Happy new year!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)

Wow, I can hardly believe that 2013 is coming to a close.  I felt that tonight's passage was a perfect closing to the year.  Let us give thanks and rejoice in The Lord, let us pray, giving thanks and letting our requests be known to the Father.  Let the peace of God guard our hearts and minds as we venture into 2014.  God bless you dear reader and may 2014 hold in it the fullness of Christ in your life!

Every word is true...

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5 ESV)

This statement is so simple and true, yet it remains a constant struggle for us to live out our faith in God's word and His promises.  Let us trust solely in Him and live with abandon!  I want to live a life for Christ that looks like a tight rope walker over the Grand Canyon with no safety gear, yet with the confidence in Christ making it seem like walking on a sidewalk.  I want that kind of faith in His word, because Every word is true.  Man!  That gets me excited!

There is no victory without surrender

Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. (Isaiah 1:4-6 ESV)

The phrase "History repeats itself" came to mind when I read this passage in Isaiah tonight.  The proud and arrogant hearts of men repeatedly deny not only the holiness of God, but His very existence.  When will men learn to surrender to the perfect will of God? He alone is holy and He alone can rescue us from ourselves.  In this battle, there is no victory without surrender.  We must surrender our fleshly desires in exchange for God's will, HIS desire for our life.  With surrender comes freedom, freedom in Christ.  When He is in control, one only need follow...and therin exists the the great battle between the spirit and the flesh.  

We are not common

And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 10:15 ESV)

This vision from God that Peter had is quite astounding when you think about it.  The obvious implication of this passage is that Christ came for not only the Jew, but the Gentile also.  That being said, I really like the phrasing of "what God has made clean, do not call common".  I like it because it again shows that Christ followers have been set apart & have been made not common because Christ has made us clean.  

Whether we live or die, we do it to The Lord

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. (Romans 14:7-9 ESV)

A great reminder tonight that we live and die to The Lord and that likewise we are His.  I love reading affirmations where God's word specifically calls us His.

A short list

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13 ESV)

Such great reminders on Christmas Day.  Demonstrating more of these things shines the light of Christ for all to see.  How Christ followers treat each other says volumes about the impact Christ is having in their lives.

Christmas Eve

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:6-11 ESV)

Tonight is Christmas Eve!  Every year when I think about the birth of Christ, I can't help but to think of when He will come again.  The day gets closer everyday, and though I don't know when it will be, I do know that He is coming back.  Amen, hallelujah, and Merry Christmas everyone!

He is the salvation that has been prepared for all mankind

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32 ESV)

Imagine living Simeon's life, knowing that God has promised that you would not see death before seeing the Lord's Christ.  What an amazing revelation and what an amazing promise.  Let our eyes look to Jesus, He is the salvation that has been prepared for all mankind.  

Thankful that He is near

We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. (Psalm 75:1 ESV)

In all of scripture, the most amazing thing to me is the closeness of God.  He is always near, another of many things I am thankful for.

The false god that society has created

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” (Exodus 32:7, 8 ESV)

There has been a lot in the news lately about what the Bible clearly defines as sin and what the world has deemed acceptable.  Many liberal groups have been saying that "true Christians" would never preach a message that condemns, but rather a message of acceptance.  This view of Christianity is false and is not in alignment with scripture.  The Bible teaches that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and that we must repent of our sin and accept Christ as our Saviour in order to receive salvation.  The idea that we can continue to habitually sin and never change our ways or our attitude towards sin and still receive salvation does not line up with scripture.  Will we make mistakes, yes, but it is the issue of a repentant heart that makes all the difference.  

Tonight, I went to Exodus and read because the story of the golden calf reminds me of what is happening right now in our society.  Our culture has become disenfranchised with the God of the Bible, so instead, our culture has made up their own god as a replacement.  This god that they have created has no judgement and it's definition of "sin" changes to match whatever society feels it should be.  In other words, they have created a god that changes constantly to fulfill their desires and eliminate their feelings of shame, guilt, and condemnation.  What a terrifying thing...trading the Almighty God for convenience.

