Deuteronomy 31: 1 – 8
8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
I find great comfort in those words.
There have been times when I felt totally alone, even in a room full of people. Filled with fear, I eventually became used to the feeling. But even though I was used to the feeling, that loneliness would at times be overwhelming. I needed someone or something to fill the void in my soul and began a search for peace that would consume my life.
I found that void filling peace in the arms of the Lord. The word of God gave me great comfort and showed me that, no matter what, I would never be alone again.
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
All this peace from just a few verses. It was as if the Bible was written just for me. No more would I have to live in loneliness and fear again.
Now I know that I am not the only one to feel this way. I have heard many testimonies to that fact. And I am sure that we all had the experience with the word of God that reached out and grabbed us by the scruff of the neck only to force us to look at ourselves and our shattered lives, leaving us in a heap pleading for forgiveness and salvation.
Moses knew that his time was coming to an end and that he would never enter the goal that was promised to the Hebrew people. He would be able to see the promised land yet would never get to set foot on that victorious gift that God had given them. But, that was enough for him. He had that peace that we all yearn for. He knew that he was not alone on that mountain top gazing into the land God had given his people. God was with him, and when Moses had died in His arms, God carried him away and buried the body of Moses Himself.
Throughout the Bible we can see the same words that God gave to Moses about not being afraid because God will never leave us. It doesn't matter where we are or problem we face, God will be there at our side.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
LION COUNTRY
1Pe 5:8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Have you been smelling the lion’s breathe recently? Have you nearly gagged on its odious smell?
After a particular difficult time, Pastor A.W. Tozer noted the following: “I will tell you something, it is a delightful thing when you are close enough to the adversary that you can hear him roar! Too many Christians never get into lion country at all!”
Many of us may be saying to ourselves right now; isn’t 1 peter 5:8 supposed to be a warning to stay away, to be on guard? Why would I want to get close to the lion?
After thinking about this I have to conclude that we must charge headlong into the lion’s den.
Why?
Because if we don’t, who will?
If you look at nature, lions prey on the weak, infirm, sick, young and old, those too weak to seek the protection of the herd.
If you read further in that chapter, it advises us to resist the devil, standing on our faith because we know that brothers around the world are going under the same kind of suffering.
Because we have become too comfortable and complacent, compromising ourselves for peace in our lives. We look for peace at all costs, perhaps at the cost of our soul.
How can we then take things easy?
Jesus did not promise us a quiet life (or peace) after coming to believe in him. In fact, he told that we will be persecuted because of him.
. STRIKE FEAR IN THE HEART OF THE ENEMY!
Boldly walk into the heart of lion country. Do this for your, your family for your brothers and for yourselves. Hear his roar, but do not go it alone.
We need the protection of the herd.
Have you been smelling the lion’s breathe recently? Have you nearly gagged on its odious smell?
After a particular difficult time, Pastor A.W. Tozer noted the following: “I will tell you something, it is a delightful thing when you are close enough to the adversary that you can hear him roar! Too many Christians never get into lion country at all!”
Many of us may be saying to ourselves right now; isn’t 1 peter 5:8 supposed to be a warning to stay away, to be on guard? Why would I want to get close to the lion?
After thinking about this I have to conclude that we must charge headlong into the lion’s den.
Why?
Because if we don’t, who will?
If you look at nature, lions prey on the weak, infirm, sick, young and old, those too weak to seek the protection of the herd.
If you read further in that chapter, it advises us to resist the devil, standing on our faith because we know that brothers around the world are going under the same kind of suffering.
Because we have become too comfortable and complacent, compromising ourselves for peace in our lives. We look for peace at all costs, perhaps at the cost of our soul.
How can we then take things easy?
Jesus did not promise us a quiet life (or peace) after coming to believe in him. In fact, he told that we will be persecuted because of him.
. STRIKE FEAR IN THE HEART OF THE ENEMY!
Boldly walk into the heart of lion country. Do this for your, your family for your brothers and for yourselves. Hear his roar, but do not go it alone.
We need the protection of the herd.
Monday, April 27, 2009
DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Mathew 6: 25 – 34
It's all small stuff.
Day by day people worry about things that seem like mountains, but are really grains of sand upon reflection. A lot of the time we worry and stress out about things that are far from our control. More and more we dwell on these things, telling ourselves that God will never give us more than we can handle, but all the time we pile more and more importance on these grains of sand until they grow and grow until they become insurmountable.
Humans are funny creations, flawed yet loved, sinful yet forgiven.
But God has better plans for us.
25 ¶ "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The only conclusion that I can come up with after reading this portion of scripture is that we should all place our faith in the provision of God.
He will bless us beyond what we expect.
It's all small stuff.
Day by day people worry about things that seem like mountains, but are really grains of sand upon reflection. A lot of the time we worry and stress out about things that are far from our control. More and more we dwell on these things, telling ourselves that God will never give us more than we can handle, but all the time we pile more and more importance on these grains of sand until they grow and grow until they become insurmountable.
Humans are funny creations, flawed yet loved, sinful yet forgiven.
But God has better plans for us.
25 ¶ "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The only conclusion that I can come up with after reading this portion of scripture is that we should all place our faith in the provision of God.
He will bless us beyond what we expect.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
UP AGAINST THE WALL
Romans 8: 31 – 39
When there is nothing left, when we have reached the end of our rope, when we have experienced something so terrible that we think that there can be nothing worse that could happen; the question is, where do we go from here, and who do we turn to for help?
