should get the best of everything…and so they become hyper-critical when the least little thing isn’t perfect. Those of us who aren’t "rolling in dough" don’t sweat the small inconveniences of life. But rich or poor, we all struggle with being satisfied and content with our lives.

If we’re truly committed to the Lord, we will accept his will and go where he leads us. If that means hardship in the wilderness, we face tomorrow with confidence that he will help us through every obstacle. Our lives may be challenging, but they have purpose and direction when we walk with the Lord. We find in our scripture that by rejecting God’s leadership and provision, the Israelites were opposing the very one who was sustaining them.

God’s chastening came swiftly, in the form of venomous snakes. God’s people had rejected the way of life and health, so they encountered suffering and death, the "wages of sin." Does this mean we should never complain to God? The book of Psalms is filled with complaints, and God is throughout Scripture described as full of patience and mercy. He wants us to be honest in our prayers.

So what happened here? This was not merely grumbling-it was open rebellion against God and Moses, their appointed leader. God wanted to give them, and us, an example of what can happen if we refuse to be people of praise. The people quickly turned from their grumbling. The snakes helped them see the logic of submitting to God and admitting their sin. Moses was pretty fed up with their attitude and tired of their complaining, yet he prayed in their behalf. He was willing to stand in the gap for his people. Moses prayed and God answered in an unexpected manner. Instead of simply removing the snakes and healing the people who’d been bitten, God instructed Moses to make a serpent of brass and place it on a pole where the people could see it. If those who had been bitten looked at this brass serpent, they would be instantly healed.

But why would Moses be told to make a model of a snake, the very creature that was causing the people to die? Because on the cross, Jesus became sin for us-our sins were put on him, and he suffered our punishment, taking our place. Moses didn’t place the bronze serpent in the Tabernacle, but displayed it publicly, and in the same way Jesus was publicly executed for our sins, in a way everyone could see. No one can look to Christ for us. We must individually respond to God’s provision. Just as the uplifted serpent was the only cure in the wilderness, so Jesus is our only remedy for sin. The sole salvation offered is what God graciously provides. It is a gift. If we reject it, we die.

A look brings life. Jesus declared in John’s Gospel, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself" (12:32). It was Moses’ business to set the bronze serpent on a pole; it is your business and mine to lift up the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that all may see it and live.

PROMISES TO KEEP

2010-10-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

1 Kings 1:48 “'Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.”

Here are the poignant words of Poet Robert Frost:

“The shouts of today are so loud that I do not hear the echoes of yesterday, nor do I listen to the faint whispers of tomorrow. All I really know is what is clamoring in my ear right here, right now. That makes me lose perspective. The shouts of today are so insistently loud that I do not hear the dwindling echoes of yesterday, nor do I listen to the faint and distant whispers of tomorrow. I forget what I have promised, just because I am trying to handle right now.

Sometimes it takes a crisis to focus me on the commitments I have made; for the truth is that I have miles to go before I sleep, and promises to keep. And promises to keep.”

Beneath the apparent tranquility of the poet’s lines there lingers restiveness, because he knows he is nearing the end of his life, and there are things he has promised to do, but has not done. There are commitments he has made, but has not kept.

Haven’t we all made promises? Which promises do we keep and which ones do we set aside? Which promises are sacred, never to be broken, and which ones are ho-hum, if it’s convenient? I don’t know about you, but I find in my own life that the promises I make to other people I do my best to keep. I can only hope that I take the same approach to those promises I make to God.

In our scripture we find that King David was a weary warrior, just about at the end of his life. He did not have long to live, and he knew it. But David was about to find out that even at that stage of life, he still had work to do.

One of David’s sons, Adonijah, was ambitious, and wanted to become king. Never mind that his father David had not yet died. Never mind that it was by no means clear in this kingdom that the crown is passed from father to son; after all, David himself did not get it that way. And never mind, most of all, that David had not promised the throne to Adonijah, but to another son, Solomon. None of that mattered to this crafty and ambitious young man. He wanted to be king and he went about gathering support. The Kingdom of Israel was about to go into full-fledged crisis.

David had thought, early on, it would be easy to promise Solomon the throne and make it happen. But his life got complicated and he forgot about his promises. The shouts of today are so insistently loud that we do not hear the dwindling echoes of yesterday, nor do we listen to the faint and distant whispers of tomorrow. David forgot what he had promised, just because he was trying to handle right now. In the end, David was held accountable and kept his promise to Solomon.

God wants to grant us the desires of our hearts, if we keep the promises we have made to him. We may get sidetracked. The demands and distractions of the real world are a lot to handle and we may lose our way. We must maintain our spiritual focus and remember our commitments to live a life for God. If we are faithful over what we have been called to do, our life will be complete and we will see God’s blessings.

YOU ARE IMPORTANT

2010-10-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 49:16 “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

It seems that there is one thing all humans need more than anything else; to know we are loved. Without love, we feel worthless and unimportant and useless. And humans need to feel useful and worthwhile. That is one reason we always tend to compare ourselves with other people. Sometimes we consider ourselves better than them, and sometimes we wish we were as good as they are. We base our level of importance on:

• Our appearance
• Our achievements
• Our being approved by others
• Our wealth or power

Do I look good enough? Have I done enough? What will others think of me? Am I important enough or powerful enough? And every one of these areas is based primarily upon one thing; where we rate ourselves in comparison to other people. We need to be loved; we need to be accepted; and we need to feel self-worth.

The problem with these four standards is that none of them are stable. They will all change depending on moment-to-moment circumstances. Appearances change with time. There will always be somebody who can do more than us and do it better than we can; how well others like you can change in the blink of an eye; and your affluence can change with one bad choice. The trouble with letting things like these dictate your self-worth is that your self-worth will always be changing and you will never know from one moment to the next where you stand.

Our real value is found in God’s perspective of us. Jesus cares for us so much that he said “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Luke 12:7)

Just imagine; God thinks we are so valuable that he knows the number of hairs on our head. The deepest expression of love is attention. When you give somebody your attention you’re giving them your love. When you don’t pay attention to your husband or wife or kids you are actually being unloving. God is always paying attention to us. It may not seem like it to us because we really are not all that focused on him, but again, He is always focused on us.

When little children do something they want to be noticed for, such as riding a bike with no hands, they will always yell out, “Watch me, Daddy!” “Watch me, Mommy!”

Adults want to be noticed, too. And, just like children, we yell out, but we don’t necessarily do it with words. We act in such a way as to get other people’s attention, or we dress with the goal of capturing other people’s attention. But, what we are really doing is yelling, “Please watch me, somebody!” For our own well being, it is vital that we remember to stop depending on other people to feel worthy, and start depending on God.

God notices everything in your life, his eyes of love are constantly watching you, and he knows your value no matter what anyone else around you is saying about you. He knows the truth, they don’t. God has a plan and purpose for your life. He made you and he wants you no matter what.

ENOUGH FAITH TO FINISH

2010-09-29T03:13:00.000-07:00

2 Kings 13:18 “Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped.”

King Jehoash wept over Elisha who was on his deathbed. He used the same statement Elisha had used of Elijah in 2 Kings 2:12. Saying “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” was recognition of the important role Elisha played in the defense of Israel. Israel’s strength was not in chariots and horses, but in the power of God displayed through His prophet. King Jehoash, though a wicked king, was not ignorant of the great loss Elisha’s death would bring to the kingdom. Jehoash had inherited a weakened kingdom from his father and was undoubtedly aware that he needed a miracle to defeat Syrian forces.

Though he recognized the mighty ways in which Elisha had been used, Jehoash was not known for serving God. 2 Kings 13:11 says that he did evil and continued in Jeroboam’s sins, the worship of the golden calves. But who do desperate people come to in desperate times? The man or woman of God; the church, or people in the church; a godly neighbor they know prays; a friend who’s been witnessing to them for years. They know you have a hotline to God. Jehoash recognized that God had used Elisha mightily in Israel, therefore he wept over the coming loss.

But in the midst of his despair, God handed King Jehoash the opportunity of his lifetime. The opportunity to terminate the Syrians once and for all was at hand. Elisha responded to Jehoash’s words by giving him specific instructions of what he was to do. Jehoash was to take a bow and some arrows. Elisha then put his hands momentarily on the king’s hands signifying the power of God moving through the prophet of God into Jehoash to perform this great feat. Then the king was to shoot an arrow out the window in the direction of the Israelite territories held captive by Syrian armies. When he did this Elisha explained the action by saying that the arrow represented the victory God would give to the armies of Israel over Syria at Aphek.

Unfortunately, Jehoash lacked the faith to fully obey the prophet. He become half-hearted in completing the tasks that Elisha laid out for him. He stopped short. Jehoash took a golden opportunity and turned it into a lost opportunity because of a lack of faith.

Have you ever suffered from a lack of faith? God wants you to believe for bigger and better things. Have you ever found yourself stuck in a cycle of unbelief? Perhaps you have felt or even responded like Jehoash from time to time. Not necessarily by living in wickedness, but in lacking in faith in the way he expressed in front of Elisha. Perhaps our zeal is all but quenched and we are struggling and just going through the motions.

While looking at this story it cannot be stressed enough that throughout God’s Word we learn that the victory in any battle that God’s people are in will not be won through physical, intellectual or political might, but by the power of God. It requires great faith to achieve these victories.

Jehoash lost his opportunity because of unbelief, will you? Be challenged to stretch your faith. Our God is able to do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine.

FIRST OF ALL

2010-09-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 2:1 “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.”

C. H. Spurgeon was one of the most popular and successful preachers of Victorian England. His Metropolitan Tabernacle drew thousands each Sunday. Often hundreds would stand outside in the street hoping to catch a bit of the Baptist preacher’s message. One day a group of young seminary students came to visit the church they had heard so much about. When they entered the huge building, they were met by a gray bearded gentleman they took to be the janitor. He offered to lead them on a tour through the facilities and answer any questions they had.

They walked through the sanctuary, stood in the pulpit, and looked down from the balcony. When they had seen just about everything and asked every conceivable question they could come up with, the old gentleman asked a strange question, “Would you like to see what heats this church?” They weren’t really that interested in touring the coal cellar and furnace room. But just to humor their host, they followed. They went down a narrow stairway to an area beneath the pulpit. As the gentleman opened the door, he said, “Behind this door is the secret of this great church. Everything that happens upstairs starts down here. This is where the fire in the pulpit begins.”

The old man, actually Spurgeon himself, opened the door to reveal several dozen people on their knees in fervent prayer. The great preacher would always insist that the secret of any church, big or small, was the prayers of the people. It was Spurgeon who said, “I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.”

Jesus knew that prayer was first. You need to simply read the Gospels to realize that he prayed often and before every critical juncture in his ministry and life. The early church considered prayer a priority. Nearly every important event in the apostolic church was preceded by prayer meetings. Did Jesus and his apostles know something that we need to know?

What comes first—prayer. The text uses four different terms for prayer. All four are related, but each has a different shade of meaning. We can learn something from each. Together they reveal the nature of prayer and the proper attitude of prayer. The first term is “requests” or “petitions.” This term would have been used for bringing needs or wants before a king or higher authority. The second is “prayers”—the most common term for praying. It simply means asking. These two words remind us that prayer is coming before the King of Heaven and asking. Prayer is not the same as talking to ourselves, thinking positive thoughts, or wishing real hard. It is asking of God.

The next two words in the list, “intercessions” and “thanksgivings” offer insight into the proper attitude of prayer. Intercession refers to asking in behalf of another. Serious prayer is unselfish prayer. The highest form of prayer is going before our God for others. “Thanksgiving” is always involved because unless we are grateful we likely don’t understand whom we are talking to. The very fact that our God offers us an audience before his throne is reason enough for thanksgiving.

Paul, in instructing young Timothy, sets the tone for this early church. Today, our means in every aspect of our life should be the same. First of all, pray. Keep your minds on spiritual things and focused upon the God that makes everything possible. It is where everything begins. It is where everything ends.

IMAGE OR INTEGRITY?

2010-09-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

1 Chronicles 10:4 “Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me. But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.”

In the latter days in the life of Samuel the prophet, his sons were appointed to leadership. While Samuel waned in strength, his sons walked in sin. So all the elders of the people of Israel gathered and said to Samuel, “You are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us such as all the nations have” (1 Samuel 8:4)

From the very beginning of their search it was apparent that the children of Israel were concerned about their appearance. They were different than the other nations. The Israelites were disgruntled, disappointed, and disillusioned.

They did not like their image. When foreign traders would come to the marketplace in Jerusalem, they would ask the merchants selling their wares, “Where is your King? Who is your leader? What does he look like?” The Israelites were sick of saying, “Our king is no-other than the One True God.” “Where is he?” “He’s invisible.” “Where is his statue?" “We are forbidden from making an image of Him.”

Tired of the relentless queries, the Israelites wanted to change their image. They wanted someone they could brag about. They wanted a face they could imprint upon their currency. They wanted statues to be carved in his image. And God gave them someone who would fit their profile. The people wanted a particular image to be fulfilled, and God granted them their wish.

The people were fascinated by the physical image of Saul. They didn’t seem to be concerned at all about what was on the inside of Saul. Everything may have been together on the outside, but there was something wrong on the inside.

Sometime later in Saul’s reign, Samuel had instructed Saul to go to Gilgal where Samuel the prophet would offer sacrifices confirming Saul as King of Israel. But after seven days of waiting, Saul became impatient because the people were scattering. The man, who was chosen because of his image, now is overly-concerned with his image, and therefore he presided over the sacrifice though he was clearly commanded not to.

Later, Saul disobeyed a direct command of God to completely and totally annihilate the Amalekites. Saul disobeyed God, and the scriptures show us that God rejected Saul as King. From the very start of Saul’s reign, God makes it evidently clear that integrity matters more than image. Saul failed to keep the commands of God and his actions clearly demonstrated the inward condition of his heart. And from that moment, God began the establishment of a new kingdom. And so, God commissioned Samuel to go and anoint a new king, which would one day rule where Saul was seated.

There is little doubt that we live in a society that loves hype. Image is truly everything in the world. Everyone wants their own flag to wave. Many want to be seen as great even if their private conduct is anything but. We must remember that God has called us to represent him with excellence and integrity. Remember, when your image matters more than your integrity, you will be tempted to settle for hypocrisy. Be on guard so that you will choose that which matters most over that which looks the best.

OUT OF THE ASHES

2010-09-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 1:2-3 “On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel.”

Listen to the first three verses of the prophecy of Ezekiel and notice how he tells time. “In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (It was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin) the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel.”

He didn’t tell time using the Jewish names of the months. Through Israel’s history, many had told time by the number of years since the Exodus, but Ezekiel didn’t do that either. He numbered time beginning with his exile.

Have you ever had an event like that in your life? Have you ever experienced a time that was so intense, so powerful, and so unforgettable that it made you almost forget about the other years through which you had passed up to that time? Ezekiel knew a time like that.

Perhaps your moment has changed your life and your perspective. Maybe it has created doubt and skepticism in your heart. Maybe, someone hurt you. Perhaps you failed in one area or another. No matter what it may be, these events can cause us to view life through a dramatically different, sometimes jaded, viewpoint. That period of pain and disappointment in life can become your frame of reference for every other future event. Therefore, we can become so steeped in the pain and bitterness that we feel as though that is where we belong. We can justify our present attitude and outlook based on one, relatively small, period of our lifetime.

What do we do to rise out of such a mindset and see fresh hope and light in our life? We can remember Ezekiel, who in the midst of tragedy saw a new vision of God. Ezekiel realized that, as long as God is involved, there is always hope. As long as God’s people seek his will, we need not sing a song of despair.

Ezekiel knew that God had not abandoned his people. He knew that God’s will had become difficult to discern for a season, but he had not abandoned those he loved. The resurrection of Christ is a reminder to us as well…we who stand here on this side of the cross…that God has not abandoned us either.

There is no doubt that certain events will change us. They will change our thinking. They may even change our present circumstances. But God has not changed. Just as God brought a new people out of the ashes of slavery in Egypt; just as God restored the nation from the ashes of Babylonian exile; just as God sent his Son to earth to raise humanity from the ashes of sin and death; so God is at work still, and will raise us from the ashes of pain, disappointment, sin, and even tragedy to become whole again. Don’t allow one portion of life’s journey to forever determine your eternal position. Live in hope. Rise from the ashes of your difficult situation and see God’s ultimate plan for your life.

BASIC TRAINING

2010-09-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 6:16 “This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

If you were to ask football poll experts which high school team was the best in America during the 90’s they would no doubt name the team coached by Nick Hyder in Valdosta, Georgia. During that decade, Hyder’s teams won more games than any other team. They were named national champions four times and they won more than twenty state championships.

At the beginning of one of their practice seasons, a young aspiring coach went to Valdosta to watch Coach Hyder in action. He wanted to see what kind of practices the coach conducted, hoping to pick up a few game-winning tips. He found the practices were well organized but boring to watch. They involved little more than hours of drills in blocking, tackling, throwing, catching, and kicking – the basics of football. The new coach thought to himself, “This is a lot like a Pop Warner practice – just a lot of hard work everyday on the basics.

At the conclusion of the week, the young coach went to coach Hyder to thank him for the privilege of watching his practices. He said, “One thing I don’t understand, Coach. You spent all your practice time this week doing things your players should have mastered years ago. Are you in a rebuilding year?

“No,” Coach Hyder replied. “This is a veteran team. In fact our offensive line will average more than two hundred and sixty pounds per man this season.” “Wow,” said the young coach. “Then why all the emphasis in practice on the basics?” Coach Hyder answered, “Do you want to know the secret of my coaching success? That’s why you came isn’t it? Let me tell you. The winning football teams always do the basic things the best – blocking, tackling, throwing, catching, and kicking. The more talented the athletes, the easier it is for them to get away from the basics. But it’s skill in the basics that wins games.”

How true that is. Take a look at any set of statistics for winning football teams and you’ll likely find that the teams with the most yards rushing, the best tackling, the best blocking, the most completed passes, and the most skillful special team play are the ones winning the game. It’s very rare that a fluke play wins a game for a team that is losing statistically in a big way.

