Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Worn out- Tired, weary, in need of rest.
Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
Revelation 2:1-3
To the church in Ephesus 1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Should a Christian ever be worn out? Yes! Christians should be about the work of God, working fervently to grow the kingdom. We should be helping those that cannot help themselves, we should be acting as Christ to the world, Christians should definitely be worn out.
Worn Out- to be out of usefulness, for all the best portion to be used up, to no longer function in an acceptable manner
Mark 4:17
But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Luke 8:13
Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.
Genesis 18:11-13
11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master [a] is old, will I now have this pleasure?"
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?'
Should Christians ever be worn out? No! Christians that keep focused on God never wear out and become useless. We may become useful in new areas and less useful in areas that we were once vibrant but God never allows us to "wear out" in this way? Look at Sarah, she was sure that God could not use her to bring about his will, in the end He did as she bore a child late in life.
Worn Out- slang term meaning to be put down, to be degraded verbally.
John 15:20
Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
1 Corinthians 4:12
We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
Matthew 5:10
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Are Christians suppose to be worn out? Yes! The Bible has always been very clear telling us that in this world we will face trouble. If you are like me, this is not a fact that we like to hear or confront head on. However, if we are living a life acceptable to Christ then we often times butt heads with the wold's views. This often manifests itself in the form of verbal, and sometimes worse, persecution.
Have you ever felt worn out? We all have, and we have all felt worn out in all three ways. The point of today's lesson is just a friendly reminder through a bit of word play. Sometimes when you feel worn out, make sure you don't get worn out even when you are getting worn out.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Holiday Hierarchy
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Everyone loves Christmas. Think about the way that Christmas has been embraced. Christmas doesn't just get one day, even on the calendar it gets Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and on some calendars even Old Christmas. Christmas is so loved that it has it's own song that tries to elongate the holiday, The 12 Days of Christmas.
Let's face it, Christmas even has the coolest mascot with a fat man dressed in fur, a killer ride sporting 12 reindeer power, and an army of little guys and gals who have pointy ears and an aptitude for making every toy under the sun. Christmas is so big that we start thinking about it on Thanksgiving when Santa Clause crashes Turkey Day to wrap up the Macy's Day Parade.
Why has Christmas gotten so big? Why is it that we start shopping in February for December 25th? If you ask 10 Christians what is the most important holiday in the Christian Calendar, I'm guessing that 9 out of 10 would say without hesitation, Christmas. Why?
There is no doubt that Christmas is a very important part of the story of Christ Jesus. After all it is at Christmas when we celebrate the deity of God coming into the world as a man. However, I submit to you that Christmas is not the most important date in the Christian Calendar, Easter is.
If Jesus had come to the world but not carried through the act of dying and resurrection, Jesus would only be a prophet, a man who came and taught, a god who experienced the world and then returned to his throne. No the act of coming was amazing, but in and of itself it has little value.
Easter, now Easter is the fruition of birth, life, death, and eternity. Easter is the time of year when we pause to remember that Jesus was not just a baby in a manger, not just a prophet of old who brought a message, not just the God who came to Earth. Easter is the time when we remember that Jesus chose to live a perfect life, never sinning, never deviating from what is right. Easter is the time when we are humbled into remembering that the world killed it's King in the most brutal of ways. Most importantly, Easter is the time when we remember that even death could not conquer our God.
The very thing that makes us Christians comes from Easter. To be a follower of Christ we acknowledge that Jesus died not for anything he did, but for the things that we do. As Christians we put our faith in Christ that he did rise from the grave and that he will one day cause us to do the same. Being a Christian has very little to do with believing that Jesus was born at Christmas time, even atheists believe Jesus was born. Being Christians has everything to do with believing the Truths of Easter.
Why is it important that we put the proper emphasis on Easter? Just as Christians has become somewhat confused about the importance of our celebrations, so has the world. The world sees Christmas as the most important holiday in our calendar. Thus, the world also sees the actions behind that holiday as the most important in our religion. Are we putting out the right message?
Everyone loves Christmas. Think about the way that Christmas has been embraced. Christmas doesn't just get one day, even on the calendar it gets Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and on some calendars even Old Christmas. Christmas is so loved that it has it's own song that tries to elongate the holiday, The 12 Days of Christmas.
Let's face it, Christmas even has the coolest mascot with a fat man dressed in fur, a killer ride sporting 12 reindeer power, and an army of little guys and gals who have pointy ears and an aptitude for making every toy under the sun. Christmas is so big that we start thinking about it on Thanksgiving when Santa Clause crashes Turkey Day to wrap up the Macy's Day Parade.
Why has Christmas gotten so big? Why is it that we start shopping in February for December 25th? If you ask 10 Christians what is the most important holiday in the Christian Calendar, I'm guessing that 9 out of 10 would say without hesitation, Christmas. Why?
There is no doubt that Christmas is a very important part of the story of Christ Jesus. After all it is at Christmas when we celebrate the deity of God coming into the world as a man. However, I submit to you that Christmas is not the most important date in the Christian Calendar, Easter is.
If Jesus had come to the world but not carried through the act of dying and resurrection, Jesus would only be a prophet, a man who came and taught, a god who experienced the world and then returned to his throne. No the act of coming was amazing, but in and of itself it has little value.
Easter, now Easter is the fruition of birth, life, death, and eternity. Easter is the time of year when we pause to remember that Jesus was not just a baby in a manger, not just a prophet of old who brought a message, not just the God who came to Earth. Easter is the time when we remember that Jesus chose to live a perfect life, never sinning, never deviating from what is right. Easter is the time when we are humbled into remembering that the world killed it's King in the most brutal of ways. Most importantly, Easter is the time when we remember that even death could not conquer our God.
The very thing that makes us Christians comes from Easter. To be a follower of Christ we acknowledge that Jesus died not for anything he did, but for the things that we do. As Christians we put our faith in Christ that he did rise from the grave and that he will one day cause us to do the same. Being a Christian has very little to do with believing that Jesus was born at Christmas time, even atheists believe Jesus was born. Being Christians has everything to do with believing the Truths of Easter.
Why is it important that we put the proper emphasis on Easter? Just as Christians has become somewhat confused about the importance of our celebrations, so has the world. The world sees Christmas as the most important holiday in our calendar. Thus, the world also sees the actions behind that holiday as the most important in our religion. Are we putting out the right message?
Keys
Monday, March 24, 2008
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
One of the nice things about being a kid growing up was the knowledge that there was always a safe place for me to run to when the rest of the world was turned on it's ear. As a small child I never roamed very far. I would play in the surrounding woods and run through the yard, as darkness began to settle under the trees and shadows grew long I could run inside where I knew it was safe.
When I grew older, home remained that safe place to go. I ventured further and further away, but when life was crashing down around my ears with school, with friends, with relationships, home was still there. My parents gave me a key, although it seems they never locked their doors, they wanted me to know that no matter how old I got the door was always open, this place was always safe.
God does the same thing with us as Christians. When we were blind and unknowing he beckoned to us to come to his home, to knock so that we could be brought in and adopted. Once we join the family we are always welcomed, always safe to stay with the Father and follow his light. Too often though, if you are like me, you have to stretch your legs and go out into the yard, and the woods and sometimes I keep going, exploring until I look around and I find that I am lost. Nothing looks familiar, and I wonder how did I get so far away? How do I get back?
Isn't it nice to know that our Father always turns the light on, that he has given us a key and beckons us to come back. No matter where we have gone and what we have done he waits for us with open arms, he forgives us even though we can never repay him, even though we don't deserve it.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
John 3:17
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
One of the nice things about being a kid growing up was the knowledge that there was always a safe place for me to run to when the rest of the world was turned on it's ear. As a small child I never roamed very far. I would play in the surrounding woods and run through the yard, as darkness began to settle under the trees and shadows grew long I could run inside where I knew it was safe.
When I grew older, home remained that safe place to go. I ventured further and further away, but when life was crashing down around my ears with school, with friends, with relationships, home was still there. My parents gave me a key, although it seems they never locked their doors, they wanted me to know that no matter how old I got the door was always open, this place was always safe.
God does the same thing with us as Christians. When we were blind and unknowing he beckoned to us to come to his home, to knock so that we could be brought in and adopted. Once we join the family we are always welcomed, always safe to stay with the Father and follow his light. Too often though, if you are like me, you have to stretch your legs and go out into the yard, and the woods and sometimes I keep going, exploring until I look around and I find that I am lost. Nothing looks familiar, and I wonder how did I get so far away? How do I get back?
Isn't it nice to know that our Father always turns the light on, that he has given us a key and beckons us to come back. No matter where we have gone and what we have done he waits for us with open arms, he forgives us even though we can never repay him, even though we don't deserve it.
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
John 3:17
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Age of Anxiety
When we are taught history, we are often taught about different ages of men. Often the ages are identified by a certain material or invention. For instance, we identify certain periods as the stone age, the bronze age and the iron age.
I don't think it would be much of a stretch to classify the last 100 years in a somewhat similar manner. The age that we are living in now could be called the computer age but I believe there is an even more fitting title. We live in the age of Anxiety.
Everything about the way things have changed in the last 50-100 years has served to speed up our lives. We went from the popular form of transportation being draft animal or foot to automobiles that travel so fast we set limits for safety. We have moved from communication being a pen and paper to carrying phones with us at all times because we might "miss" something. We have gone from choosing a vocation that suits our life to forming our lives to fit our vocations.
We sometimes pause and look at the way life was 100 years ago and think, "how did people manage back in those days." It would be interesting to see people that lived a 100 years ago react to how we live today. I imagine their comments would mimic our own.
There is no doubt that those who laid the foundations of our society were hard workers and found themselves under stress. But our society has taken stress to an insane and unsafe level. We look at a day with 24 hours and try to squeeze in 27 hours worth of activity. We tell our selves if we multi-task we can make it work.
In an attempt to get ahead in social and business dealings we shave off family time, we surrender any semblance of down time and we commit, commit, commit until we find that we are about to commit ourselves to an asylum.
God desires that we work hard and that we give a fair accounting of ourselves at work. However, I don't think that God ever wanted us to get to this level of anxiety where we become anxious and can't step away from our phones and faxes and computers. God's desire was not that we live for our jobs, but that we live for him.
Matthew 6:25-27
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
If we become so absorbed with work, with activities, with what we call life then we deny ourselves the opportunity of being available when God calls us to service. We, more than any generation in history worry too much about tomorrow and forget about today. We must learn how to turn off, to disengage, to give our all but know when to say, " no, I can't commit to anything else."
Prayer: God, give me the wisdom to know when my actions cease to be beneficial and only add to the anxiety of my life. Help me to weed out things that I allow to stress me out without bringing a blessing to my life or the lives of those around me. Lord allow me to let go of worry and rely upon you to sustain me.
I don't think it would be much of a stretch to classify the last 100 years in a somewhat similar manner. The age that we are living in now could be called the computer age but I believe there is an even more fitting title. We live in the age of Anxiety.
Everything about the way things have changed in the last 50-100 years has served to speed up our lives. We went from the popular form of transportation being draft animal or foot to automobiles that travel so fast we set limits for safety. We have moved from communication being a pen and paper to carrying phones with us at all times because we might "miss" something. We have gone from choosing a vocation that suits our life to forming our lives to fit our vocations.
We sometimes pause and look at the way life was 100 years ago and think, "how did people manage back in those days." It would be interesting to see people that lived a 100 years ago react to how we live today. I imagine their comments would mimic our own.
There is no doubt that those who laid the foundations of our society were hard workers and found themselves under stress. But our society has taken stress to an insane and unsafe level. We look at a day with 24 hours and try to squeeze in 27 hours worth of activity. We tell our selves if we multi-task we can make it work.
In an attempt to get ahead in social and business dealings we shave off family time, we surrender any semblance of down time and we commit, commit, commit until we find that we are about to commit ourselves to an asylum.
God desires that we work hard and that we give a fair accounting of ourselves at work. However, I don't think that God ever wanted us to get to this level of anxiety where we become anxious and can't step away from our phones and faxes and computers. God's desire was not that we live for our jobs, but that we live for him.
Matthew 6:25-27
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
If we become so absorbed with work, with activities, with what we call life then we deny ourselves the opportunity of being available when God calls us to service. We, more than any generation in history worry too much about tomorrow and forget about today. We must learn how to turn off, to disengage, to give our all but know when to say, " no, I can't commit to anything else."
Prayer: God, give me the wisdom to know when my actions cease to be beneficial and only add to the anxiety of my life. Help me to weed out things that I allow to stress me out without bringing a blessing to my life or the lives of those around me. Lord allow me to let go of worry and rely upon you to sustain me.
Mass Exodus
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Exodus 12:31-35
The Exodus
31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me."
33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing.
With Easter just passed, we as Christians have had our eyes fixed upon the cross. It is, however, not to forget about the events of the Old Testament that also took place during this time. Hebrew tradition states that each year the Jewish people stop and remember the time of Passover. Passover being the time when God brought great judgements upon Egypt in order to cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave captivity. The last of these judgements being the angel of death descending upon Egypt and killing the first born of every household. Every household, that is, except the those who followed the instructions of God as handed down by Moses. Those that painted the doorways and windows with the blood of a lamb were spared this judgement.
In the morning, after death had come upon Israel, Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron and told them to take their people and leave. So in a hurry the Israelites gathered all they could carry and droves of God's people fled the land that had been soaked with their blood and sweat. God convicted and convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Now if you continue to read on about the Exodus story you find that Pharaoh hardened his heart and chased after Moses and the Israelites seeking to exact his revenge, but God was faithful and protected his people still.
For tonight, however, I want to turn our attention to the acts leading up to and including the Exodus. Often times people ask why is it important for a Christian, a person under the covenant of Jesus Christ, should study the Old Testament. The reason is, that when we study God's interaction with man, there is always a teachable moment. God is just and true, he is and was and will ever be. If we look at how he directs those he calls his chosen people then we learn a bit about what he desires from us.
Take for instance the stubborn actions of Pharaoh. God tried to get his attention in simpler ways. When Pharaoh was not following the path God wanted him to he sent locusts, he sent lice, he sent frogs, he killed off livestock, he sent boils, he even turned the Nile into blood. Now me, I think all of this would have gotten my attention, I might be wrong I haven't walked in Pharaoh's shoes but I have to think I would be saying, "go and the quicker the better."
Yet with all of these signs Pharaoh is still not willing to let the Israelites go. Perhaps he was worried about how it would look to the other countries that surrounded Egypt. Perhaps he could not bring himself to be humbled before a slave race, after all Pharaoh himself was thought of as a God. What ever the reason was, Pharaoh let something stand between him and what was fairly obvious to all others was God's will.
The lesson for our lives is similar. Often times when we stray away from the path God wants us to travel, God tries to get our attention. It may start out as simple as a feeling that something is not right. You may have someone you respect tell you they disagree with your actions, you may read or hear a message that seems to tell you that you are on the wrong path. No it's not days of darkness or hail falling from a clear blue sky and burning on the ground, but it may very well be God telling us that we need to change our direction.
Ultimately, God sometimes resorts to devastation as a last resort to get our attention. Perhaps you've had a relationship that was destroyed by deceit or unfaithfulness. When the walls come crashing down and what has been hidden is exposed it can often result in irreversible damage. It is not God's desire that this be the outcome, but if you are heading down a path of self-destruction and you refuse to read the signs, God just might pull the road out from underneath you. This is not a sign that God hates you, but of how much he loves you. If he hated you he would allow you to travel down that broad path that leads to destruction.
We must be vigilant to keep our eyes peeled for times when God is convicting us that we are doing wrong. If we do not look and listen for his signs and his voice then we cannot be surprised when the horses charge in and the walls of water come crashing down.
Exodus 12:31-35
The Exodus
31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me."
