Sunday, December 25, 2011
Moved to Tumblr
There will be no further postings to Blogger. Weekly Devotions can now be found at http://weeklydevotions.tumblr.com/
Weekly Devotion 12.25.2011
God's Guiding Stars
Matthew 2.9-11
9 After [the Magi] had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Long before GPS or map technology came about, traveling in the ancient world implied a treacherous, long, and often undulating journey. When we read of the Magi, we must understand that the journey "from the East" suggests a rather lengthy journey that could have spun from weeks to months. Yet in this journey we see a subtle yet powerful message: God sends direction when we need it. Matthew explains that the "star [the Magi] had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was." Let us stop and consider the meaning of this. The star was not merely a directional navigator, but an indicator of God's direction and eternal guidance to achieve His purposes in our lives. If God can guide a star to point others to Jesus, He can guide you and I to Him. Indeed, He doesn't stop there! Once we have Christ in our hearts, the Holy Spirit points us like a star into the land of blessing and purpose. You see, God's plans for us are mighty and wonderful. Never has he led a man or woman fully dedicated to Him into the void. Even through the vast and limitless expansion of stars above, God cares enough to guide His children through a single star.
In Genesis 15.5 we see that "[God take Abram] outside and [say], 'Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.' Then he [says] to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'" What is God saying here? Once again, He is using stars to demonstrate that the immensity of heaven is under His command, and He will bless Abram with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.
This Christmas season, these two illustrations of stars ought to cause us to realize something: God is always giving us a star to point the way to Christ's will. Just as the Magi were pointed to the Christ-Child, so are we everyday. Let us listen to the Holy Spirit. Let our hearts be open and tender about the things of God. Beloved, may our whole being be excited and joyful each day at the works God is doing with His children. Isn't it great to be a child of God?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Only One Thing is Needed
Luke 10.38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
How easy it is during the holiday season to get caught up in the yearly festivities and lose sight of the birth of Christ and the uniting of family. When there is work to be done, when preparations are to be made, when others must be accommodated, the true purpose of not only Christmas but all events in life often fall along the wayside. I believe this is most certainly true for most all of us in our spiritual walk with Christ. Like Martha, God grants us tremendous opportunities to serve Him. These opportunities are intimate and exciting, with Christ Himself coming to meet us! Yet rather than fall at His feet and worship Him, we allow the mindset of task completion to overtake worship. When we are in this mindset we, like Martha, often blame others for our own lack of focus.
What can solve this? Jesus proclaims to Martha: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.” What an amazing, comforting verse! When our lives appear to tailspin into unmanageable tasks where the core mission of God’s kingdom is forgotten or pushed to a lower priority, Jesus repeatedly calls our name and tells us not to worry or be upset. Only one thing is needed: a heart of worship. Mary, too, served the Lord by falling at her feet and worshipping Him. Nowhere do the scriptures suggest that this was all she did. She may well have been prepared to cook and tend to His needs. But her attitude was to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he [would] give [her] everything [she needed]” (Matthew 6.33).
What are we seeking after? Life is busy, and God has charged us to set our hands to being about the business of His kingdom. But He has called us to worship Him. He has called us to pray, read and meditate on His Word, engage in fellowship with other believers, and reach out to the lost. These are not side tasks—they are the fundamental flow of all other things. Let us be like Mary and fall on our knees before Jesus. Only then will our hearts be charged and humbled enough to serve God faithfully and fully! Amen.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
How easy it is during the holiday season to get caught up in the yearly festivities and lose sight of the birth of Christ and the uniting of family. When there is work to be done, when preparations are to be made, when others must be accommodated, the true purpose of not only Christmas but all events in life often fall along the wayside. I believe this is most certainly true for most all of us in our spiritual walk with Christ. Like Martha, God grants us tremendous opportunities to serve Him. These opportunities are intimate and exciting, with Christ Himself coming to meet us! Yet rather than fall at His feet and worship Him, we allow the mindset of task completion to overtake worship. When we are in this mindset we, like Martha, often blame others for our own lack of focus.
What can solve this? Jesus proclaims to Martha: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.” What an amazing, comforting verse! When our lives appear to tailspin into unmanageable tasks where the core mission of God’s kingdom is forgotten or pushed to a lower priority, Jesus repeatedly calls our name and tells us not to worry or be upset. Only one thing is needed: a heart of worship. Mary, too, served the Lord by falling at her feet and worshipping Him. Nowhere do the scriptures suggest that this was all she did. She may well have been prepared to cook and tend to His needs. But her attitude was to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he [would] give [her] everything [she needed]” (Matthew 6.33).
What are we seeking after? Life is busy, and God has charged us to set our hands to being about the business of His kingdom. But He has called us to worship Him. He has called us to pray, read and meditate on His Word, engage in fellowship with other believers, and reach out to the lost. These are not side tasks—they are the fundamental flow of all other things. Let us be like Mary and fall on our knees before Jesus. Only then will our hearts be charged and humbled enough to serve God faithfully and fully! Amen.
Weekly Devotion 12.18.2011
Only One Thing is Needed
Luke 10.38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
How easy it is during the holiday season to get caught up in the yearly festivities and lose sight of the birth of Christ and the uniting of family. When there is work to be done, when preparations are to be made, when others must be accommodated, the true purpose of not only Christmas but all events in life often fall along the wayside. I believe this is most certainly true for most all of us in our spiritual walk with Christ. Like Martha, God grants us tremendous opportunities to serve Him. These opportunities are intimate and exciting, with Christ Himself coming to meet us! Yet rather than fall at His feet and worship Him, we allow the mindset of task completion to overtake worship. When we are in this mindset we, like Martha, often blame others for our own lack of focus.
What can solve this? Jesus proclaims to Martha: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one." What an amazing, comforting verse! When our lives appear to tailspin into unmanageable tasks where the core mission of God's kingdom is forgotten or pushed to a lower priority, Jesus repeatedly calls our name and tells us not to worry or be upset. Only one thing is needed: a heart of worship. Mary, too, served the Lord by falling at her feet and worshipping Him. Nowhere do the scriptures suggest that this was all she did. She may well have been prepared to cook and tend to His needs. But her attitude was to "seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he [would] give [her] everything [she needed]" (Matthew 6.33).
What are we seeking after? Life is busy, and God has charged us to set our hands to being about the business of His kingdom. But He has called us to worship Him. He has called us to pray, read and meditate on His Word, engage in fellowship with other believers, and reach out to the lost. These are not side tasks—they are the fundamental flow of all other things. Let us be like Mary and fall on our knees before Jesus. Only then will our hearts be charged and humbled enough to serve God faithfully and fully! Amen.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Weekly Devotion 11.21.2011
God's Plans of Success for the Righteous
2Sa 15:31-37 NLT - [31] When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!" [32] When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. [33] But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden. [34] Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice. [35] Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace, [36] and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on." [37] So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.
Absalom had it all figured out, or so he supposed. With David routed from Jerusalem, the favor of the people at his feet, and an army at his side, Absalom might well have had reason to boast using purely earthly logic. The one thing he lacked, however, was righteousness. In Absalom's every action we see demonstrations of his brewing anger and well-planned intentions of revenge, first on Amnon, secondly on Joab, and now on his own father.
In strike contrast to his son, King David relies upon the Lord and the advice of godly advisors for instruction. Almost without exception his actions are first measured with righteousness and the alignment to the will of God. Repeatedly we see the Lord directing the heart and mind of David, and David responding to the Lord's voice. Because of this, the Lord is with David even when nearly all of Israel has turned to serve Absalom. It is here in 2 Samuel 15 that, yet again, the Lord is upon David's very thoughts. While most would be quick to draw the sword, to weep in shame or fear, or flee, David's faith is in the Lord! We see in verse 32 that Hushai the Arkite was waiting for David on the Mount of Olives. What perfect timing! God divinely placed Hushai in the right place at the right time. Hushai would play a critical role as a counter advisor to Absalom to put down the rebellion in Israel.
A valuable lesson is found in the story of King David and Absalom: the Lord directs the righteous to succeed. Proverbs 3.5-6 instructs us to "trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." No matter what situation you find yourself in, know that the Lord has already provided paths for you to succeed. Not merely to flee, but to conquer. So many are convinced that God's paths are to be places of hiding from the world, when in reality, the Lord is leading our paths directly to the battlefield to fight or to the fortress to prepare to fight. The Lord wants us to succeed! We must take action, believing and trusting that He will guide us. The faith of the Christian must be unwavering. James says in James 1.6-7 that "when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." Are we asking for success? Are we believing the Lord will provide it? David believed, and the Lord sent him Hushai. God's provisions abound in our times of trial and temptation. The question is not whether God will equip us, but whether we will choose to use His equipment to succeed in all we do.
God's Plans of Success for the Righteous
God’s Plans of Success for the Righteous
2Sa 15:31-37 NLT - [31] When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!" [32] When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. [33] But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden. [34] Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice. [35] Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace, [36] and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on." [37] So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.
Absalom had it all figured out, or so he supposed. With David routed from Jerusalem, the favor of the people at his feet, and an army at his side, Absalom might well have had reason to boast using purely earthly logic. The one thing he lacked, however, was righteousness. In Absalom’s every action we see demonstrations of his brewing anger and well-planned intentions of revenge, first on Amnon, secondly on Joab, and now on his own father.