What is true in football is also true in every other sport and also in every area of our lives. We must never lose sight of the importance of the basics in our life and more importantly in our walk with God. When we stop doing the basics it is so much easier to slip and fall in our walk with God. When we stop doing the basics it is easier to fall into error and be deceived. When we stop doing the basics it is easier to fall into sin. When we stop doing the basics it is easier to lose our relationship with God. When we stop doing the basics it is easier to begin to think like the world thinks, act like the world acts, and look like the world looks, which is always contrary to the Word of God. When we stop doing the basics we are putting ourselves at risk with the Lord.

Be certain to never fall into the trap of believing that your life is beyond the basics. You may be at a high spiritual level with God, but be on guard against prideful complacency. Keep your edge and your focus on the little things that will sustain your spiritual strength for the long haul.

FROM SEASON TO SEASON

2010-09-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

We serve a God of seasons. We see it in creation. God created the four seasons that are based upon the rotation of the Earth as it orbits the Sun. The seasons change as the earth moves, but the sun in our planetary system remains constant, and everything revolves around it.

In many ways we see the signature of the same artist in our lives. Much like the earth, our lives should revolve around the Son, Jesus Christ. Our lives will change, and we will enter and exit many seasons, but the Son remains constant yesterday, today and forever.

God doesn’t measure seasons with clocks and calendars, but through truth and revelation. Whenever God gives you a fresh word, you’ve just stepped into a new season. But just like our scripture says, to everything there is a season. Every aspect of our lives is as to a season. And there is a purpose for those seasons. There is a reason for the season. There is a purpose for the process.

There are seasons you didn’t want to go through. But through those seasons you learned some things. And you wouldn’t have learned them if hadn’t gone through some things. There are seasons you’ve gone through, that you don’t know why you had to. But there is a reason for that season. And just because you are going through some stuff, or have gone through a rough season, doesn’t mean God is finished with you because “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” It’s not just any old work, but a good work. You’ve just stepped into a new season.

Stepping into a new season brings new changes. Change is inevitable. It’s going to happen. We look outside at the world around us and notice things are different today than they were 10 years ago, last year or even yesterday. Each season is different than the others. Some are meant for things to grow and others for things to die off. In some seasons the days are longer, in others the night.

Some times it seems your days, your mountaintop experiences with God last a long time, but then there are those seasons when the nighttime seems as if it will never end. In those long nights when the tears seem like they will never stop flowing, it might have taken a little longer, but the morning did come, and the tears ceased and joy returned to your spirit. But God gives us revelations and truths to propel us into new and different seasons. Why? Because we are creatures of habit and if he didn’t change things we would become complacent in one place.

I am convinced that we will never move on to the next season of our life until we are able to learn the things that God is trying to teach us. In this, we face two choices. We can be open to the voice of the spirit. We can desire to hear from God and to be transformed by his truth. We can allow his leading to make us into person we are destined to be. This choice will lead us into the next season or higher level of our life. Or, we can be rigid and stubborn. We can spend all of our time complaining about our present circumstance. We can lose sight of God’s sovereignty in our life. This choice will keep us bogged down in apathy and indifference and may rob us of God’s best plan for us.

Remember, God is a God of seasons. Life moves from one season to another. Be open. See God’s hand in every season of your life. Allow him to do in you everything that he desires. You will find yourself getting the most out of every moment of your life.

CARRY YOUR CROSS

2010-09-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Mark 8:35 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

There’s the story of a soldier frantically digging in during battle as shells fall all around him. Suddenly his hand feels something metal and he grabs it. It’s a silver cross. Another shell explodes and he buries his head in his arms. He feels someone jump in the foxhole with him and he looks over and sees an army chaplain. The soldier thrusts the cross in the chaplain’s face and says, “I sure am glad to see you. How do you work this thing?”

This moment in scripture demonstrates a critical moment for Jesus and his disciples. Whatever the disciples might be thinking, he knew for certain that an inescapable cross lay ahead. Jesus had to teach Peter and the others what Messiahship really meant, because Jesus’ role as Messiah stood in stark contrast to the first century Jewish ideas of Messiah. As time went on, it became clear that this dreamed-of greatness would never come about naturally through the passage of time, for they came under Assyrian rule and Babylonian rule and Persian rule and Greek rule and Roman rule. They began to believe that it wasn’t likely that someone would simply emerge politically. More and more they began to dream of a day when God would intervene in history and unveil the Messiah. They had dreams of a Messiah being ushered in by God in a nationalistic, conquering style, in which the perfect reign of God would come about through a great military struggle.

The Messiah that Jesus was prepared to be was not what they were expecting. That’s exactly why Jesus laid it out as plainly as he could: “If any want to become my follower, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” Self-denial is not easy. We all have things we want. We all have goals, but Christ is clear that when we choose to freely follow him, we must first deny ourselves. That means you can’t always do what you want to do. This means that you will face tough, life-changing decisions that need to be made in the shadow of the cross, and not the desires of the heart. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be deprived of joy and happiness; rather it means that you find fulfillment and joy and happiness through dedication to Jesus Christ. Denial of self is placing yourself in the hands of God at all times, no matter where his hands might lead you.

Jesus also said, “Take up your cross.” In other words, pick it up yourself. He didn’t say, “Grab hold of a cross to provide protection.” He didn’t say, “Wear this cross as a fashion statement.” He said, “Pick it up.” This means that there is a choice. Christ had a choice as to whether he was going to pick up his cross. He could’ve said “No,” and we have a choice whether to pick ours up and bear our cross.

Bearing the cross is a choice. It is a voluntary form of sacrificial obedience that identifies us completely with Jesus Christ. Bearing our cross is not making the best of a situation or circumstance. It is something we deliberately take up and bear. We don’t usually like that, for we would rather wear a cross than bear a cross.

The cross is an emblem of Christianity that holds special meaning for every one of us who identify with Jesus Christ. Whenever we see a cross, it speaks to us of Christ’s tenacious determination to do his Father’s will by dying for us on Calvary. The cross is all about making a choice. The cross is about discipline, hard work, obedience, and commitment. It isn’t easy, but it draws us closer to Christ and makes us more Christ-like, for never has a symbol of such pain and torture been resurrected into a symbol of ending love and hope.

If anyone wants to be a follower of Jesus Christ, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him.

THE ACCUSER DEFEATED

2010-09-18T09:23:00.001-07:00

Revelation 12:11 “And they have defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of their testimony.”

When I was a young Christian I belonged to a church that worked through control and fear. Fear that we would miss the mark, fear that we weren’t saved and so on, In hind sight I can see that the leaders didn’t have a good concept of the love of God themselves and were just projecting that into their congregations.

The enemy, Satan, is the accuser of the brethren. He causes us to accuse one another in order to bring division, and also he attempts to divide us away from God by making us feel we are not good enough, or we don’t fit the mold, or God could never love us. He does this in order to convince us that we, in some way have disqualified ourselves from the race. There are two basic reasons that we were created - 1) To have fellowship with God and 2) To be a representative for God on Earth and to show his glory.

Through the fall in the Garden, Satan was able to break the link and he interrupted the plan. But in and through Jesus God has restored the potential to fulfill these callings again. All who have been born again through Jesus can again experience the reality of fellowship with God, and the privilege of showing off his kingdom, and demonstrating his glory.

Satan fights against all who walk in these callings in different ways and at different levels. He deceives the unbeliever by binding their minds from the truth of the gospel, which would restore them to God. The primary message that God communicated to man through Jesus is “I LOVE YOU". The realization of God’s love for us was lost when our soul was awakened to the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. It was at this point that our soul became susceptible to the accusations of Satan. Until we are secure in God’s love we are vulnerable to attack from the enemy because our confidence is in ourselves. When our confidence is transferred to God’s love, which is expressed in Jesus we are made secure.

No wonder the enemy wants to accuse you all the time. He can’t stand the fact that God in Jesus is covering you in his glory. Although God’s love endures forever, many of us go for long periods of time feeling separated from his love, because of the accusations leveled against us by the enemy of our souls. I am reminded that even in the most severe storm the sun is still shining above the clouds and the truth is that the clouds will roll away and the sun will shine on us again. We just need to remind ourselves that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Remember, our confidence is in the blood of the Lamb - not our own strength. Remember the enemy’s war is waged with words of accusation and our war will be won with words of testimony of what Jesus has done for us. The glory of God is about to breakthrough from behind the clouds. He loves you and it is an explosion of this love that will set you free again.

CALLING ALL WHO ARE SICK

2010-09-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Mark 2:17 “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Once there was a church that had prayed fervently for God to give them growth. It happened that one Sunday at worship a known prostitute entered the building and took a seat in the back of the building. Everyone ignored her. After hearing the sermon, she felt the call of the gospel and responded. The preacher and the congregation didn’t know what to do, much less say. After a very long and uncomfortable silence one well respected man in the congregation stood up, breaking the silence, and suggested that they all pray. He prayed, “Oh Lord, we know that we have prayed that this church would grow and that we prayed that many would hear the gospel and believe. But when we prayed we didn’t know that you would be sending such sinners as this. Don’t you know that we don’t allow people such as this in our church?”

Have you ever heard a star athlete or other famous individual say, “I don’t want to forget where I came from” or “I want to give back to the community”? Sure you have. It’s a pretty common saying among the privileged in our society. It’s touching to see NBA superstars feeding the hungry on Thanksgiving or movie stars that help clean up depressed areas. It’s a sign that they acknowledge that they are blessed and that they have something to offer. I can’t imagine Lady Gaga taking up a collection to help pay for Justin Bieber’s new yacht. That would be ridiculous because, he obviously doesn’t need assistance in paying for things like that.

As Christians, we too have been given something of great worth. We have been introduced to the love of Jesus. We have been touched by unbelievable mercy. We realize just how much he loves us and how much he loved us while we were living as sinners. That’s what we have to offer. Although we should desire to lift up our fellow believers, it would also be misguided to only share our experiences with the saved. You see, there is a world full of “sick” people. Some are physically sick and many more are spiritually in need of a healing. Christ left us with a non-negotiable mandate to reach out to the lost – to share the facts of hope and renewal to all who don’t know Christ.

But here’s the thing about “sick” people -- they are sick. They won’t be whole. They won’t look as we think we do. They won’t live like we think we do. They will come from places that we don’t want to go. They come to us because of our mandate. We should look for them because of our mandate.

Beginning tonight, I have the honor of being a part of the greatest evangelistic event that I have ever seen - “Blink – The Door”. Over the next eleven days, thousands will give their heart to Christ. We will see people from all walks of life come forward to accept Christ. Why? Because they are sick and in need of a physician. This is their moment. It is their opportunity to become well and find the love and acceptance that they so desperately need.

As believers, we must put away all preconceived ideas and notions that cause us to look upon people and see them as anything short as someone who is loved by God. The easiest way to do so is to remember that the only difference between them and me is that I was sick and have already been touched by the great physician. Remember the example that Christ left for us in scripture. He sat down to eat with sinners. Because they needed him.

Be on guard of your heart. We should welcome the most sick and the most hurting into our midst. They may spill their drinks on our seats. They may write their girlfriends name on our walls. They may be viewed as the “riff-raff” of society. They may even remind us of where we came from. I hope they do.

WORTH THE FIGHT

2010-09-14T08:34:00.001-07:00

Genesis 32:26 “But Jacob panted, I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

Unlikely as it may seem there are many people who wrestle with God everyday. Some win and some lose. Those who win arise from their experience with a stronger, fuller, faith. Those who choose to refuse God’s will in their lives, walk away as losers. As Christians we can reflect on Ephesians 6:12 which reminds us that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." As we wrestle with this we should resolve that we will not let go until we are victorious and receive our blessing from God.

Sooner or later, no matter who you are, the Lord is going to speak to you. Perhaps he comes in the silence of the night. Perhaps his words leap from the pages of a manuscript and embrace you or they simply ring in your ears. The call is for every child of God to "come home"

When Jacob asked the Lord for a blessing before he went home, he wasn’t asking for a material blessing because he already had that. What he wanted was the confidence of knowing that God’s spirit was with him. In essence he said I’m going home, "but I can’t go home like this," without your presence in my life.

Remember, up until that point, Jacob’s life was filled with short cuts and cheating. He was deceitful in so many ways. The very moment described in our scripture is brought on because Jacob is fearful that Esau will destroy him due to an earlier transgression committed by Jacob in which he tricked Esau out of his birthright. On so many other occasions, Jacob would have ran away to hide. He would have looked for the shortcut – the easy way out. But not this time. There is a profound amount of resolve in Jacob’s cry. “I will not let you go until you bless me.” Even Jacob, “the deceiver”, knew that there were no quick fixes to God’s blessings.

A great lesson should be taken from this account. It can be so tempting to run away – to throw your hands up and say, “It is way too difficult”. Maybe you have been tempted to settle for something short of God’s ultimate plan. Perhaps the struggle has seemed just too tough and not even worth it.

The key question that comes from Jacob’s wrestling match with the Lord is, “Are we willing to put in the time and fight for what we desire from God?” You must first determine if the things that God has spoken into your heart are significant to you. You must decide if you really want them and if you believe that God is the one who can give them to you. Once that realization has been achieved, you must set your heart to be persistent. It takes true faith to be persistent. Let us have the faith that pushes us to press on in expectation that God will bless us when we seek him.

DO YOU KNOW HIM?

2010-09-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hosea 4:6 “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me.”

Do you know God? There is no more important question in all of life than that very question...Do you know God. It is the secret of true success...the source of wisdom beyond our understanding...the strength to endure in hard times. It is the one thing that should demand our constant attention and the focus of our lives. It is of more value than power or position. Yet nothing is more needed in Christianity today than knowledge of God.

Hosea was called to prophesy to the nation of Israel because this quality of life was lacking. The sins of the nation came from the absence of it. The people had been destroyed because they had rejected it. And the people of God today are no different. Look at the church today and you have to agree that the lack of the knowledge of God is the cause of wavering spirituality...inconsistency between the walk and the talk of believers...ineffectiveness in prayer...and even social righteousness, the way we act toward others, those outside our "group".

What does it mean to know God and to live with knowledge of him? To experience the kind of relationship with God that he meant for us requires us to open up our innermost being to him just like he revealed his innermost nature to us. In fact the word intimacy means "proceeding from within - inward - internal.”

And so knowledge of God is more than an accumulation of facts. It is more than ideas about him or some broad concept we've developed. Knowledge of God involves the total person: intellect, emotion, and will. And the beginning of our knowledge of God and our relationship with him comes when we know that we are known by him. Our understanding and our awareness of God are met in response to our being known by him...absolutely and thoroughly.

We should be willing to open ourselves to God. He knows are innermost thoughts and feelings anyway. A vain attempt to hide from God will only lead us into spiritual darkness. Just ask Adam and Eve. And knowing him openly will drive us to a life of integrity in him. Integrity is consistency of behavior. It is consistency between what we believe and what we do. If we are Christians and we claim to know God, then his character and his commands should be intertwined with ours. Knowing God requires integrity and a consistent life of faithfulness. And what it boils down to is obedience. Obedience is the secret of a growing knowledge of God.

Hosea addresses the lack of both intimacy and integrity in Israel. And what is said is just as true for the world today. We must strive to live in a daily intimate relationship of being searched and known by God. Opening ourselves up and daring to be real with God is very difficult for us, but it will truly lead to a life of peace and fulfillment.

The good news is...God always makes the first move. Every discovery about God and his nature is just our response to his revelation. The people of Israel were destroyed because of a lack of teaching by the priests about God.

Today we do not lack the information. Guard against a lack of knowing him as he has revealed himself to us. Our knowledge and our relationship with God begin with Christ. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life...no man comes to the Father except through Me"

SOMETHING GREATER

2010-09-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 11:10 “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

I read a story about a man who was dying. He asked his Christian doctor to tell him what was waiting for him on the other side. The doctor struggled to think of something. Just then, his dog, which he had locked in the basement, began to scratch at the door. And the doctor told the man; I never let my dog in here. He has never been inside this room. And yet, he is scratching eagerly at the door. Why? Because, he knows that I’m here in this room. And the same is true of heaven. We don’t know exactly what waits for us there. We may have descriptions and ideas, but our minds aren’t even capable of comprehending it. Yet we ought to yearn and desire to go there. Why? Because we know that Christ is there.

This story rings true, not only of our final destination in heaven, but also of every stop along the way. No matter what our course in life, be it storm or calm, peace or trouble, sickness or health, no matter what we go through, we can look forward to tomorrow with joy, because we know that Christ will be there with us. Surely he is the one who said, Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (NKJV)

When you look at the story of Abraham leaving his home in Genesis you’ll notice something. Wherever Abraham goes, God meets with him. And I’m sure that this was a big part of the reason that Abraham was able to venture into the unknown. He wasn’t going alone, but God was going with him.

The other reason that Abraham was willing to live in a tent and not make a permanent home is that he knew God’s plan was always greater than his own. He didn’t want to settle for this old world. He wouldn’t settle for the pleasures, and wealth, and security of this life for one reason: he knew there was something better. He knew that he would be foolish to sell out for so little. Not that this world has nothing to offer at all. Sometimes this world seems grand. It is, after all, the handiwork of God. But it pales in comparison to what is ahead.

This life, especially our life in Christ, is much more grand than when we were dead in our sins. However, it’s only the gateway. The next world holds beauty and grandeur that is up to now incomprehensible to us. We can become convinced that things like wealth, and fame, and power, and knowledge, or anything else in this world is the climax of our existence. However, we would be selling ourselves short. It isn’t that we give up and forsake this world, and miss out on something. On the contrary, we reject the pull of this world, only because we know that something far greater waits for us on the other side. The great author and thinker C.S. Lewis said, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” And this is precisely the thing we must realize. We were not made for this world alone. And the things that we need to have true satisfaction are not found in this world. This world cannot bring us fulfillment, because we were not designed to be fulfilled in this world. We must look for something more than this world has to offer. We must look for something we can never find here. At that fulfillment will only come when our focus is not on this world, but on the next. And then we will find not only fulfillment for this life, but the life to come. When we understand the purpose for this life as a journey, it becomes so much easier to find joy in all circumstances, because we know it’s not here forever. We, like Abraham must look for the city whose builder and maker is God.

CONTENTMENT EQUALS GAIN

2010-09-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

I Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

John Ortberg, a Christian author, lives in Chicago with his wife and three small children. As you might guess, when they go out to eat, there is only one place they ever want to go, "the shrine of the golden arches." He said his children seem to be convinced that they have a McDonald’s-shaped vacuum in their souls.