33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing.
With Easter just passed, we as Christians have had our eyes fixed upon the cross. It is, however, not to forget about the events of the Old Testament that also took place during this time. Hebrew tradition states that each year the Jewish people stop and remember the time of Passover. Passover being the time when God brought great judgements upon Egypt in order to cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave captivity. The last of these judgements being the angel of death descending upon Egypt and killing the first born of every household. Every household, that is, except the those who followed the instructions of God as handed down by Moses. Those that painted the doorways and windows with the blood of a lamb were spared this judgement.
In the morning, after death had come upon Israel, Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron and told them to take their people and leave. So in a hurry the Israelites gathered all they could carry and droves of God's people fled the land that had been soaked with their blood and sweat. God convicted and convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Now if you continue to read on about the Exodus story you find that Pharaoh hardened his heart and chased after Moses and the Israelites seeking to exact his revenge, but God was faithful and protected his people still.
For tonight, however, I want to turn our attention to the acts leading up to and including the Exodus. Often times people ask why is it important for a Christian, a person under the covenant of Jesus Christ, should study the Old Testament. The reason is, that when we study God's interaction with man, there is always a teachable moment. God is just and true, he is and was and will ever be. If we look at how he directs those he calls his chosen people then we learn a bit about what he desires from us.
Take for instance the stubborn actions of Pharaoh. God tried to get his attention in simpler ways. When Pharaoh was not following the path God wanted him to he sent locusts, he sent lice, he sent frogs, he killed off livestock, he sent boils, he even turned the Nile into blood. Now me, I think all of this would have gotten my attention, I might be wrong I haven't walked in Pharaoh's shoes but I have to think I would be saying, "go and the quicker the better."
Yet with all of these signs Pharaoh is still not willing to let the Israelites go. Perhaps he was worried about how it would look to the other countries that surrounded Egypt. Perhaps he could not bring himself to be humbled before a slave race, after all Pharaoh himself was thought of as a God. What ever the reason was, Pharaoh let something stand between him and what was fairly obvious to all others was God's will.
The lesson for our lives is similar. Often times when we stray away from the path God wants us to travel, God tries to get our attention. It may start out as simple as a feeling that something is not right. You may have someone you respect tell you they disagree with your actions, you may read or hear a message that seems to tell you that you are on the wrong path. No it's not days of darkness or hail falling from a clear blue sky and burning on the ground, but it may very well be God telling us that we need to change our direction.
Ultimately, God sometimes resorts to devastation as a last resort to get our attention. Perhaps you've had a relationship that was destroyed by deceit or unfaithfulness. When the walls come crashing down and what has been hidden is exposed it can often result in irreversible damage. It is not God's desire that this be the outcome, but if you are heading down a path of self-destruction and you refuse to read the signs, God just might pull the road out from underneath you. This is not a sign that God hates you, but of how much he loves you. If he hated you he would allow you to travel down that broad path that leads to destruction.
We must be vigilant to keep our eyes peeled for times when God is convicting us that we are doing wrong. If we do not look and listen for his signs and his voice then we cannot be surprised when the horses charge in and the walls of water come crashing down.
Are you an Idle Worshiper
Thursday, March 27, 2008
No, the Title is not a typo. For those of you who regularly read my devotions I know this comes as a surprise, but I do mean idle not idol. We'll talk about the difference in a few moments. First, let us take a look at a few verses that deal with idleness.
Proverbs 31:27
(Speaking of a godly wife) She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Ecclesiastes 10:18
If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.
Isaiah 58:13-14
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD...
1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
2 Thessalonians 3:7
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,
1 Timothy 5:13
Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
Let us first explore the threat of idleness, for often idleness leads to idolatry. Idleness is looking for a reason not to do rather than looking for ways to be useful. Some synonyms for the word idle are: indolent, lackadaisical, slothful, sluggish, abortive, empty, frivolous, fruitless, futile, groundless, hollow, insignificant, irrelevant, not serious, nugatory, otiose, and pointless.
When you break idleness down and look at it in all of it's forms, it is easy to see why idleness is not something that a Christian needs to fall into. This is not to say that after a long day of work you can't fall into your recliner for a short rest, but one should not always allow their free time to become idle time.
Think of things this way, everyday millions of Americans come home from work and watch 4 to 6 hours of television before going to bed. They wake up, go to work, and watch television again. America has become preoccupied with idleness. Television in and of itself is not a bad thing, but when it is abused it makes us complacent and leaves us with nothing but empty and wasted time. Television is not the only example of this type of idleness. There are video games, reading, fishing, anything that you engage in that is normally for leisure that does not yield fruit can be abused and become a tool of idleness.
When you stop to think about it, these same activities that we engage in to remain idle have become our idols. What was an idol? In the Old Testament an idol was typically referred to when talking about a man made image that was worshipped. A closer look though will tell you that an idol is anything that takes the place of God. Anything that you allow to consume your time, take you effort, or keep you from placing your effort in the correct direction can be an idol.
Most people today are not often confronted with the idols of the past. We may see images from other religions, but more often than not are not pressured to praise or worship these idols. The idols that we are confronted with are our favorite sports, hobbies, and activities.
When we place staying at home to watch the big game over going to church service we make that sport or game into a kind of an idol. We have placed something that is God's, our worship time, into something that is not God, a game. We have made this idol our priority. When you wake up and see a beautiful Sunday morning and grab your golf clubs instead of your bible, you commit idolatry. When I have the opportunity to serve God, but choose instead to hang out with my buddies and play video games, again I have denied God his due in order to fulfill my desires or devote myself to something else, this is the essence of idolatry.
Please do not get me wrong, God intends for us to take time for ourselves and do things that please us. However, when we become obsessed with committing all of our free time to these activities we give those activities power of our lives. We fail to look around us and ask what is it God wants me to do because our focus becomes narrow and intent on the activity we are obsessed with. We should enjoy the blessings God gives us, but we should never forget that these activities are gifts from God and we should be obedient to do God's work, and only then enjoy his bounty.
Prayer: Lord, help me keep my focus on you and not on the things of this world. God there is nothing more important in this world than You. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the wonderful one, you are the source of all good things. We pray that you would use us to work for your kingdom and that you would give us glad hearts in completing your tasks. Be with us and protect us from the distractions of the world and from desire to be sedentary. May all we do bring honor unto your name. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
No, the Title is not a typo. For those of you who regularly read my devotions I know this comes as a surprise, but I do mean idle not idol. We'll talk about the difference in a few moments. First, let us take a look at a few verses that deal with idleness.
Proverbs 31:27
(Speaking of a godly wife) She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Ecclesiastes 10:18
If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.
Isaiah 58:13-14
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD...
1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
2 Thessalonians 3:7
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,
1 Timothy 5:13
Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
Let us first explore the threat of idleness, for often idleness leads to idolatry. Idleness is looking for a reason not to do rather than looking for ways to be useful. Some synonyms for the word idle are: indolent, lackadaisical, slothful, sluggish, abortive, empty, frivolous, fruitless, futile, groundless, hollow, insignificant, irrelevant, not serious, nugatory, otiose, and pointless.
When you break idleness down and look at it in all of it's forms, it is easy to see why idleness is not something that a Christian needs to fall into. This is not to say that after a long day of work you can't fall into your recliner for a short rest, but one should not always allow their free time to become idle time.
Think of things this way, everyday millions of Americans come home from work and watch 4 to 6 hours of television before going to bed. They wake up, go to work, and watch television again. America has become preoccupied with idleness. Television in and of itself is not a bad thing, but when it is abused it makes us complacent and leaves us with nothing but empty and wasted time. Television is not the only example of this type of idleness. There are video games, reading, fishing, anything that you engage in that is normally for leisure that does not yield fruit can be abused and become a tool of idleness.
When you stop to think about it, these same activities that we engage in to remain idle have become our idols. What was an idol? In the Old Testament an idol was typically referred to when talking about a man made image that was worshipped. A closer look though will tell you that an idol is anything that takes the place of God. Anything that you allow to consume your time, take you effort, or keep you from placing your effort in the correct direction can be an idol.
Most people today are not often confronted with the idols of the past. We may see images from other religions, but more often than not are not pressured to praise or worship these idols. The idols that we are confronted with are our favorite sports, hobbies, and activities.
When we place staying at home to watch the big game over going to church service we make that sport or game into a kind of an idol. We have placed something that is God's, our worship time, into something that is not God, a game. We have made this idol our priority. When you wake up and see a beautiful Sunday morning and grab your golf clubs instead of your bible, you commit idolatry. When I have the opportunity to serve God, but choose instead to hang out with my buddies and play video games, again I have denied God his due in order to fulfill my desires or devote myself to something else, this is the essence of idolatry.
Please do not get me wrong, God intends for us to take time for ourselves and do things that please us. However, when we become obsessed with committing all of our free time to these activities we give those activities power of our lives. We fail to look around us and ask what is it God wants me to do because our focus becomes narrow and intent on the activity we are obsessed with. We should enjoy the blessings God gives us, but we should never forget that these activities are gifts from God and we should be obedient to do God's work, and only then enjoy his bounty.
Prayer: Lord, help me keep my focus on you and not on the things of this world. God there is nothing more important in this world than You. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the wonderful one, you are the source of all good things. We pray that you would use us to work for your kingdom and that you would give us glad hearts in completing your tasks. Be with us and protect us from the distractions of the world and from desire to be sedentary. May all we do bring honor unto your name. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
Too Far Gone
Friday, March 28, 2008
The sounds of mixed voices must have come ringing out from beyond the temple doors before they ever came busting into the middle of Jesus' lesson. You can see the smug grins drawn on the faces of those who were draped in the garb of a Pharisee. "Dead to rights, we've got him dead to rights," they must have thought to themselves.
The Pharisees and Sadducees knew all about Jesus. They had made it their job to follow, to listen, to write down what he said, who he consorted with, anything that they could use against him. If only they had put that much effort into getting to know him instead of getting to know about him. One thing they had found as they compiled information was that Jesus was full of compassion and grace. He gave to those who did not deserve it and chose to mingle with the untouchables of the world.
What better way to corner Jesus except to hit him in the heart, they went after one of the lost sheep. Fitting that this pack of wolves would attack one so far away from the fold. They had caught this woman in the act of adultery. A random act? I somehow doubt it. Random was not the pharisees style. Random left too many things to chance and out of their control. No I imagine that they didn't just stumble onto this. I imagine in my mind that there was a bit of a set up.
Chances are this lady had been the topic of gossip for a while. The pharisees knew, but then again, how many of them were likely caught up in affairs of their own? Dealing with an unfaithful woman was distasteful and unless her husband caught on and demanded satisfaction they would have been happy to leave it alone. Power had corrupted and corrupted well. Now though, when a trap was needed the Pharisees used this tidbit of information to gather their bait. They waited until Jesus was in the temple, what they considered their home court, and they drug this woman in.
Again I don't imagine that this was a pleasant scene. Had this woman been caught in the act of adultery and she knew the punishment I don't see her dressing and walking quietly down the street to be bludgeoned with stones. No this lady is in a state of disarray, she is being drug through the streets, kicking, screaming, scratching, and clawing as if she were a wild animal forced into a burlap sack. This was no parade, this was an unsightly, unruly mob.
You can imagine the crowd that has gathered. The Pharisees have their hand selected representatives. I'm sure too that the Pharisees had rounded up those they felt they could easily control and persuade. Then there are those who have a morbid curiosity and worse yet those that delight in participating in these acts. Can you picture them, a pack of hounds as ready to tear into Jesus' flesh as that of this woman.
So the scene is set, the trap is ready and the final act is about to play. Someone must have acted as the mouthpiece for this motley crew. I can hear them twisting the words, sarcasm dripping as they address Jesus as Master. "The law of Moses says we must stone her, what do you say?"
There must have been a hush over the blood seeking crowd, breath was held and everyone bent an ear to hear the answer. Instead of words, Jesus bent down and wrote in the dust. Wouldn't you love to know what her wrote. Maybe it was a list of names, those the crowd had committed adultery with. Maybe it was a list of other Mosaic laws calling for stoning that each one had broken. Maybe it was a single word that God used to convict the hearts of everyone there. Then Jesus rose up and said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
We don't know what Jesus wrote, but we do know that the crowd lost its zeal for blood. We know that the sound of rocks falling limply to the ground was followed by the sound of sandals marching away down the streets. We know that in the end the only two left standing were the woman and Jesus.
Then Jesus turned to the woman and, I imagine, he smiled and said in a bit of a sarcastic tone , "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
In disbelief and through tears of gratitude the woman shook her head in disbelief and mumbled a barely audible, "No, no one sir."
I can see Jesus gently taking her cheek in his hand and raising her eyes up to meet his, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."
Is this exactly how the gospel is written? No, but I wanted to relate to you the power of the moment, and share what I think of when I read John 8:2-11. You see by the law the Pharisees were right. This woman had broken the law and the punishment for that was death. They wanted Jesus to say no, they wanted Jesus to go against the law, they wanted to find a reason to stone him instead of her. In the end, all that was accomplished was a revelation for you and me. The only perfect person who has ever lived was the man still standing in the temple with the woman, Jesus Christ.
Some of us come from backgrounds where there may have been great sinning and straying from the light. You may have heard some people who pervert the word of God saying such things as God hates you and shouting out about how you are going to hell. The truth is that no one is too far gone to come to Jesus Christ. Jesus wants all of his people to find him so that he can cover their transgressions with his perfect blood. He's not going to look at you and say fall back into your sinful ways, no, he is going to call you to change, but he will never say, "Leave that one alone, she/he's too far gone."
The sounds of mixed voices must have come ringing out from beyond the temple doors before they ever came busting into the middle of Jesus' lesson. You can see the smug grins drawn on the faces of those who were draped in the garb of a Pharisee. "Dead to rights, we've got him dead to rights," they must have thought to themselves.
The Pharisees and Sadducees knew all about Jesus. They had made it their job to follow, to listen, to write down what he said, who he consorted with, anything that they could use against him. If only they had put that much effort into getting to know him instead of getting to know about him. One thing they had found as they compiled information was that Jesus was full of compassion and grace. He gave to those who did not deserve it and chose to mingle with the untouchables of the world.
What better way to corner Jesus except to hit him in the heart, they went after one of the lost sheep. Fitting that this pack of wolves would attack one so far away from the fold. They had caught this woman in the act of adultery. A random act? I somehow doubt it. Random was not the pharisees style. Random left too many things to chance and out of their control. No I imagine that they didn't just stumble onto this. I imagine in my mind that there was a bit of a set up.
Chances are this lady had been the topic of gossip for a while. The pharisees knew, but then again, how many of them were likely caught up in affairs of their own? Dealing with an unfaithful woman was distasteful and unless her husband caught on and demanded satisfaction they would have been happy to leave it alone. Power had corrupted and corrupted well. Now though, when a trap was needed the Pharisees used this tidbit of information to gather their bait. They waited until Jesus was in the temple, what they considered their home court, and they drug this woman in.
Again I don't imagine that this was a pleasant scene. Had this woman been caught in the act of adultery and she knew the punishment I don't see her dressing and walking quietly down the street to be bludgeoned with stones. No this lady is in a state of disarray, she is being drug through the streets, kicking, screaming, scratching, and clawing as if she were a wild animal forced into a burlap sack. This was no parade, this was an unsightly, unruly mob.
You can imagine the crowd that has gathered. The Pharisees have their hand selected representatives. I'm sure too that the Pharisees had rounded up those they felt they could easily control and persuade. Then there are those who have a morbid curiosity and worse yet those that delight in participating in these acts. Can you picture them, a pack of hounds as ready to tear into Jesus' flesh as that of this woman.