In strike contrast to his son, King David relies upon the Lord and the advice of godly advisors for instruction. Almost without exception his actions are first measured with righteousness and the alignment to the will of God. Repeatedly we see the Lord directing the heart and mind of David, and David responding to the Lord’s voice. Because of this, the Lord is with David even when nearly all of Israel has turned to serve Absalom. It is here in 2 Samuel 15 that, yet again, the Lord is upon David’s very thoughts. While most would be quick to draw the sword, to weep in shame or fear, or flee, David’s faith is in the Lord! We see in verse 32 that Hushai the Arkite was waiting for David on the Mount of Olives. What perfect timing! God divinely placed Hushai in the right place at the right time. Hushai would play a critical role as a counter advisor to Absalom to put down the rebellion in Israel.
A valuable lesson is found in the story of King David and Absalom: the Lord directs the righteous to succeed. Proverbs 3.5-6 instructs us to “trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” No matter what situation you find yourself in, know that the Lord has already provided paths for you to succeed. Not merely to flee, but to conquer. So many are convinced that God’s paths are to be places of hiding from the world, when in reality, the Lord is leading our paths directly to the battlefield to fight or to the fortress to prepare to fight. The Lord wants us to succeed! We must take action, believing and trusting that He will guide us. The faith of the Christian must be unwavering. James says in James 1.6-7 that “when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” Are we asking for success? Are we believing the Lord will provide it? David believed, and the Lord sent him Hushai. God’s provisions abound in our times of trial and temptation. The question is not whether God will equip us, but whether we will choose to use His equipment to succeed in all we do.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Who Is Our Refuge?
Who Is Our Refuge?
Psa 54:1-7 NLT - [1] For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." To be accompanied by stringed instruments. Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. [2] Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. [3] For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude [4] But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! [5] May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. [6] I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. [7] For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.
Where do we turn in times of trouble? Whether it be internal conflict, external persecution, or spiritual trials, the Word repetitively and consistently proclaims that God is our refuge. Such simplicity and obviousness resounds in that previous sentence, yet how often we are inclined to disregard it. The natural, corrupted state of man is such that his solution to life’s ills resides first within his own logic. Should external aid source from that logic, he may well perhaps yield to it, but not if his own reasoning deems it unnecessary.
But is this a Biblical approach? Certainly not. When Saul sought out to kill David, what is David’s response? Thankfully, Psalm 54 captures his very thoughts! He proclaims that “God is [his] helper. The Lord keeps [him] alive!” It is David’s bold defiance of man’s will that repeatedly brings him salvation. David’s strength was not in his sword nor his charisma, but in his heart: a heart that turned all his struggles over to the Lord. How eagerly we need such a spirit! Our first inclination during times of trouble ought to be the immovable truth that “God is [our] helper.” Our very spirits must shout for God to “come with great power and rescue [us]!”
O, Lord, how that is the cry of our hearts today! That we may trust not in our own minds, in our own emotions and strength for deliverance. May You and you alone be our refuge! You are our Father, our Deliverer! Great Messiah! Truly the name “Hosanna”, meaning “help” or “save, I pray”, is the truest name any man could utter in times of trouble! Amen.
Psa 54:1-7 NLT - [1] For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." To be accompanied by stringed instruments. Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. [2] Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. [3] For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude [4] But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! [5] May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. [6] I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. [7] For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.
Where do we turn in times of trouble? Whether it be internal conflict, external persecution, or spiritual trials, the Word repetitively and consistently proclaims that God is our refuge. Such simplicity and obviousness resounds in that previous sentence, yet how often we are inclined to disregard it. The natural, corrupted state of man is such that his solution to life’s ills resides first within his own logic. Should external aid source from that logic, he may well perhaps yield to it, but not if his own reasoning deems it unnecessary.
But is this a Biblical approach? Certainly not. When Saul sought out to kill David, what is David’s response? Thankfully, Psalm 54 captures his very thoughts! He proclaims that “God is [his] helper. The Lord keeps [him] alive!” It is David’s bold defiance of man’s will that repeatedly brings him salvation. David’s strength was not in his sword nor his charisma, but in his heart: a heart that turned all his struggles over to the Lord. How eagerly we need such a spirit! Our first inclination during times of trouble ought to be the immovable truth that “God is [our] helper.” Our very spirits must shout for God to “come with great power and rescue [us]!”
O, Lord, how that is the cry of our hearts today! That we may trust not in our own minds, in our own emotions and strength for deliverance. May You and you alone be our refuge! You are our Father, our Deliverer! Great Messiah! Truly the name “Hosanna”, meaning “help” or “save, I pray”, is the truest name any man could utter in times of trouble! Amen.
Weekly Devotion 11.6.2011
Who Is Our Refuge?
Psa 54:1-7 NLT - [1] For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." To be accompanied by stringed instruments. Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. [2] Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. [3] For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude [4] But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! [5] May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. [6] I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. [7] For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.
Where do we turn in times of trouble? Whether it be internal conflict, external persecution, or spiritual trials, the Word repetitively and consistently proclaims that God is our refuge. Such simplicity and obviousness resounds in that previous sentence, yet how often we are inclined to disregard it. The natural, corrupted state of man is such that his solution to life's ills resides first within his own logic. Should external aid source from that logic, he may well perhaps yield to it, but not if his own reasoning deems it unnecessary.
But is this a Biblical approach? Certainly not. When Saul sought out to kill David, what is David's response? Thankfully, Psalm 54 captures his very thoughts! He proclaims that "God is [his] helper. The Lord keeps [him] alive!" It is David's bold defiance of man's will that repeatedly brings him salvation. David's strength was not in his sword nor his charisma, but in his heart: a heart that turned all his struggles over to the Lord. How eagerly we need such a spirit! Our first inclination during times of trouble ought to be the immovable truth that "God is [our] helper." Our very spirits must shout for God to "come with great power and rescue [us]!"
O, Lord, how that is the cry of our hearts today! That we may trust not in our own minds, in our own emotions and strength for deliverance. May You and you alone be our refuge! You are our Father, our Deliverer! Great Messiah! Truly the name "Hosanna", meaning "help" or "save, I pray", is the truest name any man could utter in times of trouble! Amen.
Psa 54:1-7 NLT - [1] For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "We know where David is hiding." To be accompanied by stringed instruments. Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. [2] Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. [3] For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude [4] But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! [5] May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. [6] I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. [7] For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.
Where do we turn in times of trouble? Whether it be internal conflict, external persecution, or spiritual trials, the Word repetitively and consistently proclaims that God is our refuge. Such simplicity and obviousness resounds in that previous sentence, yet how often we are inclined to disregard it. The natural, corrupted state of man is such that his solution to life's ills resides first within his own logic. Should external aid source from that logic, he may well perhaps yield to it, but not if his own reasoning deems it unnecessary.
But is this a Biblical approach? Certainly not. When Saul sought out to kill David, what is David's response? Thankfully, Psalm 54 captures his very thoughts! He proclaims that "God is [his] helper. The Lord keeps [him] alive!" It is David's bold defiance of man's will that repeatedly brings him salvation. David's strength was not in his sword nor his charisma, but in his heart: a heart that turned all his struggles over to the Lord. How eagerly we need such a spirit! Our first inclination during times of trouble ought to be the immovable truth that "God is [our] helper." Our very spirits must shout for God to "come with great power and rescue [us]!"
O, Lord, how that is the cry of our hearts today! That we may trust not in our own minds, in our own emotions and strength for deliverance. May You and you alone be our refuge! You are our Father, our Deliverer! Great Messiah! Truly the name "Hosanna", meaning "help" or "save, I pray", is the truest name any man could utter in times of trouble! Amen.
Monday, September 26, 2011
A Time to Be Still
Psalm 46.1-3;10-11
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
There are times in our lives where, the more movement we expend, the more we impede the will of God. While God is a God of action and wishes nothing more than for His children to daily execute on the power of His Holy Spirit, there are times when stillness must intercede in our hearts. The willingness to wait upon the Lord is expressed chiefly by the Psalmist in Psalm 46: “Be still, and know that I am God.” In stillness, the fabled beast among a world full of noise, resounds a satisfying and wholesome acknowledgement that God is on the throne. He ensures us that He “will be exalted among the nations...and the earth.” It is only in stillness, only when our lives our surrendered to the point where our spirit is relying fully upon the Lord’s direction, that the peace of God surpasses our understanding.
Why? Stillness primarily is a twofold bonus of servitude and humbleness. It is servitude because we yield our desires completely into the hands of the Lord. Even Christ prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22.42). If the Son of God in His splendor can submit wholly unto the Father, so can we submit our desires to Him. Humbleness also overflows from stillness. Humbleness is the state with which one accepts the lowliness of his own self and expends his confidence into the hands of someone greater than he. James 4.10 instructs us to “humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and he will lift [us] up.” Humbling ourselves to God--sitting still and listening closely for His direction and will--will cause the Lord to move within us. At His timing, He will instruct you and pour His will and blessings upon you for the good of His kingdom. Yes, only in stillness can He “lift you up.”
Are you sitting still in the times of your life where God says to “rest here for a while?” Our Lord often fled to solitude to pray with the Father to hear His Father’s voice. May we do the same. When our heart grows restless, when our spirit is worn, may we “be still and know that [He] is God.”