He said the kids always want the same thing. And you know what it is, the same thing your kids want and my kids want and it’s a combination of the food--about which they really don’t much care -- and a little prize. It’s not much of a prize, really, just some cheap little plastic thing. But in a moment of marketing genius, the folks at McDonald’s gave it a particular name. They call it the Happy Meal. It is "the meal of great joy." You aren’t just buying chicken McNuggets and a tiny plastic toy. You’re buying happiness.

He says that every now and then he tries to talk them out of it. He tells them to order whatever they want and he will give them a dollar so they can buy their own toy and everyone will come out ahead. But the chant goes up, "We want a Happy Meal. We want a Happy Meal." Other customers stare at the heartless father who won’t buy his kids the meal of great joy.

So, he buys them the Happy Meal. And it makes them happy, he says, for about a minute and a half. The problem is that the happy wears off. He says that you never hear of a young adult coming back to his parents and saying, "Gee, Dad, remember that Happy Meal you gave me? That’s where I found lasting contentment and lifelong joy. I knew if I could just have that Happy Meal, I would be content for a lifetime, and I am. Thank you. There’ll be no need for therapy for this boy. ” In fact, the only one that Happy Meals bring real happiness to is McDonald’s. You ever wonder why Ronald has that silly grin on his face? Twenty billion Happy Meals, that’s why.

Now, you would think, kids being fairly bright these days, that sooner or later they would catch on to this deal and say, "You know, I keep getting these Happy Meals and they don’t give me lasting happiness, so I’m not going to be a sucker any more. I’m not going to set myself up for disappointment any more." But it never happens. They keep buying Happy Meals and they keep not working.

Now here’s the question, only a child would be so foolish. Right? Only a kid would be so naive as to think that contentment could be acquired through some kind of external acquisition. Right? But the truth about human beings is that as we grow up, we don’t get any smarter; our Happy Meals just keep getting more expensive. And the world around us tells us that happiness is always just one more Happy Meal away.

The Old Testament sums it up in the word Covet. An unquenchable desire for more. Galatians 5:20 calls it “selfish ambition.” The Greek word literally means “to grasp for more and more.”

Why does scripture warn us against wanting more and more? One obvious reason is because it damages our priorities. When we want something more than we want anything else, including God we have a problem. Our priorities are out of whack and when our priorities get rearranged we fall into many traps. We run after the wrong things and stop pursuing God. Stuff becomes the most important things in our lives. Our priorities get rearranged.

Well what’s the cure? How do we become content people and put an end to this obsession for more? Or at least make an attempt to curb it. We need to realize that stuff is not going to fulfill us. Happiness is not found in the accumulation of things. Of bigger houses, bigger cars, better stuff. In our souls, we know that things can’t bring happiness so how come we still look for fulfillment in those areas?

If we are caught up in coveting, in driving for the accumulation of things, at some point we have to ask ourselves the question, why? Why are we trying to get it all? What do we think it will bring us? Why do we work 12 hour days, all to accumulate things?

The Bible says the secret to contentment is to focus on Christ and to seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will take care of itself. Make a decision that you will serve the Lord instead of things. He will make you truly happy.

DELAYED BUT DEFINITE

2010-09-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Daniel 10:13 “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.”

Mankind has the propensity to endeavor to work out his own problems. Rather than "Pray and Wait" our life’s motto seems to be "Pray and Work", or in the case of some "Pray and Whine". We often take a lack of immediate response from God as a sign that God is either not listening, or not caring.

Our scripture tells us that Daniel had been given a series of visions regarding the end of the world as we know it. And, as is often the case the visions were not easily or readily understood. So, Daniel began to fast and pray to the Lord regarding the significance of these visions. Eventually, God sent an angel to Daniel who said "I am here to tell you what is written in the ’Book of the Future’..." (v. 11) But there was a waiting period between Daniel’s prayer and the answer. The passage tells us it was 21 long days.

If there is anything of which I am sure, it is that God has an ultimate plan for our lives. Even when the answer seems to be delayed, it is for a purpose. We must walk with in faith and understand that not even our greatest adversary can frustrate the will and plan of God. Why, then does God permit the delay? Why not simply render the opposing forces powerless? Why not set up a "hot line" from heaven to earth, whereby we can achieve instantaneous results?

Waiting is often very difficult. I had some great friends recently that received a negative (yet inconclusive) report on the health of their son. Additional tests were scheduled but were several weeks away. Then they had to wait even longer for the results of the test. My heart ached with them as they just waited for an answer. I know them well. They prayed and their faith was amazing. The waiting was still very difficult. In the end, God proved to be as faithful as ever.

Though it may be hard to believe, there are positive aspects to waiting. It causes us to mature in the faith. It brings patience. It will help develop confidence in God. Thank God that he does not offer instantaneous answers to all prayers we pray. If he did, we would be in a mess. Never forget that only God knows the beginning from the end of our lives. Some things that we may desperately want today could lead to disaster tomorrow. Sometimes, his mercy can be found in a delayed response to our prayers

Someone asked the question "If God knows what I have need of before I ever ask, why must I ask?" The response was "Because God knows what we need the most is time spent with him in prayer."

God’s ultimate plan for our life is that we wait patiently and confidently upon him. We must be as Paul, when he wrote in Romans 4:21 "And being fully persuaded that, what he has promised, he is able also to perform." Be on guard of your heart so that you never call into question the integrity of God. He has promised it --- he will bring it to pass. It may be delayed, but it is definite.

A TRUE TESTIMONY

2010-09-08T03:24:00.000-07:00

Acts 23:11 “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."

In a book by Grant Jeffrey called "The Signature of God" he recounts how the Apostles died proclaiming the resurrection. These men who knew Jesus personally never denied their testimony about him, despite the threat and the reality of death. These men possessed an absolute unshakable personal knowledge about the truth of life, death and the resurrection of Jesus. Each of them paid the ultimate price to prove their faith.

As someone has correctly pointed out, hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff. Men may willingly die for what they believe to be true...even at times if what they believe is actually false. But no one will die willingly for something they know to be a lie. Judas Iscariot, betrayer of Jesus, committed suicide. Only John, of the other 13 Apostles, did not die by homicide, a martyr. Yet, all the others died horrible deaths proclaiming to have seen the resurrected Christ.

It is not so important how the apostles died. What is important is the fact that they were all willing to die for their faith. If Jesus had not been resurrected, the disciples would have known it. The fact that all of the apostles were willing to die horrible deaths, refusing to renounce their faith in Christ is tremendous evidence that they had truly witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many staked their very lives on the testimony that they have seen the resurrected Christ. Would sane people willingly die horrible deaths, for a lie? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? What do you believe? Do we know why we believe? Are we willing to die for what we believe?

We may never be asked to physically give our life for our faith. We are, however, asked over and over again to die to ourselves. Living by faith requires great sacrifice. It requires that we let go of everything and cling to God, to his will, and to his ways. It is one thing to say that we love God with our whole heart while holding on to ideas, possessions, and people that make us comfortable. It is quite another to relinquish it all in search of a deeper relationship with God the father.

There is only one thing that would ever bring us to that point – it is a true revelation of Christ for ourselves. Like the apostles who walked with Christ, we too have seen his wonderful works and have experienced his life changing impact upon our lives. That is what ought to strengthen our faith and empower our resolve. By living daily in the realization of God’s immeasurable love we are driven by a desire to give it all away for that life that lives for God and him alone. Once we are touched by his hand, we should know that there is nothing that can ever replace or duplicate that experience.

Let our hearts be moved by a willingness to lay down our lives, our wants, and our interests in the pursuit of God. Rely on the knowledge of who he is to push you and encourage you in your faith. Then you will have the strength to lay down your life only to gain it eternally. That’s a true testimony.

DEEP RESTORATION

2010-09-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 61:3 “… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

God cares about where you are hurting. Jesus quoted this passage from the prophet Isaiah to describe his mission. He came to bind up the brokenhearted. He is here to release captives from emotional prisons. He is here to let people know that the favor of God rests on them. He came to comfort those who are mourning a loss and experiencing grief — whether you are mourning the loss of a person, your health, a marriage, lost finances or any number of things. He has come to restore you to a place of wholeness and place a crown of beauty on you. The places where our lives are in ashes, he has come to bring the healing oil of gladness. Where there is mourning, he has come to place on us a garment of praise. Where there is despair and hopelessness, he has come to make us as strong as an oak tree which he has planted. And his ultimate purpose is that we might be displayed as trophies of his grace and goodness. He has a plan in mind to bring about our restoration, healing and wholeness. This is the desire and heart of God for us.

What this means is that there is hope for those of us who have areas of brokenness in our lives. It means that God cares about those wounds and wants to heal us. It means that his Holy Spirit has the power to make us whole. We all have inner wounds that were brought about by the battle of life. All of us have been wounded in some place and to some extent. It is part of living in a fallen world where good and evil exist conterminously. It is not possible to grow up in a fallen world without accumulating some wounds, and we need to understand that God cares about our wounds.

What are we to think about this and how are we to respond? We must know that God meets us in our brokenness. Many times people distance themselves when someone is having serious problems, but God draws near. He wants to meet us at the place of our pain. Being wounded is not weakness. God sees our need and responds to it without condemnation. God is concerned without condemning. And he offers to heal our brokenness if we allow him to go there; if we invite him into the place where we were wounded.

Most of the time we try to keep those wounded places within us private and hidden. They become a burdensome secret — a place that no one is allowed to see. Healing comes when we let Christ take us by the hand and walk with us back in time to revisit the frightening and hurtful event that have wounded us. Perhaps in your life there are several. The choice is to keep it all locked up like a giant tomb inside of us, or we can allow Christ to unlock the door to the tomb, open it and stand by us as we see the ugliness of what is inside that tomb. Together we look at what we have been trying to hide. He walks into the tomb and empties it. Thankfully, God does not look at us and say, “Just get over it!” He deeply cares about us and wants to bring restoration to our heart and mind.

That is what Jesus wants to do for you. When you have time that you can spend in quiet, private prayer, invite him to come with you to the place of your shame and disgrace. Invite him into the memory and the emotion of what wounded you. Feel him near you, as together you visit the place where you were hurt the most. Let him be your champion as he speaks words of forgiveness and restores your dignity. He will ultimately take care of those who have hurt and wronged you. Let him heal the wounds that life has brought. Don’t be afraid to show him all of it, for he is already aware of what took place.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

2010-09-05T03:12:00.000-07:00

Judges 14:3 “His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me."

Potential is a great thing. Young athletes are often given huge amounts of money based upon their potential alone. Some of them turn into superstars, but many more crash and burn under the immense pressure of stardom. You see, potential in and of its self, is worth very little. If it goes undeveloped or if it is partnered with a lack of discipline and poor decisions it will become a great “might have been”.

Samson was a child of promise from God. God gave Samson’s parents specific instructions on raising Samson and if you read Judges 13 you will find that they were obedient to God up to the time Samson was born; but later on they began to tolerate some things that should have not happened. Those little subtle things can grow into big problems.

Samson was dominated by his attraction to women. Women were his flaw. He would see a beautiful woman and he wanted her. He could care less if she was a foreigner whom God had commanded the Israelites not to marry. He could care less if she was a prostitute. He could care less who she was. The devil knew what to tempt Samson with. Samson had been leading Israel for 20 years when Delilah came along; and after 20 years Samson had still not learned how to conquer his lustful eyes.

Not everyone is dominated by lustful desires. Some people are dominated by lying, others by cheating, and others by stealing, etc… Whatever sinful things dominate you, are you willing to change? Are you willing to get rid of that junk? If not, you are in danger of becoming a “might have been”.

The driving force in Samson’s life was pride. He knew that God had given him special power through his following of his Nazarite vows. He used his power from God in a selfish and prideful way. Now you may be wondering why God would allow that to happen; but I want to tell you that God allows us to make our own decisions.

As believers in Jesus Christ we have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit. We don’t all have the same gifts, but all Christians have been given gifts. Although these gifts are from God, we can misuse them when we allow the flesh to win over the Spirit.

During the entire time of Samson’s rule as judge over Israel, the Philistines (the enemy) were never removed. Samson would fight them off if they made him mad, but beyond that he just let it go. Whatever it is that hinders you as a believer, do you just let it go or do you have victory over it? If you are a New Year’s resolution type of person, but never make it past February; then you are a “might have been”.

What would Samson had been if he would have thrown off those sins that held him in bondage? What would Samson had been if he would have used his gifts from God for God instead of getting himself out of a fight?

Are you a “mighty servant” of the Lord or a “might have been”? God has placed within each of us unlimited potential to become everything he has destined us to be. Don’t partner your potential with negative traits, wrong attitudes, and questionable decisions. Be something great for God.

PUT BACK TOGETHER

2010-09-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 18:4 “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”

The process of working clay into pottery is truly a lot more detailed and complicated than many of us know. It is a long process of working, shaping, baking, painting, and re-baking the clay. But even more amazing… that is only half of it. Before the clay can ever be worked by our hands, the clay itself needs to be prepared.

The clay that comes out of the earth is very raw and filled with imperfections. If you were to take clay right out of the ground, form it and fire it, most of it would either crumble or explode because the imperfections inside of it. In its natural state, clay is not ready to be made into anything. The clay must be filtered, softened, and left for a long while to resettle and become the smooth and pliable clay that you and I would recognize. Then it is placed on a table and beaten with a wooden mallet. The Potter does this to remove any air bubbles that might be trapped in the clay. If he doesn’t, the air bubbles will form a pocket that will produce a weak spot and cause the vessel to be fragile and unusable, or in extreme cases, explode when it is being fired in the kiln.

Clay in its original state is worthless to work with. In its natural state, clay is not ready to be made into anything. Now, in our scripture, the analogy is spelled out for us quite clearly. All throughout the bible this same illustration is clear. We are the clay, and God is the potter.

Like the clay, we are worthless in our natural condition – in our natural state. We are not ready to be made into anything. However, God is able to see the vessels that we can be, therefore, he begins the very long process that will bring us to a place of usefulness. He begins the way any potter begins with clay, by digging us out and washing us clean.

Just like any potter, if during the spinning process, the pot becomes mis-shaped, the potter does not throw the clay away and start fresh with a new piece. How could he? He has already invested too much time in salvaging the clay from the soil and preparing it for use. He is a very patient potter, always seeing the finished work of art before it is actually completed. He is willing to wait on the clay. Always working with it and not against it to bring it to the place the potter wants it to be.

That is the main lesson of our scripture text. God took Jeremiah, the young leader to see the potter’s shop. He witnessed the failing of the clay, the misshapenness and imperfections, and he saw the potter instinctively reach down and reshape that flawed clay. The clay would rebel time after time and go its own way. But the potter did not give up on it. He kept working with it, kept building it up, and kept picking it up every time it fell.

The potter stops for nothing. No matter how much we resist. No matter how much we rebel. No matter how much we want to go our own way. The potter does not throw us away. He continues to work with us. He is always working to bring us to the place that he has called us to go. He knows that in time we will be made into something beautiful.

TRUE WORTH

2010-09-02T11:30:00.001-07:00

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

It seems that when most people think of God coming to them and saying something, they think of him saying something about what is wrong with them. They often associate the voice of God with a guilty conscience. But, more often, the voice of God comes to announce our extraordinary worth to God and his plan to use us. This personal worth is inseparably tied to the fact that we were made by God. And our worth to God started before we were born. We have worth because we were born in the mind of God before we even entered our mother’s womb. We were valuable to God before the world began — because already we had begun in his mind and imagination. We are the product of his creativity and love. That is something that can never change or ever be taken away from us — indeed, it is the only thing we cannot lose.

What concerns me about the way we talk of self-esteem today is that it seems to be tied to our abilities. We tell children: “You can be whatever you choose to be!” Of course, this is not true. I will never be able to dunk a basketball like Lebron James or throw a football like Peyton Manning. There are many things I cannot do, and the things I can do are often not as good as other people can do them. That reality dawns on children sooner than later, and so the questions is: Then what? The truth is, you can’t be anything you want to be, but you can be everything God wants you to be. That is where your identity and self-esteem must be grounded or it will eventually fall apart.

The American culture places extreme value on outer appearance. We value youth, beauty, athletic ability, intelligence, education, wealth and fame. But what happens when you have it all and lose it. What happens when Superman becomes a wheelchair man? What happens when a supermodel gains some super weight or gets super old? What happens when a super intelligent person has a stroke? What happens when a superstar ends up in jail or addicted to drugs? What happens when you have a super career and lose it? What then? Where do you get your feelings of esteem and personal worth, when everything on which you have based your value has vanished?

An accurate view of yourself comes from an understanding of God’s view of who you are. When God told Jeremiah that he valued him and had plans to use his life, Jeremiah protested that he was only a child and could not possibly be of value to God. But the Lord said, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you” (Jeremiah 1:6-7). God had plans for Jeremiah that Jeremiah could not understand. Jeremiah saw himself as having no value, but God saw him as having great value. His value was not how he saw himself, or even how others saw him. His value was in how God saw him. You may not seem like much in your own estimation, but it is who you are in God’s eyes that matters. The kind of self-esteem that says, “I’m worth something because I am doing well and others look up to me” is a black hole from which many people never escape. If your feelings of self-worth are based on how you see yourself, or how others see you, then you are hooked to the wrong star. You will spend your life climbing the ladder of success only to find it was leaning against the wrong building.

Inscribed on your life is the name of your owner. He has made you with his own hands and written his name across your life. Your value is found in that inscription. You belong to him and he wants to use your life. He has made you and you are his. You are unique. You are special because you are special to him. No one else can take your place in his heart. And neither can anyone else take your place in this world.

SITTING BEFORE THE LORD

2010-08-31T03:02:00.000-07:00

2 Samuel 7:18 “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”

There’s something about our culture — we find it very hard to sit still for any length of time. We’ve lost the art of solitude. No time for contemplation. I’m sure King David was a busy man — he had a whole kingdom to run — and yet it’s quite obvious that he still made time to regularly sit in God’s presence. I know that must be true because of the scores of Psalms which he wrote. Psalms of worship and prayer. Psalms which are rich and weighty and which have the touch of eternal reality upon them. They’re quite obviously the product of wonder and musing.