Oswald Chambers once said; “No man is the same after an agony; he is either better or worse, and the agony of a man’s experience is nearly always the first thing that opens his mind to understand the need of redemption worked out by Jesus Christ. At the back of the wall of the world stands God with His arms outstretched, and every man driven there is driven into the arms of God. The cross of Jesus is the supreme evidence of the love of God.”
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When we are at the wall at the back of the world, we have no choice but to turn to Christ.
When there is nothing left, when we have reached the end of our rope, when we have experienced something so terrible that we think that there can be nothing worse that could happen; the question is, where do we go from here, and who do we turn to for help?
Oswald Chambers once said; “No man is the same after an agony; he is either better or worse, and the agony of a man’s experience is nearly always the first thing that opens his mind to understand the need of redemption worked out by Jesus Christ. At the back of the wall of the world stands God with His arms outstretched, and every man driven there is driven into the arms of God. The cross of Jesus is the supreme evidence of the love of God.”
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When we are at the wall at the back of the world, we have no choice but to turn to Christ.
Friday, April 24, 2009
HIS LOVE ENDURES FOR EVER
Psalm 107: 1 – 16
I have to start out by telling the truth. Psalm 107 is one of my favorite psalms. As we know, psalms are songs and prayer written down for us, so we might as well use them as such, I read parts of this psalm every Sunday, at the beginning of worship, as a prayer, because it shows God's love, provision, hope, and salvation.
We all need that love. We all need that salvation. And, provision of our needs and hope are pretty cool to have too.
The opening verse of this psalm says it all.
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures for ever.
How can we not be inspired and filled with awe when we read words like this?
What truth there is in that sentence!
It cannot be denied!
Look at it, God is good.
His love for us endures.
In saying this we see His touch in our lives. He provides what we need in the worst of times.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
By personalizing this psalm we bring it to a closer level where it becomes an intimate conversation with the living God.
What more needs to be said?
I have to start out by telling the truth. Psalm 107 is one of my favorite psalms. As we know, psalms are songs and prayer written down for us, so we might as well use them as such, I read parts of this psalm every Sunday, at the beginning of worship, as a prayer, because it shows God's love, provision, hope, and salvation.
We all need that love. We all need that salvation. And, provision of our needs and hope are pretty cool to have too.
The opening verse of this psalm says it all.
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures for ever.
How can we not be inspired and filled with awe when we read words like this?
What truth there is in that sentence!
It cannot be denied!
Look at it, God is good.
His love for us endures.
In saying this we see His touch in our lives. He provides what we need in the worst of times.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
By personalizing this psalm we bring it to a closer level where it becomes an intimate conversation with the living God.
What more needs to be said?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
HYPOCRITES
Mathew 15: 1 – 9
I hate religious hypocrites. Well maybe hate is too strong a word. How about, I dislike people who claim to know God but don't act that way. I should probably not put it that way and say, people who say one thing while doing something else are not doing the right thing.
1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!"
Is there anyway that I can say this without insulting someone or making people seem to be backsliding?
That's what we do in this day and age. We want to say one thing but because of our society, we have to be non-insulting to the minority, or God forbid, insult the Muslims.
3 Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
What I really dislike is mincing words! Sugar coating things does not make it better, it usually just confuses the issue and makes others feel as if their actions, and purported general goodness, are their ticket to heaven. They can stand before their fans or followers, say how their actions are superior to others that they are the ones that are right and should be listened to.
7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 "‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’"
Jesus didn't mince words. He called a spade a spade. He went up against the biggest hypocrites of the time. He did this to point out the difference of those who claim to know God and those who truly worship God with all their hearts.
People who use the hypocrite saying as an excuse to not know God, rather than pointing people to who God really is
Follow the first commandment; Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength.
I hate religious hypocrites. Well maybe hate is too strong a word. How about, I dislike people who claim to know God but don't act that way. I should probably not put it that way and say, people who say one thing while doing something else are not doing the right thing.
1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!"
Is there anyway that I can say this without insulting someone or making people seem to be backsliding?
That's what we do in this day and age. We want to say one thing but because of our society, we have to be non-insulting to the minority, or God forbid, insult the Muslims.
3 Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
What I really dislike is mincing words! Sugar coating things does not make it better, it usually just confuses the issue and makes others feel as if their actions, and purported general goodness, are their ticket to heaven. They can stand before their fans or followers, say how their actions are superior to others that they are the ones that are right and should be listened to.
7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 "‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’"
Jesus didn't mince words. He called a spade a spade. He went up against the biggest hypocrites of the time. He did this to point out the difference of those who claim to know God and those who truly worship God with all their hearts.
People who use the hypocrite saying as an excuse to not know God, rather than pointing people to who God really is
Follow the first commandment; Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
PROMISES
Genesis 15: 17 – 22
We make promises that we don't keep all the time. It doesn't matter why, I mean we can forget about the promise, we can be distracted, we can even intentionally break a promise out of anger or spite.
The point is we are human, which means that we are imperfect we mess up and we will eventually disappoint people around us and people that we love.
In our old age, we have learned that these things go on and we also realize that the old saying about our tongues writing checks that our bodies can't cash gets more true with every passing day. As we grow old, we are able to do less than we were able to as when we were younger people.
Our arms aren't as strong and our legs aren't as swift but there are times when God uses us to do mighty things. Billy Graham, while advanced in years, still brings the good news of God to people around the world. Abraham, being 100 years old was told by God that he was going to be the father of a great nation through his 90 year old wife Sarah. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed at the prospect of having a child a their age.
(At 55 if someone told me that I was going to be a father, well I'd have to laugh at them unless that someone was God)
But, God had made a promise, and He always keeps His promises.