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
There are times in our lives where, the more movement we expend, the more we impede the will of God. While God is a God of action and wishes nothing more than for His children to daily execute on the power of His Holy Spirit, there are times when stillness must intercede in our hearts. The willingness to wait upon the Lord is expressed chiefly by the Psalmist in Psalm 46: “Be still, and know that I am God.” In stillness, the fabled beast among a world full of noise, resounds a satisfying and wholesome acknowledgement that God is on the throne. He ensures us that He “will be exalted among the nations...and the earth.” It is only in stillness, only when our lives our surrendered to the point where our spirit is relying fully upon the Lord’s direction, that the peace of God surpasses our understanding.
Why? Stillness primarily is a twofold bonus of servitude and humbleness. It is servitude because we yield our desires completely into the hands of the Lord. Even Christ prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22.42). If the Son of God in His splendor can submit wholly unto the Father, so can we submit our desires to Him. Humbleness also overflows from stillness. Humbleness is the state with which one accepts the lowliness of his own self and expends his confidence into the hands of someone greater than he. James 4.10 instructs us to “humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and he will lift [us] up.” Humbling ourselves to God--sitting still and listening closely for His direction and will--will cause the Lord to move within us. At His timing, He will instruct you and pour His will and blessings upon you for the good of His kingdom. Yes, only in stillness can He “lift you up.”
Are you sitting still in the times of your life where God says to “rest here for a while?” Our Lord often fled to solitude to pray with the Father to hear His Father’s voice. May we do the same. When our heart grows restless, when our spirit is worn, may we “be still and know that [He] is God.”
Weekly Devotion 9.26.2011
A Time to be Still
Psalm 46.1-3;10-11
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
There are times in our lives where, the more movement we expend, the more we impede the will of God. While God is a God of action and wishes nothing more than for His children to daily execute on the power of His Holy Spirit, there are times when stillness must intercede in our hearts. The willingness to wait upon the Lord is expressed chiefly by the Psalmist in Psalm 46: "Be still, and know that I am God." In stillness, the fabled beast among a world full of noise, resounds a satisfying and wholesome acknowledgement that God is on the throne. He ensures us that He "will be exalted among the nations...and the earth." It is only in stillness, only when our lives our surrendered to the point where our spirit is relying fully upon the Lord's direction, that the peace of God surpasses our understanding.
Why? Stillness primarily is a twofold bonus of servitude and humbleness. It is servitude because we yield our desires completely into the hands of the Lord. Even Christ prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22.42). If the Son of God in His splendor can submit wholly unto the Father, so can we submit our desires to Him. Humbleness also overflows from stillness. Humbleness is the state with which one accepts the lowliness of his own self and expends his confidence into the hands of someone greater than he. James 4.10 instructs us to "humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and he will lift [us] up." Humbling ourselves to God--sitting still and listening closely for His direction and will--will cause the Lord to move within us. At His timing, He will instruct you and pour His will and blessings upon you for the good of His kingdom. Yes, only in stillness can He "lift you up."
Are you sitting still in the times of your life where God says to "rest here for a while?" Our Lord often fled to solitude to pray with the Father to hear His Father's voice. May we do the same. When our heart grows restless, when our spirit is worn, may we "be still and know that [He] is God."
Monday, September 19, 2011
Riches and Abundance (Poem)
Riches and Abundance
Matthew 6.19-21
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I thought I would try a slightly different devotion this week. Rather than a message, God has given me a poem that reflects Christ's words in Matthew: that we are to store up our treasures in Him alone and not in this world!
There is glitter and glamour in the world, O Man,
Of gold and glory and untold possessions.
Pleasure is plenty in the greedy man’s hand,
His eyes and his grip solely own his discretion.
But your gold, O Man, shines not in the stone.
It rests not proudly in the palace of lords.
With the crumbling of castles it shan’t be gone,
Nor consumed and corrupted by greedy hordes.
Your gold shall be His brazen feet,
His vivacious spirit your daily treasure.
His grace arrives daily in a mighty fleet,
With a substantial portion too large to measure.
His name and prestige are known through the earth,
His riches flow freely throughout His domain.
Such glamorous love of immeasurable worth!
Eternally abundant lie those in His reign!
Matthew 6.19-21
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I thought I would try a slightly different devotion this week. Rather than a message, God has given me a poem that reflects Christ's words in Matthew: that we are to store up our treasures in Him alone and not in this world!
There is glitter and glamour in the world, O Man,
Of gold and glory and untold possessions.
Pleasure is plenty in the greedy man’s hand,
His eyes and his grip solely own his discretion.
But your gold, O Man, shines not in the stone.
It rests not proudly in the palace of lords.
With the crumbling of castles it shan’t be gone,
Nor consumed and corrupted by greedy hordes.
Your gold shall be His brazen feet,
His vivacious spirit your daily treasure.
His grace arrives daily in a mighty fleet,
With a substantial portion too large to measure.
His name and prestige are known through the earth,
His riches flow freely throughout His domain.
Such glamorous love of immeasurable worth!
Eternally abundant lie those in His reign!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Are You Advancing?
1 Peter 2.1-5
1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Genesis 19.26
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
An uncomfortable but necessary question we must ask ourselves periodically is, “Am I growing?” What a simple, innocently framed reflective inquiry, but within that question is packed a plethora information pertaining to the very health of our spiritual health. Many of us are afraid to ask that question. We are as the man afraid to go to the doctor for fear something might be fatally wrong. But, beloved, the vitality of spiritual growth in our own life is an essential mineral for the Christian soul. That is why Peter tells us to be “like newborn babies [and] crave spiritual milk, so that by it [we] may grow up in [our] salvation.” Like a newborn babe, we need doses of spiritual milk to help us grow. A mother’s breast milk is designed not only to provide an infant with nutrients he or she needs to grow, but also minerals used to keep the child’s immune system effective. Likewise, it is we who, upon craving the spiritual milk to grow and prosper in the Lord, receive the nutrients we need to submit to God and resist the devil.
How do we grow? How can we be sure we are advancing purposefully into and for the kingdom of God? Paul lays out the groundwork in Philippians 3: 13b: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” The strongest evidence of advancement in the Christian’s life is his desire to “press on” for God. What are your affairs? Are they Christ’s? Are you using every thought and opportunity for action towards His kingdom? Action requires movement, and movement requires our hearts, our minds, and our hands to be ready to serve the Gospel.
What are some methods employable to advancing ourselves for God? One of the chief methods we see outlined in Hebrews 11: model yourself after a Biblical or godly mentor. We ought to strive to model ourselves after the faith heroes of Hebrews 11. This requires constant action and self-improvement which prevent stagnation of the heart and weariness of pursuing God fully.
Prayer is the chief method of advancement. When we pray, God reveals to us our weaknesses, strengths, goals and ambitions. Prayer is a time of unbridled intimacy with God. The more we spend in it, the more He consumes us. We must make it a conscious effort every day to be hungry for prayer. It is not a religious ritual, but a personal conversation with our Lord and Savior. In it He reveals His will and desires for our own personal growth for the use in His kingdom.
Are you advancing daily in your faith? Are you growing more intimate with God so that you are in His will and He entangled in your heart? What a beautiful entanglement it is to have Jesus centered in your heart, infecting you with His love and purpose every heartbeat you have. The more we grow, the closer we detect His presence.
1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Genesis 19.26
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
An uncomfortable but necessary question we must ask ourselves periodically is, “Am I growing?” What a simple, innocently framed reflective inquiry, but within that question is packed a plethora information pertaining to the very health of our spiritual health. Many of us are afraid to ask that question. We are as the man afraid to go to the doctor for fear something might be fatally wrong. But, beloved, the vitality of spiritual growth in our own life is an essential mineral for the Christian soul. That is why Peter tells us to be “like newborn babies [and] crave spiritual milk, so that by it [we] may grow up in [our] salvation.” Like a newborn babe, we need doses of spiritual milk to help us grow. A mother’s breast milk is designed not only to provide an infant with nutrients he or she needs to grow, but also minerals used to keep the child’s immune system effective. Likewise, it is we who, upon craving the spiritual milk to grow and prosper in the Lord, receive the nutrients we need to submit to God and resist the devil.
How do we grow? How can we be sure we are advancing purposefully into and for the kingdom of God? Paul lays out the groundwork in Philippians 3: 13b: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” The strongest evidence of advancement in the Christian’s life is his desire to “press on” for God. What are your affairs? Are they Christ’s? Are you using every thought and opportunity for action towards His kingdom? Action requires movement, and movement requires our hearts, our minds, and our hands to be ready to serve the Gospel.
What are some methods employable to advancing ourselves for God? One of the chief methods we see outlined in Hebrews 11: model yourself after a Biblical or godly mentor. We ought to strive to model ourselves after the faith heroes of Hebrews 11. This requires constant action and self-improvement which prevent stagnation of the heart and weariness of pursuing God fully.
Prayer is the chief method of advancement. When we pray, God reveals to us our weaknesses, strengths, goals and ambitions. Prayer is a time of unbridled intimacy with God. The more we spend in it, the more He consumes us. We must make it a conscious effort every day to be hungry for prayer. It is not a religious ritual, but a personal conversation with our Lord and Savior. In it He reveals His will and desires for our own personal growth for the use in His kingdom.
Are you advancing daily in your faith? Are you growing more intimate with God so that you are in His will and He entangled in your heart? What a beautiful entanglement it is to have Jesus centered in your heart, infecting you with His love and purpose every heartbeat you have. The more we grow, the closer we detect His presence.