So the scene is set, the trap is ready and the final act is about to play. Someone must have acted as the mouthpiece for this motley crew. I can hear them twisting the words, sarcasm dripping as they address Jesus as Master. "The law of Moses says we must stone her, what do you say?"
There must have been a hush over the blood seeking crowd, breath was held and everyone bent an ear to hear the answer. Instead of words, Jesus bent down and wrote in the dust. Wouldn't you love to know what her wrote. Maybe it was a list of names, those the crowd had committed adultery with. Maybe it was a list of other Mosaic laws calling for stoning that each one had broken. Maybe it was a single word that God used to convict the hearts of everyone there. Then Jesus rose up and said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
We don't know what Jesus wrote, but we do know that the crowd lost its zeal for blood. We know that the sound of rocks falling limply to the ground was followed by the sound of sandals marching away down the streets. We know that in the end the only two left standing were the woman and Jesus.
Then Jesus turned to the woman and, I imagine, he smiled and said in a bit of a sarcastic tone , "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
In disbelief and through tears of gratitude the woman shook her head in disbelief and mumbled a barely audible, "No, no one sir."
I can see Jesus gently taking her cheek in his hand and raising her eyes up to meet his, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."
Is this exactly how the gospel is written? No, but I wanted to relate to you the power of the moment, and share what I think of when I read John 8:2-11. You see by the law the Pharisees were right. This woman had broken the law and the punishment for that was death. They wanted Jesus to say no, they wanted Jesus to go against the law, they wanted to find a reason to stone him instead of her. In the end, all that was accomplished was a revelation for you and me. The only perfect person who has ever lived was the man still standing in the temple with the woman, Jesus Christ.
Some of us come from backgrounds where there may have been great sinning and straying from the light. You may have heard some people who pervert the word of God saying such things as God hates you and shouting out about how you are going to hell. The truth is that no one is too far gone to come to Jesus Christ. Jesus wants all of his people to find him so that he can cover their transgressions with his perfect blood. He's not going to look at you and say fall back into your sinful ways, no, he is going to call you to change, but he will never say, "Leave that one alone, she/he's too far gone."
Lead us not into temptation
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Temptation, wouldn't living the Christian life be so much easier without it. How often I find myself going down the right road, really trying to do what is right and then something I see grabs my attention and I am off down the wrong road again. Temptation, the devils advertising agency. It entices it says just try a little, a little won't hurt, you can always walk away from it if you don't like it.
That is The Lie! This is how the devil gets more people than any other way. Humans love to believe they are in control, we love to say that we can walk away from it if it becomes too all consuming, if it proves to be detrimental, if we don't like it we'll just walk away. How many of us have ended up in addiction thinking those very things?
For me it was cigarettes. I had seen my father, and for a time my mother, smoke all my life. So in High School when my biddy leaned against his mustang and asked if I wanted one the the thought was why not, if I don't like it I just won't smoke another. So I choked that cancer stick down, then the next time we were together he didn't ask he just gave me one. Before long I was buying my own packs and then, well then 10 years had passed.
I would lay them down for a day or even a few weeks, when I felt strong a few months, but I kept coming back to them. See I had planted a seed in my life. I had given cigarettes a foot hold and now even though I wanted to walk away it was hard. Thank God I was able over three years ago to lay down my last smoke. Still isn't always easy though, some times the wind shifts or Dad lights up and I can feel that urge rise again. When life's stress level goes up and I feel my back against the wall, sometimes I still crave one. So what is this about, is this a hidden Truth add for anti-smoking? No, although I do recommend stopping if you happen to be a smoker. :)
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
The point of this is that sometimes when we give into temptation we plant a seed in our hearts. Sometimes it is tangible like taking a drink, lighting up a smoke, or even trying some kind of drug. Sometimes the temptation we give into is allowing ourselves to take a long glance, not changing a movie right away when something that we don't need to see is coming on, or even allowing yourself to simmer in anger instead of focusing on resolution or moving on. All of these things plant seeds in our hearts.
Jesus talked about seeds himself in the parable of the sower. In Jesus' story his seeds represent the word of God. Some seeds fall on rock where they cannot spring forth because when they grow their roots can't take hold and the plant whithers. Some seeds fell on the hard packed soil near the path and were eaten up before they had a chance to grow. Yet other seeds fell among the weeds and were choked out by the other plants. Finally some seeds found the good soil and multiplied 30, 60 and 100 times over.
What we must ask ourselves is what seeds are we sowing in with the Word of God. See, if you are reading this then you are likely trying to feed your soul with God's Word. However, if you are sowing weeds along side of the Word then you are setting your crop up to have problems. If you listen to foul language, offensive or ungodly jokes, if you allow yourself to hold company with those that are openly racists and bigots, if you listen to music that sings the virtues of sins and you spend your time in pornography and sexually explicit conversations and programs then you are sowing seeds that will later bare fruit.
When you sow the Word of God, you grow godly fruit. When you sow sinful thoughts and things of the world, you grow ungodly fruit. As Christians we are called to be like Jesus, he is the vine we are the branches. The branches that bare fruit, godly fruit, will be well tended and cared for. The branches that do not bare fruit, again godly, will be pruned away and tossed into the fire.
So as I prepare to leave you this evening let me leave you with a few thoughts about temptation:
1) We live in a sinful world, none of us can completely avoid temptation.
2) Just because we are tempted does not mean we have to give in, when confronted with an
area in which you are weak remember to talk to God and to other believers.
3) Try not to be a stumbling block for other believers. Just as you do not want to be tempted
do not tempt your brothers and sisters in Christ. Be conscious of what you say, wear, how you
act and what you do. In all of these areas ask if your actions bring glory to God, if the answer
is no you may be guilty of tempting others.
4) Use the power of prayer! Jesus set the precedent of asking God to, "lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil." If you are feeling weak, especially, this is a great time
to ask God to be with you and not only to keep you from temptation but to make you strong
in the face of it.
5) Avoid areas that you know consistently pose a problem. If you have a problem with over
eating then the Buffet may not be the best choice for lunch.
6) Finally, don't feel alone. Often times we are so ashamed of our feelings when we find
ourselves tempted by Satan that we refuse to talk through our situation with anyone
else. ALL OF US ARE TEMPTED IN SOME WAY OR FORM. If someone tells you they are
not, then they are lying. Even Jesus was tempted for 40 days and nights in the desert, the
trick is not giving in.
Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Until next time, may God keep you well and protect you, may your days be blessed that you might pass that blessing on to others in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Temptation, wouldn't living the Christian life be so much easier without it. How often I find myself going down the right road, really trying to do what is right and then something I see grabs my attention and I am off down the wrong road again. Temptation, the devils advertising agency. It entices it says just try a little, a little won't hurt, you can always walk away from it if you don't like it.
That is The Lie! This is how the devil gets more people than any other way. Humans love to believe they are in control, we love to say that we can walk away from it if it becomes too all consuming, if it proves to be detrimental, if we don't like it we'll just walk away. How many of us have ended up in addiction thinking those very things?
For me it was cigarettes. I had seen my father, and for a time my mother, smoke all my life. So in High School when my biddy leaned against his mustang and asked if I wanted one the the thought was why not, if I don't like it I just won't smoke another. So I choked that cancer stick down, then the next time we were together he didn't ask he just gave me one. Before long I was buying my own packs and then, well then 10 years had passed.
I would lay them down for a day or even a few weeks, when I felt strong a few months, but I kept coming back to them. See I had planted a seed in my life. I had given cigarettes a foot hold and now even though I wanted to walk away it was hard. Thank God I was able over three years ago to lay down my last smoke. Still isn't always easy though, some times the wind shifts or Dad lights up and I can feel that urge rise again. When life's stress level goes up and I feel my back against the wall, sometimes I still crave one. So what is this about, is this a hidden Truth add for anti-smoking? No, although I do recommend stopping if you happen to be a smoker. :)
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
The point of this is that sometimes when we give into temptation we plant a seed in our hearts. Sometimes it is tangible like taking a drink, lighting up a smoke, or even trying some kind of drug. Sometimes the temptation we give into is allowing ourselves to take a long glance, not changing a movie right away when something that we don't need to see is coming on, or even allowing yourself to simmer in anger instead of focusing on resolution or moving on. All of these things plant seeds in our hearts.
Jesus talked about seeds himself in the parable of the sower. In Jesus' story his seeds represent the word of God. Some seeds fall on rock where they cannot spring forth because when they grow their roots can't take hold and the plant whithers. Some seeds fell on the hard packed soil near the path and were eaten up before they had a chance to grow. Yet other seeds fell among the weeds and were choked out by the other plants. Finally some seeds found the good soil and multiplied 30, 60 and 100 times over.
What we must ask ourselves is what seeds are we sowing in with the Word of God. See, if you are reading this then you are likely trying to feed your soul with God's Word. However, if you are sowing weeds along side of the Word then you are setting your crop up to have problems. If you listen to foul language, offensive or ungodly jokes, if you allow yourself to hold company with those that are openly racists and bigots, if you listen to music that sings the virtues of sins and you spend your time in pornography and sexually explicit conversations and programs then you are sowing seeds that will later bare fruit.
When you sow the Word of God, you grow godly fruit. When you sow sinful thoughts and things of the world, you grow ungodly fruit. As Christians we are called to be like Jesus, he is the vine we are the branches. The branches that bare fruit, godly fruit, will be well tended and cared for. The branches that do not bare fruit, again godly, will be pruned away and tossed into the fire.
So as I prepare to leave you this evening let me leave you with a few thoughts about temptation:
1) We live in a sinful world, none of us can completely avoid temptation.
2) Just because we are tempted does not mean we have to give in, when confronted with an
area in which you are weak remember to talk to God and to other believers.
3) Try not to be a stumbling block for other believers. Just as you do not want to be tempted
do not tempt your brothers and sisters in Christ. Be conscious of what you say, wear, how you
act and what you do. In all of these areas ask if your actions bring glory to God, if the answer
is no you may be guilty of tempting others.
4) Use the power of prayer! Jesus set the precedent of asking God to, "lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil." If you are feeling weak, especially, this is a great time
to ask God to be with you and not only to keep you from temptation but to make you strong
in the face of it.
5) Avoid areas that you know consistently pose a problem. If you have a problem with over
eating then the Buffet may not be the best choice for lunch.
6) Finally, don't feel alone. Often times we are so ashamed of our feelings when we find
ourselves tempted by Satan that we refuse to talk through our situation with anyone
else. ALL OF US ARE TEMPTED IN SOME WAY OR FORM. If someone tells you they are
not, then they are lying. Even Jesus was tempted for 40 days and nights in the desert, the
trick is not giving in.
Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Until next time, may God keep you well and protect you, may your days be blessed that you might pass that blessing on to others in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Good People Don't Go to Heaven
Sunday, March 30, 2008
One of the biggest misconceptions among Christians is that good people go to heaven. It is a difficult idea for those new to the faith to wrap their minds around, the idea that nothing we can do in this life will ever qualify us for a stroll through the pearly gates. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.
If we were capable of living the perfect life, never committing a single sin, then and only then would we be able to "earn" our way into heaven. However, there has only been one person in the entire history of mankind that can boast this feat, Jesus Christ. You can stop and think of everyone you know and pick out the one person you believe to be the "best" person there is, that person has sinned hundreds, even thousands of times in their life. It may not have been what you would call a big sin, but we forget that God doesn't look at sin the same way man does.
Man ranks sin, we say some sins are okay even beneficial like lying to spare some one's feelings. We say some sin is bad, but then again since it is a common sin that we all indulge in we look the other way when it happens . Other sins are bad, we don't like them and we don't mind saying so when someone commits these acts. Societies even make laws against many of these because they are so universally detestable. Finally there is a rare level of sin that we can only call evil when someone takes another's life or the lives of many. God however operates differently.
As I researched for this devotion I found other people's view points and was amazed at how many places were devoted to this topic of how God views sin. So before I go forward let me substantiate my reasoning behind this claim that God does not see "the sin" he sees "sin".
1) Look at God in human form. When Jesus was nailed to the cross did he cry out to God and say forgive every one but these murderous, blood thirsty Romans and Jews? No, Jesus cried out from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
Examine this for a moment. By all accounts this was no more than murder. Jesus had been railroaded through a trial that was a mockery of every justice system known to man, he had been lied about, he had been disrespected and now, now he was being killed. So can we say that murderers are beyond God's forgiveness? No. Jesus forgave his own executioners.
2) Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I don't think that anyone who has done any studying of the scripture would disagree with any of the following statements. Lying is a sin. Stealing is a sin. Cursing is a sin. Looking at a person with lust in your heart is a sin. Putting anything in your life before God is a sin. Disrespecting your parents is a sin. With that said, if we admit these little things are sin, we must also admit that there is not one of us alive that can say we have not committed an act that stems from at least one of these categories. If we are honest then we probably need to claim some from about every category. The wages for these are death. Now when we talk about murder, rape, violent crimes and heinous sins sometimes we agree that the punishment should be death, but God does not say the wages of the worst sins is death, he simply states sin.
3) Matthew 18:21-22
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Often times we are willing to forgive a person of their sins against us when they come to us the first time and say they are sorry. Here Jesus sets the president that even when a person sins time and time again that they do not become a lost cause, they can still find forgiveness.
4) 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." Jesus kept company with the detestable of the world. He called prostitutes to change their ways, tax collectors who cheated the populous, and he talked of going to the prisons where we would find those convicted of wrong doing. Jesus never said only minister to those of little sins. A doctor spends little time with a person who has a cold, a physician spends the most time with the sickest people.
Once we have established that God does not differentiate sin the way that man does, then we must look at the next piece of this puzzle.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.
When we accept this as truth we begin to see why I tell you that you will not find one good person in heaven. All have sinned, so in the eyes of God all are equally guilty. God made us all, he gave us all free will to choose our paths and make our decisions. When we first chose to disobey God in some way, we stepped over a line that we alone could never step back over, we went from perfect in God's eyes to sinners who chose to ignore his wishes and commands.
So if the good can't get into heaven, who will we find? We will find the forgiven. You may walk down the streets of gold and see hundreds of people you knew would be there. These are people who lived the life of a good Christian, yes you knew they goofed up time to time but they were a solid person. Don't be surprised though when you walk up and see them talking to a murderer from skid row who found God in a cell and asked for forgiveness.
You see, none of us get this gift because we deserve it, we get it because Jesus died and let his blood flow over the sins of anyone who calls on his name and says I know that I am a sinner but I believe in you and want you to come in my heart and make me a better person. We only see heaven because at our trial when the gavel should come crashing down on a guilty as charged cry from the Lord's throne, Jesus steps out and says, "It's okay Dad. I already served this one's sentence."
I am so glad that I have Jesus' promise that I am going to be one of the bad people walking the streets of heaven.
One of the biggest misconceptions among Christians is that good people go to heaven. It is a difficult idea for those new to the faith to wrap their minds around, the idea that nothing we can do in this life will ever qualify us for a stroll through the pearly gates. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.
If we were capable of living the perfect life, never committing a single sin, then and only then would we be able to "earn" our way into heaven. However, there has only been one person in the entire history of mankind that can boast this feat, Jesus Christ. You can stop and think of everyone you know and pick out the one person you believe to be the "best" person there is, that person has sinned hundreds, even thousands of times in their life. It may not have been what you would call a big sin, but we forget that God doesn't look at sin the same way man does.
Man ranks sin, we say some sins are okay even beneficial like lying to spare some one's feelings. We say some sin is bad, but then again since it is a common sin that we all indulge in we look the other way when it happens . Other sins are bad, we don't like them and we don't mind saying so when someone commits these acts. Societies even make laws against many of these because they are so universally detestable. Finally there is a rare level of sin that we can only call evil when someone takes another's life or the lives of many. God however operates differently.