15 ¶ God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.
16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."
17 Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"
19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."
22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
God made a promise, and even gave a time line as to when His promise would be fulfilled. And, as we have learned in the past, God always keeps His word. We may not like the promises that He makes, and we may even laugh at them, but, they are kept, in His time not ours.
Even when we are old or infirm, or even if we are young, we can still make a difference to many people if we listen to the promises of God, and we carry out what He wants us to do.
We make promises that we don't keep all the time. It doesn't matter why, I mean we can forget about the promise, we can be distracted, we can even intentionally break a promise out of anger or spite.
The point is we are human, which means that we are imperfect we mess up and we will eventually disappoint people around us and people that we love.
In our old age, we have learned that these things go on and we also realize that the old saying about our tongues writing checks that our bodies can't cash gets more true with every passing day. As we grow old, we are able to do less than we were able to as when we were younger people.
Our arms aren't as strong and our legs aren't as swift but there are times when God uses us to do mighty things. Billy Graham, while advanced in years, still brings the good news of God to people around the world. Abraham, being 100 years old was told by God that he was going to be the father of a great nation through his 90 year old wife Sarah. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed at the prospect of having a child a their age.
(At 55 if someone told me that I was going to be a father, well I'd have to laugh at them unless that someone was God)
But, God had made a promise, and He always keeps His promises.
15 ¶ God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.
16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."
17 Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"
19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."
22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
God made a promise, and even gave a time line as to when His promise would be fulfilled. And, as we have learned in the past, God always keeps His word. We may not like the promises that He makes, and we may even laugh at them, but, they are kept, in His time not ours.
Even when we are old or infirm, or even if we are young, we can still make a difference to many people if we listen to the promises of God, and we carry out what He wants us to do.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
STORMS
Mathew 8: 23 – 27
Ever watch a serious thunderstorm? Seen the rain and lightening, heard the thunder?
Awesome isn't it? All that power and energy displayed for all to see.
There are times when we can find all this storm activity a frightening thing.
Heck, it can scare the dog out of us.
These storms can scare us so much that we cry out “Save Me” while we run in circles,
hide under cover, or even just stand there paralyzed when all we have to do is have faith in Christ and we can walk through the storm and suffer no ill effects.
3 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!"
26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Storms come and go in our lives, they always will. There is no guarantee that when we come to know Jesus that we will have a life full of skittles and beer. Truth be told we are told that we will suffer for His name, yet we still flock to Him.
We know that there is a rainbow at the end of every storm. We know that storms eventually will end and the sun will come up on a brand new beautiful day filled with peace and joy.
Situations in our lives can be overwhelming, and as I said before they can be paralyzing. So much so that we think that there will never be an end to our trouble. We stay in these storms until all we know is the chaos and fear. It becomes comfortable because it's what we know. We don't know, or doubt, that there is a way out of our sorrows.
Surrender!
At this point, we can't win.
But there is a way out.
Hold out your hand and let Jesus lead you out of the darkness of the storm.
Then you can say in amazement;
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!”
Ever watch a serious thunderstorm? Seen the rain and lightening, heard the thunder?
Awesome isn't it? All that power and energy displayed for all to see.
There are times when we can find all this storm activity a frightening thing.
Heck, it can scare the dog out of us.
These storms can scare us so much that we cry out “Save Me” while we run in circles,
hide under cover, or even just stand there paralyzed when all we have to do is have faith in Christ and we can walk through the storm and suffer no ill effects.
3 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!"
26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Storms come and go in our lives, they always will. There is no guarantee that when we come to know Jesus that we will have a life full of skittles and beer. Truth be told we are told that we will suffer for His name, yet we still flock to Him.
We know that there is a rainbow at the end of every storm. We know that storms eventually will end and the sun will come up on a brand new beautiful day filled with peace and joy.
Situations in our lives can be overwhelming, and as I said before they can be paralyzing. So much so that we think that there will never be an end to our trouble. We stay in these storms until all we know is the chaos and fear. It becomes comfortable because it's what we know. We don't know, or doubt, that there is a way out of our sorrows.
Surrender!
At this point, we can't win.
But there is a way out.
Hold out your hand and let Jesus lead you out of the darkness of the storm.
Then you can say in amazement;
“What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!”
Monday, April 20, 2009
FAITHFUL
3 John
When I was working in the prison system, I worked on several different units with several different people. There were those who were a joy to work with, but there was one that no matter what I did couldn't stand me. I tried to be the same with everybody no matter what and in doing so, some of us worked well together while one didn't work together with anyone.
We run into things like this all the time in many situations. There are those people who hear what we say and those who hear but don't listen.
I think that this is what was going on here between John and Gaius, and John and Diotrephes.
1 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.
10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
Both men seem to hold positions of leadership, one listens and is faithful the other, not so much.
How did this come to be? I dunno. But there is a definite difference between the two.
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
Quite a difference between the two guys isn't there? To me it looks like John is trying to contrast the way we are supposed to act once we have the Holy Spirit within us, and how we acted before coming to know the Lord.
Diotrephes is the example of how we were, thinking that we are in the right, not listening to anyone. He is shown to be very egocentric and doing whatever he feels. And Gaius follows God and does the right things for others.
That's what we are supposed to do be faithful and treat others well. To put other's interests above our own.
When I was working in the prison system, I worked on several different units with several different people. There were those who were a joy to work with, but there was one that no matter what I did couldn't stand me. I tried to be the same with everybody no matter what and in doing so, some of us worked well together while one didn't work together with anyone.