Weekly Devotion 9.12.2011
Are You Advancing?
1 Peter 2.1-5
1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Genesis 19.26
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
An uncomfortable but necessary question we must ask ourselves periodically is, "Am I growing?" What a simple, innocently framed reflective inquiry, but within that question is packed a plethora information pertaining to the very health of our spiritual health. Many of us are afraid to ask that question. We are as the man afraid to go to the doctor for fear something might be fatally wrong. But, beloved, the vitality of spiritual growth in our own life is an essential mineral for the Christian soul. That is why Peter tells us to be "like newborn babies [and] crave spiritual milk, so that by it [we] may grow up in [our] salvation." Like a newborn babe, we need doses of spiritual milk to help us grow. A mother's breast milk is designed not only to provide an infant with nutrients he or she needs to grow, but also minerals used to keep the child's immune system effective. Likewise, it is we who, upon craving the spiritual milk to grow and prosper in the Lord, receive the nutrients we need to submit to God and resist the devil.
How do we grow? How can we be sure we are advancing purposefully into and for the kingdom of God? Paul lays out the groundwork in Philippians 3: 13b: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." The strongest evidence of advancement in the Christian's life is his desire to "press on" for God. What are your affairs? Are they Christ's? Are you using every thought and opportunity for action towards His kingdom? Action requires movement, and movement requires our hearts, our minds, and our hands to be ready to serve the Gospel.
What are some methods employable to advancing ourselves for God? One of the chief methods we see outlined in Hebrews 11: model yourself after a Biblical or godly mentor. We ought to strive to model ourselves after the faith heroes of Hebrews 11. This requires constant action and self-improvement which prevent stagnation of the heart and weariness of pursuing God fully.
Prayer is the chief method of advancement. When we pray, God reveals to us our weaknesses, strengths, goals and ambitions. Prayer is a time of unbridled intimacy with God. The more we spend in it, the more He consumes us. We must make it a conscious effort every day to be hungry for prayer. It is not a religious ritual, but a personal conversation with our Lord and Savior. In it He reveals His will and desires for our own personal growth for the use in His kingdom.
Are you advancing daily in your faith? Are you growing more intimate with God so that you are in His will and He entangled in your heart? What a beautiful entanglement it is to have Jesus centered in your heart, infecting you with His love and purpose every heartbeat you have. The more we grow, the closer we detect His presence.
Monday, August 29, 2011
God's Faithfulness unto Those Who Draw Near to Him
Joshua 24.14-18
14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”
If there is one thing Christians need reminder of daily, it is the faithfulness of God. This phrase holds far more power than that for which we give the Lord credit. Think for a moment how often we’ve wrought needless pain and worry and doubt over earthly and spiritual matters because we have forgotten our Father’s faithfulness. We look back at those moments and see the silliness and childishness of our actions.
The Scriptures are clear that God is faithful. It is plainly stated. His faithfulness is not eloquent; it is not shrouded in unobtainable poetic abstractions nor reachable by only the greatest heroes of faith: it is simple, soft, but firm. As Joshua’s story comes to a close, we hear so clearly of the testimony to God’s faithfulness. Joshua declares that “he and [his] household will serve the LORD.” Why is Joshua so confident to put the security and direction of his family under the care of the Lord? The people of Israel answer this question. They proclaim that “it was the LORD [their] God himself who brought [they] and [their] parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great sings before [their] eyes. He protected [them] on [their] entire journey and among all the nations through which [they] traveled.”
How faithful God is to have redeemed a nation of Hebrew slaves and put up with them for forty years of wandering in the desert. He did not forgot the promise He made to Abraham, Moses, and Joshua. Whatever plans God has given you, NEVER think for a moment that God will be unfaithful to execute them. If you are faithful to Him, He will be faithful to you. Psalm 145.18-19a says “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him.” Likewise, James tells us in James 4.8 to “Come near to God and he will come near to [us].” Beloved, when we follow the Lord with all our hearts as Joshua did, as Moses did, as Abraham did, He will be faithful to keep His promises. He will bring you into a place of peace and prosperity. His love and grace will overflow like a river in your life. Everywhere you go, the name of the Lord will be written on you. God is faithful. As He protected the Israelites, so He protects His other children. We are God’s children, under His infinite and omnipotent, eternal power! Amen!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Faith With Works!
Faith With Works
James 2.14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
One of the great theological contentions among scholars is the falsely presumed debate over faith by grace vs. faith by works. Paul explains to the Romans that “we have been justified through faith” and that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5.1-2a). Yet in James we read that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” What are we to make of this? Many Christians live their lives on either of the extremes. The one side abuses grace through a lifestyle which does not exemplify God by proving no evidence of Him in their life. The other side seeks to use their works of faith as a payment for grace itself. But neither of these views necessitate the mission of the Gospel in and of themselves. They are supporting revelations from two apostles that, when combined, reveal the whole of faith itself.
In James’ short discourse on faith with works, his sole focus is to educate his audience on the necessity of works as a supporting evidence of faith. This is the ticket to James’ subject on faith. Our works are not what compose are faith: they accompany it. James teaches that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Beloved, if we are completely committed to the Lord and are trusting Him every step of our lives, our faith will abound in works. My pastor has told stories of so many uncountable miracles that after a while it is not the miracles which astound us, but God’s continuous hand of providence upon His people. Our faith, if we place it fully in God--if we pray daily with Him, walk with Him, trust Him in all our ways--will be “credited to [us] as righteousness” just as it was Abraham (Romans 4.3). God will see the goodness and willingness of our hearts to serve and will begin to place people and circumstances in our lives that will bring glory to Him through our actions. This sort of faith can’t help but sew miracles. You see, the works of faith are the echoes we hear back from the mountain upon which we are shouting: they are not the effort itself, but the confirmation to us that our voice brings an affect.
What voice are you raising today? Is your faith strengthened? Are works abounding in your life because of your faith towards God? James challenges us: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Beloved, when we turn our whole heart over to Jesus and are submissive to all He wants to do for us, we too can boast in humbleness like James that we can show others faith by our deeds. May those deeds bring eternal glory to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
James 2.14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
One of the great theological contentions among scholars is the falsely presumed debate over faith by grace vs. faith by works. Paul explains to the Romans that “we have been justified through faith” and that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5.1-2a). Yet in James we read that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” What are we to make of this? Many Christians live their lives on either of the extremes. The one side abuses grace through a lifestyle which does not exemplify God by proving no evidence of Him in their life. The other side seeks to use their works of faith as a payment for grace itself. But neither of these views necessitate the mission of the Gospel in and of themselves. They are supporting revelations from two apostles that, when combined, reveal the whole of faith itself.
In James’ short discourse on faith with works, his sole focus is to educate his audience on the necessity of works as a supporting evidence of faith. This is the ticket to James’ subject on faith. Our works are not what compose are faith: they accompany it. James teaches that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Beloved, if we are completely committed to the Lord and are trusting Him every step of our lives, our faith will abound in works. My pastor has told stories of so many uncountable miracles that after a while it is not the miracles which astound us, but God’s continuous hand of providence upon His people. Our faith, if we place it fully in God--if we pray daily with Him, walk with Him, trust Him in all our ways--will be “credited to [us] as righteousness” just as it was Abraham (Romans 4.3). God will see the goodness and willingness of our hearts to serve and will begin to place people and circumstances in our lives that will bring glory to Him through our actions. This sort of faith can’t help but sew miracles. You see, the works of faith are the echoes we hear back from the mountain upon which we are shouting: they are not the effort itself, but the confirmation to us that our voice brings an affect.
What voice are you raising today? Is your faith strengthened? Are works abounding in your life because of your faith towards God? James challenges us: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Beloved, when we turn our whole heart over to Jesus and are submissive to all He wants to do for us, we too can boast in humbleness like James that we can show others faith by our deeds. May those deeds bring eternal glory to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Weekly Devotion 8.21.2011
Faith With Works
James 2.14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
One of the great theological contentions among scholars is the falsely presumed debate over faith by grace vs. faith by works. Paul explains to the Romans that "we have been justified through faith" and that "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" (Romans 5.1-2a). Yet in James we read that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." What are we to make of this? Many Christians live their lives on either of the extremes. The one side abuses grace through a lifestyle which does not exemplify God by proving no evidence of Him in their life. The other side seeks to use their works of faith as a payment for grace itself. But neither of these views necessitate the mission of the Gospel in and of themselves. They are supporting revelations from two apostles that, when combined, reveal the whole of faith itself.
In James' short discourse on faith with works, his sole focus is to educate his audience on the necessity of works as a supporting evidence of faith. This is the ticket to James' subject on faith. Our works are not what compose are faith: they accompany it. James teaches that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Beloved, if we are completely committed to the Lord and are trusting Him every step of our lives, our faith will abound in works. My pastor has told stories of so many uncountable miracles that after a while it is not the miracles which astound us, but God's continuous hand of providence upon His people. Our faith, if we place it fully in God--if we pray daily with Him, walk with Him, trust Him in all our ways--will be "credited to [us] as righteousness" just as it was Abraham (Romans 4.3). God will see the goodness and willingness of our hearts to serve and will begin to place people and circumstances in our lives that will bring glory to Him through our actions. This sort of faith can't help but sew miracles. You see, the works of faith are the echoes we hear back from the mountain upon which we are shouting: they are not the effort itself, but the confirmation to us that our voice brings an affect.