In our scripture, we read how David receives the most amazing revelation of God’s Word of promise to him by Nathan the prophet — how God is going to build David a house. David had wanted to build a temple — a house for God. God said, “No, David, I’m going to build you a house”. God would establish David’s throne forever.

David was not a perfect man — he made his share of mistakes. He knew what it was to really blow it. But one thing about David — he always knew his place. Whereas Saul became proud because of his position as king — David never suffered from the same false illusions of grandeur. He never forgot that it was the Lord who had raised him up in his purposes. And he kept a humble heart. Many men, hearing of God’s promises of greatness for them, may become proud and loud. But not David. “Who am I?” he says.

You see, for David it was God and his glory that mattered. God was not a means to an end for David. God is the glorious end of everything. How many times do we unwittingly reduce God to be merely our means to an end? This has been man’s tendency right through history. God is the one we turn to in trouble. His sovereignty becomes the convenient excuse for every shortcoming

Look at David — he’s just received God’s gracious word of promise. God is going to lavish his blessing on David. He’s going to make David’s name glorious. Where is David? He’s sitting humbly in God’s presence giving all the glory back. Giving the glory to one who is the only rightful recipient of it.

It is true that David wanted to build a magnificent temple to God. But God’s plans were different. It wasn’t God’s purpose — it wasn’t God’s time.

The desire is good. But that in itself is not enough. God desires obedience — not just great ideas. And so he visits the prophet in the night hours. Perhaps the prophet could hardly sleep for excitement over David’s plan, but God speaks to Nathan: “Tell David to stop. He won’t build me a house — I’ll build him one instead. A lineage on the throne forever”.

When David hears the Word of the Lord — as soon as he hears it — there is not argument — no attempt to somehow reason with or persuade God (like we so often do). He goes in and sits before the Lord and says in essence, “not my will by thy will be done.”

Sitting before the Lord requires ultimate submission from you and me. It could be that the one thing stopping you from being completely submissive to God is the laying down of your own agenda — your plan — your vision — your dream — to find God’s purpose.

Maybe the great plans you have seem so right — so noble — they must be good. But being good plans is not the point. They must be God’s plans.

Only spending true time in his presence will reveal those things to you. Come to him. Be humble. Be thankful. Be submissive.

WAIT AND SEE

2010-08-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 17:22 “'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.”

Fireworks were invented in China. Very early in history, during the first thousand years after Christ, Chinese scientists discovered gunpowder. And from this discovery came the concept of fireworks. The ancient Chinese people were very superstitious, and believed that fire could disperse evil spirits. Sparks were a good omen, they thought, a good indication of the future. Loud sounds, they believed, would frighten away ghosts. And smoke was good for your health. And so in ancient China, fireworks were the perfect thing. All the fire and noise would chase away the spirits and ghosts, and the sparks and smoke would make you healthy.

Chinese kings were given fireworks as a form of tribute. Today, Chinese people set off fireworks to express their happiness and to invite good luck into their lives. Today, we use fireworks as a form of entertainment, and often as a way celebrating of some sort event or holiday, like the Fourth of July.

In our scripture, the prophet Ezekiel talks about something similar to fireworks, and here is the comparison. With fireworks, it’s always amazing to me that one of those little rockets could give off so much light and so much noise. One little rocket – it doesn’t seem like much as it sits in the box – there doesn’t seem to be much to it. But wait and see - when it’s lit off, it lights up the night sky and gives off a boom that you can hear for miles.

Ezekiel talks about something that seems small and insignificant. But wait and see - it becomes something much greater than you would ever expect. What Ezekiel is talking about is the Kingdom of God. He compares the Kingdom of God to a tiny little stalk. God plants that stalk, and it doesn’t look like much as it sits on top of a high mountain. But you must wait and see – eventually it becomes the greatest, most amazing tree in all the world. God teaches us about his kingdom, and how he works. God does things that seem small in our eyes, to begin with. But the things that God does turn out to be the greatest, most amazing things we could ever imagine.

The secret to seeing God’s greatness is focusing on things you cannot see, and focusing on the future. The prophet Ezekiel told Israel to focus on the future – something they could not see – and there they found God’s greatness. Verse 23: “On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar.” God is talking about Christ, and his kingdom here. Someday, it will grow, God says. “Birds of every kind will nest in it.” God is talking about people here. People of every kind will become a part of God’s kingdom. People from all over the world, every nation, every background, every kind of personality and every social status. Look to the future, Ezekiel told the people of Israel, and you will see the greatness of God’s kingdom.

God says that people will come and find spiritual shelter in Christ. Shelter from fear. Shelter from uncertainty. Shelter from despair. Regardless of the trial and difficulty that we may be facing, our hope lies in the things we cannot see. Looking to him, in faith, provides us with the hope and protection we need.

When fireworks are lit off at night, it doesn’t look like much to begin with – a small white dot quietly sailing up into the night sky. But then it reaches its peak, and it explodes with a loud boom, and the dark sky is filled with a beautiful color and design, all from one small firework. So it is true, that at certain moments of life, your hopes may seem dim and as nothing. But wait and see. Keep your heart fixed upon God and he will do a tremendous work in you.

A CURE FOR BOREDOM

2010-08-29T03:38:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

Boredom is a combination of weariness, listlessness, apathy and unconcern that causes a person to feel like doing nothing. Related words include dreariness, flatness, lethargic, and dull. To the bored person, the world is all shades of gray. When you are bored, there is nothing to do because there is nothing to do that matters. To the younger generation, one word encapsulates boredom, the all-purpose answer, “Whatever.” “Did you hear what I said?” “Whatever.” “I thought that was a great movie.” “Whatever.” The word “whatever” in that sense means, “I don’t even care enough to give you an answer.”

There are two primary causes of boredom. The first is over-stimulation. We live in a society that encourages us to believe that more is better. If a little of anything is good, then more will always be better. If one drink is good, two is better, and five will send you to heaven. If one pill helps, two is a kicker, three is a party, and five will knock you out. We see this in relationships as people jump from one person to another. We see it in the pressure to constantly move “up the ladder,” so people hop from one job to another, hoping to find the perfect fit. And we move from city to city, and from church to church. We make friends, keep them for a while, get to know them, and then we move on to someone else. Advertisers prey on this tendency when they urge us to buy more, buy new, and buy now. We are so bombarded with images, with lights and sound and noise that we’ve grown accustomed to it. According to the Center for Media Education, most children watch three to four hours of TV a day, approximately 28 hours per week. “Watching TV is the #1 after-school activity for 6 to 17 year olds. Each year most children spend about 1,500 hours in front of the TV and 900 hours in the classroom. By age 70, most people will have spent about ten years watching TV.” By age 21 the average viewer will have seen one million TV commercials. “Children who watch four or more hours of TV per day spend less time on school work, have poorer reading skills, play less well with friends, and have fewer hobbies than children who watch less TV.” We are so over-stimulated by TV, radio, music, movies, the Internet, and by video games, that we are hyped up, tense, wound up tight, and as a result, easily bored and quickly distracted.

The second cause of boredom is under-commitment. This is partly a result of the massive over-stimulation. Too many people live at the 20% level of commitment. We’re like the man who, when asked what he believed, replied, “A little bit of everything.” We are like customers in a cafeteria line. We have a “little of this” and a “little of that” and not much of anything. We are 20% committed to our marriage, 20% committed to our work, 20% committed to our relationships, 20% committed to our families, 20% committed to our careers, 20% committed to our church, and we end up being 20% committed to Jesus Christ. No wonder we are frustrated. No wonder we are antsy. No wonder we are bored.

Underneath all this is a deeper problem. Boredom comes from an excessive self-focus. Bored people are essentially selfish people who view the universe through their own stunted perspective. The reason you are bored is because you have become a boring person. To be truthful, you are bored with yourself. The problem is not “out there” somewhere. Look inside if you want the answer. Lest I be misunderstood, I do not think busyness is the answer to boredom. Busy people are often very bored. They use their busyness to mask their inner emptiness.

Folk singer Joan Baez once remarked, “You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die, or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live now.” If you are bored, it is because you have chosen to live a boring life. Boredom is not an issue of bad circumstances. It’s a disease of the soul caused by excessive self-focus. And it comes from being over-stimulated and under-committed. Life is never boring when you commit yourself 100% to Jesus Christ.

Are you bored with life? Crawl out of yourself and make a new commitment to the Lord. Reach outside yourself to help someone less fortunate and your perspective on life will radically change. Boredom is a warning sign that we are living for self when we ought to be living for God.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

2010-08-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

What prompted Solomon to write this? See, Solomon had everything any man would want: money, power, women, fine houses, you name it he had it, including divine wisdom. But with all that understanding that God had imparted to Solomon, he did some very unwise things. God wanted Solomon to use the wisdom he had given him to better Israel, but because Solomon gave in to his flesh, he divided a nation. Those decisions that Solomon made while he was under the allurement of his flesh seemed right to him at the time. But I believe that in Solomon’s later years he looked back and realized that a part from God, all of humankind’s natural tendencies, even though they appear right, will eventually and ultimately lead to destruction.

Just as Solomon refers to the path in our scripture passage, the Bible often likens our life here on earth as walking along a pathway. Jesus also taught in this manner when describing entering the Kingdom of God.

"You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it" – Matthew 7:13-14 NLT

It is our human nature to want to follow the easy path. This is true with running water, it will flow downhill where there is the little resistance. The same holds true for electricity. Electrons flow in the path of least resistance. People by nature are the same way. But the easy way isn’t always the right way. Often times choosing the right “pathway” means following a course that is narrow.

We should make any “life altering” decision based upon God’s word and his will for our lives. So, here are some practical steps to making Biblically sound decisions.

*Learn what the Bible says about it.

Since the Bible parallels our life here on earth as walking along a pathway, we need to make sure that we can see where we are going. Driving at night at 65 MPH with the lights off on a rural road could be deadly. The same could be said by living life without the illumination of the Word of God.

*Pray about it – wisdom is available for all who ask.

"If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking." – James 1:5

Praying and searching the Bible should go hand in hand. God recognizes that we don’t know everything. But God is omniscient, which means he knows everything. The reason some of us don’t know what to do is because we never took the time to ask God.

*Check your conscience

Our conscience is an internal mechanism that God implanted in us to provide some kind of moral restraint upon his creation. Our conscience functions upon a value system that we have adopted for ourselves. That’s why seeking God in prayer and in his word is so important, because it is his value system that we will learn as a result. But our conscience again isn’t the Holy Spirit. It can be faulty.

*Determine the impact of your decision.

This is a major issue. The decisions and choices we make not only affect us, but those around us. The Bible clearly teaches that we should always be mindful of other people.

We face decisions every day. Many will determine our future. Don’t take them lightly. Involve God in your decision making process. He will be sure to guide your way.

PREEMINENCE

2010-08-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3:11 “Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”

One – Stop – Shopping. It is an amazing concept. It is also a relatively new idea. Can you remember a time when the only thing that you could buy at a gas station was fuel? Now, you can purchase nearly anything at your local gas station/mini mart. And how about Super Wal-Mart? Where else can you go and purchase gym socks, motor oil, and eggs all in the same place? People love the convenience and are often willing to pay more to avoid running from place to place.

Isn’t it interesting that most of us fail to take the same approach when it concerns our spiritual needs? We are often too quick to run from place to place in search of hope, peace, and fulfillment. When Paul wrote to the Colossian church he was addressing that very problem. These believers found themselves adding other types of philosophy and religions to their belief in Christ. Things such as ritualism, mysticism, and asceticism were a very prevalent part of their lives. You see, it wasn’t that they didn’t accept Christ and his grace. It was just that they were looking for more. And they were looking in all the wrong places.

The prevailing theme of the Book of Colossians is the preeminence of Christ. To be preeminent means to be greatest in importance or degree or significance. Paul writes that Christ is preeminent over everything. His letter is a call for believers to remember that Christ lives within them and that he is all that matters. In him, we will find all our hopes and everything our heart may desire.

Still, we are often tempted to “look around” when it comes to the voids in our lives. Have you ever felt or maybe even said, “If I only had a better job” or “If I could only find the perfect mate”? Don’t misunderstand; those are things well worth desiring. They will not, however, fill the spiritual voids in our lives. Only Christ can do that. He is preeminent.

The great promise for the believer is that he who is preeminent lives within us. In other words, there is no need to look towards outer things to find our hope, joy, and fulfillment. It already lives within us. The great temptation of the enemy is to cause us to neglect our inner spirit man and set out on a vain search for greater things. You can easily fall into the trap of looking in possessions, relationships, and achievements. Sadly, this will always lead to disappointment and unfulfilled expectations.

Scripture teaches us that God was pleased to have all of his fullness to dwell in Christ. We too should be satisfied in knowing that Christ dwells in us. Therefore, the answer to all our sufficiency is found in him and it can forever be strengthened by cultivating the spirit that is alive within us.

He doesn’t just matter, he is all that matters. Everything else pales in comparison to what a relationship with him will produce in our life. Don’t be discontented with an outward search. Find peace and hope in Christ. You won’t have to look far.

GETTING EVEN ISN'T EVEN

2010-08-23T03:03:00.000-07:00

I Samuel 24:12 “May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.”

“Have you been wronged, mistreated, annoyed or ignored? Is someone tormenting you beyond what you can bare? Are you ready for some PAYBACK?! Explore our site and find piles of good ideas and novelties.” Thus begins the description for the web site: Revenge Unlimited. Here you can buy from their store, read from their stories of successful revenge and get even with those who have wronged you. The site puts as their purpose/mission statement: “Revenge Unlimited believes that there are people in desperate need of a good dose of humility and we exist to help you make sure they get it!” Then, it does give this disclaimer: “By entering this site you agree that you take full responsibility for your actions.”

Revenge: It may be one of life’s most subtle temptations. All of us probably at one time or another have wanted to get even for being mistreated. Maybe it was because an employer promised you something and never came through. Maybe a mate walked out on you when you needed him or her the most. Maybe it was a parent who failed you or someone in the church who hurt you or has not appreciated your efforts. And now you are waiting for the chance to get even or you’re seething inside because you are holding a grudge.

Most of our culture today doesn’t recognize it as revenge. It is called "my rights." Or in our more educated moments we call it "justified retaliation." We’ve got a moral obligation to rectify this situation and it is the American way- "I don’t get mad - I just get even." But whatever we call it, God calls it revenge. And his feelings toward personal vengeance are anything but ambivalent. God very clearly commands us through the Bible that if there is to be any "getting even", we are to leave it for him to do. Why is God so adamant about resisting this temptation? Because he knows what it does to us and others. He knows the resentment that poisons us and the pain we inflict upon others by getting even is never in anyone’s best interest.

But how do we resist? Especially when the feelings are so strong within us? Our scripture shows that this subtle temptation even reaches into a life as exemplary as David’s. And from his excellent example of submitting to God’s will, instead of taking revenge, we can find principles for our own lives.

Let’s realize that it is a natural temptation to want to get back at someone who mistreats us. David was wronged by his superior, King Saul. Even though David had been a devoted servant, Saul became so intensely jealous of him, that he plotted to kill him. Surely, it would have been easy for David to want to get back at the king. Yet when given an opportunity to get Saul once and for all, David refuses to fight in the same manner as Saul. He doesn’t run his sword through the king. Instead he sneaks up and cuts off a portion of Saul’s robe. Now some may say, “wow, what restraint by David.” But quickly David realizes that even that childish act is an attempt at revenge. And all of a sudden he whispers, "Wait a minute! I was wrong to show such disrespect to the Lord’s appointed leader."

The most important principle here is not to give in to revenge. We are not to have the attitude of "Do it unto others before they do it unto you." We are not to fight in like manner. You know, God doesn’t give us this command to resist revenge because he wants us to be cowards or because the person doesn’t deserve punishment. Jesus’ teaching of "turning the other cheek" and forgiveness is because God knows what is best for us. You see, we need to admit that when we get even we really don’t win. Getting even isn’t ever even. We really only hurt ourselves. It festers within and poisons our spirits when we hold grudges or take revenge. We become no better than those who hurt us. Rick Warren said, “If you don’t release those who hurt you, you will begin to resemble them." We only hurt ourselves when we take matters into our own hands. We lose God’s peace and sink to the depths of the hurter instead of becoming a healer. Sir Francis Bacon said, "In taking revenge a man isn’t even with his enemy he is only as low as they. But in passing over it he becomes superior, for it is a prince’s part to pardon."

So, how should we view revenge? Realize that vengeance is a natural temptation but refuse to fight in a like manner. Keep our mind on the goal and trust in God’s ultimate justice and say, “May the Lord judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is our advocate. He will rescue us”

JOY BUSTERS

2010-08-22T03:40:00.000-07:00

John 16:24 “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

We tend to equate “happiness” with joy but they are two totally different ideas because they each spring from a different source. One comes from the world around me. The other originates directly from the Spirit of the Living God. Happiness is conditioned by and often dependent upon what is “happening” to me. If people treat me well, if things are going well in my life, then I’m happy. If my circumstances aren’t favorable, then I’m unhappy.

Joy, on the other hand, throbs throughout Scripture as a profound, compelling quality of life that transcends the events and disasters which may dog God’s people. Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances. The Hebrew word means, “to leap or spin around with pleasure.” In the New Testament the word refers to “gladness, bliss and celebration.”

To have the fruit of joy ripen in our lives is to recognize the journey involved in getting there. It takes time, diligence, patience, and hard work to make a grapevine produce grapes. Fruit is not instantaneous because it has to overcome weather, bugs, weeds, poor soil and neglect. Likewise, in our journey to joy we’re faced with the waves of apathy, the currents of pessimism, the deluge of doubt and the waterfalls of despair. There is no way we can manufacture this fruit on our own. If we want to see this fruit ripen in our lives, we desperately need the Holy Spirit to prune away whatever it is that hinders our joy and then empower us to make some choices that move us closer to a lifestyle of rejoicing.

There are truly things in our lives that can hamper our joy. Here are three of them:

1. Unsatisfied expectations. Do you ever feel like you’re just going through some joyless routines in life? If the truth were known some of us are discontent with the way our lives are progressing. It could be that your expectations for your marriage have not been met. Or, maybe your kids aren’t living like they should. Perhaps you don’t have everything you want – a bigger house, a nicer car, and a better job.