As I researched for this devotion I found other people's view points and was amazed at how many places were devoted to this topic of how God views sin. So before I go forward let me substantiate my reasoning behind this claim that God does not see "the sin" he sees "sin".
1) Look at God in human form. When Jesus was nailed to the cross did he cry out to God and say forgive every one but these murderous, blood thirsty Romans and Jews? No, Jesus cried out from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
Examine this for a moment. By all accounts this was no more than murder. Jesus had been railroaded through a trial that was a mockery of every justice system known to man, he had been lied about, he had been disrespected and now, now he was being killed. So can we say that murderers are beyond God's forgiveness? No. Jesus forgave his own executioners.
2) Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I don't think that anyone who has done any studying of the scripture would disagree with any of the following statements. Lying is a sin. Stealing is a sin. Cursing is a sin. Looking at a person with lust in your heart is a sin. Putting anything in your life before God is a sin. Disrespecting your parents is a sin. With that said, if we admit these little things are sin, we must also admit that there is not one of us alive that can say we have not committed an act that stems from at least one of these categories. If we are honest then we probably need to claim some from about every category. The wages for these are death. Now when we talk about murder, rape, violent crimes and heinous sins sometimes we agree that the punishment should be death, but God does not say the wages of the worst sins is death, he simply states sin.
3) Matthew 18:21-22
21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Often times we are willing to forgive a person of their sins against us when they come to us the first time and say they are sorry. Here Jesus sets the president that even when a person sins time and time again that they do not become a lost cause, they can still find forgiveness.
4) 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." Jesus kept company with the detestable of the world. He called prostitutes to change their ways, tax collectors who cheated the populous, and he talked of going to the prisons where we would find those convicted of wrong doing. Jesus never said only minister to those of little sins. A doctor spends little time with a person who has a cold, a physician spends the most time with the sickest people.
Once we have established that God does not differentiate sin the way that man does, then we must look at the next piece of this puzzle.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.
When we accept this as truth we begin to see why I tell you that you will not find one good person in heaven. All have sinned, so in the eyes of God all are equally guilty. God made us all, he gave us all free will to choose our paths and make our decisions. When we first chose to disobey God in some way, we stepped over a line that we alone could never step back over, we went from perfect in God's eyes to sinners who chose to ignore his wishes and commands.
So if the good can't get into heaven, who will we find? We will find the forgiven. You may walk down the streets of gold and see hundreds of people you knew would be there. These are people who lived the life of a good Christian, yes you knew they goofed up time to time but they were a solid person. Don't be surprised though when you walk up and see them talking to a murderer from skid row who found God in a cell and asked for forgiveness.
You see, none of us get this gift because we deserve it, we get it because Jesus died and let his blood flow over the sins of anyone who calls on his name and says I know that I am a sinner but I believe in you and want you to come in my heart and make me a better person. We only see heaven because at our trial when the gavel should come crashing down on a guilty as charged cry from the Lord's throne, Jesus steps out and says, "It's okay Dad. I already served this one's sentence."
I am so glad that I have Jesus' promise that I am going to be one of the bad people walking the streets of heaven.
Class Is In Session
Monday, March 31, 2008
Rabbi, in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’, or more literally, ‘my great one’, when addressing any master. The word Rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word רַב, rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’, used in many senses, including the sense of a ‘master’ and apprentice, whence someone who is a distinguished ‘teacher’.--Wikipedia
In the new testament one of the names that Jesus is called more than any other is Rabbi. His disciples and those he came into contact with often referred to him by this traditional Hebrew name. Why? Because Jesus was the great teacher. Not a great teacher, but the greatest teacher. Jesus brought to man knowledge of who God is, he brought understanding of what God wanted, and he introduced us to what it meant to truly follow God's commands.
Jesus took complex ideas and placed them into stories that made them understandable to those who really came seeking God. Yet, these same stories were often cryptic enough that those who sought their own glory could not understand. To them that have ears, let them hear.
Jesus was able to teach crowds in the thousands, yet make his message real, genuine, and personal to everyone that gathered around. He was able to meet one on one with the scholars and religious leaders of the day and never once was he stumped or left at a loss for words. Jesus was the fount of knowledge.
Yet even before Jesus came to Earth, God was already proving to be a teacher. Look to his contact with Moses: Exodus 4:12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." On Mount Sinai, when Moses found God in the form of a burning bush, God met Moses' attempts to say that he was unworthy and ill prepared to represent the Lord by telling him that he would teach Moses what he needed to know and say.
David wrote in Psalm 25:4-5, 9
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long....He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Now in this period where Jesus is absent in the body we are left with his Holy Spirit to teach and guide us. Luke 12: 11-13 11"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
In Mark 10:14 we are told, "When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." God wants us to make ourselves like little children. Why does he wish for us to be like children? Perhaps one reason is that little children don't have as many preconceived ideas about how things are. They are teachable and when we tell them a truth they take it for what it is and believe it.
God has provided our teacher, he has given us a text book, the only thing that he requires of us is out time and attention. God is not a truancy officer, he will not hunt us down and force us to spend time with him in his word, but we benefit greatly in all aspects of our lives when we do.
Rabbi, in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’, or more literally, ‘my great one’, when addressing any master. The word Rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word רַב, rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’, used in many senses, including the sense of a ‘master’ and apprentice, whence someone who is a distinguished ‘teacher’.--Wikipedia
In the new testament one of the names that Jesus is called more than any other is Rabbi. His disciples and those he came into contact with often referred to him by this traditional Hebrew name. Why? Because Jesus was the great teacher. Not a great teacher, but the greatest teacher. Jesus brought to man knowledge of who God is, he brought understanding of what God wanted, and he introduced us to what it meant to truly follow God's commands.
Jesus took complex ideas and placed them into stories that made them understandable to those who really came seeking God. Yet, these same stories were often cryptic enough that those who sought their own glory could not understand. To them that have ears, let them hear.
Jesus was able to teach crowds in the thousands, yet make his message real, genuine, and personal to everyone that gathered around. He was able to meet one on one with the scholars and religious leaders of the day and never once was he stumped or left at a loss for words. Jesus was the fount of knowledge.
Yet even before Jesus came to Earth, God was already proving to be a teacher. Look to his contact with Moses: Exodus 4:12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." On Mount Sinai, when Moses found God in the form of a burning bush, God met Moses' attempts to say that he was unworthy and ill prepared to represent the Lord by telling him that he would teach Moses what he needed to know and say.
David wrote in Psalm 25:4-5, 9
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long....He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Now in this period where Jesus is absent in the body we are left with his Holy Spirit to teach and guide us. Luke 12: 11-13 11"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
In Mark 10:14 we are told, "When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." God wants us to make ourselves like little children. Why does he wish for us to be like children? Perhaps one reason is that little children don't have as many preconceived ideas about how things are. They are teachable and when we tell them a truth they take it for what it is and believe it.
God has provided our teacher, he has given us a text book, the only thing that he requires of us is out time and attention. God is not a truancy officer, he will not hunt us down and force us to spend time with him in his word, but we benefit greatly in all aspects of our lives when we do.
The Journey, Not A Destination
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Some people look at the moment they become a Christian as the goal, they see accepting Christ as the finale, nothing more to do, I'm saved that's it. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Look at the Apostle Paul for an example, 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul did not write to Timothy and say, "I accepted Christ, I did my own thing, I'm going to heaven." Instead, Paul became one of the most dedicated servants of God in the New Testament enduring beatings, threats, imprisonment, and ultimately death all to build Christ's church. Paul understood that when you accept Christ this is not a destination but a beginning.
God affords us his grace by allowing the blood of Jesus Christ to cover our sins when we accept him as our saviour. However, He does not say, " Now that I see you as my child go on with your old life as though nothing has happened." God calls us to evangelize, Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
We are further more called to be the body of Christ in his absence taking care of those who cannot care for themselves. We are asked to go against our nature and love those that despise us. We are asked to live to high moral standards and not give into the desires of the flesh. No God does not only what you to believe in him, he wants you to be willing to live for him.
So I leave you this evening with a question. Who are you living your life for? Are you living to make yourself happy? Is the first question you ask before you make a major (or minor) decision what would God want me to do or do you just think what do I want to do? If you choose not only to be a fair weather Christian, a person who is saved for insurance purposes, then you must learn to ask the right questions in your day to day life. We must learn to put God first and ourselves second. Christianity does not stop with accepting Christ, it begins a life long devotion to servitude.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Some people look at the moment they become a Christian as the goal, they see accepting Christ as the finale, nothing more to do, I'm saved that's it. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Look at the Apostle Paul for an example, 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul did not write to Timothy and say, "I accepted Christ, I did my own thing, I'm going to heaven." Instead, Paul became one of the most dedicated servants of God in the New Testament enduring beatings, threats, imprisonment, and ultimately death all to build Christ's church. Paul understood that when you accept Christ this is not a destination but a beginning.
God affords us his grace by allowing the blood of Jesus Christ to cover our sins when we accept him as our saviour. However, He does not say, " Now that I see you as my child go on with your old life as though nothing has happened." God calls us to evangelize, Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
We are further more called to be the body of Christ in his absence taking care of those who cannot care for themselves. We are asked to go against our nature and love those that despise us. We are asked to live to high moral standards and not give into the desires of the flesh. No God does not only what you to believe in him, he wants you to be willing to live for him.
So I leave you this evening with a question. Who are you living your life for? Are you living to make yourself happy? Is the first question you ask before you make a major (or minor) decision what would God want me to do or do you just think what do I want to do? If you choose not only to be a fair weather Christian, a person who is saved for insurance purposes, then you must learn to ask the right questions in your day to day life. We must learn to put God first and ourselves second. Christianity does not stop with accepting Christ, it begins a life long devotion to servitude.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gossip
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
There is nothing that feels worse when you are facing a difficult situation and trying to do the right thing than to hear rumors flying that undermine you, especially when they are totally false. Maybe you have been there. Have you have faced one of those crossroads in your life where you already feel that your entire world is under a microscope? Those that know you best and are on the "inside" of the situation are all whispering their advice.
Some of this advice is sound, all of it weighs on you. In the end you decide instead of taking an easy road you will take the longer road that is rocky and difficult, you have decided to take the right road. In the midst of this journey you encounter encouragements and set backs, but you keep your eyes focused on the path and keep climbing. Then one day, a friend comes up and says, "why didn't you tell me you had changed your mind. I had no idea you were....". It feels like someone just popped your balloon.
Here you are in the midst of adversity trying to do the right thing and this false word, this lie comes along spreading it's way like a virus among those you know and love. People you barely know hear this and assume it is fact. Why would people say it if wasn't true? People you know may take the statement with a grain of salt, yet it does plant a seed.
Why do we as Christians get involved with such hurtful foolishness? Why can we not say enough is enough and leave well enough alone when we don't know things for a fact? In almost any church in America you can stand near the doors on a Sunday and hear it, someone told someone else who told me and now I am telling you. We are not such a dull people to lack understanding of how these stories get twisted as they pass.
In most cases what business of ours is it? I must say that I have heard very little gossip in my life that would affect me directly or indirectly. Gossip is 9 times out of 10 a person sticking their nose into someone else's private affairs without the knowledge or understanding to have a clue what they are talking about. If these sound like the rantings of someone who has been hurt, then you're right, but I'm not alone, and I am not without justification.
Proverbs 11:13
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Proverbs 16:28
A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 26:20
Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
Romans 1:29
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips
2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
1 Timothy 5:13
Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
The Bible speaks openly and frankly about gossip, it is used in the same breath with such sins as jealousy, deceit, murder, envy, greed and depravity. Sin is not something that we as a church should take lightly. We must understand that gossip hurts people, it eats away at relationships and when we flippantly talk about things we don't know and can't possibly understand we can put others in terrible predicaments. We wouldn't stand in front of a person and tell lies about that person to all who would listen. Why do we take statements that we are unsure about and spread them around behind the persons back.
Make no mistake, gossip is a sin. It shows a lack of respect for our brothers and sisters and proves that we have too much idle time that could better be used to serve the Lord in FAR more productive ways. Let us pray that we would have the wisdom to turn a deaf ear when gossip comes our way and stop this chain of hurtfulness and deceit.
There is nothing that feels worse when you are facing a difficult situation and trying to do the right thing than to hear rumors flying that undermine you, especially when they are totally false. Maybe you have been there. Have you have faced one of those crossroads in your life where you already feel that your entire world is under a microscope? Those that know you best and are on the "inside" of the situation are all whispering their advice.
Some of this advice is sound, all of it weighs on you. In the end you decide instead of taking an easy road you will take the longer road that is rocky and difficult, you have decided to take the right road. In the midst of this journey you encounter encouragements and set backs, but you keep your eyes focused on the path and keep climbing. Then one day, a friend comes up and says, "why didn't you tell me you had changed your mind. I had no idea you were....". It feels like someone just popped your balloon.
Here you are in the midst of adversity trying to do the right thing and this false word, this lie comes along spreading it's way like a virus among those you know and love. People you barely know hear this and assume it is fact. Why would people say it if wasn't true? People you know may take the statement with a grain of salt, yet it does plant a seed.
Why do we as Christians get involved with such hurtful foolishness? Why can we not say enough is enough and leave well enough alone when we don't know things for a fact? In almost any church in America you can stand near the doors on a Sunday and hear it, someone told someone else who told me and now I am telling you. We are not such a dull people to lack understanding of how these stories get twisted as they pass.
In most cases what business of ours is it? I must say that I have heard very little gossip in my life that would affect me directly or indirectly. Gossip is 9 times out of 10 a person sticking their nose into someone else's private affairs without the knowledge or understanding to have a clue what they are talking about. If these sound like the rantings of someone who has been hurt, then you're right, but I'm not alone, and I am not without justification.
Proverbs 11:13
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Proverbs 16:28
A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 26:20
Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
Romans 1:29
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips
2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
1 Timothy 5:13
Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
The Bible speaks openly and frankly about gossip, it is used in the same breath with such sins as jealousy, deceit, murder, envy, greed and depravity. Sin is not something that we as a church should take lightly. We must understand that gossip hurts people, it eats away at relationships and when we flippantly talk about things we don't know and can't possibly understand we can put others in terrible predicaments. We wouldn't stand in front of a person and tell lies about that person to all who would listen. Why do we take statements that we are unsure about and spread them around behind the persons back.
Make no mistake, gossip is a sin. It shows a lack of respect for our brothers and sisters and proves that we have too much idle time that could better be used to serve the Lord in FAR more productive ways. Let us pray that we would have the wisdom to turn a deaf ear when gossip comes our way and stop this chain of hurtfulness and deceit.
Second Hand Food
Thursday, April 3, 2008
I had the opportunity yesterday to join with a group of men at my church for a men's fellowship class. Our discussion led us through several topics but the one thing that stuck in my head more than anything else was what one of the leaders of my Sunday school class said. He told us not to rely on second hand food to feed our soul.
What did he mean by this? Devotional books and websites are fantastic, they allow the Christian to tap into insight that another person might have found while studying the Word. However, as good as a devotion might be you can never depend entirely on another person to provide you with the spiritual food. No, I'm not trying to talk my way out of a job, but I think that this revelation is important.
How are we to know when someone is giving us a correct interpretation of the word of God? Do we take everyone at face value? NO, we are taught in scripture that there will be false prophets bringing a perverted version of the word. Truths will be twisted and made to sound correct. Look no further than the prince of lies himself, Satan. When he was tempting Jesus in the wilderness he misquoted scripture. The only way that you can learn to discern whether a teaching is biblical or not is to know your Bible. The only way to truly know your Bible is, well, you have to read it.
So tonight I ask you not to stop reading the devotion, but in addition to reading what I have to say please, please put your priority on reading what God has to say. I would never intentionally write anything that would lead you astray or bring an incorrect word. However I can never say anything better than The Good Book said it in the first place. Spend some time in your Bible and then look to see what your fellow man has pulled out of the text. The blessing you will receive is two-fold: piece of mind that what you read is true and also being better equipped to testify yourself.