What voice are you raising today? Is your faith strengthened? Are works abounding in your life because of your faith towards God? James challenges us: "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." Beloved, when we turn our whole heart over to Jesus and are submissive to all He wants to do for us, we too can boast in humbleness like James that we can show others faith by our deeds. May those deeds bring eternal glory to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
How Do We Live out Holiness?
How Do We Live out Holiness?
James 1.12-15
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Last week we spoke of this matter of Christ desiring holiness within us because our salvation. As Christ is holy, so we are called to be holy. Yet we did not delve into the process of how we live out holiness. This is a topic unfortunately greatly overlooked in the Church. Most Christians know they are called to holiness but fail to develop methodologies which direct them in it. Certainly, as we all have the Holy Spirit, we are led by Him into holiness. Thus, it is no question that He will direct us on what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Most Christians do not stumble in holiness because they cannot tell right from wrong. Most Christians stumble because they are unable to tame the flesh when the temptations of what they know is wrong arises as a stumbling block to them. James teaches us that “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1.14-15).
Thus, James lays out the first instruction for living out holiness: enticement of our own evil desires. The terminology here is perfect: we are literally “dragged away” by our own appetites for pleasure. We are certainly “more than conquerers” in Christ, but we must still deal with this business of the flesh for the meantime. The most vital step in avoiding temptation in order to live out holiness is to prevent ourselves from being dragged away by our desires. How? How does a ship on a dock keep from being dragged out to sea on a windy, stormy day? He puts an anchor on the ship. We must put anchors on the ships of our hearts. We must practice learning scripture. We must learn to quote it when the temptation comes. When we do, Satan must flee from us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4.7). Submission to God in times of temptation works because it immediately diverts our spiritual, mental, and physical focus from the flesh to the spirit. Jesus warns His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26.41). Here, Christ commands us to utilize the power of our spirit in conjunction with our mind to combat the enmity between the spirit and the flesh. That is always the issue, isn’t it? The spirit desires one thing, the flesh desires another, and the mind is stuck in the middle. The mind, therefore, is a powerful tool for diverting temptation. It is important that we exercise our minds with Scripture, alertness, and prayer(“watch and pray”) for the purpose of shifting our mental focus always to the spirit and not to the flesh.
This takes discipline. Unfortunately, the taming of the flesh is an area many Christians do not desire nor see a need to address. In this case, also, James instructs us. He starts off his entire discussion on temptation with the solution: motivation. He tells us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James is no dummy. He recognizes man is unlikely to do something without motivation. This is not a flaw in man; it is merely the human method of deciding value in the pursuit of an action. In this case, the necessity of action cannot be overstated. He who is willing to wrestle with the flesh is willing to “receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Holiness is a way of receiving the crown of life not only in heaven but here on earth as well. When we are walking in holiness, oh how near the Spirit is! He is able to minister to our hearts, work within our lives, and fill us with undeniable joy. A life of holiness is like a machine constantly well-oiled and cleaned. We operate at God’s unbound potential for us and discover meaning and satisfaction all the while. Yes, the crown of life is granted for us in heaven, but all too well is it also granted to us in our present state each day that we live in holiness!
We’ve not even begun to scratch the surface of the scripture’s various instructions on maintaining holiness. It is my hope that these two areas we discussed, taming the flesh with the spirit and mind and motivating ourselves with the joy of the crown of life stored up for those persevering through temptation will stir us on to live lives holy unto the Lord. Hebrews 12.14 calls us to “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Without holiness, we cannot see God for who He is because we are not allowing His spirit to minister within us. A vehicle not maintained will slowly fall into unusable disrepair. So too our spirits, if not kept holy through God’s power, will become ruins of what would-have-been a powerful, fulfilling, and lasting relationship with Almighty God.
James 1.12-15
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Last week we spoke of this matter of Christ desiring holiness within us because our salvation. As Christ is holy, so we are called to be holy. Yet we did not delve into the process of how we live out holiness. This is a topic unfortunately greatly overlooked in the Church. Most Christians know they are called to holiness but fail to develop methodologies which direct them in it. Certainly, as we all have the Holy Spirit, we are led by Him into holiness. Thus, it is no question that He will direct us on what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Most Christians do not stumble in holiness because they cannot tell right from wrong. Most Christians stumble because they are unable to tame the flesh when the temptations of what they know is wrong arises as a stumbling block to them. James teaches us that “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1.14-15).
Thus, James lays out the first instruction for living out holiness: enticement of our own evil desires. The terminology here is perfect: we are literally “dragged away” by our own appetites for pleasure. We are certainly “more than conquerers” in Christ, but we must still deal with this business of the flesh for the meantime. The most vital step in avoiding temptation in order to live out holiness is to prevent ourselves from being dragged away by our desires. How? How does a ship on a dock keep from being dragged out to sea on a windy, stormy day? He puts an anchor on the ship. We must put anchors on the ships of our hearts. We must practice learning scripture. We must learn to quote it when the temptation comes. When we do, Satan must flee from us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4.7). Submission to God in times of temptation works because it immediately diverts our spiritual, mental, and physical focus from the flesh to the spirit. Jesus warns His disciples to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26.41). Here, Christ commands us to utilize the power of our spirit in conjunction with our mind to combat the enmity between the spirit and the flesh. That is always the issue, isn’t it? The spirit desires one thing, the flesh desires another, and the mind is stuck in the middle. The mind, therefore, is a powerful tool for diverting temptation. It is important that we exercise our minds with Scripture, alertness, and prayer(“watch and pray”) for the purpose of shifting our mental focus always to the spirit and not to the flesh.
This takes discipline. Unfortunately, the taming of the flesh is an area many Christians do not desire nor see a need to address. In this case, also, James instructs us. He starts off his entire discussion on temptation with the solution: motivation. He tells us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James is no dummy. He recognizes man is unlikely to do something without motivation. This is not a flaw in man; it is merely the human method of deciding value in the pursuit of an action. In this case, the necessity of action cannot be overstated. He who is willing to wrestle with the flesh is willing to “receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Holiness is a way of receiving the crown of life not only in heaven but here on earth as well. When we are walking in holiness, oh how near the Spirit is! He is able to minister to our hearts, work within our lives, and fill us with undeniable joy. A life of holiness is like a machine constantly well-oiled and cleaned. We operate at God’s unbound potential for us and discover meaning and satisfaction all the while. Yes, the crown of life is granted for us in heaven, but all too well is it also granted to us in our present state each day that we live in holiness!
We’ve not even begun to scratch the surface of the scripture’s various instructions on maintaining holiness. It is my hope that these two areas we discussed, taming the flesh with the spirit and mind and motivating ourselves with the joy of the crown of life stored up for those persevering through temptation will stir us on to live lives holy unto the Lord. Hebrews 12.14 calls us to “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Without holiness, we cannot see God for who He is because we are not allowing His spirit to minister within us. A vehicle not maintained will slowly fall into unusable disrepair. So too our spirits, if not kept holy through God’s power, will become ruins of what would-have-been a powerful, fulfilling, and lasting relationship with Almighty God.
Weekly Devotion 8.14.2011
How Do We Live out Holiness?
James 1.12-15
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Last week we spoke of this matter of Christ desiring holiness within us because our salvation. As Christ is holy, so we are called to be holy. Yet we did not delve into the process of how we live out holiness. This is a topic unfortunately greatly overlooked in the Church. Most Christians know they are called to holiness but fail to develop methodologies which direct them in it. Certainly, as we all have the Holy Spirit, we are led by Him into holiness. Thus, it is no question that He will direct us on what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. Most Christians do not stumble in holiness because they cannot tell right from wrong. Most Christians stumble because they are unable to tame the flesh when the temptations of what they know is wrong arises as a stumbling block to them. James teaches us that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1.14-15).
Thus, James lays out the first instruction for living out holiness: enticement of our own evil desires. The terminology here is perfect: we are literally "dragged away" by our own appetites for pleasure. We are certainly "more than conquerers" in Christ, but we must still deal with this business of the flesh for the meantime. The most vital step in avoiding temptation in order to live out holiness is to prevent ourselves from being dragged away by our desires. How? How does a ship on a dock keep from being dragged out to sea on a windy, stormy day? He puts an anchor on the ship. We must put anchors on the ships of our hearts. We must practice learning scripture. We must learn to quote it when the temptation comes. When we do, Satan must flee from us: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4.7). Submission to God in times of temptation works because it immediately diverts our spiritual, mental, and physical focus from the flesh to the spirit. Jesus warns His disciples to "watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26.41). Here, Christ commands us to utilize the power of our spirit in conjunction with our mind to combat the enmity between the spirit and the flesh. That is always the issue, isn't it? The spirit desires one thing, the flesh desires another, and the mind is stuck in the middle. The mind, therefore, is a powerful tool for diverting temptation. It is important that we exercise our minds with Scripture, alertness, and prayer("watch and pray") for the purpose of shifting our mental focus always to the spirit and not to the flesh.