The best of men are men at best

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. (Psalm 146:3, 4 ESV)

Men who are heald in high esteem are still just men.  It's like the saying says "The best of men, are men at best".  A man's plans die with him, yet the plans of The Lord last from generation to generation.    I pray that my life would be full of His plans and that every generation after me would seek His plans and that His praise would be upon their lips.  

Mary treasured up all these things

And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:18-20 ESV)

I think about the thoughts that Mary must have had when she heard the shepherd's story.  She knew all that had been told to her, yet now others were telling her of the wonders they had seen and the news of joy concerning her newborn son.  What great faith and courage.

I wonder what the shepherds thought?

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:10-14 ESV)

I wonder what went through the minds of the sheopards on that night?  After wrapping their head around all they had seen, I wonder what they thought baby Jesus would grow up to be like.  I wonder if they knew that from that night on, people would be seeking Jesus forever.  

The census

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. (Luke 2:1-3 ESV)

I am often amazed at the details captured in scripture regarding Jesus' birth.  When I read about His birth through the eyes of the writer, I imagine what it would have been like to have been there, to witness all of the signs from above that He is the Son of God.  The defining activity that was happening in the culture was a census, this is immortalized in scripture.  That got me thinking, I wonder what events will be happening in our culture when He comes back.  I don't know, yet I suspect that those events too will be remembered forever, for how could you not remember exactly what was happening when the Son of God returns?  Just like when He was born.

He gave the right to become children of God

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:9-13 ESV)

A wonderful summation, so much is captured in these verses.  Jesus is the true light of the world, and though He was rejected by His fellows Jewish brethren, through Him we have been given the right to become Children of God.  What a wonderful reminder this Christmas season.

He can use anyone

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:12-14 ESV)

God can use ANYONE rearguardless of their past circumstance.  His grace is enough.

God of creation, Lord of our lives

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. (Psalm 65:5-8 ESV)

To think that God is so big to do all of this and yet still be intimately involved in our lives, sooo comforting.  The same God who holds all of this is holding us tonight.  In that I can take comfort and rest.

Extraordinary

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:14-21 ESV)

In today's society, having allergies is fairly common, it is just an accepted condition and is normal in our society.  I was thinking about this tonight and I started wondering "how common does something need to be before we consider it normal?"  While I pondered this, I began to look at the vast degrees of social change in our society over the past 60 years.  Divorce, sex outside of marriage, no prayer in schools, drug use, pornography, sexual immorality, and the list goes on, all of these things have become no big deal in our culture over the last 60 years.  Then the big question hit me, "Are we really living the life that Christ has called us to live?"  We are living in an era where sin has become the cultural norm, so much so that even a little less sin has the appearance of being righteous.  This is where tonight's passage comes in.  We must realize that both now and always we need Jesus to transform us.  We can never be good enough, and we NEED Him.  Self reliance is not possible, we must open the door and invite Him in.  We must be passionate.  

God wants to do extraordinary things with us, and the reward is great when we overcome the lukewarm attitude and stop embracing normal.  Praying for God to make me extraordinary for Him...here we go!

My refuge

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. (Psalm 91:9, 10 ESV)

Tonight, my daughter was running a very high fever.  She was not feeling well and all attempts to cool her little body were not working.  She was whimpering and moaning while lying in her bed while I prayed for her.  When I said Amen, she said "Daddy, can you read me the Bible?"  This is our special routine that we do each night.  I opened her little princess Bible to where we had left off last night and it was Psalm 91.  It was comforting to us both as the words fell softly from my lips.  She reached out and held my hand as if to reassure me.  God sure does have perfect timing.  After having a fever as high as 105 since 5pm, her fever went down to 99.7...what an answer to prayer and it was a nice reminder from The Lord tonight, that He is our shelter and our dwelling place.