We run into things like this all the time in many situations. There are those people who hear what we say and those who hear but don't listen.
I think that this is what was going on here between John and Gaius, and John and Diotrephes.
1 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.
10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
Both men seem to hold positions of leadership, one listens and is faithful the other, not so much.
How did this come to be? I dunno. But there is a definite difference between the two.
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
Quite a difference between the two guys isn't there? To me it looks like John is trying to contrast the way we are supposed to act once we have the Holy Spirit within us, and how we acted before coming to know the Lord.
Diotrephes is the example of how we were, thinking that we are in the right, not listening to anyone. He is shown to be very egocentric and doing whatever he feels. And Gaius follows God and does the right things for others.
That's what we are supposed to do be faithful and treat others well. To put other's interests above our own.
Friday, April 17, 2009
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
1 John 4: 7 – 12
As we have discussed before, we may be the only Bible someone else may read. We have also come to know that if we feel drawn to go somewhere to minister too the folks there, well it could just be that God wants you to talk to the baggage handler who needs God in his life.
I had a similar experience in Rapid City S. Dakota back in 2000. Even though I was not walking well with God at the time, every day, I went to a convenience store near the hotel and talked with the guy behind the counter. He spoke of a hole in his soul, and an emptiness in his life. I spoke of a loving God who wanted to have a relationship with him. By the end of the week, the convenience store worker had been to a church and turned his life over to God welcoming Jesus into his heart.
(Even though I was apostate, God used me for His purposes)
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Love, love, love. That's what we build our lives on whether it is with God or with another person. They say that love makes the world go around. We hear it every week from the pulpit, and we read it in the Bible every day.
You'd think that we would get the idea and show that love all the time. Some times we get it and sometimes we don't. The one thing we know is that if we do show the love of God, things happen.
If we are genuine with showing our love, we attract others. That's because authentic attracts. People feel safe when they know that there is consistency and truth involved with how we speak and act.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Then we have to ask our selves; if we are to show love for each other, how do we know what love is?
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Love requires that we give our all. Nothing else. If we can do this we show the love that God wants the world to know.
As we have discussed before, we may be the only Bible someone else may read. We have also come to know that if we feel drawn to go somewhere to minister too the folks there, well it could just be that God wants you to talk to the baggage handler who needs God in his life.
I had a similar experience in Rapid City S. Dakota back in 2000. Even though I was not walking well with God at the time, every day, I went to a convenience store near the hotel and talked with the guy behind the counter. He spoke of a hole in his soul, and an emptiness in his life. I spoke of a loving God who wanted to have a relationship with him. By the end of the week, the convenience store worker had been to a church and turned his life over to God welcoming Jesus into his heart.
(Even though I was apostate, God used me for His purposes)
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Love, love, love. That's what we build our lives on whether it is with God or with another person. They say that love makes the world go around. We hear it every week from the pulpit, and we read it in the Bible every day.
You'd think that we would get the idea and show that love all the time. Some times we get it and sometimes we don't. The one thing we know is that if we do show the love of God, things happen.
If we are genuine with showing our love, we attract others. That's because authentic attracts. People feel safe when they know that there is consistency and truth involved with how we speak and act.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Then we have to ask our selves; if we are to show love for each other, how do we know what love is?
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Love requires that we give our all. Nothing else. If we can do this we show the love that God wants the world to know.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
THE TEMPLE
1 Corinthians 3: 1 – 17
In the old bedtime story of the “Three Little Pigs”, the pigs each built a house. One was made of straw, another made of sticks, but the last pig built his of brick. The Big Bad Wolf came along, trying to eat himself some pork, and huffed, puffed, and blew the houses down. The only house to evade destruction, and thereby denying the wolf his lunch, was the house made of brick, a house built solidly, with a good foundation.
The temple in Jerusalem was said to be quite impressive. It was huge, covered in white marble, and was the center of the Jewish faith. When the Big Bad Wolf, AKA the Roman empire, destroyed the temple around AD 70, the people were devastated.
Why?
There are several schools of thought as to why the temple was destroyed. Obviously it was an act of the Roman's. But, there is also the theory that it was not only a physical destruction, but also a spiritual destruction of the temple because the Jews did not have a solid foundation in their faith.
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
16 ¶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
Weird isn't it, that Paul made reference to our bodies to the temple of God?
How about the slight reference to the Little Pigs? (all right, maybe the pigs were a reference to the temple as it was destroyed a few centuries before the story was written)
what I'm trying to get across here is that without a firm foundation in the faith on which we can build the house of our beliefs, we are going to be subject to premature destruction.
At first the Corinthians got this a little wrong.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
Unfortunately, we can begin to place those who brought us to Christ on a pedestal thinking them wiser and more educated in the faith, therefore almost becoming Idols to us as we follow their teaching and none other.
This also results in a weak foundation and a weak temple or faith.
9 For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.
11 For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
And there's the answer to all our questions, problems, and foundations.
1 Corinthians 3: 1 – 17
In the old bedtime story of the “Three Little Pigs”, the pigs each built a house. One was made of straw, another made of sticks, but the last pig built his of brick. The Big Bad Wolf came along, trying to eat himself some pork, and huffed, puffed, and blew the houses down. The only house to evade destruction, and thereby denying the wolf his lunch, was the house made of brick, a house built solidly, with a good foundation.
The temple in Jerusalem was said to be quite impressive. It was huge, covered in white marble, and was the center of the Jewish faith. When the Big Bad Wolf, AKA the Roman empire, destroyed the temple around AD 70, the people were devastated.