I’m convinced that a spirit of discontentment can rob many of us of joy. Listen to how Paul discovered the secret of being content with what God had given him in Philippians 4:12: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

I find it interesting to note that Paul calls contentment a “secret.” There’s a mystery about it. He also had to “learn” how to live with unsatisfied expectations. Likewise, we must learn to live with plenty or with little. Contentment doesn’t come when we have everything we want but when we want everything we have.

2. Unresolved conflict. Our joy evaporates when we allow conflict between ourselves and another person to go on. When someone’s offense against us occupies our mental and emotional attention, we have little left over for the Lord. Anger clouds the eyes of our heart and obscures our view of God, draining away our joy.

If you’re still itemizing people’s mess-ups, the fruit of joy will be squashed in your life. Paul recognizes the link between joy and unity in Philippians 2:2: “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love.”

3. Unconfessed sin. Guilt can gut your joy faster than anything I know. Sin can send joy far away. David understood this very well when he attempted to ignore the promptings of the Spirit. In Psalms 32 he wrote “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. I love how this Psalm ends. After David owns his sin, his joy returns. “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart.” Did you catch that? He was not able to rejoice and experience the joy of the Lord until he confessed his sins.

The only way to experience the fruit of the spirit is to be obedient to Christ and submit to the Spirit on a daily basis. To discover joy we must abandon the search for it and go looking instead for the one who is himself joy. If we want the kind of joy that is complete, lacking nothing, then we must remain close to Jesus. Apart from him we can bear no fruit.

PUT IT ON THE ALTAR

2010-08-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Genesis 22:14 “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."

You may have heard about the guy who fell off a cliff and on his way down he was able to grab onto a tree branch jutting out from the face of the rock. As he hung there reviewing his options, he started yelling, “Is anyone up there?” He was surprised to hear a voice say to him, “Yes, this is God.” The man was greatly relieved, and quickly stuttered, “God, can you save me?” “Of course I can, responded God.” The man was really happy now and shouted out, “Great! What should I do?” The answer from the Almighty was not what he was expecting: “Let go of the branch.” After a long period of silence, the man replied faintly, “Is there anyone else up there?”

We’re like that man sometimes, aren’t we? We want God to help us but we don’t always want to do what he says. Specifically, we’re not always interested in letting go of those things that we think are holding us up. It’s tough to release our grip and give control of our lives to God. We kind of know that God will provide but maybe we’re not really sure he’ll come through for us. And so we hold on, and wonder if there is someone else who can help us.

In our scripture, we are reminded of a great test in Abraham’s life. God requires that Abraham offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. Isaac was the son of promise to Abraham and Sarah. Notice the four phrases God uses in Genesis 22 – your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. God is making it very clear who he is talking about and he is putting his finger on the fact that Isaac was everything to Abraham. And that was part of the problem because God alone should be everything to him. God was saying, “We’ve walked together for many years and now you have the son you’ve longed for. Tell me, Abraham; is this son more important to you than your relationship with me?”

The three words – take, go, sacrifice – must have taken Abraham’s breath away. Once again, Abraham is commanded to go somewhere he had never been. When Abraham had left Ur years earlier, he sacrificed his present security and now God seems to be telling him to sacrifice his future security. There was no doubt what he was being asked to do. A burnt offering was a total sacrifice, with the offering being completely consumed by fire and signified the complete dedication of the one making the sacrifice. There was no way the offering would be walking back from the altar. Total commitment will always be costly as David said in 2 Samuel 24:24: “I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” God gives no explanation; just an expectation that Abraham would obey this staggering command. Sometimes we are not given reasons either because God just wants us to faithfully follow Him.

Of course, Abraham obeyed the Lord and the Lord provided. Abraham passed the test and as a result, he called that place “The Lord will Provide.” This is the name Jehovah Jireh. At just the right time, God came through for Abraham.

He is a provider and he always supplies the right thing at the right time and at the right place. He is never late but he is seldom early and he certainly does not cater to our timetable. God tests us to grow our faith, to keep us focused, and to make us fruitful. What are you giving up? It strikes me that before we can know Jehovah Jireh, before we can experience God as Provider, we must first be willing to obey him fully. If you want God to provide you must be prepared for him to do so. We don’t have to fully understand in order to surrender but we do need to fully trust. Is there anything you’re holding on to today? What is your Isaac? It may be your career. It might be a relationship or a possession. Perhaps it’s your retirement or your college plans. Maybe it’s a child or a parent. It’s time to put it all on the altar.

SEEDS OF GRATITUDE

2010-08-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 8:18 “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”

Imagine for a moment an elderly man, Moses, standing atop a high mountain, looking across a river valley into lush and green land. His lips are bent in a slight smile. You look a bit closer, and you notice that even though he is smiling, his eyes betray a hint of anxiety. He has spent most of his life in the wilderness, a dry and waterless land. And now he gazes across the Jordan River into the land promised by God to his ancestors. It’s a good land. There are flowing streams and fertile fields. There will be no excuse for hunger in that land. Everyone will have enough. In his mind’s eye he can see vineyards, and olive groves, and children playing without fear, and fine homes—the people he had led would lack nothing in that land across the river. What a wonderful vision of a day soon to come. And yet, despite the bounty he saw before him, Moses could not help but worry. Yes, the people would have enough and more—but oddly, that was what was troubling him. Moses worried that because God’s people would lack nothing, they might become forgetful.

So what was Moses to do? His time of leadership was drawing to an end and so Moses gathered the people together and told them the truth of what lay ahead: The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land … where you will lack nothing. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.” Did you catch it? Let me repeat it. Moses told the people to bless the Lord their God for all that God had done for them. He was sowing seeds of gratitude by teaching them now to give thanks and bless the Lord for the bounty they would experience in the future.

So, where does gratitude begin? Gratitude begins with an honest self-assessment that leads to the realization that in fact the blessings we enjoy today are not solely of our own making. That’s why Moses so fervently pleads with the Israelites to take care that you do not forget the Lord your God. Do not allow yourself to forget how God has put people and opportunities into your life and how those people and opportunities have enabled you to become the person you are and to enjoy the things you enjoy. Gratitude begins with a fine tuned memory. There is a French Proverb that states: Gratitude is the heart’s memory. That’s so true. Sow seeds of gratitude in your own heart: Sit down sometime and write out a history of your life. What do you think you would discover? My guess is that, even if you have had a hard life [and God knows that many people have had difficult lives] that still you will discover instances where “water flowed for you from flint rock” and when you were “fed in the wilderness with manna.” In other words, you will rediscover the many times you were helped along the way. You will remember people from the past whose guidance pushed you fruitfully into the present. You will also see clear evidence of God’s loving providence operating in your life in many, many ways. Seeds of gratitude are best sown in the fertile soil of honest memory—a remembering of how God has shaped who you are by the people and events and opportunities that God has put into your life.

A PRISON EXPERIENCE

2010-08-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Genesis 39:21 “the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”

At this point in Joseph’s life, it would have been easy to give in to despair. Joseph was unjustly imprisoned, in fact imprisoned for doing the right thing. You may be saying, but I am not in prison. Are you so sure? Prison comes in different forms for different people. We can be imprisoned by our circumstances, trapped in situations that we are powerless to change. You can be imprisoned by the expectations of others. You may be imprisoned by guilt. Many of us are walking around with a load of guilt, from things that may have happened years before. Others may have forgiven us but we have not forgiven ourselves. Regardless of what “prison experience” we may find ourselves facing, Joseph can provide us with insights for coping.

Joseph knew that God had not and would not forsake him. Our scripture even tells us that he found favor while in prison. We learn from this story that although Joseph did not deserve to be in prison he responded to it beautifully. What is important was the way in which his character grew during his imprisonment. In similar circumstances another man might have become harsh, bitter or withdrawn. Not Joseph. Prison actually strengthened Joseph’s character.

C.S. Lewis in his book “The Problem of Pain” says, “God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.” We have two choices, we can become bitter and disillusioned or we can use our difficulties as a means of displaying our hope and trust in God.

The tragedy of our day is that some Christians are teaching that if a Christian merely has enough faith, they will never suffer, for they say that the death of Christ provides deliverance from all adversity and affliction. Had Joseph believed that if he only had enough faith he could instantly be delivered from his trouble his faith would have been devastated by the fact that his troubles did not go away. The truth is that God is not obligated to make us wealthy or well liked or free of trouble. God has promised to be with those who belong to him wherever they find themselves and to bring them to maturity, but he does not promise to pamper us or to jump through our hoops. Eventually, Joseph was rewarded with a degree of freedom and unusual responsibility in the prison itself. Because he was free of bitterness, he became useful as an instrument of God.

God works out in the lives of his children for their greatest good as he promised in Romans 8:28. Even in the most difficult of situations, he plans to favor us. Although, it can sometimes be tough to see, his favor even exists in the worst of times. God knows exactly where we are and exactly what we’re going through. It is his plan to bring us out of our “prison experience”. In doing so, we will find ourselves in a better place than where we first were. It will be the place God intended for us to be and we will find the contentment and joy we’ve always longed for.

BE PREPARED

2010-08-17T03:22:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

A man said: One morning I went out to start my car to go to church. I had a flat tire. Luckily, I had a spare tire. I changed the tire quickly and was on my way. But I didn’t think to drop the spare off to be fixed. I said, "I’ll get around to it." Within five days I went out to my car to go to school. I had another flat tire. Only this time I had no spare. I had to roll it to nearest service station and wait while it was fixed.

When something breaks, fix it now. Some things need to be fixed right now. It’s called preparation. Prepare for action. Prepare for breakdowns. Prepare for flat tires. In fact, it’s better to check your tires regularly and then perhaps you won’t experience a flat tire. If a person keeps their car maintained then hopefully, it won’t break down in times of stress, bad weather, etc. And if a person keeps their faith maintained then it, too, won’t let them down in times of difficulty and stress. Preparation is the key.

Prepare your mind. Thinking doesn’t get better unless we help it along. Our thinking doesn’t improve by doing nothing. Right thinking doesn’t happen without thinking right. Isn’t that brilliant? Right thinking is needed. Right thinking will produce right actions. When a person thinks about things that are true and right, they seek after those things. They will do those things. Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." You are what you are and you are where you are today because of your thinking. Your thinking has brought you to this point in your life, be it good, great, or otherwise. But we all must prepare our minds for action in the future. The future is ahead. How will we do? It depends on our thinking.

Most worthwhile things take time to prepare. Life is the most worthwhile thing we will do. We must prepare our minds for this worthwhile adventure. How do we prepare our minds for action? With scripture and prayer. There is no better way.

In addition to our minds, we must prepare our bodies. Our scripture says “be self-controlled”. In other words, control yourself, control your body. If we are going to be self-controlled as the scripture says, then we must prepare our bodies as well as our minds.

Life is truly a journey. If we are to succeed, we must be prepared. Peter gives his hearers great instruction on how to live blessed in the midst of persecution. Be ready in thought, exhibit patience, and look to God who is sufficient in our time of need. We can view life’s trials with thoughtfulness, patience, and faith. Be prepared to excel in life and to achieve the destiny God has granted you.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (who was a justice on the Supreme Court nominated by Theodore Roosevelt) said: To reach the port of heaven we must sail, sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail and not drift, nor lie at anchor.

We must sail, not drift. Drifting will get us nowhere. The Christian life is a life of action, doing, working, and serving. Because of this action, we must prepare ourselves; we must prepare our minds, our bodies and our hearts for serving the Lord. We must do whatever it takes to be a doer in the kingdom of God.

DON'T FORGET

2010-08-16T03:27:00.000-07:00

Amos 3:10 “My people have forgotten what it means to do right…”

When I was a kid I remember having a friend over and playing baseball in the back yard. We repeatedly hit the ball over the fence into the neighbor’s yard and trampled all over their flower beds retrieving it. We were caught mutilating the backyard flora and my mother proceeded to berate me sternly. As it happened, when we were caught it was my friend who had been climbing over the fence and not me, so when my mother was giving me grief about the whole thing, I felt it was a bit unfair. Why wasn’t he getting it, too? He was the one too stupid to wait until my mother was away from the window until he climbed the fence. But here we were, him standing quietly to one side and me taking the rebuke.

Despite my feelings of injustice, it really made sense, though. I was the one who lived in that house. I was the one who knew that I wasn’t supposed to be squashing the daisies and camellias. I was the child and my mother the parent – my friend just happened to be there for the view. I had that privileged position – but with that privileged position also came responsibility.

Our scripture contains a stern admonition from the prophet. The trouble with both Israel and Judah at the time was that both nations were experiencing times of great prosperity and political power. They had summer and winter houses and mansions adorned with ivory. They spent their days lounging around on beds and couches. They felt no threat from the nations surrounding them – they were in control. What was this wealth built on, though? It was built on greed, oppression, and exploitation. They horded the plunder and loot in their fortresses. They trampled the heads of the poor into the dust. And they did not follow the Lord. They did not know how to do right. The true problem is that they once knew what was right. According to the prophet, they had forgotten what it meant to do right.

It is certainly easy to forget, if we turn our back on what we know to be right. How do we forget? We can forget if we allow our conscience to become seared and our thinking to become clouded. God, through his Spirit, continually works to remind us of his will and his path. According to Hosea, “His ways are true and right and we live by walking in them.” The process of forgetting begins with walking outside of his ways and then falling into a complacent attitude of self sufficiency.

We must be on guard against such complacency and self-righteousness. The vast majority of us live in comfort if not prosperity. We should thank God for that, but it is not that sort of blessing we should be looking for. We are incredibly privileged – God has chosen us. But that also means God expects more of us and deserves more of us. In fact, he doesn’t just deserve more of us, he deserves all of us – because, in the end, all the summer houses and winter houses and mansions and ivory adornments will be destroyed and the only ones left standing will be those who are the people of God.

A RELIABLE WORD

2010-08-15T03:05:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

As Christians, the reason that we lose so often when we battle temptation is because we don’t know who we are. The reason that we don’t know who we are is because we are getting our identity from the wrong place. Everyone originally gets their sense of self, their sense of identity from society. Its part of a process called socialization. We gain our sense of self from the way others view us.

When we get our identity from the way other people view us, we are guaranteed to end up confused as to who we truly are. One person might say that I am smart; another might say that I am stupid. One person might say that I am beautiful; another might say that I am ugly. One person might say that I am funny; another that I am boring. And we get mixed reviews about ourselves from the people that we encounter and we end up being confused, insecure, and unsure of ourselves.

The question, “Who am I?” is a question that everyone asks themselves at some point in their life. It is a question that desperately needs to be answered. Your understanding of who you are determines how you live your life

The truth is: The only one who knows you well enough to teach you who you really are is not your parents, not your friends, but your creator. The one who made you is the only one that knows you well enough to teach you who you really are. Unfortunately, you cannot sit down with him as though he were human and interview him and get him to teach you about who he made you to be, but fortunately for us, he has given us a manual in which we can learn about our identity. Everything that you will ever need to know about life and godly living is found in this book.

For this reason, more bibles are sold per year than any other book on the planet. But, this is no ordinary instruction book for living. Remember in Genesis when it said that God spoke into the nothingness and the nothing became the something that he spoke? Remember, he said, “Let there be light,” and BAMM there was light. Those were some power packed words. That is the word of God. Remember when Lazarus was dead for three days and Jesus came to the tomb and told them to roll away the stone? What did he do? He spoke, “Lazarus, come forth.” and instantly, Lazarus came forth. He spoke life into death and the death became life. Those were some powerful words. That’s the word of God. Holy Scripture contains some powerful words. When you begin to get hungry and continually apply your mind with the help of the Holy Spirit to understand the scriptures, you will see God do mighty things in your life.

Do you want to continually be victorious over sin and temptation in your life? You have got to know who you truly are. One of the greatest ways to know who you truly are is to go to God and have him teach you through is word. Get hungry for the word to illuminate your life. Allow God’s words to define you. Let it set the course for your life. It will never lead you astray.

A PURSUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

2010-08-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Esther 8:15 “Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.”

Haman represents that Adamic principle of evil that is at work in our lives deluding us, deceiving us into lives of self-interest, self-effort, self-praise, self-admiration, self-pity and self-centeredness. That’s what Haman was all about – self, self, self. And that’s what our fleshly, sinful nature is all about – promoting self and living for self.

Haman wanted that job. He wanted the recognition. He wanted the worship, the honor, and the praise. He was the one who went home and gathered all his friends so he could tell them about how great he was. He was the one who couldn’t be happy so long as Mordecai wasn’t impressed with him. He was the one who bragged about being the only one invited to the queen’s banquet. It was all “me, me, me.”

That’s our fleshly, sinful nature at work in our life. That’s Haman in each of us, and until we recognize what a powerful foe he is in our life we’re destined to a life of misery and failure, and like Haman, we can be so deceived and blinded by our so-called greatness that we’ll be the last person to know we’ve wasted our life.

If Haman is a picture of our flesh, then Mordecai is a picture of the Spirit of God at work in our life. The Bible teaches us that the Spirit has been sent to teach us, to convict us, to lead us, and to comfort us. It was Mordecai that had the king’s best interests in mind. Mordecai quietly, but firmly stood his ground. Mordecai didn’t seek the honors, he didn’t seek the position, he didn’t ask for authority. He was there to serve the king.

The greatest thing you can do with your life is to recognize that it has been given to you for the good of the king. We must ask ourselves, “Is it worth the fight? Is it worth all the running?” Haman enjoyed great authority – he got the ring and the robes and the chariots and all that came with it. The people bowed in his presence, they honored his name, they celebrated his greatness – but it was a fleeting thing for a man who had chased the greatness for greatness sake. Mordecai on the other hand pursued righteousness, not only for the good of the king, but also because of his relation to the King of kings, and he too enjoyed great authority. He got the ring, Haman’s estate, royal clothes, a crown of gold, and all the honor he could stand, not because he pursued greatness, but because he was great – and there is a vast difference.

What is it that you are in pursuit of today, and who is it that you are following along the way? You can spend your life chasing some position, some accomplishment, or some reputation. You can seek authority and honor and power, but it will never be enough. The Haman that lives within us will always want more. He will never rest so long as there is still one more thing holding out, and until we crucify that man we’ll never enjoy the freedom and blessings that only a relationship with Jesus Christ offers.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

2010-08-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Genesis 6:9 “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him."