He loves us

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. (Psalm 63:1-4 ESV)

In the midst of every trial and every celebration is God's steadfast love for us.  He is mighty, jealous, wields unparalleled power, shares glory with none, and though He could choose differently, He chooses to love us, to be gracious to us.  Knowing that my own deeds qualify me only for eternal condemnation, I too will bless Him as long as I live, I will lift up my hands, for He loves me and He sent His son so that I would not be condemned.  How fortunate we are to be loved so much!

Getting older

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. (Titus 2:1, 2 ESV)

With every day that passes, I find myself ever closer to joining the ranks of "older men".  Should I be fortunate enough to reach that distinction, I pray that He would use me in the manner that He sees fit and that in some way I can be of use for His kingdom.

Sing for joy

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. (Psalm 92:1-4 ESV)

When we focus on praising The Lord, rejoicing in His work, and receiving gladness from Him, the troubles of the world fade away, they become distant like a candle on the horizon.  Let us praise His name, Oh Most High!

Lift up your hands

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord ! Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord ! May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth! (Psalm 134:1-3 ESV)

Especially blessed this Christmas season and thankful to The Lord for all that He has done and is doing.  I lift up my hands to the holy place and bless The Lord.

Like yesterday

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:4 ESV)

I was thinking about eternity today and found that it is very hard to wrap the human brain around it.  To us, 70 or 80 years seems like a long time.  Depending on what we are doing, 7 or 8 hours can seem like a long time.  To God, Moses says in Psalm 90, a thousand years is like yesterday.  Think about how many human lifetimes fit in 1 thousand years...and that is just like yesterday!  Now just for fun, think about a whole year of yesterday's...that's 365,000 years...do you see what I mean when I say it's hard to wrap our brain around it.  Then I was thinking about the descriptions in scripture about some of the beings in Heaven, some see covered in eyes, others have the head of this and the body of that, and it got me to thinking that Heaven is going to be not only awesome, it is going to showcase the creator and His creation in a way that we can't even begin to imagine.  I have to say, that got me pretty excited today!

Self worth/value & purpose

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (Philippians 1:21-23 ESV)

Where does your self worth come from?  What life events make you happy?  What life events make you sad?  What life events make you feel good about who you are?  What life events have made you feel bad about yourself?  I can't answer these questions for you dear reader...I can say that for me (at one point, and is still have to be careful), the vast majority of the answers are "work".  That's right, work...if I did a great job at the office, my self worth sored, if I had a tough day, my self worth crashed, doing a great job makes me happy, not meeting expectations of the company makes me sad, I won't go any further as I'm sure you can understand how it applies to each of these questions.  I don't know what your answers are, but be sure to take a moment and answer them before going on.

The best news I can tell you is that your worth is not determined by anything other than God.  God says you are worth so much that He sent His only son, to die a painful death on a cross, in place of you, as a payment for your sins.  Let's ask one more question, what is your purpose in life?  I used to think it was success, climb the corporate ladder, own a house, be married, have 2.5 kids, etc.  none of these things are inherently wrong, but none of them are my purpose anymore.  When I chose to follow Jesus, He became my purpose.  It happens more and more everyday, and it is much easier to see as I look back over the years and marvel at the things He has done in me and my life.  My purpose in life is Christ, and the day I die, I get to be with Jesus...AMAZING!  

Don't be fooled into thinking you are of little value, You are of GREAT value to God.  Don't waste your life chasing a purpose that isn't worth chasing.  Trust in Jesus today, and from that moment on, you will know true worth & true purpose.