This takes discipline. Unfortunately, the taming of the flesh is an area many Christians do not desire nor see a need to address. In this case, also, James instructs us. He starts off his entire discussion on temptation with the solution: motivation. He tells us, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James is no dummy. He recognizes man is unlikely to do something without motivation. This is not a flaw in man; it is merely the human method of deciding value in the pursuit of an action. In this case, the necessity of action cannot be overstated. He who is willing to wrestle with the flesh is willing to "receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." Holiness is a way of receiving the crown of life not only in heaven but here on earth as well. When we are walking in holiness, oh how near the Spirit is! He is able to minister to our hearts, work within our lives, and fill us with undeniable joy. A life of holiness is like a machine constantly well-oiled and cleaned. We operate at God's unbound potential for us and discover meaning and satisfaction all the while. Yes, the crown of life is granted for us in heaven, but all too well is it also granted to us in our present state each day that we live in holiness!
We've not even begun to scratch the surface of the scripture's various instructions on maintaining holiness. It is my hope that these two areas we discussed, taming the flesh with the spirit and mind and motivating ourselves with the joy of the crown of life stored up for those persevering through temptation will stir us on to live lives holy unto the Lord. Hebrews 12.14 calls us to "make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Without holiness, we cannot see God for who He is because we are not allowing His spirit to minister within us. A vehicle not maintained will slowly fall into unusable disrepair. So too our spirits, if not kept holy through God's power, will become ruins of what would-have-been a powerful, fulfilling, and lasting relationship with Almighty God.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
God Desires Holiness
God Desires Holiness
I Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”a
Genesis 2.7
7the LORD God formed the mane from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
I once had a hole in my eardrum that had to be surgically patched. The surgeon attempted to apply a synthetic material that would eventually fuse within the eardrum to seal the hole to prevent future hearing loss. This material proved too weak to hold up in my ear, so another surgeon performed a similar, but more successful procedure. Rather than applying a synthetic material, he took skin from the other ear and patched the eardrum with it. The eardrum took more kindly to something it was used to, and the patch held, preventing any more hearing loss.
I thought of this story yesterday, and God reminded me of a valuable lesson out of it: it is only when we are patched by that which we are made for that we can be completely healed. How often we attempt to plug in stuff to fill in that hole in our hearts. We attempt to patch it with endless materialism, broken relationships, uncalled careers, and the list goes on. But is this what our Lord directs us to do? Of course not. I Peter says that we are to “set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed.” In setting our hopes upon Christ, we are not “conform[ing] to the evil desires [we] had when [we] lived in ignorance.” We are not “just getting by.”
You see, beloved, our Lord has called us to holiness. Divine holiness is the business of Christ’s Church. God tells us to “be holy, because [He is] holy.” Just as only skin can patch an eardrum, only the original image of who created us can be our model for how to live. Holiness is not a religious ritual. It is a pattern of living that is borne out of the Christian’s unwavering reflection of Christ Jesus brought about by His presence in our hearts. In Genesis 2, we see the distinction between Man and the animals is that God breathed His own spirit into us. Our spirits are sourced from God, not the earth. Therefore, the holiness that irradiates from God irradiates in us. Holiness ought to beam out of us. No one should ever question whether we are living our lives for the glory of God. Genesis 2 states that it was only when God “breathed into [Man’s] nostrils the breath of life” that “the man became a living being.” If God’s spirit defines us, and holiness is within God’s spirit, it must be in us. It is not an optional matter. It is not for the better question or the anointed Christian. It is for those with Christ within them.
I know I’m nowhere near the standard of holiness that God calls. Most of us aren’t. But this is the process of God sanctifying us. You see, we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb upon our acceptance of Jesus Christ, but it takes time to learn to live as He does. Our sinful nature is dead to us, but the ghost of its habits still tug upon our natural man. It is in times like these that we must remember holiness! Next week we will discuss God’s methods of working us towards holiness, but for now, if you’ve not desired holiness, if you’ve attempted to push synthetic objects into your life to plug that hole in your heart, stop. Allow God to fill it with His own hands. Let Him take the skin from Himself and patch it. Then His holiness can irradiate within you!
I Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”a
Genesis 2.7
7the LORD God formed the mane from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
I once had a hole in my eardrum that had to be surgically patched. The surgeon attempted to apply a synthetic material that would eventually fuse within the eardrum to seal the hole to prevent future hearing loss. This material proved too weak to hold up in my ear, so another surgeon performed a similar, but more successful procedure. Rather than applying a synthetic material, he took skin from the other ear and patched the eardrum with it. The eardrum took more kindly to something it was used to, and the patch held, preventing any more hearing loss.
I thought of this story yesterday, and God reminded me of a valuable lesson out of it: it is only when we are patched by that which we are made for that we can be completely healed. How often we attempt to plug in stuff to fill in that hole in our hearts. We attempt to patch it with endless materialism, broken relationships, uncalled careers, and the list goes on. But is this what our Lord directs us to do? Of course not. I Peter says that we are to “set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed.” In setting our hopes upon Christ, we are not “conform[ing] to the evil desires [we] had when [we] lived in ignorance.” We are not “just getting by.”
You see, beloved, our Lord has called us to holiness. Divine holiness is the business of Christ’s Church. God tells us to “be holy, because [He is] holy.” Just as only skin can patch an eardrum, only the original image of who created us can be our model for how to live. Holiness is not a religious ritual. It is a pattern of living that is borne out of the Christian’s unwavering reflection of Christ Jesus brought about by His presence in our hearts. In Genesis 2, we see the distinction between Man and the animals is that God breathed His own spirit into us. Our spirits are sourced from God, not the earth. Therefore, the holiness that irradiates from God irradiates in us. Holiness ought to beam out of us. No one should ever question whether we are living our lives for the glory of God. Genesis 2 states that it was only when God “breathed into [Man’s] nostrils the breath of life” that “the man became a living being.” If God’s spirit defines us, and holiness is within God’s spirit, it must be in us. It is not an optional matter. It is not for the better question or the anointed Christian. It is for those with Christ within them.
I know I’m nowhere near the standard of holiness that God calls. Most of us aren’t. But this is the process of God sanctifying us. You see, we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb upon our acceptance of Jesus Christ, but it takes time to learn to live as He does. Our sinful nature is dead to us, but the ghost of its habits still tug upon our natural man. It is in times like these that we must remember holiness! Next week we will discuss God’s methods of working us towards holiness, but for now, if you’ve not desired holiness, if you’ve attempted to push synthetic objects into your life to plug that hole in your heart, stop. Allow God to fill it with His own hands. Let Him take the skin from Himself and patch it. Then His holiness can irradiate within you!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Redeeming Love
Psa 116:1-9 NLT - [1] I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. [2] Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! [3] Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. [4] Then I called on the name of the LORD: "Please, LORD, save me!" [5] How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! [6] The LORD protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. [7] Let my soul be at rest again, for the LORD has been good to me. [8] He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. [9] And so I walk in the LORD's presence as I live here on earth!
What is this business of love? It has consumed man's thinking for thousands of years, yet still his mind is unable to grasp it. Why do we love? The scripture is the only definitive answer to this question. It is not contained in emotion, wound in transcendence, or bound within ourselves. Love, the word of God tells us, flows from the Father. Notice the Psalmist's prayer to God in Psalm 116. His praise to God is that he "love[s] the LORD because He hear[ed] [his] voice and [his] prayer for mercy." At first it would appear to the casual reader that the love of God is bound to the conditions of what He does for man. To the contrary, it is the love of God which has eternally existed that causes the Lord's redemption to be manifest upon the Psalmist. Redeeming love is not an action so much as it is the product of God Himself.
Notice that the Psalmist beautifully annotates that God "bends down to listen," so the Psalmist will "pray as long as [he has] breath." What a powerful analogy! God bends down to hear our prayers. His infinite frame crushes through every boundary of the heavens, and the debris of His mercy and love fall upon us as He lifts us up into His arms. Redemption! Redeeming love! We are like children lifted up into the arms of God. This is why we love. I John 4.19 says "we love because He first loved us" (NIV).
In all our relationships, all our actions, all that we encounter, we approach everything with love because Christ is love and He lives in us. His redemptive power that rescued the Psalmist, the redemptive power that caused him to shout "How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!", is the same love which beams down on us every day of our lives. Let's live through our week remembering that. God's redemptive love is continually wrapping itself around us. Our Lord holds us firmly in the times of storms and in the times of joy. He has redeemed us through His Son, and He is never letting go!
What is this business of love? It has consumed man's thinking for thousands of years, yet still his mind is unable to grasp it. Why do we love? The scripture is the only definitive answer to this question. It is not contained in emotion, wound in transcendence, or bound within ourselves. Love, the word of God tells us, flows from the Father. Notice the Psalmist's prayer to God in Psalm 116. His praise to God is that he "love[s] the LORD because He hear[ed] [his] voice and [his] prayer for mercy." At first it would appear to the casual reader that the love of God is bound to the conditions of what He does for man. To the contrary, it is the love of God which has eternally existed that causes the Lord's redemption to be manifest upon the Psalmist. Redeeming love is not an action so much as it is the product of God Himself.
Notice that the Psalmist beautifully annotates that God "bends down to listen," so the Psalmist will "pray as long as [he has] breath." What a powerful analogy! God bends down to hear our prayers. His infinite frame crushes through every boundary of the heavens, and the debris of His mercy and love fall upon us as He lifts us up into His arms. Redemption! Redeeming love! We are like children lifted up into the arms of God. This is why we love. I John 4.19 says "we love because He first loved us" (NIV).