I had the opportunity yesterday to join with a group of men at my church for a men's fellowship class. Our discussion led us through several topics but the one thing that stuck in my head more than anything else was what one of the leaders of my Sunday school class said. He told us not to rely on second hand food to feed our soul.
What did he mean by this? Devotional books and websites are fantastic, they allow the Christian to tap into insight that another person might have found while studying the Word. However, as good as a devotion might be you can never depend entirely on another person to provide you with the spiritual food. No, I'm not trying to talk my way out of a job, but I think that this revelation is important.
How are we to know when someone is giving us a correct interpretation of the word of God? Do we take everyone at face value? NO, we are taught in scripture that there will be false prophets bringing a perverted version of the word. Truths will be twisted and made to sound correct. Look no further than the prince of lies himself, Satan. When he was tempting Jesus in the wilderness he misquoted scripture. The only way that you can learn to discern whether a teaching is biblical or not is to know your Bible. The only way to truly know your Bible is, well, you have to read it.
So tonight I ask you not to stop reading the devotion, but in addition to reading what I have to say please, please put your priority on reading what God has to say. I would never intentionally write anything that would lead you astray or bring an incorrect word. However I can never say anything better than The Good Book said it in the first place. Spend some time in your Bible and then look to see what your fellow man has pulled out of the text. The blessing you will receive is two-fold: piece of mind that what you read is true and also being better equipped to testify yourself.
First Hand Food
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The following is a list of Spiritual Confessions that you may find helpful in your prayer life . It is straight scripture. You can pick out about 20 or so and use them as a prayer. Read them out loud! Why use them as a prayer? Remember these simple facts
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Gods word never returns void! Isaiah 55:10
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The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availed much James 5:16
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Christ answered Satan using scripture Matt 4:1-11
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Casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you 1 Peter 5:7
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The tongue has the power of life and death, Prov 18:21 (GW)
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God's word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep... God's word judges a person's thoughts and intentions. Heb 4:12 (GW)
Now that is effective prayer!
1. I walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7).
2. I abide in Christ, He abides in me, and I bear much fruit (John 15:5).
3. I have the mind of Christ and I hold the thoughts and purposes of His heart (1 Corinthians 2:16).
4. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
5. No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue that rises up against me in judgment shall be condemned (Isaiah 54:17).
6. I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind (Mark 12:30).
7. I love my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:31).
8. I am faithful over a few things, and I will be made ruler over many (Matthew 25:23).
9. I submit to God, I resist the devil, and he must flee from me (James 4:7).
10. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
11. The Lord preserves my going out and my coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
12. When I lie down, I will not be afraid, and my sleep shall be sweet (Proverbs 3:24).
13. I obtain the favor of the Lord (Proverbs 12:2).
14. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
15. I am taught of God’s ways, and I walk in his paths (Isaiah 2:3).
16. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).
17. I desire the sincere milk of The Word that I may grow thereby (I Peter 2:2).
18. Faith, Hope, and Love (especially love) abide in me (I Corinthians 13:13).
19. I am the seed of Abraham, and just like him, God has counted me righteous (Genesis 15:6).
20. I am meek, and I inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
21. I seek first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all things are added unto me (Matthew 6:33).
22. I am a true worshipper, one who worships in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).
23. I do not live off of bread alone but of every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3).
24. I have been chosen by God to bring forth fruit that shall remain (John 15:16).
25. I am a brand new person inside, pure and holy, full of God’s goodness (II Corinthians 5:17; I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 5:21).
26. My sins have been taken away, and I am forgiven. I am now chosen, adopted, and forgiven with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 1:3).
27. I am free from sickness. I believe in my heart that Jesus’ wounds heal me. I can lay my hands on the sick, and they will recover (I Peter 2:24; Mark 16:18).
28. Whatever I ask for in prayer, I believe that I have received it (Mark 11:24).
29. I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. I am one of God’s own people (1 Peter 2:9).
30. I am not fearful because God has given me a spirit of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
31. In Christ, I was chosen before the world was made. In His love, He chose me to be a holy person and without blame before Him (Ephesians 1:4).
32. In Christ Jesus, I have been made a new person that I may do the good works He has planned for me (Ephesians 2:10).
33. I, therefore, having been justified by faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Roman5: 1).
34. I am dead to the power of sin and have been made alive with God through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
35. I have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).
36. I am the light of the world. I am like a city on top of a hill that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14).
37. I shall not be afraid because the Lord is my light, my salvation, and the strength of my life (Psalm 27:1).
38. I am as bold as a lion because Jesus has made me the righteous of God (Proverbs 28:1).
39. My hope is in the Lord, and I will be blessed. I am like a tree planted by the waters. My roots are large and will find water, and I shall never cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7). (Psalm 1:3).
40. The Lord God gives me grace and glory. I will walk uprightly before Him, and He will withhold no good thing from me (Psalm 84:11).
41. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and I will do the works that Jesus did (John 14:12).
42. Whatever I ask in the Name of Jesus, He will do it for me so that God may be glorified (John 14:12).
43. In Christ, I have become a child of God, and I receive the blessings God has for me ((John 1:2; Romans 16:17).
44. In Christ, God has chosen me as His own and made me strong. God has placed His mark on me. He has placed His Spirit in my heart as a guarantee for all He has promised (II Corinthians 1:22-21).
45. In Christ, God has given me victory, and He uses me to spread His knowledge everywhere (II Corinthians 1:14).
46. I am healed and delivered from sin because Christ was wounded for the wrong I did, He was crushed for the evil things I did; my punishment was given to Him, and I am healed because of His wounds (Isaiah 53:5-7; I Peter 2:24).
The Word of God that I have spoken today will not return to the Lord void, but will accomplish that which the Lord pleases in my life and it shall prosper within me (Isaiah 55:11).
Father, be it unto me according to your Word (Luke 1:38). In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thanks to Scott Couch for allowing me to share this on the CSZ Devotion page. Scott is a fine man of God with an insightful view of scripture and an amazing ability to relate spiritual truths. I am blessed to learn from him and I hope that you will share in this blessing through the above take on some of Scriptures promises.
The following is a list of Spiritual Confessions that you may find helpful in your prayer life . It is straight scripture. You can pick out about 20 or so and use them as a prayer. Read them out loud! Why use them as a prayer? Remember these simple facts
*
Gods word never returns void! Isaiah 55:10
*
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availed much James 5:16
*
Christ answered Satan using scripture Matt 4:1-11
*
Casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you 1 Peter 5:7
*
The tongue has the power of life and death, Prov 18:21 (GW)
*
God's word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep... God's word judges a person's thoughts and intentions. Heb 4:12 (GW)
Now that is effective prayer!
1. I walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7).
2. I abide in Christ, He abides in me, and I bear much fruit (John 15:5).
3. I have the mind of Christ and I hold the thoughts and purposes of His heart (1 Corinthians 2:16).
4. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
5. No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue that rises up against me in judgment shall be condemned (Isaiah 54:17).
6. I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind (Mark 12:30).
7. I love my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:31).
8. I am faithful over a few things, and I will be made ruler over many (Matthew 25:23).
9. I submit to God, I resist the devil, and he must flee from me (James 4:7).
10. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
11. The Lord preserves my going out and my coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 121:8).
12. When I lie down, I will not be afraid, and my sleep shall be sweet (Proverbs 3:24).
13. I obtain the favor of the Lord (Proverbs 12:2).
14. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).
15. I am taught of God’s ways, and I walk in his paths (Isaiah 2:3).
16. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).
17. I desire the sincere milk of The Word that I may grow thereby (I Peter 2:2).
18. Faith, Hope, and Love (especially love) abide in me (I Corinthians 13:13).
19. I am the seed of Abraham, and just like him, God has counted me righteous (Genesis 15:6).
20. I am meek, and I inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
21. I seek first the Kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all things are added unto me (Matthew 6:33).
22. I am a true worshipper, one who worships in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).
23. I do not live off of bread alone but of every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3).
24. I have been chosen by God to bring forth fruit that shall remain (John 15:16).
25. I am a brand new person inside, pure and holy, full of God’s goodness (II Corinthians 5:17; I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 5:21).
26. My sins have been taken away, and I am forgiven. I am now chosen, adopted, and forgiven with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 1:3).
27. I am free from sickness. I believe in my heart that Jesus’ wounds heal me. I can lay my hands on the sick, and they will recover (I Peter 2:24; Mark 16:18).
28. Whatever I ask for in prayer, I believe that I have received it (Mark 11:24).
29. I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. I am one of God’s own people (1 Peter 2:9).
30. I am not fearful because God has given me a spirit of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
31. In Christ, I was chosen before the world was made. In His love, He chose me to be a holy person and without blame before Him (Ephesians 1:4).
32. In Christ Jesus, I have been made a new person that I may do the good works He has planned for me (Ephesians 2:10).
33. I, therefore, having been justified by faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Roman5: 1).
34. I am dead to the power of sin and have been made alive with God through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
35. I have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).
36. I am the light of the world. I am like a city on top of a hill that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14).
37. I shall not be afraid because the Lord is my light, my salvation, and the strength of my life (Psalm 27:1).
38. I am as bold as a lion because Jesus has made me the righteous of God (Proverbs 28:1).
39. My hope is in the Lord, and I will be blessed. I am like a tree planted by the waters. My roots are large and will find water, and I shall never cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7). (Psalm 1:3).
40. The Lord God gives me grace and glory. I will walk uprightly before Him, and He will withhold no good thing from me (Psalm 84:11).
41. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and I will do the works that Jesus did (John 14:12).
42. Whatever I ask in the Name of Jesus, He will do it for me so that God may be glorified (John 14:12).
43. In Christ, I have become a child of God, and I receive the blessings God has for me ((John 1:2; Romans 16:17).
44. In Christ, God has chosen me as His own and made me strong. God has placed His mark on me. He has placed His Spirit in my heart as a guarantee for all He has promised (II Corinthians 1:22-21).
45. In Christ, God has given me victory, and He uses me to spread His knowledge everywhere (II Corinthians 1:14).
46. I am healed and delivered from sin because Christ was wounded for the wrong I did, He was crushed for the evil things I did; my punishment was given to Him, and I am healed because of His wounds (Isaiah 53:5-7; I Peter 2:24).
The Word of God that I have spoken today will not return to the Lord void, but will accomplish that which the Lord pleases in my life and it shall prosper within me (Isaiah 55:11).
Father, be it unto me according to your Word (Luke 1:38). In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thanks to Scott Couch for allowing me to share this on the CSZ Devotion page. Scott is a fine man of God with an insightful view of scripture and an amazing ability to relate spiritual truths. I am blessed to learn from him and I hope that you will share in this blessing through the above take on some of Scriptures promises.
If we are the body
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Romans 12:5
so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Effective ministry is reaching people where they are at with a message of God's love that they can understand. If this is the definition of effective ministry, then we have to understand that ministry must be static and ever changing depending on the people we are trying to reach. Some people are gifted in ways that you and I may consider bizarre, then again we may be gifted in ways that others find bizarre.
This does not mean that the message ever changes, understand that clearly. God does not change and the truths about who he is and what he expects from his people are the same today as they have always been.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
However, people are always in a constant state of flux. Different people can look at the same situation or object in completely different ways. An area that 10 years ago was rural grows up and today is urban. The church that sits on Main Street in that rural town will experience these changes as well. As the culture around it changes the programs, worship style, decor, etc may need to be overhauled to meet the needs of a new population. The message of God's love remains the same, the way we present it morphs in order to remain effective.
This is exactly why within the body of believers it is so important to have diverse gifts. If the church we attend on Sunday is comprised only of individuals with identical gifts, likes, and skills then we greatly limit our ability to reach the rest of the world. If, however, we have a pool of diverse gifts, experiences, likes, and skills our church becomes able to minister effectively to a wide variety of people.
If we are to fulfill the Great Commission* then we must keep an eye on what is most effective. If we are to reach out to the world, we must be willing to be creative. Maybe this means Christian music in a format that you never imagined when singing old school hymns, maybe it means having a cyber community of believers, maybe it means incorporating sports, maybe it means incorporating something that you would think of that I never would. Don't be afraid to be different, be afraid to be the same.
*(The Great Commission) Matthew 28: 19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Romans 12:5
so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Effective ministry is reaching people where they are at with a message of God's love that they can understand. If this is the definition of effective ministry, then we have to understand that ministry must be static and ever changing depending on the people we are trying to reach. Some people are gifted in ways that you and I may consider bizarre, then again we may be gifted in ways that others find bizarre.
This does not mean that the message ever changes, understand that clearly. God does not change and the truths about who he is and what he expects from his people are the same today as they have always been.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
However, people are always in a constant state of flux. Different people can look at the same situation or object in completely different ways. An area that 10 years ago was rural grows up and today is urban. The church that sits on Main Street in that rural town will experience these changes as well. As the culture around it changes the programs, worship style, decor, etc may need to be overhauled to meet the needs of a new population. The message of God's love remains the same, the way we present it morphs in order to remain effective.
This is exactly why within the body of believers it is so important to have diverse gifts. If the church we attend on Sunday is comprised only of individuals with identical gifts, likes, and skills then we greatly limit our ability to reach the rest of the world. If, however, we have a pool of diverse gifts, experiences, likes, and skills our church becomes able to minister effectively to a wide variety of people.
If we are to fulfill the Great Commission* then we must keep an eye on what is most effective. If we are to reach out to the world, we must be willing to be creative. Maybe this means Christian music in a format that you never imagined when singing old school hymns, maybe it means having a cyber community of believers, maybe it means incorporating sports, maybe it means incorporating something that you would think of that I never would. Don't be afraid to be different, be afraid to be the same.
*(The Great Commission) Matthew 28: 19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Set Apart
Monday, April 7, 2008
Romans 12:17-21
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Welcome, may this time of study and reflection be a blessing unto you, I pray that God will open my heart as I write and your heart as you read that together we might both glean a new understanding of His Word, In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Tonight I want to take a look at what it means when the Bible talks about Christians being set apart. This is a term that is often thrown around in the church, but I'd like to take our time this evening to really dissect what this means literally and what are the implications of such a statement.
If we look to the Old Testament we find that the Lord often refers to the Israelites, or Hebrew people, as being set apart.
Leviticus 20:26
You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
Numbers 3:13
for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.
Numbers 8:14
In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
In these verses, the Lord sets the president that when he sets a group of people apart he is calling them to obedience, he is setting a standard, he is branding these as belonging to him. Those that were set apart in the Old Testament fell under the old covenant, or agreement, with God. The Israelites agreed to follow God's rules, to be obedient in return for receiving His favor. Did this mean that God did not love the other people that populated the earth? Not at all.
God loved all of creation, it was the willingness of Abraham and his descendants to obey, and repent when they failed to obey, that brought favor in the eyes of the Lord. During the entire history of the Hebrew people you can see what happens when God's people choose to act as though they are set apart and what happens when they choose to conform to the ways of the world.
When the Israelites obeyed and were true to their part of the covenant, generally they thrived. When Israel began to conform to the societies that surrounded them and ceased to listen to the Lord for their direction, the Lord often allowed misfortunes to fall in Israel's path. God did not take pleasure in punishing his people, but allowed for these things to happen in order to refocus His children on what they should be doing.
Although we are not under the old covenant any longer (Jesus Christ paid our blood penalty for us if we believe in and accept him as our Savior),we often find ourselves in the biggest predicament when we cease to act like a people set apart. It is easy in this world we live in to call for an eye for an eye. It is easy to get caught up in what is fair and trying to see that each person gets what is coming to them. When a person wrongs us we feel justified to harm them in an equal way or at least in what we see as an equal amount.