Why?
There are several schools of thought as to why the temple was destroyed. Obviously it was an act of the Roman's. But, there is also the theory that it was not only a physical destruction, but also a spiritual destruction of the temple because the Jews did not have a solid foundation in their faith.
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
16 ¶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
Weird isn't it, that Paul made reference to our bodies to the temple of God?
How about the slight reference to the Little Pigs? (all right, maybe the pigs were a reference to the temple as it was destroyed a few centuries before the story was written)
what I'm trying to get across here is that without a firm foundation in the faith on which we can build the house of our beliefs, we are going to be subject to premature destruction.
At first the Corinthians got this a little wrong.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
Unfortunately, we can begin to place those who brought us to Christ on a pedestal thinking them wiser and more educated in the faith, therefore almost becoming Idols to us as we follow their teaching and none other.
This also results in a weak foundation and a weak temple or faith.
9 For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.
11 For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
And there's the answer to all our questions, problems, and foundations.
In the old bedtime story of the “Three Little Pigs”, the pigs each built a house. One was made of straw, another made of sticks, but the last pig built his of brick. The Big Bad Wolf came along, trying to eat himself some pork, and huffed, puffed, and blew the houses down. The only house to evade destruction, and thereby denying the wolf his lunch, was the house made of brick, a house built solidly, with a good foundation.
The temple in Jerusalem was said to be quite impressive. It was huge, covered in white marble, and was the center of the Jewish faith. When the Big Bad Wolf, AKA the Roman empire, destroyed the temple around AD 70, the people were devastated.
Why?
There are several schools of thought as to why the temple was destroyed. Obviously it was an act of the Roman's. But, there is also the theory that it was not only a physical destruction, but also a spiritual destruction of the temple because the Jews did not have a solid foundation in their faith.
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
16 ¶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
Weird isn't it, that Paul made reference to our bodies to the temple of God?
How about the slight reference to the Little Pigs? (all right, maybe the pigs were a reference to the temple as it was destroyed a few centuries before the story was written)
what I'm trying to get across here is that without a firm foundation in the faith on which we can build the house of our beliefs, we are going to be subject to premature destruction.
At first the Corinthians got this a little wrong.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
Unfortunately, we can begin to place those who brought us to Christ on a pedestal thinking them wiser and more educated in the faith, therefore almost becoming Idols to us as we follow their teaching and none other.
This also results in a weak foundation and a weak temple or faith.
9 For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.
11 For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
And there's the answer to all our questions, problems, and foundations.
1 Corinthians 3: 1 – 17
In the old bedtime story of the “Three Little Pigs”, the pigs each built a house. One was made of straw, another made of sticks, but the last pig built his of brick. The Big Bad Wolf came along, trying to eat himself some pork, and huffed, puffed, and blew the houses down. The only house to evade destruction, and thereby denying the wolf his lunch, was the house made of brick, a house built solidly, with a good foundation.
The temple in Jerusalem was said to be quite impressive. It was huge, covered in white marble, and was the center of the Jewish faith. When the Big Bad Wolf, AKA the Roman empire, destroyed the temple around AD 70, the people were devastated.
Why?
There are several schools of thought as to why the temple was destroyed. Obviously it was an act of the Roman's. But, there is also the theory that it was not only a physical destruction, but also a spiritual destruction of the temple because the Jews did not have a solid foundation in their faith.
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
16 ¶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
Weird isn't it, that Paul made reference to our bodies to the temple of God?
How about the slight reference to the Little Pigs? (all right, maybe the pigs were a reference to the temple as it was destroyed a few centuries before the story was written)
what I'm trying to get across here is that without a firm foundation in the faith on which we can build the house of our beliefs, we are going to be subject to premature destruction.
At first the Corinthians got this a little wrong.
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
Unfortunately, we can begin to place those who brought us to Christ on a pedestal thinking them wiser and more educated in the faith, therefore almost becoming Idols to us as we follow their teaching and none other.
This also results in a weak foundation and a weak temple or faith.
9 For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.
11 For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
And there's the answer to all our questions, problems, and foundations.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE
John 3: 22 – 31
31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.
John was highly thought of even to the point of being considered quite a celebrity. He was given great accolades and even gathered a following of people that today we would call an entourage or even groupies. People came from all around to hear him, be near him, to learn from him, and to do what he said. It must have been highly intoxicating.
I can't imagine what it must have been like to be John, to be able to feel this adoration without getting a swelled head.
But, he was like a stand in. He knew his role and what was to be, much more than anybody else. Point of fact, he could probably be the star of the show, but he knew his place in the world, and who the star really was.
23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.
Okay. If yo haven't guessed by now, I'm talking about John the Baptist.
(He could have been methodist I really don't know and the Bible doesn't say, he just went around baptizing) (I know. It was a bad joke, but I made it so lets move along)
He was definitely the star of the show for his time, yet he knew what his role was. He was put here to clear the way for the Messiah.
25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.
26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’
The subject at hand is this. We have to be able to set aside our egos and check our attitudes. We may be the leader of some project at work or in charge of a ministry down at your church. Then the boss, or the Pastor comes to you, thanks you for your talents and leadership, but, he wants to put someone else in your place who can finish up the project better than you.
Would you be able to quell your ego, stay on the job, work as hard as you can, and follow the guy who replaced you as leader? Can you humble yourself to such a degree?
John did!
31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.
John was highly thought of even to the point of being considered quite a celebrity. He was given great accolades and even gathered a following of people that today we would call an entourage or even groupies. People came from all around to hear him, be near him, to learn from him, and to do what he said. It must have been highly intoxicating.