In all our relationships, all our actions, all that we encounter, we approach everything with love because Christ is love and He lives in us. His redemptive power that rescued the Psalmist, the redemptive power that caused him to shout "How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!", is the same love which beams down on us every day of our lives. Let's live through our week remembering that. God's redemptive love is continually wrapping itself around us. Our Lord holds us firmly in the times of storms and in the times of joy. He has redeemed us through His Son, and He is never letting go!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
On Supporting Fellow Believers
Act 2:42-47 NLT - [42] All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper ), and to prayer. [43] A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. [44] And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. [45] They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. [46] They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity -- [47] all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
One of the fundamental and often neglected duties of Christ's followers is the responsibility to support our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to minister to the world and to our communities, indeed, but the Scripture is also clear in this: that we are to support one another. In Acts 2, this picture is portrayed with absolute clarity. The recorder of Acts(likely Luke) explains that "the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had." Not only this, but they "sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need." The Scripture is undisputedly precise on the intentions for God's church: we are to be one body. In order to be one body, we must live as one body. When a member is week, we must minister to the needs of that member.
There are many ways in which God accomplishes His will regarding this issue. The most obvious, as is the case in Acts 2, is monetary aid. The believers loved their brothers and sisters so much that they were willing to give up everything they had so that they might all live together. Clearly the tithes of fellowship--the sense of oneness with Christ--is present in Christ's early church. What does that say about us? I believe ti says we are to desire, above all else, a oneness with each other. The Church is designed primarily to serve the kingdom of God, and this goal is impossible without the daily functioning of His children all working together for a common goal. Let us be aware of the monetary needs around our congregations. Those in need may often be too embarrassed to proclaim their struggles, but if a believer is struggling to feed their family or pay their bills, Acts 2 instructs us that it is the duty of God's Church to step in and aid this person.
The second vital ministry we can perform to serve members of the body in need is that of spiritual needs. This need triumphs every other need, be it monetary, physical, or emotional. In fact, some of the monetary problems, behavioral problems, and ailments source from a real spiritual need. Hearts are hurting even in God's kingdom. Prayer and words of encouragement are not just stereotypical instruments of God's empowering of the spiritually needy within the Church: they are vital resources for the ministry of the broken heart. I am convinced that if we can address these needs, a great deal of other needs will be met as well. Hurt, depression, malice, guilt, and other emotions all are rooted deep within a hurting spirit. Once the root is resolved, the rest will(thought often slowly) begin to heal as well.
Let's remember Acts 2 when we go into worship. There are many needs around God's Church. Let us act as one body, ministering to the needs of one another as Christ calls us.
One of the fundamental and often neglected duties of Christ's followers is the responsibility to support our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to minister to the world and to our communities, indeed, but the Scripture is also clear in this: that we are to support one another. In Acts 2, this picture is portrayed with absolute clarity. The recorder of Acts(likely Luke) explains that "the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had." Not only this, but they "sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need." The Scripture is undisputedly precise on the intentions for God's church: we are to be one body. In order to be one body, we must live as one body. When a member is week, we must minister to the needs of that member.
There are many ways in which God accomplishes His will regarding this issue. The most obvious, as is the case in Acts 2, is monetary aid. The believers loved their brothers and sisters so much that they were willing to give up everything they had so that they might all live together. Clearly the tithes of fellowship--the sense of oneness with Christ--is present in Christ's early church. What does that say about us? I believe ti says we are to desire, above all else, a oneness with each other. The Church is designed primarily to serve the kingdom of God, and this goal is impossible without the daily functioning of His children all working together for a common goal. Let us be aware of the monetary needs around our congregations. Those in need may often be too embarrassed to proclaim their struggles, but if a believer is struggling to feed their family or pay their bills, Acts 2 instructs us that it is the duty of God's Church to step in and aid this person.
The second vital ministry we can perform to serve members of the body in need is that of spiritual needs. This need triumphs every other need, be it monetary, physical, or emotional. In fact, some of the monetary problems, behavioral problems, and ailments source from a real spiritual need. Hearts are hurting even in God's kingdom. Prayer and words of encouragement are not just stereotypical instruments of God's empowering of the spiritually needy within the Church: they are vital resources for the ministry of the broken heart. I am convinced that if we can address these needs, a great deal of other needs will be met as well. Hurt, depression, malice, guilt, and other emotions all are rooted deep within a hurting spirit. Once the root is resolved, the rest will(thought often slowly) begin to heal as well.
Let's remember Acts 2 when we go into worship. There are many needs around God's Church. Let us act as one body, ministering to the needs of one another as Christ calls us.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wrestling with God
Gen 32:24-32 NLT - [24] This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. [25] When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it out of its socket. [26] Then the man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!" But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." [27] "What is your name?" the man asked. He replied, "Jacob." [28] "Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won." [29] "Please tell me your name," Jacob said. "Why do you want to know my name?" the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. [30] Jacob named the place Peniel (which means "face of God"), for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared." [31] The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. [32] (Even today the people of Israel don't eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob's hip.)
The stories of Jacob display a constant struggle. Jacob's struggle is the struggle to receive the blessings of God. Not only does he deceive his father and brother in Genesis 27 to receive Isaac's blessing, in Genesis 32 we read of his nightly tussle with the mysterious man who carries an ordinance from God. In the midst of this conflict, Jacob's unwillingness to "let [the man] go unless [the man] blesses [Jacob]" demonstrates Jacob would fight to the death for the Lord's blessing. Why? Is it Jacob's internal struggle to find acceptance with God? Does he wish so desperately to do the will of God?
The Scriptures leave void many of the details of Jacob's life. Nevertheless, his struggles are our struggles. Not much has changed in the past few thousand years. Men still wrestle with God to find acceptance. For many Christians, it is the struggle to avoid returning to "the sin which so easily ensnares us" (Hebrews 12.1). For others, it is the guilt of being completely helpless to ever justify our faith through our own works. Still, with others, their daily lives are a constant burden of what plans God has for them in their lives.
You see, Jacob's struggle was not a physical struggle. Externally he wrestled a man, but internally he was wrestling with God, for the man he wrestles proclaims that Jacob "fought with God and with men and [has] won." Notice what Jacob's proclamation when he names Peniel: "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared." In whatever fashion we cannot comprehend, our empathy extends to Jacob's circumstances. In our wrestling with God, we experience the trials of life(the physical wrestlings) in order to seek God's face(our spiritual wrestlings.)
What is the key to winning? How do we keep going when life presses against us so unbearingly at the weakest moments in our lives? Endurance. Jacob possessed endurance. We must possess it. As children of God we are called to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12.1). We fight with God for different reasons, but the conflict is not for us to win--it is for us to realize why God wins. Only then can we understand His purposes. Only then can we, like Jacob, receive the blessings of God so that we might live out those blessings to glorify the Lord.
The stories of Jacob display a constant struggle. Jacob's struggle is the struggle to receive the blessings of God. Not only does he deceive his father and brother in Genesis 27 to receive Isaac's blessing, in Genesis 32 we read of his nightly tussle with the mysterious man who carries an ordinance from God. In the midst of this conflict, Jacob's unwillingness to "let [the man] go unless [the man] blesses [Jacob]" demonstrates Jacob would fight to the death for the Lord's blessing. Why? Is it Jacob's internal struggle to find acceptance with God? Does he wish so desperately to do the will of God?
The Scriptures leave void many of the details of Jacob's life. Nevertheless, his struggles are our struggles. Not much has changed in the past few thousand years. Men still wrestle with God to find acceptance. For many Christians, it is the struggle to avoid returning to "the sin which so easily ensnares us" (Hebrews 12.1). For others, it is the guilt of being completely helpless to ever justify our faith through our own works. Still, with others, their daily lives are a constant burden of what plans God has for them in their lives.
You see, Jacob's struggle was not a physical struggle. Externally he wrestled a man, but internally he was wrestling with God, for the man he wrestles proclaims that Jacob "fought with God and with men and [has] won." Notice what Jacob's proclamation when he names Peniel: "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared." In whatever fashion we cannot comprehend, our empathy extends to Jacob's circumstances. In our wrestling with God, we experience the trials of life(the physical wrestlings) in order to seek God's face(our spiritual wrestlings.)
What is the key to winning? How do we keep going when life presses against us so unbearingly at the weakest moments in our lives? Endurance. Jacob possessed endurance. We must possess it. As children of God we are called to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12.1). We fight with God for different reasons, but the conflict is not for us to win--it is for us to realize why God wins. Only then can we understand His purposes. Only then can we, like Jacob, receive the blessings of God so that we might live out those blessings to glorify the Lord.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Choose Wisely
Choose Wisely
Luke 16:22-28 NIV - [22] "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. [23] In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. [24] So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' [25] "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' [27] "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, [28] for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
One of my favorite films is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In it, Dr. Jones and his rival Donovan, both in competition to find the Holy Grail, discover a room full of hundreds of potential grails, one of which is the true cup of Christ. The knight guarding the Grail tells them, "You must choose, but choose wisely. For as the true grail will bring you life, the false grail will take it from you." The greedy Donovan chooses the most luxurious, extravagant cup, and soon violently perishes from rapid aging. Indiana, however, finds hidden behind fancy cups a humble, meager cup without decoration. "This is the cup of a carpenter," he proclaims. This cup saves his father's life, but the knight instructs him that eternal life will only come if he stays within the temple.