A recent newspaper article had this headline, “Bankruptcies Blamed on Easy Credit.” In this economy, a record number of 1,300,000 families filed for bankruptcy. The article quoted lawyers and credit counselors as saying that the availability of easy credit and a tendency to shirk responsibility had played a major role in many of these bankruptcies.

Have you noticed? Our society has produced people who ignore responsibilities and then blame others for their problems. “If I get into financial trouble, it’s not my fault; it’s because of easy credit. And the government needs to do something to protect me.”

Again, “If I develop lung cancer from smoking, it’s not my fault. I blame the cigarette companies, and they need to pay.” Or, “If I go into a rage and grab a gun and start shooting people, I’m not responsible. It’s in my genes, and I just can’t help it.” And again, “If I practice sexual perversion, it’s not my fault; God made me this way.”

As a society, we have become adept at blaming others. People are blaming heredity, environment, chemical imbalance, job pressures, poverty, prejudices, abuse, and anything else they can think of for their problems today.

But God teaches that as human beings we’re created higher than plants and animals, and we make choices. We can choose to be good or to be bad. We can choose to obey God or to disobey. You can be God’s man or God’s woman, if that’s your choice. But always remember, we’re responsible for the choices we make.

Our scripture offers a glowing report of Noah. He was a man that remained righteous during wicked times. He found favor in God’s sight. He was a righteous man. He was blameless among the people. Then it says that “…he enjoyed a close relationship with God.” I think that means he was so close to God that he always felt his presence. When he was walking, when he was standing, when he was sitting down – whatever he was doing, he was close to God.

But let me ask you. If you had taken a poll of the people in Noah’s day and asked them, “What do you think of Noah? Do you think he is good or bad? Do you think he is wise or stupid?” What kind of answers do you think you would have gotten?

I think people would have said, “Noah’s an eccentric. He’s bigoted. He’s intolerant. He’s politically incorrect. Noah just doesn’t fit in.” But yet he was a man who found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

You see, Noah understood that the choice to live right before God was his. He would not be forced by his surroundings to be a certain way. The choice was his alone. It was not a popular choice. He was ridiculed and shunned. Be he was a man who loved God.

When you read the story of Noah – be encouraged. You can make it. You can rise above the influence of wickedness that is around you today. You can, like Noah, live differently from what the world demands. It starts by committing to follow the will of God and enjoying a close relationship with him.

TEMPTATION

2010-08-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.”

In some overseas areas, a pigeon is a game bird. Here is an account from an English Sportsman – “They roosted on the cliffs of the eastern side of the island in the morning and would fly across to the western cliffs around the middle of the day. When I hunted them, I knew their pattern. The problem was, they flew so high and fast, they were nearly impossible to hit. The hardest thing was to get the first one. You’d have to be almost a perfect shot to get the first one. But once you got one, it was easier to get the second one. See, once you got one, you’d leave it lying in the field like a decoy. Then the next one flying by would slow down, bank, and fly a little bit lower to see what his buddy in the field was doing. And then he got to join him. Once there were four or five in the field, it was so easy it almost wasn’t sporting anymore. The unsuspecting birds would look down, see the bait and take it. They were tempted, succumbed to the temptation and my 12-gauge made sure they paid the price.” -- That is the basics of temptation, isn’t it? And it’s really no different than the way we’re tempted every day. See, the basics of temptation have never changed.

Temptation doesn’t come from God. James 1:13 says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” God does not tempt us. But he does test us. The Bible is full of examples of God testing man. As you go through Genesis, the bitter water of Mara was a test. The Manna was a test. Even the giving of the Law was a test. In the New Testament when you look at Jesus’ temptation, how did that begin? It began by the Holy Spirit leading him into the wilderness where he would be tempted by the devil. God does not tempt—he tests. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a test. God placed the tree in the midst of the Garden and told Adam not to eat of it. He placed it there as a test of Adam’s obedience. Now the interesting thing is that in the original language, tempt and test is the exact same word. So what is the distinction? When God placed a tree in the Garden and made a rule for the sole purpose of seeing whether or not Adam obeyed it… what makes that a test and not temptation? Because even though the original word is the same, the intent is different. That’s how translators came up with two different English words.

The intent behind a test is that God wants us to obey his will. The intent behind temptation is that Satan wants us to rebel against God’s will. God placed the tree in the Garden seeking Adam’s obedience to his command. Satan took God’s command and twisted it seeking Adam and Eve’s rebellion and destruction. God’s tests seek obedience. Satan’s temptations seek rebellion. That’s the difference.

What does temptation look like? All too often, we can’t answer that question until after we’ve succumbed to it. Then we look back and say, “Why didn’t I see that coming?” Well, the truth is, most of the time we can see it coming. And if we can’t we should be able to. Because Satan hasn’t changed his tactics in over 6000 years. Why should he? They seem to work awfully well. His first tactic is to question God. The result of temptation depends on how we respond. We know how Adam and Eve responded. They gave in. They succumbed to the temptation. Of course, when they succumbed to the temptation, sin entered the world.

We know what temptation looks like. It questions God. It twists his Word. And it is appealing to our desire for control. Are you trying to be in control of your life? Or are you submitting your wants and desires to God’s control? Finally, we know what temptation results it. It either results in our succumbing to it or resisting it. Are you resisting the temptations that have been coming your way? Or have you been giving in to them? A calloused spirit is a hard thing to overcome, but you can overcome it by simply confessing your sins before a loving and merciful Jesus.

STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS

2010-08-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

Often the world considers trouble to be a terrible intruder into life. For many people the problems of life are viewed as nothing more than minus factors. But the Christian perspective of trouble is not pessimistic. Paul experienced a thorn in the flesh, and this weakness made him strong. He learned how to be strong in the broken places. His weaknesses did not destroy him. With God’s help he gained strength out of his weaknesses. Thus, there seems to be two alternatives: Problems can either keep us down or make us strong. Let us learn from one who was broken and made strong how we may benefit from the weaknesses of life.

The apostle Paul had a great faith in the Lord. His faith was not just an ascent to religious beliefs. His faith was a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. His favorite expression to describe this relationship was "in Christ." Only a genuine faith in God is adequate during the weaknesses of life. Faith is no casual nod to God. It is allowing God to join our lives. The presence of the Lord helps during times of weaknesses.

Paul had other concerns on his mind more than the agonies caused by the thorn. Paul had two overwhelming purposes in his life. First, he wanted every person in his world to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Second, he wanted every believer to be Christ like in thoughts and actions. Paul refused to let the thorn detour him in his purposes. Being consumed with the larger purposes of life overshadows the weaknesses. A person’s lack of mission forces him or her to focus on selfish discomfort. When we are possessed by a great mission, selfish discomforts will become secondary.

Paul was able to help others because of his thorn in the flesh. He was able to empathize with a greater intensity. He knew what it was to suffer. As he found strength from God during his weaknesses, he told others who were hurting where to find help. People who have been hurt and have been helped prove to be good helpers.

Paul looked beyond the weaknesses to a greater time. The thorn did not cause Paul to have a pessimistic view of life. Instead, in the midst of his weaknesses he loved life. Part of his great love for life was his optimistic view of the future. He believed that God would ultimately remove the thorn. "This mortal nature must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians. 15:53 RSV)

There is a greater hope for believers. The weaknesses of life may last for a lifetime, but they will not last throughout eternity. The believer will receive a body that is immune from physical and emotional disorders.

The weaknesses of life do not have to make us weaker. By God’s help we may gain strength during the times of weaknesses.

Don’t forget that our weaknesses simply serve as a constant reminder that without God, we are nothing. It is his strength that allows us to live, breath, and have our being. So, the next time you feel weak, be thankful that God is strong and that his power strengthens us every day.

HE DESERVES OUR BEST

2010-08-08T03:15:00.000-07:00

Malachi 1:6 “If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the Lord Almighty.”

After listening restlessly to a long and tedious sermon, a 6-year-old boy asked his father what the preacher did the rest of the week. “Oh, he’s a very busy man,” the father replied. “He takes care of church business, visits the sick, works on his sermon, counsels people…and then he has to have time to rest up because speaking in public isn’t an easy job.” The boy thought for a moment and then said, “Well, listening ain’t easy, either!” The words of Malachi the prophet could not have been easy to hear, but they were surely necessary.

Let me remind you of the situation that Malachi is addressing. The Jews have returned to their land after living in modern-day Iraq for 70 years. The Temple has been rebuilt and the worship of God has been reestablished. But things are not easy. While outwardly everything seems okay, on the inside a cancer of complacency is eating away at their commitment. As God’s final spokesman at the end of the Old Testament, Malachi comes on the scene to challenge them, and us, to give God our best.

If we want to give God our best we must first embrace authenticity. We must stop just going through the motions, refuse to play church, and do whatever it takes to keep the fire burning. We can fall into a trap of dishonoring God and counting him contemptible when we try to live on what Charles Swindoll calls, “three dollars’ worth of God.” He writes, “Some of us would love to buy three dollars worth of God. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine…I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I want three dollars worth of God, please.”

God deserves priority over our possessions. These people were more concerned with keeping what they had than they were in giving God their best. Their hearts were not in it any longer. They were still coming to church but it was just a meaningless ritual to them. They had accepted mediocrity in their lives and their leaders did nothing about it. God tells them to try and offer their junk to the governor as payment of their taxes and see if he would accept them. The bottom line is they thought God didn’t care what they did. After all, they were middle class people who had worked hard. They had high taxes, bills to pay, and they didn’t have a lot of extra cash.

As hard as this may be to hear, God does not need our sacrifices. He’s saying to us today, “Don’t you dare allow me to be represented as some lifeless religious icon. I’d rather you shut everything down than have you continue in a phony religious ritual. If you’re not prepared to give me every inch of your life, then you can’t play church because I’m closing the doors.” These stings, but no worship at all is better than halfhearted sacrifice. God doesn’t need us to give him anything.

Are you giving God your best with your time, with your talents, and with your treasures? Are you giving Him what is left, or what is right? If we’re going to give Him our best, we must first grasp His greatness and embrace an authentic faith.

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

2010-08-07T05:24:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 60:1 “"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

Imagine living in the little town of Barrow, Alaska. It’s located on the farthest northern tip of the state of Alaska, above the Arctic Circle. In Barrow Alaska, the sun sets in the afternoon on November 18, and it doesn’t rise again until January 24. 65 days of darkness. 65 days when the sun doesn’t shine. Up there, the earth is tilted in such away that the sun never shows itself for over two months out of the year. But when the sun does rise for a moment on January 24, the whole town comes out to celebrate, because finally, there is light again.

Our scripture is speaking of a different kind of light and darkness. And when this special light that God speaks about begins to shine through that ugly darkness, the results are much more spectacular and joyful than anything you could experience in northern Alaska.

God pictures our world as a very dark place. Spiritually dark. You can see evidence of spiritual darkness by looking around you. Yes, “thick darkness is over the peoples, but…” God says, “…but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” The birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ, is described in the Bible as the rising of the sun on a very dark place. The sun rises and the darkness disappears. What happens to the darkness of your sin and guilt when Jesus rises in your life? It disappears. Jesus shines his forgiveness and grace into your life, and the darkness in your soul disappears.

If you feel guilt in your life, guilt from committing sin after sin, guilt from trying to make things right with God, even though you know you can never do enough, then you are someone who is trapped in darkness. But then you learn that Jesus Christ was born into the world. You learn that he came for the sole purpose of doing what you could not do – making everything right between you and God. You learn that your sins are freely forgiven because Jesus has died for all of your sins on the cross. You can feel your guilt melt away. It is as though the sun has risen for you. Finally you can see that, because of Christ, everything is good between you and God. You have gone from darkness to light.

And no matter how dark the world becomes, the light of Jesus Christ will never stop shining for you. Don’t feel too sorry for the people of Barrow, Alaska. While it is true that for those 65 days, the sun never rises there, soon the earth will tilt a different way, and then, in Barrow, Alaska, the sun will never set. From May 10 until August 2, for almost three months, the sun will not stop shining in Barrow. People call that place “the land of the midnight sun.”

And so it is with your soul. Once the grace and mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ rises in your life, it will never stop shining. No matter how dark the world gets around you, Christ’s love will always shine in your life. Spiritually, right now, you live in the “land of the midnight sun.” Let this be for you a time when you see ever more clearly the glory of your Savior, Jesus Christ.

BLESS AND KEEP

2010-08-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

Numbers 6:24 “The Lord bless you and keep you.”

These are words that God instructed the priests to say over the people of Israel.

We learn from Leviticus that the priests were to say these words with their hands held up above their heads. This was to signify that the words weren’t just being uttered by the priests, but were coming from God himself to the people. The priest was the mediator, not the initiator. When the people gathered for worship, the priest would offer the sacrifices to establish them in fellowship with God, and then he would raise his arms and pronounce the blessing.

What did it mean to say, “The Lord bless you”? The Hebrew word literally means “on bended knee”. It describes a servant kneeling out of respect for his master or a lover kneeling to ask his beloved for her hand in marriage. There is a wonderful moment near the end of “The Return of the King” when the four hobbits are stunned that the newly crowned king of men, Aragorn, kneels to honor them. That is something like what this passage has in mind. In this blessing, God is offering to come to his people “on bended knee” – that is, to come to serve them, to love them, to share himself with them.

The second part of the first phrase of the Aaronic blessing calls upon God to “keep” his people. The Hebrew word for “keep” is used to describe the way shepherds would use thorn bushes to build a protective enclosure for the sheep, to keep them safe from predators. “To keep” literally means “to build a hedge around”. Thus, the key idea is that of protection from harm, putting around you and your life a sort of fence to keep out enemies that would snatch away the blessings that God has given you, and to keep you from wandering off.

What an amazing thought. That the supreme and almighty God, who dwells in eternity, the creator of and ruler over all things, would get down on one knee as a servant to sinful and rebellious people like us. That he would then take the trouble to build a protective hedge around us to keep us safe. Yet that is exactly what the Bible says he instructed the priests to call on him to do.

Most people do not think of God like this. Yet, even more than the people of Israel, we should be able to see that this is how God has revealed himself. His coming “on bended knee” was most completely put into action in the incarnation of God the Son. Jesus in the manger is God on bended knee; Jesus eating with sinners is God coming on bended knee; Jesus living as one of us, then giving his life on the cross is God on bended knee. Jesus ascending to heaven and sending his Spirit as our Comforter is God at work keeping us secure, for as Peter wrote, “we have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you.”

Truly, God has shown himself to be a God who has a heart to bless and keep his people.

GOD BREATHED

2010-08-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

There are many people who will say that the Bible is merely a collection of myths and legends. There are even some who will say that it is made up completely of lies. And then there are those of us who believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are true and trustworthy because they are the very words of God.

Mark Twain once said, "(The Bible) has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies." On the other hand, Woodrow Wilson once said, "When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the Word of God."

What would persuade Woodrow Wilson to come to a different conclusion about the Bible than Mark Twain? For that matter, why should anybody believe what Christians believe about the Bible at all? How do I know the Bible is true?

Paul says that Scripture is "God breathed," that is, it finds its source and origin in God. Just as I breathe out the words that I speak, the words of the Bible are the very words of God himself. This having been said, we need to make it clear that the Bible didn’t just fall from heaven. Rather, the Lord moved upon men to write, communicate and transcribe his Word. This very fact, ironically, offers the greatest evidence that the Bible is truly inspired by God himself.

You see the Bible is not one book. The Bible is a compilation of 66 different books written by 40 different authors from 3 different continents in 3 different languages and written over a period of 1500 years. The 66 books of the Bible, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament, contain different literary forms or genres, such as historical writings, poetic writings, prophetic writings, gospel biographical writings and the letters. Yet, within each of the 66 books, we read an incredible unity of themes from Genesis through Revelation, progressively revealing God’s plan to restore his creation.

The difference that the Bible makes in the lives of those who sincerely seek to apply its message points to its trustworthiness.

When the American army stormed across Okinawa, soldiers found villages of unbelievable poverty, ignorance, and filth. But Shimmabuke, a small obscure community, was different. Homes and streets were clean, the villagers poised and cultured, enjoying a high level of health, happiness, intelligence and prosperity.

Why was Shimmabuke different? Thirty years previously an American missionary on his way to Japan had stopped there. Before he moved on he made two converts, left a Bible, and passed on. From that day the people of Shimmabuke had seen no other missionary, had no other visit with any Christian person or group. But in those 30 years the inhabitants had made the Bible come alive. The two converts had taught the villagers its truth until everyone became a Christian.

Then came the American army. Clarence Hall, a war correspondent wrote the following: "I strolled through Shimmabuke one day with a tough old Army sergeant. As we walked he turned to me and whispered hoarsely. "I can’t figure it, fellow--this kind of people coming out of only a Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to live like Jesus!" Then he added what was to me an infinitely penetrating observation: "Maybe we’ve been using the wrong kind of weapons to make the world over!"

The Bible clearly guides us on how to receive and live life to the fullest, both now and for all eternity.

IT'S TOO SOON TO QUIT

2010-07-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Acts 18:9 “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.”

A man was shoveling snow from his driveway when two boys carrying snow shovels approached him. “Can we shovel your snow mister?” one of them asked. “Only two dollars!” Puzzled the man replied, “Can’t you see that I’m doing it myself.” “Sure,” said one of the enterprising young men, “that’s why we asked. We get most of our business from people who are half through and feel like quitting.” Well, that describes most of us at one time or another, we feel like giving up. Paul would later write to the same group that he is ministering to in this chapter, in 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” But Paul did not feel that way when he first arrived in Corinth.

After he left Athens Paul went to Corinth. Verse one says, “After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.” Corinth was a commercial center located on a narrow land bridge that connected the southern part of Greece, the Peloponnessus- with the northern part of Greece. At the time of Paul’s arrival the city would have been large and prosperous.

One of the most distinguishing features of the city was the Temple of Aphrodite, located on the hill overlooking the city. Aphrodite (or Venus as she was called by the Romans) was the goddess of love. There were about 1,000 temple prostitutes associated with this temple who entered the city each evening to ply their trade. One worshipped the goddess of love by having sexual relations with one of these prostitutes. Immorality in Corinth was so well known that to say who did not live in Corinth that they were a Corinthian, was an insult and a charge of sexual immorality. There was no city in the Roman Empire that was more corrupt.