Work isn't just work

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. (1 Timothy 4:7-9 ESV)

So much of my day seems compartmentalized.  I try not to talk too much about work at home or home at work...tonight I am thinking that this may have some value from a stress management perspective, but little value else wise.  Training in godliness is not something that I ever really thought much about in the work place.  Sure, I can see the moral benefits and the needs of non-believers, I just always thought about work as ...well, work.  Time to tear down some walls and make some positive change.  Companies are made up of departments, which are just groups of people, who are themselves just individuals, who have needs, wants, struggles, joy, pain, suffering, rejoicing, and contentment.  It would be a shame to continue looking at these individuals as "just work".

Two are better than one

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? (Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 ESV)

I've been feeling under the weather today and I am so thankful for my wife.  It is little things like today that make it abundantly clear that God designed man to need others as well as needing God.  Thankful for help tonight.

Awesome

And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. (Exodus 34:10 ESV)

God is so amazing!  Thousands of years later and we are still seeing the awesome things that The Lord is doing.  He never leaves us, He is eternal, all powerful, and the holder of all the wonders that we can ever imagine and more.

Watchmen

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:5, 6 ESV)

Have you ever kept watch until morning?  This was a common thing for me as a child during backyard camp outs.  Everyone would get tired, and we would assign someone to keep watch and at the prescribed interval we would switch shifts...I don't think we ever made it through an entire night without someone falling asleep.  Fast forward to my adult years and I have had many a sleepless night watching over my daughter and my wife, making sure they are ok and that I am here for them if they need me.  I compare these two moments in my life in light of tonight's passage.  Every time I kept watch, I longed for the morning.  The times when I was able to stay awake were when I had concerns for my family's well being...and even then, it was a true challenge.  I relate to the Psalmist when He says that His soul waits for The Lord more than watchmen for the morning.  Let us always be ready for the Lord's return and let us be ever watchfull, for each minute that passes brings His coming ever closer.

Thank God

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. (Colossians 1:3-8 ESV)

Through various stages of my life, sentiments such as in this passage evolve and take on more depth as life experience becomes greater and relationships continue to grow.  There are people who once did not know Jesus, who now know Him, there are people who are so close to trusting Jesus as their Lord and savior, there are those who still walk in darkness, and there are those who know Jesus and have been there as mentors along the way.  I am so thankful for the many amazing men and women of God who have been/are/or will be in my life.  I have been so blessed by how God moves and I have been in awe more than a few times.  I am so thankful to have been a part of these people's lives and to have them be a part of mine.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Like air

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 ESV)

I often think of God's word like air, we breathe it in, it nourishes us, and then we in turn breathe it out along with impurities that it has cleaned out, just like when we exhale toxins are expelled from the body.  We need The nourishment that His word provides, and the cleansing it provides from the inside out.

Lovers of pleasure

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:2-5 ESV)

"Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power."  Do you wince when you read this passage?  I do.  I wince because this passage is talking about lipstick on a pig, a false exterior, a facade.  People pretending to be believers, yet not living out their faith, or crippled with fear that God isn't ALL powerful or that He isn't enough.  I know that we all make mistakes (and I admit that I have made plenty), yet this passage is not talking about people who mess up or fall off course.  This passage is speaking of the double minded man, who seeks to satisfy the flesh while pretending to do so under the guise of godliness.  The power of Christ is made perfect in weakness; pride must cease, brokenness must follow, and in that moment of surrender, freedom is found and salvation is won.

Act NOW!

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22 ESV)

The calling of the first disciples tells how they immediately followed Jesus.  How different their lives would have been had they not decided in an instant to follow Jesus.  I look in this passage and see their eager response and it reminds me that when The Lord calls us, He expects an immediate response.  They didn't have time to get other people's opinions, talk it over with their friends, etc.  They just followed.  What is the application here?  The application is that when God speaks, calls us, gives us direction, He expects us to drop everything and follow...NOW!  When we do this, we demonstrate our complete faith and reliance upon Him and that we trust Him to bring things into place to make them happen.  

God loves us

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:15-17 ESV)

God's demonstration of His love for us on the cross will result in those receiving it loving God and loving others.  Apart from Him, we can not truly love.  Let us abide in Him and Him in us.