However, if we are to be set apart, this goes to the core of what we are called to do. Just because the world gives us resounding support for these feelings does not make it right. We cannot get caught up in the accolades of what the unsaved populous says is just, we must keep our eyes focused on what God tells us is true. Love your neighbor and care for your enemy? The world calls us crazy, forgive those that have harmed you? What about justice they yell. Make peace whenever possible, oh but our nature often makes it easier to call for war.
Matthew 7:1
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."
That verse is one we don't like. We like to stand back and say, "if I were in that position I would..." We don't like to let things go. We don't like to remember the times when we were in the wrong, no we like to live in the hypothetical.
Let us as Christians realize that we are called to be different. We are called to compassion not judgment. We are called to servitude not pride. We are called to giving not hoarding unto ourselves. We are called to love rather than to give into hate. We are called not "to be our own man" but to be the man (or woman) that God wants us to be. We are called not to be a mirror to the world where they look at us and see only a carbon copy of themselves staring back. We are called instead to be transparent so that Jesus might shine through us and allow others to say I want that in my life.
Romans 12:17-21
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Welcome, may this time of study and reflection be a blessing unto you, I pray that God will open my heart as I write and your heart as you read that together we might both glean a new understanding of His Word, In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Tonight I want to take a look at what it means when the Bible talks about Christians being set apart. This is a term that is often thrown around in the church, but I'd like to take our time this evening to really dissect what this means literally and what are the implications of such a statement.
If we look to the Old Testament we find that the Lord often refers to the Israelites, or Hebrew people, as being set apart.
Leviticus 20:26
You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
Numbers 3:13
for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.
Numbers 8:14
In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.
In these verses, the Lord sets the president that when he sets a group of people apart he is calling them to obedience, he is setting a standard, he is branding these as belonging to him. Those that were set apart in the Old Testament fell under the old covenant, or agreement, with God. The Israelites agreed to follow God's rules, to be obedient in return for receiving His favor. Did this mean that God did not love the other people that populated the earth? Not at all.
God loved all of creation, it was the willingness of Abraham and his descendants to obey, and repent when they failed to obey, that brought favor in the eyes of the Lord. During the entire history of the Hebrew people you can see what happens when God's people choose to act as though they are set apart and what happens when they choose to conform to the ways of the world.
When the Israelites obeyed and were true to their part of the covenant, generally they thrived. When Israel began to conform to the societies that surrounded them and ceased to listen to the Lord for their direction, the Lord often allowed misfortunes to fall in Israel's path. God did not take pleasure in punishing his people, but allowed for these things to happen in order to refocus His children on what they should be doing.
Although we are not under the old covenant any longer (Jesus Christ paid our blood penalty for us if we believe in and accept him as our Savior),we often find ourselves in the biggest predicament when we cease to act like a people set apart. It is easy in this world we live in to call for an eye for an eye. It is easy to get caught up in what is fair and trying to see that each person gets what is coming to them. When a person wrongs us we feel justified to harm them in an equal way or at least in what we see as an equal amount.
However, if we are to be set apart, this goes to the core of what we are called to do. Just because the world gives us resounding support for these feelings does not make it right. We cannot get caught up in the accolades of what the unsaved populous says is just, we must keep our eyes focused on what God tells us is true. Love your neighbor and care for your enemy? The world calls us crazy, forgive those that have harmed you? What about justice they yell. Make peace whenever possible, oh but our nature often makes it easier to call for war.
Matthew 7:1
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."
That verse is one we don't like. We like to stand back and say, "if I were in that position I would..." We don't like to let things go. We don't like to remember the times when we were in the wrong, no we like to live in the hypothetical.
Let us as Christians realize that we are called to be different. We are called to compassion not judgment. We are called to servitude not pride. We are called to giving not hoarding unto ourselves. We are called to love rather than to give into hate. We are called not "to be our own man" but to be the man (or woman) that God wants us to be. We are called not to be a mirror to the world where they look at us and see only a carbon copy of themselves staring back. We are called instead to be transparent so that Jesus might shine through us and allow others to say I want that in my life.
Living on the Edge--R12 Revolution
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The R12 Revolution
The R12 Revolution is a movement that was started by Chip Ingram, a pastor for over 20 years. The goal of R12 is to fulfill what is commonly known The Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Ingram understands that before Christians can be effective disciples, they first have to be healthy disciples. But that begs the question of what does a healthy disciple look like? “Unfortunately, in today’s Christian culture, many Christians believe that a disciple is a person who reads their Bible more often, and engages in multiple religious activities.
But genuine discipleship flows out of relationship. It is grace-based, not performance-oriented. Romans 12 provides a relational profile of an authentic disciple. Christians who live out this kind of lifestyle are what we call R12 (Romans 12) Christians.
These are the types of disciples that turned the world upside down in the first century church. God always uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Living on the Edge is committed to challenging believers to be part of an R12 Revolution.
The R12 Christian
The R12 Revolution uses Romans 12:1-21 to point out 5 things that all Christians are called to do:
1) Surrender your life to Christ
(v. 1)
2) Separate from the ways of the world (v. 2)
3) Use sober judgment to assess ourselves (v. 3-8)
4) Serve others in love (v. 9-13)
5) Supernaturally respond to evil.
(v. 14-21)
Will You Join The R12 Revolution?
“Give me a hundred people who love God with all their hearts, and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world.” --John Wesley
“Wesley’s words were written at a time of widespread moral decay, apostasy in the church, when children were slave laborers, and the slums of England were marked by poverty, prostitution and alcohol. God raised up Romans 12 Christians under Wesley and Whitfield that changed the world!
Solving today’s problems in and outside the church begins with you and me. When “Christians” actually live “like Christians” God changes people, families, businesses, government, and society. Are you a Romans 12 Christian?
Are you willing, today, to join us in the R12 Revolution for our current and future generations?”
For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.—2 Chronicles 16:9
Much of the information found in tonight's devotion come's from the Living On the Edge Website (www.LOTE.org). I have had the pleasure over the last few months of joining a group of believers who are using auto-racing as an outreach ministy. One of the Associate Partners for our Race team is Living on the Edge, specifically the R12 Revolution. I encourage you to check out Chip Ingram's teaching and invite you to examine Romans 12:1-21 as you attempt to live your life inside the R12 Revolution.
The R12 Revolution
The R12 Revolution is a movement that was started by Chip Ingram, a pastor for over 20 years. The goal of R12 is to fulfill what is commonly known The Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Ingram understands that before Christians can be effective disciples, they first have to be healthy disciples. But that begs the question of what does a healthy disciple look like? “Unfortunately, in today’s Christian culture, many Christians believe that a disciple is a person who reads their Bible more often, and engages in multiple religious activities.
But genuine discipleship flows out of relationship. It is grace-based, not performance-oriented. Romans 12 provides a relational profile of an authentic disciple. Christians who live out this kind of lifestyle are what we call R12 (Romans 12) Christians.
These are the types of disciples that turned the world upside down in the first century church. God always uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Living on the Edge is committed to challenging believers to be part of an R12 Revolution.
The R12 Christian
The R12 Revolution uses Romans 12:1-21 to point out 5 things that all Christians are called to do:
1) Surrender your life to Christ
(v. 1)
2) Separate from the ways of the world (v. 2)
3) Use sober judgment to assess ourselves (v. 3-8)
4) Serve others in love (v. 9-13)
5) Supernaturally respond to evil.
(v. 14-21)
Will You Join The R12 Revolution?
“Give me a hundred people who love God with all their hearts, and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world.” --John Wesley
“Wesley’s words were written at a time of widespread moral decay, apostasy in the church, when children were slave laborers, and the slums of England were marked by poverty, prostitution and alcohol. God raised up Romans 12 Christians under Wesley and Whitfield that changed the world!
Solving today’s problems in and outside the church begins with you and me. When “Christians” actually live “like Christians” God changes people, families, businesses, government, and society. Are you a Romans 12 Christian?
Are you willing, today, to join us in the R12 Revolution for our current and future generations?”
For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.—2 Chronicles 16:9
Much of the information found in tonight's devotion come's from the Living On the Edge Website (www.LOTE.org). I have had the pleasure over the last few months of joining a group of believers who are using auto-racing as an outreach ministy. One of the Associate Partners for our Race team is Living on the Edge, specifically the R12 Revolution. I encourage you to check out Chip Ingram's teaching and invite you to examine Romans 12:1-21 as you attempt to live your life inside the R12 Revolution.
A Word of Encouragement
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Acts 20:1-3
When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples
and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. He
traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the
people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months.
Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail
for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Acts 4:36
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement)
Acts 15:30-32
30The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered
the church together and delivered the letter. 31The people read it and
were glad for its encouraging message. 32Judas and Silas, who
themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the
brothers.
Dictionary.com defines encourage as: to inspire with
courage, spirit, or confidence. Is there any doubt how important an
encouraging word can be? How much does it mean when you feel totally
spent to have someone say that they have noticed how hard you are
working and that they appreciate what you are doing?
I like to call this type of encouragement the encouragement of affirmation. Often times the old adage
that the squeaky wheel gets the oil holds true. It is those that are
not doing what they should or those that are struggling who receive our
encouragement, and they should. But we should also take time to recognize
our brothers and sisters who are on the right track. Giving this kind
of encouragement takes discipline. We have to remind ourselves consciously not to take for granted the work of those around us, but to vocally recognize the good job that those around us do.
Equally
important for Christians is to project the second type of
encouragement, lifting encouragement. This type of encouragement is
meant to be given to those that are feeling defeated or even useless.
We all have those days when we feel drained, when we have been
well-meaning in our actions but it seems that it all goes wrong. This
is the time when we need to step in and be willing to offer lifting
encouragement. Lifting encouragement is empathizing, sympathizing, and
reassuring that things will get better.
The third type of
encouragement I want to address is probably the hardest for Christians
to offer. This type of encouragement is what I call metamorphic
encouragement. Metamorphic encouragement is encouragement that exacts
change. Sometimes we are confronted with a person that we care about
who is obviously on an ungodly road. This is the time when we have to
offer encouragement to move back toward the correct path.
This
does not have to appear as a condescending comment, it could be as easy
as inviting someone to attend church who has gotten out of attending
regular service. You might ask a buddy to meet you for dinner one night
and come to your bible study afterwards. This type of encouragement can
be put in a positive light by making inclusive statements instead of
statements that isolate and demean. Many Christians fall into the trap
of simply pointing out that they see others are sinning. More often
than not, confronting someone with a, "you're doing this wrong, fix it"
attitude is not going to illicit change. If you instead approach the
situation as someone who is inviting or someone who has dealt with a
similar situation, you may become a welcomed ray of hope.
God
calls us to gather together, one reason for us gathering is so that we
can encourage each other to live the life we are called to. Sometimes
this means helping a friend to see where change is needed, sometimes it
is lifting spirits and sometimes it is recognizing the accomplishments
of others. Let us always diligently look for ways that we can support
our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Acts 20:1-3
When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples
and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. He
traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the
people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months.
Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail
for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Acts 4:36
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement)
Acts 15:30-32
30The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered
the church together and delivered the letter. 31The people read it and
were glad for its encouraging message. 32Judas and Silas, who
themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the
brothers.
Dictionary.com defines encourage as: to inspire with
courage, spirit, or confidence. Is there any doubt how important an
encouraging word can be? How much does it mean when you feel totally
spent to have someone say that they have noticed how hard you are
working and that they appreciate what you are doing?
I like to call this type of encouragement the encouragement of affirmation. Often times the old adage
that the squeaky wheel gets the oil holds true. It is those that are
not doing what they should or those that are struggling who receive our
encouragement, and they should. But we should also take time to recognize
our brothers and sisters who are on the right track. Giving this kind
of encouragement takes discipline. We have to remind ourselves consciously not to take for granted the work of those around us, but to vocally recognize the good job that those around us do.
Equally
important for Christians is to project the second type of
encouragement, lifting encouragement. This type of encouragement is
meant to be given to those that are feeling defeated or even useless.
We all have those days when we feel drained, when we have been
well-meaning in our actions but it seems that it all goes wrong. This
is the time when we need to step in and be willing to offer lifting
encouragement. Lifting encouragement is empathizing, sympathizing, and
reassuring that things will get better.
The third type of
encouragement I want to address is probably the hardest for Christians
to offer. This type of encouragement is what I call metamorphic
encouragement. Metamorphic encouragement is encouragement that exacts
change. Sometimes we are confronted with a person that we care about
who is obviously on an ungodly road. This is the time when we have to
offer encouragement to move back toward the correct path.
This
does not have to appear as a condescending comment, it could be as easy
as inviting someone to attend church who has gotten out of attending
regular service. You might ask a buddy to meet you for dinner one night
and come to your bible study afterwards. This type of encouragement can
be put in a positive light by making inclusive statements instead of
statements that isolate and demean. Many Christians fall into the trap
of simply pointing out that they see others are sinning. More often
than not, confronting someone with a, "you're doing this wrong, fix it"
attitude is not going to illicit change. If you instead approach the
situation as someone who is inviting or someone who has dealt with a
similar situation, you may become a welcomed ray of hope.
God
calls us to gather together, one reason for us gathering is so that we
can encourage each other to live the life we are called to. Sometimes
this means helping a friend to see where change is needed, sometimes it
is lifting spirits and sometimes it is recognizing the accomplishments
of others. Let us always diligently look for ways that we can support
our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Wretch
Friday, April 11, 2008
I saw a T-shirt the other day that I really liked. It said, "I am the wretch the song speaks of." The shirt was of course referring to the classic hymn Amazing Grace.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found, twas blind but now I see"
How true the words of the song are and how much truer the t-shirt. I have heard sermons preached about not being the kind of Christian who only wears their faith on a t-shirt. How powerful though if the words printed on this man's t-shirt are also emblazoned on his heart. I am that wretch, everyone of us at one time or another can lay claim to being that wretch.
Everyone of us has been guilty of sin. Not only that, but I dare say that at sometime everyone of us has knowingly chosen sin over what is right. You see we are all born with a sin nature. There are those that will argue with me and say that they don't believe this fact. There are those that will tell me they believe man is basically good and that if he is given the opportunity he will choose right in the face of wrong.
Here is my answer to this. A little boy or girl is born and grows up in a home that has no books, no type, no print of any kind. This child never attends school and never has anyone read them a bed time story. Will that child know how to read? The answer is no, no one taught them.
A child is born and raised in a house where no one listens to music, no one even has a radio. The child is never introduced to an instrument of any kind and certainly never sees sheet music. Will this child know how to play the piano? No, no one taught that child how to play an instrument.
A child grows up in a good home and is taught wrong from right. Mom and Dad take that child to church every Sunday and Wednesday and tell him or her that they are loved very much. The parents refrain from arguing and using profanity in the presence of the child and screen carefully what the child is exposed to. This child, like every child, is playing with another child and decides they don't want to share and they push the child away and yell mine. Why? Not because the child was taught, but because man is born with a sin nature.
People are born into this world with a natural disposition to sin. We have desires of the flesh that are contrary to our moral teachings, we wish to be glutinous even though we know it adversely affects our health, we choose to be prideful even though we know we should humble ourselves. Man is sinful.
When we sing, say, or show the world that we know we are this way but we choose to fight our nature, we choose to live in a pleasing way to honor God, we become living testaments to the love of Jesus Christ. When we say that I am that Wretch, we cease to be a people who have earned their way to heaven in the eyes of the unsaved and we begin to appear as the unworthy people we are saved by grace.
Will you join me in saying, " I am the Wretch the song speaks of"?