There is an incredibly powerful analogy to be drawn from this film scene. Christ gives each of us a choice. We can partake of the extravagant cup and live our lives on this earth full of its comforts, or we can take the cup of the carpenter. We can choose to spend our life in the temple: in God's presence. Christ tells us that these are our only two choices. Look in Luke 16. Jesus tells the story of the rich man and the beggar who both die. The rich man spent his life in luxury on earth but spends all of eternity in hell. Repentant perhaps of his ways, he cries for Lazarus to warn his brothers of hell "so that they will not also come to this place of torment." On the other hand, on earth "Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and [the rich man] is in agony."
What choice will we make? We can either be Lazarus or the rich man. There are many who question whether there is perhaps another option, but our Lord leaves us with no such room to play dice. The issue is that man is inherently fallen, not innocent. He is in dire need of redemption, and unless he is willful to ask for it, Christ will not provide it. Jesus is a gentleman; He will not force Himself upon us. But if we choose to live outside of His reign, we must accept the consequence. We must follow him whom we serve. If that is Satan and his angels, then we will follow them to hell.
But damnation is not the message of the gospel. The gospel is a message of peace, of salvation, of joy! Christ has made us aware of the reality of the unsaved man, but he has provided a way out for us! Which cup will you drink from? Choose the rugged road. Choose the way that is difficult, but is so rewarding. A relationship with Christ far outweighs any earthly pleasures we can have here on earth.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Model of our Heavenly Father
The Model of Our Heavenly Father
John 10.25-30
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Where ought a father to derive his authority? It is a simple question that is not asked often enough. So many men stumble into fatherhood either purposefully or accidentally, but have no direction other than learning as they go along. But this is not the attitude our Heavenly Father had on Christ on earth, nor is it the attitude Christ has on us. Biblical fatherhood is a manifestation of heavenly fatherhood. In John 10 Jesus states that "the works [He does]" are "in [His] Father's name." Those are the works that testify about him. Those are the works that bring us under Christ's direction, for Jesus says that "[His] sheep listen to [His] voice; [He] knows them, and they follow [Him]." The love of the Father flows through the Son, and that love then showers itself bountifully upon us.
Fathers, is the situation so different? Are we not to provide the love and direction of the Father, just as Christ did to us? The model of fatherhood is an analogous representation of the Father's love of the Son. So it is that every action a father does bears immense impression upon his children. The love a Father shows to His children is what the children see as God's love. Fathers, let us ensure that the instruction and direction of Christ is being passed onto yourself and to your family.
This reveals the most crucial aspect of fatherhood: a man's own relationship with the Father. If a father is not in persistent study and prayer, if his life and actions are not tuned to the will of God, the love of the Father cannot be manifest upon his children. Fathers, it is so vital to heed the instruction of the Lord, not merely for yourself but for your children and your wife. A family that is mirroring Christ's lifestyle and instructions and that is responding daily to the Lord's personal direction upon that family will prosper spiritually. The storms and waves of life will by no means topple such a household because its foundation is build upon the Lord.
Fathers, is Christ's love moving through you and onto your own family? If not, turn to the Lord today. There is nothing more important than for the salvation and godliness rooted in a man's household.
John 10.25-30
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Where ought a father to derive his authority? It is a simple question that is not asked often enough. So many men stumble into fatherhood either purposefully or accidentally, but have no direction other than learning as they go along. But this is not the attitude our Heavenly Father had on Christ on earth, nor is it the attitude Christ has on us. Biblical fatherhood is a manifestation of heavenly fatherhood. In John 10 Jesus states that "the works [He does]" are "in [His] Father's name." Those are the works that testify about him. Those are the works that bring us under Christ's direction, for Jesus says that "[His] sheep listen to [His] voice; [He] knows them, and they follow [Him]." The love of the Father flows through the Son, and that love then showers itself bountifully upon us.
Fathers, is the situation so different? Are we not to provide the love and direction of the Father, just as Christ did to us? The model of fatherhood is an analogous representation of the Father's love of the Son. So it is that every action a father does bears immense impression upon his children. The love a Father shows to His children is what the children see as God's love. Fathers, let us ensure that the instruction and direction of Christ is being passed onto yourself and to your family.
This reveals the most crucial aspect of fatherhood: a man's own relationship with the Father. If a father is not in persistent study and prayer, if his life and actions are not tuned to the will of God, the love of the Father cannot be manifest upon his children. Fathers, it is so vital to heed the instruction of the Lord, not merely for yourself but for your children and your wife. A family that is mirroring Christ's lifestyle and instructions and that is responding daily to the Lord's personal direction upon that family will prosper spiritually. The storms and waves of life will by no means topple such a household because its foundation is build upon the Lord.
Fathers, is Christ's love moving through you and onto your own family? If not, turn to the Lord today. There is nothing more important than for the salvation and godliness rooted in a man's household.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Weekly Devotion 6.12.2011
The Yield of Those Who Are Patient
Jos 5:12 NLT - [12] No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.
The old adage of "good things come to those who wait" truly shines all throughout Scripture. In James 5.7 we are instructed to "be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen." We read also of the Israelites spending 400 years in bondage, and another 40 wandering through the desert. The Bible speaks so often of patience for a reason: it yields the fruits of the Lord. There is a reason that Hebrews 12.1 coaches us to "run with endurance the race God has set before us." Our faith is not a sprint. It is a long journey that continues well beyond when we first give our hearts to the Lord. Indeed, Christianity is about continually giving one's heart over to Christ's forgiveness. In doing so, we will receive the favor of the Lord.
In Joshua, we read that the Israelites finally, after 40 years of wandering, begin their campaign to take the Promised Land God has given them. After decades of manna, we read that "no manna appeared on the day [the Israelites] first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again." Wow! Talk about patience! Forty years later, when the Israelites finally have land to cultivate, the Lord didn't forget their needs. He had still been delivering manna all that time! The patience of the people Joshua led went on to create a prosperous civilization that would arise to one of the most powerful middle eastern powers of the Bronze Age. More than this, however, the Lord would use this civilization to bring forth the Messiah by whom we have all been saved: Jesus Christ.
Yes, good things come to those who wait. What are you waiting on from the Lord? What does He have in store for you? Hang in there! If the Israelites could wander in the desert for 40 years with nothing but manna to eat, we can endure whatever trial the Lord delivers to us. As He never left the Israelites during their exodus and never failed to deliver them the Promised Land, so too He will not forget His promises to you: promises to bless you so that you might live a life that is a beacon to the world and a blessing to God!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Worship and Wonder through the Lord's Creation
Worship and Wonder through the Lord's Creation
Psa 8:1-9 NLT - [1] For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument. O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. [2] You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. [3] When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers-- the moon and the stars you set in place-- [4] what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? [5] Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. [6] You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority-- [7] the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, [8] the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. [9] O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
If the power of God is in the earth, then His majesty lies in the heavens. Ironically, looking up at the infinite dance of celestial balls on a summer night sky does not invoke doubt of a Creator somewhere out there in this nebulous abyss, but instead yields to us confirmation that everything is perfectly orchestrated by the Grand Conductor of whom all things flow. Truly the Psalmist is right when he proclaims that the Lord's "glory is higher than the heavens." How wondrous and powerful the night sky appears; how much more wonderful must be God if He is even above that!
Not only is God's majesty portrayed in the heavenly portrait, but the Psalmist says that he can "look at the night sky and see the work of [the Lord's] fingers--the moon and the stars [He] set in place." When in doubt of God's promises or His creative capacity, look up! It all works together, so why can't He work out your circumstances? It is easy to wonder, "what are mere mortals that [God] should think about them, human beings that [He] should care for them?" It is such a wide universe! How could God care about us? It is because He has "made [us] only a little lower than God and crowned [us] with glory and honor." Think you're insignificant? Think nothing you can do can make a difference? God says you matter. The fact that you, a soul embedded within a tiny biological mechanism operating on a small, uniquely and perfectly habitable rock orbiting somewhere around one of billions of giant, nuclear balls ought to show that God cares for you. He has a purpose for you and I!
It is good to worship God through nature. Sometimes we need to spend time to stop and consider all that He has done in the universe. Doing so not only helps us appreciate His care for us and His plans for all of creation, but it reveals His nature and consequently causes us to recognize our continual need to praise Him for all He is and all He does. Find something God has created today and thank Him for it. You'll feel significant and will feel His presence as you worship Him!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Weekly Devotion 5.30.2011
Remembering Those Who Made a Difference
Genesis 23.17-20
17So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. 18It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. 19Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). 20So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.
One of my favorite passages of scripture is the burial of Sarah. Why? Because it emphasizes God's care for all those who make a difference in the world, regardless of their social status. Contrary to popular notions, the wife of a patriarch such as Abraham was held with incredibly high value. Not only was she responsible for continuing the family line, but the nurture of her children and husband was paramount to the ancient middle eastern territories. It is no surprise, then, that Abraham takes such care in burying his beloved. He buys "the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees." Sarah's burial place was not merely a tomb, but a memorial likely similar to a garden planted in remembrance of a loved one.
Memorial Day, similarly, involves cherishing those who have made a difference in the world, specifically our military men and women. Millions of Americans have given their lives over the past 200 years to protect the precious concept of freedom we hold near to us. Genesis confirms that God wishes us to honor such people who have made an impact on the world. Today, as we remember the many who have given their blood that we might have freedom running through ours, let us hold with sacred blessing the same attitude of which Abraham held in regards to Sarah. Thank the Lord for all those who have made a difference in the world!
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