I tend to believe that when Paul arrived in Corinth that he became depressed and discouraged. When confronted with the depravity of this city he must have felt almost overwhelmed. Every depraved thing that the imagination of man could come up with Paul saw in Corinth. Not only is Paul overwhelmed with immorality of Corinth; he is very much alone. Paul had left all of his co-workers, Silas and Timothy behind. In Corinth he faced the challenge of presenting the gospel to an entire city with a population of around, 250,000 people. He was justifiably overwhelmed.

I am sure that the temptation to give up was there. He was human, after all. Perhaps you can relate to that feeling. Maybe you have been working and trying to live the life that God has designed for you. Maybe things have gotten difficult. Perhaps your surrounding circumstances leave you feeling overwhelmed. The enemy would love for you to quit right in the middle of God’s plan for you. Take heart today. God is faithful to complete that which he has begun in you. Don’t quit before you see the fulfillment of his promise.

Even the Apostle Paul needed to be reassured that he was in the protective grace of God. But whatever this world may do to us, there is nothing that can change our eternal destiny. Even the Apostle Paul needed to know that he was not alone. As great a man as he was he still needed other people. He needed to know that he was not in the fight alone. We are much like Paul; God will send us that which we need. Hold on. Be courageous. Don’t Quit.

THE PLANS OF THE HEART

2010-07-30T11:12:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 16:1 “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.”

Some years ago Albert Einstein was on a train bound for New York City. As the ticket taker came walking through the car, Einstein reached into his pocket to retrieve his ticket, but could not find it. He frantically searched his coat pockets, turned his pants pockets inside out, but still could not produce the ticket.

The ticket taker said, ‘Don’t worry, Mr. Einstein, we all know who you are. Forget about it.’ About 20 minutes later, the ticket taker came back through the car, and by this time Einstein was on the floor searching everywhere for the lost ticket. Again the ticket taker tried to reassure Einstein by saying, ‘I told you not to worry about the lost ticket. We trust that you purchased one, and that is good enough for us.’ Einstein looked up at the railroad employee and said, ‘Young man, this isn’t a matter of trust but of direction. I need to find the ticket because I forgot where I am going.”

Do you have a clear sense of where you want to go in life? Are you headed toward that destination, moving away from that destination, or simply standing idle? The first foundational secret for wise living is simply this: Wise people have a sense of their God-given destination and have made plans of going there. Wise people know where they want to go in life and have a plan for getting there.

No body arrives at their destination in life by accident. The only thing that arrives at its intended destination by accident is airline luggage. In fact, without a plan, we tend to drift away from our dreams.

The best way to allow Satan to destroy your dreams is to do nothing. Continue to live with no action plan, and you will never arrive at your desired destination in life. Why? There is a law that works in the natural world that is also operative in your life: the second law of thermodynamics. This principle, simply stated, tells us that the physical world is decaying and that the direction of all creation is downward, not upward. Everything eventually runs down.

Have you ever wondered why a garden left untended eventually becomes overgrown with weeds? The answer is that everything in the world is decaying. What is true in the physical world is also true about your life. If you don’t believe that, just ask yourself a few questions. Does your body tend to get healthier as you age? Does your vision improve the longer you live? Can you hear better when you are sixty that when you were twenty? If unchecked, the same decay that pulls your physical body downward will also destroy other parts of your life. Because of the sin nature we inherited from Adam, we do not naturally drift toward God or moved toward his plan for our lives. Instead, if we do not exert a proactive counter effort, the natural course of events will lead to the depletion of financial resources, the disintegration of our families, the deterioration of our bodies, and yes, the destruction of our souls. That is why it is essential to develop a plan to reverse the natural direction of your life and transport you to your desired destination. A plan is simply a road map for getting you to your desired destination in life.

Don’t just sit around and hope that every thing will work out the way you want it to be. Be wise. Plan for God’s best in your life.

KEYS TO A BREAKTHROUGH

2010-07-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

1 Chronicles 14:10 “So David inquired of God: "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"

David is describing the natural power of flooding. When waters break out of their banks great power is displayed washing everything away in its path and he describes the power of God in a similar way because when God unleashed his power there was nothing that could stop it. Before the breakthrough the scene in the scripture is called - Valley of Rephaim meaning house of the giant. After the breakthrough it is called - Baal Perazim - possessor of breaches.

Why was this place renamed after Baal a god of the Philistines and not after the Lord? Because at this place the enemy thought he was the strongest – so David called it Baal Perazim meaning that God broke through in the strongest place of the enemy - God wants to give you a breakthrough in those areas of your life that the enemy is the strongest. They may be areas in which you have felt defeated for a long, long time. It may be a situation that seems so bad that you feel helpless. It may seem like an unmovable force in your life. Remember, God is not deterred by the same things that hinder you and me.

What area of breakthrough do you need? – Faith –Family – Finances – Freedom.

It says that when David saw the enemy he inquired of the Lord. It is interesting that David didn’t assume the obvious. They had come to fight and God had given them an army to fight them with. It would seem evident that this was God’s plan. But, David does not assume to know God’s thoughts. He goes to God to seek God’s favor upon him.

It takes faith and action to see a breakthrough. You may be saying that it just seems so overwhelming, but David’s example offers us two keys to a breakthrough.

First, we must seek God’s direction. David understood that he needed God’s direction before he went into battle. David had won his fair share of battles including his great victory over Goliath. He could have easily relied on his own personal military experience, confidence and skill as a warrior to handle the situation. David depended on God so greatly that when the Philistines attacked a second time, he sought God again before he attacked. We need to continually seek God’s direction.

Second, we must follow God’s direction. Where God leads he is also present, so if we follow his leading we will always be in his presence and there would be assurance of God’s protection, provision or power.

We should always remember in times of trial to let patience have its perfect work. Be patient in allowing God to complete his work in you. Remember James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Your breakthrough is on its way if you remain in faith by seeking God and following his direction.

FINDING GOD IN A CRISIS

2010-07-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

2 Kings 5:1 “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.”

Imagine this: You graduate from the University with honors. You are intelligent and are soon employed by a big and famous company. You do well and are promoted a few times. You are now the CEO of the company, and business continues to expand to the regions. You have made a name for yourself. You’re smart, famous and rich. But then one day, you feel a pain in your body. It’s a terminal illness. You’re devastated. All the successes of the past mean nothing to you now. All the fame and riches do not matter. You just want to stay alive.

Naaman was in a similar situation – he was Commander of Syrian army. He was a great leader and a valiant soldier. He won many battles. He was smart and daring soldier. General Naaman had the world under his control. He had everything you and I crave for. He was at the height of his career.

Unfortunately there is a big but - he was a leper. Leprosy is terminal. He is doomed. He will be quarantined for life. There was no cure. Naaman, the powerful Commander, is now a powerless, sick man. Beneath that glamorous armor is a problem that is breaking him. His status, fame, intelligence and past achievements do not really matter now. Everything looks insignificant. When the maid introduced him to a prophet in Israel, it was best news he could hear. What he needed now was to find God.

God can use crisis in our life to wake us up and help us see what truly matters in life. Naaman would have gone through life trusting himself and all his achievements, but now God brought a halt to this journey – the crisis led him to the God of Israel. At the end of it, he knew that there was only one true God in the entire world, and that’s the God of Israel.

God was what Naaman needed. He had everything that man would want today, but that was not enough. What we need today is not more of wealth, status or accomplishments. What we need is more of God – to know him, love him and stick close to him. We may have everything in our favor, just like Naaman, but one day we’ll realize that these do not matter. Jesus says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26)

Have faith in God. That’s the lesson. You can trust him. Never mind if you do not understand everything. Do as he says. It’s easy to believe God for something you’ve already seen him do before. But Naaman’s circumstance wasn’t easy – he had a terminal disease, and nobody he knew had ever been healed of it. He has no point of reference to look back on. And he was told to do something irrational. To an army General, this was difficult. It took faith.

What are you seeking today? Naaman needed to know God and be saved. God brought him that blessing, but only through a crisis. Refocus today. Allow God to bring revelation to you of what truly matters most. Allow his love for you, not a crisis, to draw you close to him.

A NEW HEART

2010-07-26T10:35:00.001-07:00

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.”

The problem with giving into temptation over and over again is that it begins to be a habit – like a wagon that make ruts in a road it becomes easier and easier to just stay in the rut and continue to give in. This is where we find Judah and Jerusalem in the time of Ezekiel. They have gotten into a rut of sin, extreme promiscuity, idol worship, child sacrifice, and oppression of the poor and the weak.They have become so bad that God finally has to remove them from the land he has promised them. Although God has cast his judgment upon them, he tells them that his judgment will not last forever. One day he will restore them to the land that he promised them. This prophecy is fulfilled in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. God uses the pagan kings Cyrus and Artaxerxes to send the Jewish people back to Jerusalem and the land.God also knows that even if Israel returns to him and serves him once again, it won’t be too long before the pull to sin and other gods begins again. So along with the promise of a return to the land, he gives them this promise of a heart transplant. No longer will their hearts be hard and cold to his love, but he will give them a heart of flesh that will respond to his love, and love him in return. He will give them a heart that actually wants to obey his ways.

When God’s Spirit takes a hold of us he gives us the desire to obey, and the power to fulfill those desires and actually obey him and do what he wants. But we need to walk with the Spirit, or our hearts can begin to harden once again. When we come to Christ, his Spirit helps us to want the right and to do it, but he doesn’t take our will away. If we want to we can resist the Spirit and continue to behave badly.

There is a story of an elder who had come to faith in Jesus, and he described the struggle to a younger man by saying, “It feels like there are two dogs fighting inside of me.” The young man asked, “which dog wins?” The older man replied “Which ever one I feed?” Which dog are you feeding? Are you feeding the things of the Spirit in your life, or are you feeding the things of the sinful nature? Are you spending time in prayer, Scripture reading, Christian fellowship & worship? Or are you spending time satisfying your sinful nature.

God gives us this new heart that is not hard so that it can actually respond to him. Maybe you have experienced this yourself. Perhaps, there was a time in your life when you had no interest in spiritual things, but at some point your heart became alive to the good news and you began your journey back to God through Jesus. The key is to keep your focus on the condition of the new heart you have been given. Don’t allow the circumstances you face to hardened your heart and change your perspective. Stay sensitive to him and he will always guide you.

YOUR FAILURE IS NOT FATAL

2010-07-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Have you had a moment of failure lately? Well, you are not alone. Here is a list of prominent failures:

*Thomas Edison – his teacher said, "he was too stupid to learn;"
*Albert Einstein -- his teacher said, "He (Albert) was mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams;"
*Decca records who rejected the Beatles
*The newspaper editor who fired Walt Disney because he lack ideas......and, in turn, the Disney executives years later who rejected Star Wars, claiming it would flop at the box office

We all mess up, fail, and make bad choices. If you have recently done so – welcome to the human race. In scripture, Paul offers some encouragement to those who are suffering through trouble and maybe failure.

Here is a fact that we all need to come to grips with. – “Even at our best, we fail.” I hope you’ll see your failures as something less than fatal. At the point of failure, we have a choice to make. We can fail backward or we can fail forward. Failing forward allows us to grow and to learn from our failures. Let’s look at a five fold system in facing our failures.

#1 -- Acknowledge Your Failure
Most of us hate admitting failure. It is important to know that not every failure points to a sin - at least not yours. For example:Job lost his family, home, and belongings. He didn’t do anything wrong.Jesus was seized, convicted, and executed. He didn’t do anything wrong.James 3:2 says "We all stumble in many things." In other words, we all fail. Fight the urge to simply redefine success instead of acknowledging failure. Have you ever heard someone say that a marriage failed? That is a great example of missing the point. Marriages don’t fail, people do.

#2 -- Accept God’s Forgiveness.
There is no failure to big for God to forgive. In fact, forgiveness is God’s specialty. According to the scripture, God is willing to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” The key is that we have to accept the forgiveness. That requires that we let it go. Stop dwelling on the magnificence of your failure. If God is willing to forgive you, what gives you the right to refuse to forgive yourself?

#3 -- Apply The Lessons of Failure Toward Success
Don’t totally forget your failures. Don’t beat yourself, but learn something.*Tom Watson Sr., founded IBM and guided "Big Blue" for over 40 years. One of his most impressive moments in leadership occurred when a junior executive lost an enormous amount of money ($10 million) on a risky venture for the company. Watson called the man into the office and the man entered and nervously blurted out, "I guess you want my resignation?" Watson replied, "You can’t be serious. We’ve just spent $10 million educating you." Mistakes can be teachers that provide us with invaluable lessons. Even though we fail, that doesn’t mean we’re failures.

#4 -- Accept Failure as a Fact of Life, Not A Way of Life
Peter the disciple knew all about failure. In the upper room Jesus warned Peter about how he, Peter, would deny him, Jesus, before the rooster crowed three times. Of course, the story in Mark 14 confirms that Peter did just as Christ had foretold. Peter blew it and he knew it. He could have hid and spent the rest of his life as hermit in seclusion. But instead, two months later he preached one of the greatest sermons in Christianity and 3,000 people were saved. Don’t ever let someone call you a failure or a loser. Failure is an event, not a person. It’s something you do, not something you become. Your failures are not fatal. Your attitude during failure determines your altitude after failure.

# 5 -- Arise From Failure & Start Again.
You can fail in two directions: Backward or Forward. You have that choice. You can’t decide if you’re going to fail or not. You’re going to fail. Don’t fall into the trap of looking only to see a composite of all our short comings and failures. God looks beyond our failures to see us. Can you imagine a loving father introducing his children by saying, "This is Sue. She spilled grape juice on the carpet when she was 2, scratched the car with her bike when she was 9, failed to get on the honor roll in all 4 years of high school, she’s been married twice and has had four speeding tickets." Loving fathers don’t memorize their children’s mistakes, neither does our heavenly father. If you’re beating yourself up for the memories of past mistakes, you’re holding yourself to higher standard than even God has. He doesn’t remember the forgiven failure.

DWELL DEEP

2010-07-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 49:8 “Flee, turn back, dwell deep, inhabitants of Dedan. For calamity is coming.”

Dedan was a tribe of Arabs dwelling with the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. When the Arabs were about to be attacked by a powerful foe, they would pick up their tents, pack up their utensils, lade their camels, which they could do in a couple of hours, and set off to the great desert. They would so bury themselves in the desert that no enemy either would or could pursue them. The Arabs alone knew the deserts, and could find water and provisions for their support. They were called to flee, and to get into caves, where they might dwell deep in the earth and be in some security. By digging themselves deep into the caverns and rocks they were secure from the enemy.

Have you ever felt under attack? Maybe overwhelmed by the problems that have come against you? It seems that many people today are searching for the answers to life’s problems. They are looking for a way to find relief. Some people just want to get away from it all. There are times that we must fight against these troubles. There are also times we need to recuperate from the struggles. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us that there is a time for everything.

When I was a child, our family dog had a keen sense for when it was time to take a step back. When he was frightened or when he thought he may be in trouble he would hide himself under a neighbor’s porch. He would get as far back a possible to a place where no one could reach him. Sometimes, he would stay there for several hours.

As Christians, we will face moments in life in which we may feel overwhelmed; without answers to the things we are facing. It is true that there are times that we must push forward and keep moving. But there are times that we need rest. Times that we need a place to gather ourselves and regain our strength. These are not physical caves or hiding places. You can’t abandon your problems and hope that they will disappear. We can, however, rest in the love of God Almighty. The Psalmist sang unto the Lord, “In the shadow of your wings, will I make my refuge.”

God calls out to us to find our hiding place in him. It is an opportunity, not just to hide. But to rest, to recover, and to grow in God. The prophet Jeremiah called upon the people to dwell deep in the desert. In the same manner, we can dwell deep in our relationship with our loving God. In those moments of rest, we are offered an intimate chance to know him better. We are drawn closer to God. It is about being in the presence of our deliverer. We will not be allowed to hide forever. But by dwelling deep in his presence, we will come out more equipped for victory over our problems and confidence for the road ahead.

Be encouraged today to dwell deep in him. Become intimately aware of his word and his voice. Learn to trust in his ways by discovering his ways through deep relationship with him. When trouble comes, you have a place to go. It is in the arms of the Most High God. It is a place of refuge and hope. It is also a place of supply, or learning, and of growing. Dwell as deep as you can and discover new things in him.

SHAKE OFF COMPLACENCY

2010-07-22T01:10:00.000-07:00

Zephaniah 1:12 “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.'

Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, told a story about a goose who was wounded and who landed in a barnyard with some chickens. He played with the chickens and ate with the chickens. After a while that goose thought he was a chicken. One day a flight of geese came over, migrating to their home. They gave a honk up there in the sky, and he heard it. The philosopher said, "Something stirred within the breast of this goose. Something called him to the skies. He began to flap the wings he hadn’t used, and he rose a few feet into the air. Then he stopped, and he settled back again into the mud of the barnyard. He heard the cry, but he settled for less." Complacency keeps us in the mud of the barnyard and keeps us from becoming all God meant for us to be.

Zephaniah has a harsh word to say about the person who has become spiritually complacent. Zephaniah said that God would search the city and “punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ’The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.’”

We are all subject to becoming complacent. Our souls become tired. Our spirits become fatigued. We find ourselves thinking that the poor are all around us, someone else can take care of them. There are lonely people in the church we could call on, but we don’t.There are people in our neighborhood we could invite to come to church, but we ignore them. There are commands that God has given us, but in a world in which people care very little for ethics and moral conduct, it is easy for us to yield to temptation and become complacent about living for God.

It is all too common and easy. Getting comfortable is a happy feeling. But it can, if left unchecked, stunt our growth and rob us of God’s blessings. The enemy would love for us to feel as though our “position” is as good as it gets and for us to feel that there is little benefit in striving for a stronger and deeper relationship with God. Life will confront us with choices. Apathy is a choice. We have to choose to be indifferent by overlooking the prompting of God to pursue greater things. How do you fight complacency? How do you get “fired up for God” when the spark has died out?

In Revelation, God tells the angel of the complacent church of Laodicea, “Behold, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” In order to fight complacency, you have to hear the voice of God. Listen to the Word of God. Reject the “been there, done that” mentality. Lose the “it’s somebody else’s problem” approach. Listen to what God is saying to you. Then, get up and open the door. God desires everything from us and he wants us to have all of him. Nothing less will suffice.