I saw a T-shirt the other day that I really liked. It said, "I am the wretch the song speaks of." The shirt was of course referring to the classic hymn Amazing Grace.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found, twas blind but now I see"
How true the words of the song are and how much truer the t-shirt. I have heard sermons preached about not being the kind of Christian who only wears their faith on a t-shirt. How powerful though if the words printed on this man's t-shirt are also emblazoned on his heart. I am that wretch, everyone of us at one time or another can lay claim to being that wretch.
Everyone of us has been guilty of sin. Not only that, but I dare say that at sometime everyone of us has knowingly chosen sin over what is right. You see we are all born with a sin nature. There are those that will argue with me and say that they don't believe this fact. There are those that will tell me they believe man is basically good and that if he is given the opportunity he will choose right in the face of wrong.
Here is my answer to this. A little boy or girl is born and grows up in a home that has no books, no type, no print of any kind. This child never attends school and never has anyone read them a bed time story. Will that child know how to read? The answer is no, no one taught them.
A child is born and raised in a house where no one listens to music, no one even has a radio. The child is never introduced to an instrument of any kind and certainly never sees sheet music. Will this child know how to play the piano? No, no one taught that child how to play an instrument.
A child grows up in a good home and is taught wrong from right. Mom and Dad take that child to church every Sunday and Wednesday and tell him or her that they are loved very much. The parents refrain from arguing and using profanity in the presence of the child and screen carefully what the child is exposed to. This child, like every child, is playing with another child and decides they don't want to share and they push the child away and yell mine. Why? Not because the child was taught, but because man is born with a sin nature.
People are born into this world with a natural disposition to sin. We have desires of the flesh that are contrary to our moral teachings, we wish to be glutinous even though we know it adversely affects our health, we choose to be prideful even though we know we should humble ourselves. Man is sinful.
When we sing, say, or show the world that we know we are this way but we choose to fight our nature, we choose to live in a pleasing way to honor God, we become living testaments to the love of Jesus Christ. When we say that I am that Wretch, we cease to be a people who have earned their way to heaven in the eyes of the unsaved and we begin to appear as the unworthy people we are saved by grace.
Will you join me in saying, " I am the Wretch the song speaks of"?
In the Face of the Adversary
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Matthew 13:38-40
38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
One of the greatest lies in the world today is that there is no devil. It has become almost popular in modern religion to believe in the good and merciful God but to believe that the devil is a metaphor for man's indiscretions and short comings. Man wants to believe that there will be life after death yet he wants to forget that there are two possible destinations.
I can't blame those that wish to live in disbelief. I hate the idea that some people I know and likely some that I love will spend eternity in Hell. There is nothing pleasant about this reality. However, it is a written truth in the Bible that humans will make a decision that will impact the destination of their soul for all of eternity. Either we choose to accept Christ as our Savior or we choose to reject him and in so doing we reject the gift of heaven.
The purpose of this devotion is not to bring in scare tactics, it is to expose a fundamental tool that the enemy is trying to use. You see, the devil would like nothing better than for the world not to believe in him. If we don't believe in him, then we don't believe that he can attack us. If the devil doesn't exist, then there must not be a Hell because Hell was made as a place to send the devil. If there is no Hell, then everyone goes to Heaven or everyone just dies. You see if we begin to pick and choose what portions of the Bible we want to believe and which ones are just fluff where do we stop?
So why do people not believe in the devil? It all goes back to how they view the Bible. If you believe that the Bible is the Infallible word of God you must believe everything that is in it. If you believe that the Bible is a good book of moral tales that you can pick and choose from, then you are missing out on what it means to be a Christian.
In order to understand what it means to be a Christian, you cannot rely on just what you hear in the pew on Sunday. You cannot rely on just what you read from some online gu-ru who has a really cool web page with music, videos and devotionals. You must put your trust in Jesus Christ and the only way to do that is to put your trust in the word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
Without an understanding and belief in the document, what are you really trusting in? You see the Bible is an incredible work that was over 1500 years in the making. It has over 40 authors that wrote it's 66 books. Archaeologists continually find remnants and information that verify information found in the Bible. No one, though many have tried, have ever been able to disprove the truths of the Bible. Out of 5300 early manuscripts of the bible or portions of the bible that we have (from 50-200 years from when the original books were penned) with
184, 580 words in the new testament alone, there are only 400 words that are what are referred to as disputed. Many of these words are attributed to misspellings and incorrect grammar when the books were copied by hand. This is an amazing consistency for such a great number of copies and words.
The Bible proves true! Not just in part, not just the sections we want to believe but all of it. If we are to be God's people, we must study and believe God's Word. How can we be equipped to meet the enemy head on when thousands of so-called believers don't even recognize the enemy? We must begin putting our faith back in the Bible and stop listening to the world that says wouldn't you rather believe ________. What we would rather believe is insignificant if we believe one basic principle. Jesus was Emanuel, God with us. Jesus came to Earth to save us from our sins, he died on the cross, defeated death and rose again and is waiting at the right hand of the Father. Where did we learn this? From the Bible. How can we put faith in this statement if we cannot put faith in all the other statements that are also enclosed in it's pages?
**Much of the preceding message was adapted from information provided by Reverend Bill McKenzie and the entire Pinedale Staff from the messages given on 4/14/08 during the morning and evening services. For more information of Pinedale visit http://www.pinedale.org
Matthew 13:38-40
38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
One of the greatest lies in the world today is that there is no devil. It has become almost popular in modern religion to believe in the good and merciful God but to believe that the devil is a metaphor for man's indiscretions and short comings. Man wants to believe that there will be life after death yet he wants to forget that there are two possible destinations.
I can't blame those that wish to live in disbelief. I hate the idea that some people I know and likely some that I love will spend eternity in Hell. There is nothing pleasant about this reality. However, it is a written truth in the Bible that humans will make a decision that will impact the destination of their soul for all of eternity. Either we choose to accept Christ as our Savior or we choose to reject him and in so doing we reject the gift of heaven.
The purpose of this devotion is not to bring in scare tactics, it is to expose a fundamental tool that the enemy is trying to use. You see, the devil would like nothing better than for the world not to believe in him. If we don't believe in him, then we don't believe that he can attack us. If the devil doesn't exist, then there must not be a Hell because Hell was made as a place to send the devil. If there is no Hell, then everyone goes to Heaven or everyone just dies. You see if we begin to pick and choose what portions of the Bible we want to believe and which ones are just fluff where do we stop?
So why do people not believe in the devil? It all goes back to how they view the Bible. If you believe that the Bible is the Infallible word of God you must believe everything that is in it. If you believe that the Bible is a good book of moral tales that you can pick and choose from, then you are missing out on what it means to be a Christian.
In order to understand what it means to be a Christian, you cannot rely on just what you hear in the pew on Sunday. You cannot rely on just what you read from some online gu-ru who has a really cool web page with music, videos and devotionals. You must put your trust in Jesus Christ and the only way to do that is to put your trust in the word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
Without an understanding and belief in the document, what are you really trusting in? You see the Bible is an incredible work that was over 1500 years in the making. It has over 40 authors that wrote it's 66 books. Archaeologists continually find remnants and information that verify information found in the Bible. No one, though many have tried, have ever been able to disprove the truths of the Bible. Out of 5300 early manuscripts of the bible or portions of the bible that we have (from 50-200 years from when the original books were penned) with
184, 580 words in the new testament alone, there are only 400 words that are what are referred to as disputed. Many of these words are attributed to misspellings and incorrect grammar when the books were copied by hand. This is an amazing consistency for such a great number of copies and words.
The Bible proves true! Not just in part, not just the sections we want to believe but all of it. If we are to be God's people, we must study and believe God's Word. How can we be equipped to meet the enemy head on when thousands of so-called believers don't even recognize the enemy? We must begin putting our faith back in the Bible and stop listening to the world that says wouldn't you rather believe ________. What we would rather believe is insignificant if we believe one basic principle. Jesus was Emanuel, God with us. Jesus came to Earth to save us from our sins, he died on the cross, defeated death and rose again and is waiting at the right hand of the Father. Where did we learn this? From the Bible. How can we put faith in this statement if we cannot put faith in all the other statements that are also enclosed in it's pages?
**Much of the preceding message was adapted from information provided by Reverend Bill McKenzie and the entire Pinedale Staff from the messages given on 4/14/08 during the morning and evening services. For more information of Pinedale visit http://www.pinedale.org
Communicating with God
Monday, April 14, 2008
Lord, we praise your name and stand in awe that you are God and we are not. Please be with us during this time of study. I ask that you would reveal you word to us that we might walk away with a greater understanding than we had before. I ask that we might develop a closer bond to you Father, that you would touch our hearts and minds so that we might discern your desire for our lives. We ask, Lord, that you would forgive us our sins and trespasses that we might come to you in this time of study pure in your sight, an acceptable mound of clay for the Potter's hands. We ask all these things in the holy name of Jesus Christ, We love you, Amen.
You may have heard people talk about having a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ". Tonight I want to focus a bit on what having a personal relationship means and what is required of us if we are to have this relationship.
The first thing that we must understand when it comes to analyzing what it means to have a personal relationship with God is that all of our communication with God is made possible by the actions of Jesus Christ.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Without Christ's atoning death on the cross, we would be lost, cut off from God with no way to communicate with the Father. There in lies the second important fact for us to realize, without communication there is no relationship. Talk to a marriage counselor for a short time and you will find that one of the biggest problems in broken relationships is broken communication.
When people fail to communicate relationships begin to whither and left unattended long enough, they die. So In order for us to have a personal relationship with God there must be communication. Let us first take a look at how God communicates with man.
1) The Bible. God wanted to make sure that there was a way for man to know about his creator. He wanted us to learn the character of who He is and what he expects from us. He wanted us to know what we can expect from him and to hear hundreds of stories of how much he loves us and how great his mercy is.
2) The Holy Spirit. God has sent a portion of himself in the persona of the Holy Spirit to not only dwell among us, but if we accept Christ as our Saviour to dwell inside us. When we are faced with decisions of right and wrong he counsels us on God's will. When we stray, he convicts us to turn us toward repentance. When we live inside his will he blesses us with a peace that often times is beyond our ability to comprehend.
3) Other Believers. God calls us to be in contact with his church. He wants us to meet in fellowship, giving praise together, praying for each other's needs and studying the Word he has given us. Often times God puts in our path a person who can relate to the place we are in our lives. This person has been counseled by the word and the spirit and can often help us to discern a direction for our lives. God tells us not to go out looking for the wrong that our brothers and sisters are doing but to fellowship and encourage one another in the ways of Godliness. This is why we are called the body of Christ.
God's communication with us is only one side of the equation however. Communication requires a two-way street. As Christians we should be fulfilling our part of the communicating as well. Let's look at what Christians are called to do in order to communicate effectively with God.
1) Praise God. We should raise up songs, recite psalms, create poems, and give thanks for the blessings we receive daily. We were created for this reason, to praise our God and enjoy being in fellowship with Him.
2) Prayer. We will be examining prayer more closely in the days to follow. Let me suffice to say now that prayer is an act that should not be short, sweet, and to the point. Prayer is not a spell that says this is wrong, fix it. Prayer is talking to God as you would anyone else you trust about the struggles and the joys. Prayer is not a life raft when the waves get too high, it is everyday priority that we must set.
You may be looking at this and saying well I already knew that and you may be looking at it with somewhat fresh eyes and thinking that you have not been holding up your end of the bargain. My desire over the next few days is to help you strengthen your prayer life and open yourself up to communication with God. Prayer does not have to be difficult or hard or even structured, it does however have to be a priority. Look at your prayer life as it stands now and ask yourself a few questions in the next 24 hours.
1. How often do I communicate with God?
2. When I do talk to God what does it normally consist of?
3. Do I do all the talking when I talk to God or do I open myself up to being receptive to the Holy Spirit?
4. Do I take advantage of how God tries to communicate with me?How? Why or why not?
5. What are some ways that I could improve my prayer and praise practices?
6. How could being more committed to a better prayer and praise life strengthen my
relationship with God? How might that affect other relationships I have? Are you
willing to make life changes to reach these benefits?
I hope that you do not close this devotion tonight and walk away without giving these questions serious consideration. My hope is that by looking more closely at how you and I approach prayer, we can find ways to strengthen our faith, our relationship with God and become more effective servants for His Kingdom.
Lord, we praise your name and stand in awe that you are God and we are not. Please be with us during this time of study. I ask that you would reveal you word to us that we might walk away with a greater understanding than we had before. I ask that we might develop a closer bond to you Father, that you would touch our hearts and minds so that we might discern your desire for our lives. We ask, Lord, that you would forgive us our sins and trespasses that we might come to you in this time of study pure in your sight, an acceptable mound of clay for the Potter's hands. We ask all these things in the holy name of Jesus Christ, We love you, Amen.
You may have heard people talk about having a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ". Tonight I want to focus a bit on what having a personal relationship means and what is required of us if we are to have this relationship.
The first thing that we must understand when it comes to analyzing what it means to have a personal relationship with God is that all of our communication with God is made possible by the actions of Jesus Christ.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Without Christ's atoning death on the cross, we would be lost, cut off from God with no way to communicate with the Father. There in lies the second important fact for us to realize, without communication there is no relationship. Talk to a marriage counselor for a short time and you will find that one of the biggest problems in broken relationships is broken communication.
When people fail to communicate relationships begin to whither and left unattended long enough, they die. So In order for us to have a personal relationship with God there must be communication. Let us first take a look at how God communicates with man.
1) The Bible. God wanted to make sure that there was a way for man to know about his creator. He wanted us to learn the character of who He is and what he expects from us. He wanted us to know what we can expect from him and to hear hundreds of stories of how much he loves us and how great his mercy is.
2) The Holy Spirit. God has sent a portion of himself in the persona of the Holy Spirit to not only dwell among us, but if we accept Christ as our Saviour to dwell inside us. When we are faced with decisions of right and wrong he counsels us on God's will. When we stray, he convicts us to turn us toward repentance. When we live inside his will he blesses us with a peace that often times is beyond our ability to comprehend.
3) Other Believers. God calls us to be in contact with his church. He wants us to meet in fellowship, giving praise together, praying for each other's needs and studying the Word he has given us. Often times God puts in our path a person who can relate to the place we are in our lives. This person has been counseled by the word and the spirit and can often help us to discern a direction for our lives. God tells us not to go out looking for the wrong that our brothers and sisters are doing but to fellowship and encourage one another in the ways of Godliness. This is why we are called the body of Christ.
God's communication with us is only one side of the equation however. Communication requires a two-way street. As Christians we should be fulfilling our part of the communicating as well. Let's look at what Christians are called to do in order to communicate effectively with God.
1) Praise God. We should raise up songs, recite psalms, create poems, and give thanks for the blessings we receive daily. We were created for this reason, to praise our God and enjoy being in fellowship with Him.
2) Prayer. We will be examining prayer more closely in the days to follow. Let me suffice to say now that prayer is an act that should not be short, sweet, and to the point. Prayer is not a spell that says this is wrong, fix it. Prayer is talking to God as you would anyone else you trust about the struggles and the joys. Prayer is not a life raft when the waves get too high, it is everyday priority that we must set.
You may be looking at this and saying well I already knew that and you may be looking at it with somewhat fresh eyes and thinking that you have not been holding up your end of the bargain. My desire over the next few days is to help you strengthen your prayer life and open yourself up to communication with God. Prayer does not have to be difficult or hard or even structured, it does however have to be a priority. Look at your prayer life as it stands now and ask yourself a few questions in the next 24 hours.
1. How often do I communicate with God?
2. When I do talk to God what does it normally consist of?
3. Do I do all the talking when I talk to God or do I open myself up to being receptive to the Holy Spirit?
4. Do I take advantage of how God tries to communicate with me?How? Why or why not?
5. What are some ways that I could improve my prayer and praise practices?
6. How could being more committed to a better prayer and praise life strengthen my
relationship with God? How might that affect other relationships I have? Are you
willing to make life changes to reach these benefits?