I can't imagine what it must have been like to be John, to be able to feel this adoration without getting a swelled head.
But, he was like a stand in. He knew his role and what was to be, much more than anybody else. Point of fact, he could probably be the star of the show, but he knew his place in the world, and who the star really was.
23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.
Okay. If yo haven't guessed by now, I'm talking about John the Baptist.
(He could have been methodist I really don't know and the Bible doesn't say, he just went around baptizing) (I know. It was a bad joke, but I made it so lets move along)
He was definitely the star of the show for his time, yet he knew what his role was. He was put here to clear the way for the Messiah.
25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.
26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’
The subject at hand is this. We have to be able to set aside our egos and check our attitudes. We may be the leader of some project at work or in charge of a ministry down at your church. Then the boss, or the Pastor comes to you, thanks you for your talents and leadership, but, he wants to put someone else in your place who can finish up the project better than you.
Would you be able to quell your ego, stay on the job, work as hard as you can, and follow the guy who replaced you as leader? Can you humble yourself to such a degree?
John did!
Monday, April 13, 2009
LIVING WATER
John 7: 33 – 39
33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me.
34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."
That was a confusing statement to most people alive back then. Most wondered if it meant that Jesus was giving up on preaching to the Jews and going out to the Greeks and gentiles. The disciples didn't understand, so why should others?
This was the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles, one of the most important celebrations of the Jewish calendar.
It was during this feat that celebrated the water given to the Israelites while roaming in the desert.
Moses prayed, water flowed from the rock. Water for those who thirsted. Apparently it was quite a sight to see the Levites pour large vessels of water down the steps of the Temple as a representation of this miracle. Everybody knew this story of Moses and the rock and they understood the celebration.
37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
Huh?
What was Jesus talking about?
As I said the people at that time understood what the festival celebrated.
How could they drink Jesus?
Just what was it that He was offering?
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
This was not the first time that Jesus used the metaphor about drinking water and its relationship to the spirit of God. He had stated that anyone who drank the water that he gave, would never thirst again.
He became the reason for the festival of Tabernacles.
He was showing the people that He was the rock from which the water of life flowed.
Drink of it!
Today we must make the decision to follow Him and except that quenched thirst, or to wander searching for that stream of refreshment, as many do, refusing to see the truth before their eyes.
Drink!
Know the truth, pray for the Holy Spirit to enter your life like a cooling drink of water.
Make Jesus the rock, or foundation if you prefer, of your life and accept the gifts that He gives.
33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me.
34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."
That was a confusing statement to most people alive back then. Most wondered if it meant that Jesus was giving up on preaching to the Jews and going out to the Greeks and gentiles. The disciples didn't understand, so why should others?
This was the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles, one of the most important celebrations of the Jewish calendar.
It was during this feat that celebrated the water given to the Israelites while roaming in the desert.
Moses prayed, water flowed from the rock. Water for those who thirsted. Apparently it was quite a sight to see the Levites pour large vessels of water down the steps of the Temple as a representation of this miracle. Everybody knew this story of Moses and the rock and they understood the celebration.
37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
Huh?
What was Jesus talking about?
As I said the people at that time understood what the festival celebrated.
How could they drink Jesus?
Just what was it that He was offering?
38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
This was not the first time that Jesus used the metaphor about drinking water and its relationship to the spirit of God. He had stated that anyone who drank the water that he gave, would never thirst again.
He became the reason for the festival of Tabernacles.
He was showing the people that He was the rock from which the water of life flowed.
Drink of it!
Today we must make the decision to follow Him and except that quenched thirst, or to wander searching for that stream of refreshment, as many do, refusing to see the truth before their eyes.
Drink!
Know the truth, pray for the Holy Spirit to enter your life like a cooling drink of water.
Make Jesus the rock, or foundation if you prefer, of your life and accept the gifts that He gives.
Friday, April 10, 2009
WHO DONE IT?
Luke 23: 33 – 38
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar
37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Every year at this time, we will see on TV many specials about the life and death of Jesus. Most of them are secular and seem to doubt not only the divinity of Jesus, but the fact that he even existed.
The shows that admit He at least was a real person, ask the question; “Who killed Jesus?”
I can answer that question quite easily.
I did it!
Someone has said, “It is a simple thing to say that Christ died for the sins of the world. It is quite another thing to say that Christ died for my sins. . . . It is a shocking thought that we can be as indifferent as Pilate, as scheming as Caiaphas, as callous as the soldiers, as ruthless as the mob, or as cowardly as the disciples. It wasn’t just what they did—it was I who nailed Him to the tree. I crucified the Christ of God. I joined the mockery.”
Forgive me father.
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar
37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Every year at this time, we will see on TV many specials about the life and death of Jesus. Most of them are secular and seem to doubt not only the divinity of Jesus, but the fact that he even existed.
The shows that admit He at least was a real person, ask the question; “Who killed Jesus?”
I can answer that question quite easily.
I did it!
Someone has said, “It is a simple thing to say that Christ died for the sins of the world. It is quite another thing to say that Christ died for my sins. . . . It is a shocking thought that we can be as indifferent as Pilate, as scheming as Caiaphas, as callous as the soldiers, as ruthless as the mob, or as cowardly as the disciples. It wasn’t just what they did—it was I who nailed Him to the tree. I crucified the Christ of God. I joined the mockery.”
Forgive me father.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
GIMME SHELTER
Luke 14: 7 – 14
Dinner parties are weird little things. There are plans for everything from what to serve, is there to be a theme to this extravaganza, where to serve the meal, and who to invite.