MARKED MOMENTS

2010-07-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Genesis 35:14 “Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him.”

There are those moments in history that we can never forget. There are those moments that are so dramatic and impactful that you will always remember where you were when it happened. My mother says that she remembers vividly where she was when President Kennedy was assassinated. My grandmother can clearly recall the day when Pearl Harbor was attacked. For me, it is the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that occurred on January 28, 1996. I was sitting in my fifth grade class when the news broke. My teacher knew that it was an incredible moment in history and we watched the news coverage the rest of the day. Of course the horrible events of September 11, 2001 will always be seared into our collective memories as well.

The point is that there are some memories that stick with us more than others. Perhaps you remember the name of your third grade teacher or the date you saw your first baseball game. Often times, we keep memorabilia or mementos to help us remember. The postcard from your vacation to Niagara Falls. The ticket stub from the movie you saw with your spouse on your first date. People takes hundreds, if not thousands, of photos every year to preserve memories.

It is wise to mark important events in our lives. I never want to forget the feeling I had when each of my children were born or the way I felt on my wedding day. As Christians, we have pivotal moments in our walk with God as well. They are those times that help set the course of our lives. Maybe it’s a moment when a certain scripture encouraged you to make a monumental decision. Perhaps it’s the uplifting of the Spirit at just the right time. Maybe it’s that change in circumstances that you knew was orchestrated by God himself. Whatever it may be, those are the moments that we should mark so that we never forget. You see, I remember the night that I knew that God had called me into the ministry. I have marked it in my mind. I can clearly tell you how my wife and I felt when God directed us to make the biggest move of our life. For us, these were pivotal moments and we think of them often.

Why is it so important to mark these moments? I have had plenty of moments in which I have questioned my calling. I have suffered setbacks and then felt like quitting. There are been many difficulties endured that can make us feel as if we belong in a different place. It is in those times. That we go back to those “marked moments.” We look back at God’s faithfulness and his provision. We remember what he said to us and it gives us the strength to continue.

Every moment will not be remarkable. There will be plenty of times that lack excitement and, in turn, create confusion. That is why it is so important to hold on to the moments in which God has impacted us through his voice, his mercy, or his direction. The enemy would love for us to forget what God has done and what God has said. Like Jacob, we should mark the moment in our heart. Remind yourself of it often. Never forget what God has done.

A LESSON FROM LEPERS

2010-07-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

Luke 17:12-13 “As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

Have you ever had a totally lousy day? I read about a man who was sitting in a bar, looking at his drink. He stayed like that for half-an-hour. Then, a big trouble-making truck driver stepped up next to him, grabbed the drink from him, and gulped it down in one swallow. At that, the man burst into tears. The truck driver said, “Come on man, I was just joking. Here, I’ll buy you another drink. I just can’t stand to see a grown man crying.” “No, it’s not that.” The guy said, “Today day is the worst of my life. First, I overslept and was late to an important meeting. My boss was outraged and he fired me. When I left the office, I discovered my car had been stolen, and the police said there was nothing they could do. I took a cab home, and as he drove off I realized I left my wallet in the back seat of the taxi. I thought it couldn’t get any worse, but when I walked into my house I found my wife in the arms of another man–and she told me to leave. So I stopped by a chemical store, and then came here. I’ve been sitting here thinking about taking my life…when you come in and drink all my poison!”That’s a bad day–for both of them. The Bible never promises our lives will be free from pain and difficulties, instead the Bible promises we will have many trials and tribulations in this life. The secret to a successful life is in knowing where to turn for help when you have a problem.

Our scripture offers us an example of ten men that had it pretty bad. But they were certain that Jesus could help them. In biblical times, leprosy was a terrible problem. The word was often used to describe a variety of skin diseases, but doctors believe most of the people suffered with what we now call Hansen’s Disease. It starts with a white patch of skin that becomes numb, so much so that the victims cannot even feel a needle piercing the spot. The patch begins to spread all over the body and often manifests itself on the face, so the disease is impossible to hide. It then begins to form spongy tumors on the face and, at the same time, attacks the internal organs as well. The nerve endings become numb so the victim cannot tell when something is hurting him, like fire burning his hand. The leprosy itself was not fatal, but more lepers died from other diseases they contracted because of their weakened condition. Lepers were called “the walking dead,” and were kicked out of their homes and villages and forced to live in colonies with other lepers. They couldn’t work or worship at the temple.

These ten men banded together and decided they wouldn’t just give up and die, so they got up and headed toward Jesus. When they found Jesus they didn’t talk about the weather, Jewish politics or chariot races; they cried out as one voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”It would have been easy for these ten lepers to look at each other and think, “We’re not so bad, we’re all in the same condition.” One of them could have said, “My leprosy is not as bad as his, so I’m doing okay.” Instead, they said, “We’ve got a big problem! We’re going to die! We need to get some help!”

We are no different. We all have things we need from God. We have choices. We can sit by and pretend that we are okay and that we are content. Or, we can faithfully proclaim our need for God and our belief that he will bless us. Take your cue from the ten lepers. When you find yourself in need, call out to him. He is sure to hear you.

A SLAVE TO...?

2010-07-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

2 Peter 2:19 “…for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”

Motivation is the driving force behind many of our decisions and most of our actions. I know this to be true every morning when my alarm clock goes off, telling me that it is time to get out of bed and get ready for work. Why do I get up? Why don’t I just stay in bed? If I don’t go to work, I don’t get paid. If I don’t get paid, I can’t pay my bills. If I can’t pay my bills, I won’t have a place to live or food to eat. So, why to do get up and go to work? I want the pay check. That’s motivation.

Motivation is a good thing. As long as it stays in check and remains in balance. If all I think about is my pay check, then I may be in danger of being motivated in excess. Don’t get me wrong. Money is important. It is not, however, the most important thing. I want a pay check so that my quality of life, and that of my children, will be good. But, if I find myself driven by money so much that I am always working and never available to spend time with my family, well, where’s the balance? Where’s the quality?

My oldest son loves to play Nintendo Wii. I mean, he loves it. If I allowed him to, he would play it every waking moment. When he is not playing, he is talking about playing. I realized lately that his love for the game was getting out of hand. He woke up one morning and the first words out of his mouth were, “Yoshi, Mario, and Luigi.” He doesn’t want to eat breakfast. He doesn’t want to take a shower. He doesn’t even want to swim in our pool. He just wants to play Wii. Sure, it’s cute and somewhat comical. He is only six and to see him enjoy something so much does make me smile.

His rather innocent behavior reinforces the point of our scripture. We can be just like him about so many things. I have known men that loved to golf just as much as he loves Nintendo. I have watched people spend more and more time at the casino, the pool hall, or the gym. None of those things, in and of themselves, are a big deal. But anything that impacts our thought life and behavior more than our love and devotion to God is definitely an issue.

Some may feel that Peter’s choice of the word “slave” is a little strong. Some may say that nothing masters them. Well, that is not even the way it is supposed to be. We are all motivated and driven by something. It is supposed to be our love for the God who gave it all for us. He is our master and our God.

What moves you? Where is your devotion? Is it a hobby, a person, a habit? Whatever it may be, if it dictates your thoughts, feelings, and actions then it has mastered you and in turn you are a slave to it. Take an inventory of your thoughts and actions. Allow God to reveal to you what motivates you the most. If need be, allow the love of God to replace unhealthy motivations. Then you will know the true meaning of living free.

WORDS OF COMFORT

2010-07-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Micah 2:7 “If you would do what is right, you would find my word comforting.”

“Don’t talk to strangers.” “Brush your teeth.” “Don’t eat too many cookies.” “Wear your seat belt.” These are all things that my parents said over and over to me as a young person. I must admit that at the time these words would cause me to roll my eyes and say “Yes, I know.” It seemed that they were always telling me what to do and what not to do. It often created a lot of tension in our home. As I grew older, I would find new and inventive ways of being disobedient. I often wondered why they were trying to control me so much.

Now, I am a father. Surprisingly enough, I often say, “don’t talk to strangers.” “Brush your teeth.” “Don’t eat too many cookies.” Buckle up.” I now realize that it isn’t an issue of control, but of love and guidance. My kids respond the same way, with a roll of the eyes and the all too familiar, “Yes, I know.” If I knew then what I know now, I would have never been bothered by the instructions of my parents. I would have, instead, been comforted to know that they loved me so much that they were willing to say it over and over and over again. I hope that one day my children will feel the same way.

Isn’t it funny how as Christians we can sometimes respond like children to God’s word. “Walk after the spirit.” “Flee the very appearance of evil.” “Don’t be unequally joined to unbelievers”. “Give.” “Love” “Forgive.” Sometimes the words of the Lord can reveal things to us that catapult us into an opportunity of self-examination. Remember Hebrews 4:12 “The word of God is powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword…It exposes the innermost thoughts and desires.” In that moment, we face the proverbial “fork in the road”. Do we hear the words and allow them to guide us? Do we become agitated by them and look for an easier way?

If we allow God’s word to bother us, we are in danger of looking for cheap alternatives to God’s blessings. I can say from experience that I have always been less content when I knew my life wasn’t lining up with God’s word. My usual conduct in those moments is to try and rationalize how I’m right and that somehow the Bible is misinterpreted. I will follow after what I want.

In our scripture, the prophet gives some powerful words. He says, just do what’s right and God’s word will not be offensive. You won’t have to look for a more comfortable interpretation. You won’t get caught up in an enlightening movement that makes you feel good, but never challenges you. Trust the one who inspired the scripture. Live by the infallible instructions offered for your benefit. In him you will find comfort. It’s like Micah is saying “there is peace in knowing that you are doing what is right according to scripture.” How true that is.

Today, I still am comforted in thinking of how much my parents loved me. They loved me enough to tell me the truth. God loved us enough to send us his word. It won’t always confirm that we’re right. It will always lead us to the comforting right path.

THE POWER OF ONE

2010-07-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Joshua 23:10 “One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.”

There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God could not exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.

For twenty years he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him (you’ll see what I mean later). Nobody would go against him because he had a reputation. At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to the class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty years, nobody ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove he is God, and yet he can’t do it." And every year he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God could not exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through; but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

A few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major. And he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought. Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his faith, he hoped. Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of three hundred people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the room. The professor shouted, "YOU FOOL! If nothing I have said all semester has convinced you that God does not exist, then you are a fool! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. And as it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken.

The professor’s jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. Three hundred students stayed and listened as he told of God’s love for them and of his power through Jesus.

Can one man or one woman possess such power? With God one can. With God one can be strong, be wiser than others, endure, and conquer. Often we are overwhelmed by a sense of personal insignificance. Often a person feels like an expendable commodity. We feel a sense of complete uselessness believing "I am just one--and what can just one do?" Understand God can use you to make a difference in this world, in the lives of others, and in this church, if you will let Him.

Helen Keller said, “"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." How? By making yourself available, being bold, being courageous, and having faith.

The enemy would surely love for us to believe that our lives are insignificant. That nothing we do matters. Never believe that you can’t. God doesn’t need armies. He just wants faithful individuals. Step up and be confident. You can make a difference.

STRENGTHENED BY GOD

2010-07-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

I Samuel 30:6 “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

He knew he was called, specially chosen, destined to the throne. He had a daily visitation of God’s Holy Spirit. He had a cause, he had zeal for the Lord, he was holy and burdened for the poor and needy. He lived a circumspect life that caused even his enemies to respect him.

Think of what must have gone through David’s mind as he stood over the burning ruins of his home, not knowing whether his family was dead or alive. He must have asked the question, “why?”, when thinking over the past few years, up to this very moment. "Why, if God is with me, did Saul try to kill me? Why was he so insanely jealous over me? Why, if I have been anointed, did I have to escape to Gath and pretend madness, acting like an insane fool? Why, if God’s Spirit is upon me, guiding me, did I have to hide out in caves? Why, if I’m a man after God’s heart, did I have to live in the wilderness, hunted down like a wild animal? Is this the reward of the anointed -- sleepless nights fearing for my life, harassed on all sides, living on handouts as an outcast?"

Now, after finally finding a home and enjoying a few months of peace, it all crumbles in unbelievable disaster. Ziklag is in ruins and all is lost. To make matters even worse, David’s closest associates were blaming him for the tragedy.

What a shoddy way for God to treat his anointed servant -- at least that is the way it appears on the surface. He is no longer the giant killer whose praises are being sung by admiring crowds. He is no longer the mighty man of faith and vision, looked upon with respect and love. Now he is in total rejection, on the verge of being stoned as a failure. David stands alone, stripped and confused -- in total despair.

What does a person do when discouragement sets in and he feels useless, like a complete failure, abandoned by God and rejected by those who once cared? His beloved friend Jonathan was nowhere in sight. How refreshing it might have been had he been able to talk to the one friend he knew would never let him down. Abigail had been taken from him. His parents were far away. Where can he go for comfort? To whom can he turn for encouragement?

What can we do when a crisis comes? We can fall into despair, be angry, and blame others. We all know that those methods don’t work. As Christians, we have an opportunity in tough times to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. Believe it or not, God was in this apparent tragedy. If David is to become the man God uses, he must be stripped of everything, including his reputation and self-will. He must cry out of his system the last tears of self-pity. He must face the full fury of loneliness and overcome it. He must put away all memory of applause and praise for what he had accomplished and draw his strength from God. This was God’s intention for David all along. This was the purpose behind all the hard times, the loneliness, the strange leadings of the Lord. God wanted David to get his eyes off all his enemies, off all his friends and draw from God the strength and encouragement he needed both now and in the future.

Like David, we will endure difficult times. We must turn our thoughts towards God. In other words we must correct our thinking. If we think depressing thoughts we will be depressed. If we think delightful thoughts we will be filled with delight and joy. When things go wrong, focus on the one true God. Let it be all about him; not your problems or your pains. Encourage yourself with the knowledge of a God that loves you.

HE KNOWS YOU. DO YOU KNOW HIM?

2010-07-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Psalms 139:1 “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.”

Dennis Wise spent his whole life collecting Elvis memorabilia. Elvis Presley was his hero. Dennis bought his clothes, records, photographs. He even underwent plastic surgery to try to look more like Elvis. But his great regret was that he never got to meet the man he adored.

A similar but greater tragedy with many Christians is that they spend years listening to sermons, reading scriptures, maybe even teaching Bible class, but they fail to enjoy a close relationship with God. And, if we’re not careful, we’ll end up like the Israelites in Hosea’s day that went through all the right motions, but they never really knew God.

We have managed to come up with this list of qualities about God -- he’s eternal, holy, all-loving, all-wise, omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omni-present (everywhere at the same time). And we somehow come to the conclusion that if we understand all these qualities about God, then we know God. But that’s knowing about God and it doesn’t really apply to whether or not I know him.

In order to know God, we must be willing to commit our lives to following his will. John wrote, "Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says, ’I know him’, and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (I John 2:3-4).

But even doing what God commands is no guarantee that we really know him. To the people of Israel long ago, God said through Hosea, "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6). You see, the people of Israel were going through all the right motions, but they didn’t really know God.

When it comes to knowing God, we have no right to demand that God, the Almighty God who brought this world into existence open himself up to us, to demand that God be on close and intimate terms with us. And yet that’s exactly what he has chosen to do. And I think that’s why God said through Jeremiah, "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me." Because it’s a tremendous privilege to have the opportunity to know God.

But, again, we need to be careful lest we confuse knowing about God with knowing God. If you’ve ever been to a Christian college, it’s like going through a freshman survey class. You go through the Old Testament and you learn names and dates and events. What happened on the fifth day of creation, who were Moses’ parents, who was the second judge, what objects were in the ark, and so on? You come away from a class like that thinking that you know God, but you may never pause to ask, am I really growing closer to him?

To know God is not just to have an intellectual knowledge about God; it’s to have an intimate personal relationship with God, which is the most important relationship in our life. Be challenged to truly know the creator. Press in to a deep relationship and find true fulfillment.

WHO WILL GO?

2010-07-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, here am I. Send me.”

Have you ever received one of those phone calls congratulating you on some fabulous vacation that you have won? They usually go something like this: “Congratulations, you have won a cruise, or a Disney vacation, or a 3-day getaway to beautiful Gatlinburg, Tennessee”. Or maybe it is a free stay at some beach resort, but whatever it is; we understand that there is a catch somewhere. Maybe we will have to sit through a sales pitch, or maybe we will have to pay a small reservations fee to lock in our vacation, but we know that there is always a catch. Because we know that the trip will not be all it is cracked up to be, we usually don’t go.

God has sent people to one place or another, and sometimes their journeys weren’t easy, but God always went with them on their journeys. Moses had every reason to go where God sent him and every excuse why he didn’t want to go. In Exodus chapter 13, we read about Moses out tending his father-in-law’s sheep when he saw the burning bush. When God called to him and said, “Moses! Moses!” he replied, “Here I am”.

God then explains that he has seen the misery of the Israelites in Egypt and plans to free them. He tells Moses that he is sending him to Pharaoh to lead the people out. Moses then replies, “Who am I…” Moses says, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

In Isaiah chapter 6, Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. Isaiah even says that as the seraphs were calling to one another, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty” the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

It would be amazing to be in the presence of only these seraphs, but Isaiah was in the presence of God himself. When Isaiah was struck with the realization of where he was and whose presence he was in, he was overcome with fear and woe! He said, “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Isaiah had been commissioned by God to speak for him to Judah. Israel and Judah were split at this point, and neither was truly faithful to God. Isaiah had the best job in the world and the worst job. He got to be God’s messenger, and what a privilege it is to speak God’s words. But often, Isaiah was required to speak unpopular messages to the people because they weren’t right with God. When Isaiah said that he was a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, he was referring to living among God’s chosen people. Isaiah knew that they were unfaithful and deserving of judgment.

But just like Moses, Isaiah was reassured. Moses had God’s explanations and miraculous signs. Isaiah had the seraph that purified him to make him acceptable in God’s presence.

In my eyes, the greatest difference in Moses and Isaiah comes in their replies to God. When God sent Moses, Moses said, “O please Lord, send someone else...”, but when God asked, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah replied, “Here am I. Send me!”

God is sending you somewhere. It may not be to a foreign land or to an erring nation. He may not be sending you to save the whole world with your blood, but he is sending you with a purpose. What will your response be? Have courage and confidence in a faithful God. Be ready and willing to follow God wherever he leads.