I hope that you do not close this devotion tonight and walk away without giving these questions serious consideration. My hope is that by looking more closely at how you and I approach prayer, we can find ways to strengthen our faith, our relationship with God and become more effective servants for His Kingdom.
P.R.A.Y.
P.R.A.Y.
Matthew 6:5-8
Prayer
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one
Perhaps you are at a place now where you want to have a more fulfilling prayer time but you simply don't know where to start. The answer is to start at the beginning.
John 1:1-3
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The word that John refers to is Jesus Christ. As with anything that we do our standard of how to do something should always be to try and measure up to Jesus Christ. He is the only perfect mark we have to shoot for, and even though we will never meet his high standard it is through the attempt that we better ourselves. When it comes to prayer, Jesus laid the perfect example down for us to examine and mimic.
Many churches today choose to incorporate this perfect prayer in their services each and every week. While this practice is admirable and fully understandable I want to help you move from a place where you may be reciting words and into a place where you are holding conversation. Often times when we recite a prayer over and over again it begins to lose it's meaning. It becomes more ritual and less communication. It becomes religion instead of spending time with God. While reciting the Lord's prayer can be powerful and enriching, over use can have it's pitfalls.
So what should we take away from the Lord's prayer if it is not meant to be recited word for word every time that we communicate with God? Jesus was laying before us a blueprint for prayer. If you look at the Lord's Prayer and break it into parts you see that he has shown us the structure as much as the finished project. Let's break apart the blueprint and take a close look at how prayer should be approached.
1) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
The opening of Jesus' prayer reveals a few things to us. First of all, notice that Jesus does not open with "My Father", he opens with "Our Father". Why is this significant? Jesus obviously has the closest of connections with God, he is intertwined with God the Father on levels that man cannot fully understand. You may remember the series we conducted on God-Three in One. The trinity is a complex idea that even if we do not understand we can appreciate that it is a closeness between the persona of Jesus and the persona of God the Father that we can only liken to Parent and Child. However, Jesus shows us here that we are included in the family, God is "Our Father". When we approach God in prayer it does not have to be a formal expression, it does not have to be perfect, it can be like a child sitting down with his Father. God affords his children a closeness.
The second thing that Jesus does in his prayer is to praise God. "Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus makes it clear that life, the world, and this prayer are all about God. How often do we enter prayer in an "all about me" mode. I am coming to ask for something. We see prayer as rubbing on the lamp and we wait for the Genie to pop out and grant our wishes. Jesus did not pray this way. Yes he came with petitions, but he did not jump straight into a give me give me spill. He approached God with the proper reverence and awe. Jesus recognized the supreme power of God and put himself second and God first in his prayer life. Every prayer should start off with Praise.
2) Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors
This portion of the prayer is obviously put in as a guideline for us. Jesus had no reason to repent of his sins, he had none. Yet he realized the importance of us being completely open with God, this includes coming clean in his presence when we have done wrong. How can we develop closeness when we try to hide things from God? How do you feel when a friend tries to hide things from you? Betrayed, slighted, used, or maybe you feel like they must think you are stupid if you couldn't figure that out, it was so obvious. Now imagine that the friend who is hiding something is you and you are trying to keep things from an all-knowing, all-powerful God. It makes no sense, but we have been trying to do it ever since Adam and Eve went bush diving in the Garden of Eden. Repentance is important because it shows God that we realize we have been outside of his will and that we have a desire to come back into his perfect plan. It's not just an "I'm sorry", it's a tight gripping hug with tears rolling down your face that says I never want to hurt you again. When we sin we hurt God, we deny him, we remind him of why his son had to die on the cross, yet he still desires for us to grab him around the neck and kiss him on the cheek and tell him we love him and we are sorry.
3)Give us this day our daily bread; Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
How much time does Jesus spend on the give me what I need part of his prayer? 19 words. Why is it that Jesus is not going on and on about all that he needs? He understands that God already knows what he needs and realizes that God is just in providing our necessities. This doesn't mean that God is always going to supply all of our wants, but he will always supply our needs. We may not always like the way our needs are met, but again we must remember that we have been raised as a generation of all about me's, Christianity is all about God.
Matthew 6:25-27
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
This does not mean that we are not to gather and pray for healing of loved ones, it does not mean we do not carry our cares and worries to God. If Jesus did not want us to mention our needs at all he would have skipped the topic entirely. Just remember to keep your asking in it's proper perspective. The whole point of praying should not be only to ask favors of the Lord.
4) The final part of prayer that I think we often forget is the time to yield. As I stated in last night's devotion, prayer is not a one way street. We must be aware that God loves us and wants us to be in fellowship with him. We cannot do that if we spend all the time talking and none of the time listening. This is the hardest part of praying for some Christians, sitting quietly, focusing, trying to keep plans for later and did I leave the stove on come in and crowd out our peace and meditation. Yet the gift of the Holy Spirit makes it clear that God will communicate with us if we only afford Him the opportunity. We must make a quiet time focused on hearing God a real part of our prayer life if we are to truly be opened to God's will.
To wrap up. Will every prayer always have all of these parts? No, sometimes we get broad sided by bad news and it is all we can do to mumble out a quick prayer of, "please let them be okay." But in your day to day time, when you sit aside those moments for God where you are focused on him we should incorporate all four parts into out prayer life. I think if you do you will find that your time with God is more meaningful and more centered on his will instead of your own.
P-Praise God
R-Repent
A-Ask (but don't stay here too long)
Y-Yield and listen for God's stirring in your heart
Matthew 6:5-8
Prayer
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one
Perhaps you are at a place now where you want to have a more fulfilling prayer time but you simply don't know where to start. The answer is to start at the beginning.
John 1:1-3
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The word that John refers to is Jesus Christ. As with anything that we do our standard of how to do something should always be to try and measure up to Jesus Christ. He is the only perfect mark we have to shoot for, and even though we will never meet his high standard it is through the attempt that we better ourselves. When it comes to prayer, Jesus laid the perfect example down for us to examine and mimic.
Many churches today choose to incorporate this perfect prayer in their services each and every week. While this practice is admirable and fully understandable I want to help you move from a place where you may be reciting words and into a place where you are holding conversation. Often times when we recite a prayer over and over again it begins to lose it's meaning. It becomes more ritual and less communication. It becomes religion instead of spending time with God. While reciting the Lord's prayer can be powerful and enriching, over use can have it's pitfalls.
So what should we take away from the Lord's prayer if it is not meant to be recited word for word every time that we communicate with God? Jesus was laying before us a blueprint for prayer. If you look at the Lord's Prayer and break it into parts you see that he has shown us the structure as much as the finished project. Let's break apart the blueprint and take a close look at how prayer should be approached.
1) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
The opening of Jesus' prayer reveals a few things to us. First of all, notice that Jesus does not open with "My Father", he opens with "Our Father". Why is this significant? Jesus obviously has the closest of connections with God, he is intertwined with God the Father on levels that man cannot fully understand. You may remember the series we conducted on God-Three in One. The trinity is a complex idea that even if we do not understand we can appreciate that it is a closeness between the persona of Jesus and the persona of God the Father that we can only liken to Parent and Child. However, Jesus shows us here that we are included in the family, God is "Our Father". When we approach God in prayer it does not have to be a formal expression, it does not have to be perfect, it can be like a child sitting down with his Father. God affords his children a closeness.
The second thing that Jesus does in his prayer is to praise God. "Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus makes it clear that life, the world, and this prayer are all about God. How often do we enter prayer in an "all about me" mode. I am coming to ask for something. We see prayer as rubbing on the lamp and we wait for the Genie to pop out and grant our wishes. Jesus did not pray this way. Yes he came with petitions, but he did not jump straight into a give me give me spill. He approached God with the proper reverence and awe. Jesus recognized the supreme power of God and put himself second and God first in his prayer life. Every prayer should start off with Praise.
2) Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors
This portion of the prayer is obviously put in as a guideline for us. Jesus had no reason to repent of his sins, he had none. Yet he realized the importance of us being completely open with God, this includes coming clean in his presence when we have done wrong. How can we develop closeness when we try to hide things from God? How do you feel when a friend tries to hide things from you? Betrayed, slighted, used, or maybe you feel like they must think you are stupid if you couldn't figure that out, it was so obvious. Now imagine that the friend who is hiding something is you and you are trying to keep things from an all-knowing, all-powerful God. It makes no sense, but we have been trying to do it ever since Adam and Eve went bush diving in the Garden of Eden. Repentance is important because it shows God that we realize we have been outside of his will and that we have a desire to come back into his perfect plan. It's not just an "I'm sorry", it's a tight gripping hug with tears rolling down your face that says I never want to hurt you again. When we sin we hurt God, we deny him, we remind him of why his son had to die on the cross, yet he still desires for us to grab him around the neck and kiss him on the cheek and tell him we love him and we are sorry.
3)Give us this day our daily bread; Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
How much time does Jesus spend on the give me what I need part of his prayer? 19 words. Why is it that Jesus is not going on and on about all that he needs? He understands that God already knows what he needs and realizes that God is just in providing our necessities. This doesn't mean that God is always going to supply all of our wants, but he will always supply our needs. We may not always like the way our needs are met, but again we must remember that we have been raised as a generation of all about me's, Christianity is all about God.
Matthew 6:25-27
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
This does not mean that we are not to gather and pray for healing of loved ones, it does not mean we do not carry our cares and worries to God. If Jesus did not want us to mention our needs at all he would have skipped the topic entirely. Just remember to keep your asking in it's proper perspective. The whole point of praying should not be only to ask favors of the Lord.
4) The final part of prayer that I think we often forget is the time to yield. As I stated in last night's devotion, prayer is not a one way street. We must be aware that God loves us and wants us to be in fellowship with him. We cannot do that if we spend all the time talking and none of the time listening. This is the hardest part of praying for some Christians, sitting quietly, focusing, trying to keep plans for later and did I leave the stove on come in and crowd out our peace and meditation. Yet the gift of the Holy Spirit makes it clear that God will communicate with us if we only afford Him the opportunity. We must make a quiet time focused on hearing God a real part of our prayer life if we are to truly be opened to God's will.
To wrap up. Will every prayer always have all of these parts? No, sometimes we get broad sided by bad news and it is all we can do to mumble out a quick prayer of, "please let them be okay." But in your day to day time, when you sit aside those moments for God where you are focused on him we should incorporate all four parts into out prayer life. I think if you do you will find that your time with God is more meaningful and more centered on his will instead of your own.
P-Praise God
R-Repent
A-Ask (but don't stay here too long)
Y-Yield and listen for God's stirring in your heart
A Time of Prayer
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Over the last few days we have taken a closer look at prayer and how we should pray. Tonight I would like to ask you to join me in prayer. I know that it may seem weird to pray a prayer while reading a computer screen, however, I believe that if you speak to God from the heart and believe what you are saying then prayer can be done in many forms. When we sing songs of praise and glory to God, we are praying, communicating with God. When interpretive dance teams sign out their messages, I believe that God hears their cry as well. Tonight, let us join together as a body of believers, seeking that God would see us as a faithful, and yet while we are far away from one another we are connected through our love for Him.
Abba, Our Father, we thank you for being so merciful and loving. We come before you as a people who are unworthy of all you bestow upon us, but as a people who are so thankful to be called by your name. Lord, we cannot fathom your might, we cannot measure your power, your Glory shines before us brighter than the sun itself, you truly are the Alpha and the Omega, you are our everything.
Father, we come before you tonight as a people who live in an uncertain and lost world. We know that in these times there are many who struggle with depression, illness, heart ache, financial burdens, and all sorts of afflictions and vices. Lord, we ask that you would be with those who are hurting, those who are doubting, those who are stumbling around lost in the dark. Father, we humbly ask that you would use each one of us to be light bearers, caring forth your love into the world. Help us Father to live a life that is pleasing in your sight and beneficial to your kingdom. For the hurts in our own lives we ask that if it is in your will that you would bring us comfort and healing. As always though Lord, we submit to your good and perfect will knowing that our desires are short sighted and your view is eternal and perfect. Above all things, may your will be done.
Lord, we pause now to humble ourselves before you. Each one of us Lord has failed to live a perfect life and each day we trip and stumble. Thank you God for not being a deity who stands over us and looks for a reason to condemn us. Instead you are a loving and forgiving Lord who welcomes us back into the fold. Hear our confessions now Lord as we each look to you with an open and honest heart declaring our short-comings and seeking your forgiveness.
(Pause here and talk with God, confess your sins, call upon the sacrificial blood of Christ and Thank God for his forgiving nature)
Father, we pause now to listen to your voice. We recognize our need to be still and know you are God. Open our hearts and make us receptive vessels that we might hear your voice and feel your presence in this time of quiet meditation.
(Pause as you feel led, no noise or talking, clear your mind of the days strife and duty. Focus on being a good listener for God)
As we end this time of prayer Lord, we ask that it would not truly be a stopping point, but a starting point that we might stay in communication with you always. Help us Father to listen for your guidance and to remain obedient to your calling on our lives. We love you Lord with all our hearts, all our minds, all our of our souls, and all of our strength. Glory be to you, in Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
Over the last few days we have taken a closer look at prayer and how we should pray. Tonight I would like to ask you to join me in prayer. I know that it may seem weird to pray a prayer while reading a computer screen, however, I believe that if you speak to God from the heart and believe what you are saying then prayer can be done in many forms. When we sing songs of praise and glory to God, we are praying, communicating with God. When interpretive dance teams sign out their messages, I believe that God hears their cry as well. Tonight, let us join together as a body of believers, seeking that God would see us as a faithful, and yet while we are far away from one another we are connected through our love for Him.
Abba, Our Father, we thank you for being so merciful and loving. We come before you as a people who are unworthy of all you bestow upon us, but as a people who are so thankful to be called by your name. Lord, we cannot fathom your might, we cannot measure your power, your Glory shines before us brighter than the sun itself, you truly are the Alpha and the Omega, you are our everything.
Father, we come before you tonight as a people who live in an uncertain and lost world. We know that in these times there are many who struggle with depression, illness, heart ache, financial burdens, and all sorts of afflictions and vices. Lord, we ask that you would be with those who are hurting, those who are doubting, those who are stumbling around lost in the dark. Father, we humbly ask that you would use each one of us to be light bearers, caring forth your love into the world. Help us Father to live a life that is pleasing in your sight and beneficial to your kingdom. For the hurts in our own lives we ask that if it is in your will that you would bring us comfort and healing. As always though Lord, we submit to your good and perfect will knowing that our desires are short sighted and your view is eternal and perfect. Above all things, may your will be done.
Lord, we pause now to humble ourselves before you. Each one of us Lord has failed to live a perfect life and each day we trip and stumble. Thank you God for not being a deity who stands over us and looks for a reason to condemn us. Instead you are a loving and forgiving Lord who welcomes us back into the fold. Hear our confessions now Lord as we each look to you with an open and honest heart declaring our short-comings and seeking your forgiveness.
(Pause here and talk with God, confess your sins, call upon the sacrificial blood of Christ and Thank God for his forgiving nature)
Father, we pause now to listen to your voice. We recognize our need to be still and know you are God. Open our hearts and make us receptive vessels that we might hear your voice and feel your presence in this time of quiet meditation.
(Pause as you feel led, no noise or talking, clear your mind of the days strife and duty. Focus on being a good listener for God)
As we end this time of prayer Lord, we ask that it would not truly be a stopping point, but a starting point that we might stay in communication with you always. Help us Father to listen for your guidance and to remain obedient to your calling on our lives. We love you Lord with all our hearts, all our minds, all our of our souls, and all of our strength. Glory be to you, in Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
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