Our invitation list usually contains friends, relatives, neighbors, and possibly influential people from the town or your job.
All well to do and familiar people. That way we feel safe and comfortable in our home.
But, we have to take into consideration what Jesus would have done.
12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
It takes time to wait for a reward such as righteousness at the resurrection. We tend to want repayments and rewards immediately, sooner if possible. When we invite our usual friends, we get that rapid form of reward like being invited to other peoples houses, or prestige.
Jesus also gave instruction for us who are invited to somebody else's home for dinner.
10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honoured in the presence of all your fellow guests.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Etiquette taught to us from 2000 years ago that still stands today. That whole last shall be first thinking helps us to be humble without being humiliated.
Dinner parties are weird little things. There are plans for everything from what to serve, is there to be a theme to this extravaganza, where to serve the meal, and who to invite.
Our invitation list usually contains friends, relatives, neighbors, and possibly influential people from the town or your job.
All well to do and familiar people. That way we feel safe and comfortable in our home.
But, we have to take into consideration what Jesus would have done.
12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
It takes time to wait for a reward such as righteousness at the resurrection. We tend to want repayments and rewards immediately, sooner if possible. When we invite our usual friends, we get that rapid form of reward like being invited to other peoples houses, or prestige.
Jesus also gave instruction for us who are invited to somebody else's home for dinner.
10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honoured in the presence of all your fellow guests.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Etiquette taught to us from 2000 years ago that still stands today. That whole last shall be first thinking helps us to be humble without being humiliated.
Monday, April 6, 2009
NOTHING LEFT
2 Chronicles 20: 3 – 17
I don't know about you, but I've been to the bottom. That place where we have nothing left. We are emotionally, morally, and financially bankrupt. The only thing we have left is God.
If we have nothing but God, where does that leave us?
It leaves us victorious!
9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
Praise God! When we come to the point where we surrender our will to Him and learn to fully rely on Him, when we cry out to Him in our distress, He will answer.
As it says in Psalm 107:
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
I was there one night in July of 1990. I sat on the corner of my bed, alone, because I drove everybody from my life. I had just lost my last job and addiction had taken it's toll. I had nothing. Not even God at that point. I didn't know who He was, but at the bottom of the well that I found myself in,
I cried out to Him.
“Dear Lord”. “Please help me”!
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’"
I had never read the Bible at this point in my life, and had no knowledge of that particular verse. All I knew was that I had tried everything that I had thought of and lost at every turn. I had nothing in my life but failure. In this frame of mind, I gave up. I surrendered and gave my self to a higher power that I didn't know. And, I decided to follow His lead because it had to be better than what I had done so far.
When we all get to that place where we have lost everything, we can't rely on ourselves,because we brought ourselves to that place, we are forced to call out to God, who can bring us out.
The old spiritual goes:
Be still,
God will fight your battles.
When the people of Israel went before God and pleaded to him for deliverance, God told them that all they had to do is stand strong as they went to the battlefield.
As they marched on their enemy, King Jehoshaphat lead them in this simple chorus;
Give thanks to the Lord. For He is good. His love endures forever!
Upon hearing the nation of Israel singing in one voice, their enemy was thrown into confusion, and God delivered victory.
He'll do the same for us.
I don't know about you, but I've been to the bottom. That place where we have nothing left. We are emotionally, morally, and financially bankrupt. The only thing we have left is God.
If we have nothing but God, where does that leave us?
It leaves us victorious!
9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
Praise God! When we come to the point where we surrender our will to Him and learn to fully rely on Him, when we cry out to Him in our distress, He will answer.
As it says in Psalm 107:
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
I was there one night in July of 1990. I sat on the corner of my bed, alone, because I drove everybody from my life. I had just lost my last job and addiction had taken it's toll. I had nothing. Not even God at that point. I didn't know who He was, but at the bottom of the well that I found myself in,
I cried out to Him.
“Dear Lord”. “Please help me”!
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’"
I had never read the Bible at this point in my life, and had no knowledge of that particular verse. All I knew was that I had tried everything that I had thought of and lost at every turn. I had nothing in my life but failure. In this frame of mind, I gave up. I surrendered and gave my self to a higher power that I didn't know. And, I decided to follow His lead because it had to be better than what I had done so far.
When we all get to that place where we have lost everything, we can't rely on ourselves,because we brought ourselves to that place, we are forced to call out to God, who can bring us out.
The old spiritual goes:
Be still,
God will fight your battles.
When the people of Israel went before God and pleaded to him for deliverance, God told them that all they had to do is stand strong as they went to the battlefield.
As they marched on their enemy, King Jehoshaphat lead them in this simple chorus;
Give thanks to the Lord. For He is good. His love endures forever!
Upon hearing the nation of Israel singing in one voice, their enemy was thrown into confusion, and God delivered victory.
He'll do the same for us.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
How would you act?
Mathew 20: 20 – 28
When I was a kid, I saw one of my heroes at a gas station in my town. That man was Bill Russell of the Celtics. He stayed in his car with whom I assumed was his wife. As I knocked on the window of his car, he waved me off. After knocking once again, he lowered the window a crack and said to me;
“F#@%& off kid.”.
The disappointment I felt was also felt by my friends who were with me at the time.
Since that time, I have met and talked with many celebrities. Not that I have sought them out, but when I hung out in Boston, there they were. I got every type of reaction from these famous people from what Bill Russell gave me, to pleasant conversations.
Then I met Jesus, and nothing has been the same.
When I first met Him, he offered love and comfort. He taught me that in order to lead, I must first learn to serve.
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
That's what I call humility and service. How many of us can live up to that requirement? Yet we should.
That whole “get out of your comfort zone” thing raises it's ugly head again. It really bugs me when the word of God challenges me.
I want to be like one of the “rulers of the Gentiles”. It seems that they had a pretty good gig. But, the Bible tells us that we can't be, which really gets me.
I know that I am being repetitive, but in the word of God, if something is repeated, God wants us to pay attention to it. It's important to Him.
So getting my way is important too me. But it's not important to God.
Serve we must. Get out there and find the point of service that suits you the best. Find something that really challenges you.
That way when some kid sees you and knocks on your car window, you can open it and say;
“Hi kid. What can I do for you”?
When I was a kid, I saw one of my heroes at a gas station in my town. That man was Bill Russell of the Celtics. He stayed in his car with whom I assumed was his wife. As I knocked on the window of his car, he waved me off. After knocking once again, he lowered the window a crack and said to me;
“F#@%& off kid.”.
The disappointment I felt was also felt by my friends who were with me at the time.
Since that time, I have met and talked with many celebrities. Not that I have sought them out, but when I hung out in Boston, there they were. I got every type of reaction from these famous people from what Bill Russell gave me, to pleasant conversations.
Then I met Jesus, and nothing has been the same.
When I first met Him, he offered love and comfort. He taught me that in order to lead, I must first learn to serve.
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
That's what I call humility and service. How many of us can live up to that requirement? Yet we should.
That whole “get out of your comfort zone” thing raises it's ugly head again. It really bugs me when the word of God challenges me.
I want to be like one of the “rulers of the Gentiles”. It seems that they had a pretty good gig. But, the Bible tells us that we can't be, which really gets me.
I know that I am being repetitive, but in the word of God, if something is repeated, God wants us to pay attention to it. It's important to Him.
So getting my way is important too me. But it's not important to God.
Serve we must. Get out there and find the point of service that suits you the best. Find something that really challenges you.
That way when some kid sees you and knocks on your car window, you can open it and say;
“Hi kid. What can I do for you”?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS
Joshua 1: 1 – 9
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua was given a tall order. He was asked to take over the leadership role of the nation of Israel.
He was at first reluctant to take the position, after all he was to replace Moses, the same Moses that lead the people out of Egypt, toward the land of milk and honey promised to them by God..
Talk about a hard act to follow.
Imagine the pressure that Joshua felt.
Now, imagine the pressure that you feel when given a task that is so big and daunting, that you think there is no way to tackle it never mind get it done.
How about the pressure we feel when we have a sick child, or other loved one. We as heads of families, are supposed to be the strong, healthy, example to others, so that they may be comforted by our presence, because if we are there then there was someone to take the pain away even if it's just to lead the family in prayer and offer comfort.
2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.
5 No-one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
God will comfort us and encourage us fist before we can do the same for others. As God says, He will never leave us or forsake us. With that kind of company by our side, how can we possibly fail at our tasks? No pressure now if we let god do the work for us, and we just go along for the ride.
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua was given a tall order. He was asked to take over the leadership role of the nation of Israel.
He was at first reluctant to take the position, after all he was to replace Moses, the same Moses that lead the people out of Egypt, toward the land of milk and honey promised to them by God..
Talk about a hard act to follow.
Imagine the pressure that Joshua felt.
Now, imagine the pressure that you feel when given a task that is so big and daunting, that you think there is no way to tackle it never mind get it done.
How about the pressure we feel when we have a sick child, or other loved one. We as heads of families, are supposed to be the strong, healthy, example to others, so that they may be comforted by our presence, because if we are there then there was someone to take the pain away even if it's just to lead the family in prayer and offer comfort.
2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.
5 No-one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
God will comfort us and encourage us fist before we can do the same for others. As God says, He will never leave us or forsake us. With that kind of company by our side, how can we possibly fail at our tasks? No pressure now if we let god do the work for us, and we just go along for the ride.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
TIME HAS COME TODAY
1 Thessalonians 2: 1 –9
We have read before that we should preach the Gospel at all times. And, if needed we should use words. That means to me, that, we should sacrifice of ourselves to those we are reaching out to. For example, if we tell someone about how Jesus can bring them to salvation, then refuse to stay and talk with them, shake their hand, or not direct them to a local Bible believing church.
What word have we really given them?
5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,
7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
Paul is not bragging here. He is just writing about how we should act with new believers and those who are still skeptical. Not only do we have to lead, we have to serve.
Jesus himself showed this example many times in His ministry. As we follow Him, how can we not serve as well? We must teach and serve without any motive other than bringing the word of God and the Good News of salvation.
1 You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.
2 We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
Paul said; “Follow me”! “As I follow Christ”. So, why don't we?
We have read before that we should preach the Gospel at all times. And, if needed we should use words. That means to me, that, we should sacrifice of ourselves to those we are reaching out to. For example, if we tell someone about how Jesus can bring them to salvation, then refuse to stay and talk with them, shake their hand, or not direct them to a local Bible believing church.
What word have we really given them?
5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,
7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
Paul is not bragging here. He is just writing about how we should act with new believers and those who are still skeptical. Not only do we have to lead, we have to serve.
Jesus himself showed this example many times in His ministry. As we follow Him, how can we not serve as well? We must teach and serve without any motive other than bringing the word of God and the Good News of salvation.
1 You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.
2 We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
Paul said; “Follow me”! “As I follow Christ”. So, why don't we?
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