Test the spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1 ESV)

There are many times when we are tempted by our flesh to follow a certain way of thinking, to justify the sin in our life.  We must not follow this temptation of the spirits, we must test them and see if they hold up to the word of God. 

Peace I give to you

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)

Perhaps the most comforting words in all of scripture, at least to me.  Hearing Jesus giving peace to His disciples, and telling them not to let their hearts be troubled, this is the peace that Jesus desires for us all.  It is a peace that can not be overcome, it is perfect as He was perfect.  We need not be troubled or afraid, for He is more than enough, and His peace reigns supreme, when we trust in Him.

Lift up my eyes

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. (Psalm 123:1-4 ESV)

I find great comfort in knowing that through out history, men and women have called on The Lord, looked to Him for mercy, guidance, and protection.  There is something comforting about this, perhaps it is the unchanging, steadfastness of God.  He is our rock, let us lift our eyes to Him and rejoice in His mercy.

Burning Bush Moments

And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:3, 4 ESV)

In my life, I have had a few very distinct encounters with The Lord, encounters that helped mold, perfect, and define my faith.  I call these "burning bush" moments.  God finds ways to get our attention in such a way that is unexplainable, and then reveals that it is Him.  These moments, for me, solidify my faith in times of doubt and I remember them often.

No more tears

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 ESV)

The inheritance that God has prepared for us will make this momentary affliction seem but as a blink of an eye.  Don't wait nil the eleventh hour to put your faith in Him.

Stronghold

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:9, 10 ESV)

"Stronghold", what a great word.  A stronghold is a military term for a fortified, defensible, fortress.  The stronghold is the place that protects people and allows the fighting off of attackers from within it's walls of safety.  The Lord is our stronghold, He shields and protects us from the arrows of the enemy, and provides us a position of strong defense.  He is our shelter, our defender, our refuge, and in the most heated of battles, He is there to be all of these things for us, He is our stronghold.  

Avoid the trap of self-righteousness

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. (Proverbs 16:2 ESV)

We must continually be aligning our actions and our hearts with God's word and His will, lest we fall into the trap of self-righteousness. 

Rejoice, give thanks more often, and ask for less

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)

Though it is difficult to find, even in the midst of great tragedy, there are things to rejoice in, to be thankful for, this is God's desire for us, to find these in every circumstance. We should pray always without ceasing, yet it becomes even more essential in difficult times.  When we make prayer so essential to our lives that it is like breathing, it becomes a reflex, even in the most difficult of times and in the most joyous of times,  Many times when we think of "prayer requests", we think of things we are asking God to do for us.  According to tonight's passage, our prayers should also contain thanks and rejoicing.  Think of the best relationship that you have built with another person.  Would you be as close as you are to that person without talking, rejoicing, weeping, encouraging, sharing, caring, loving, etc?  This is the nature of the relationship that God desires with us.  He wants to be in constant communication with us, rejoicing in His goodness, and thankful for all of His blessings and for the relationship that He has with all who follow Him.  I'm learning to rejoice more, give thanks more, ask for less, and grow closer to Him all at the same time...don't get me wrong, I have not attained anything, it's just how God is working on my heart.

Hold true

Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:16 ESV)

I have been doing some thinking lately about people in my past, some who I only knew little and others who I was very close with.  My thoughts were drawn to these people for one reason in particular, and that is that one day they decided they had had enough of Jesus, God, Church, everything.  They walked away and many of them began to live lifestyles that were completely opposite of how they had been living (not in a good way, drugs, alcohol, etc.). I think these thoughts are the reason the above verse resonates with me so strongly.  I can't fathom someone walking away from a relationship with Jesus!  Paul is telling us in this verse to hold true to what we have attained.  It is not about making life easier, better, more manageable, etc. It is all about Christ, who loves us, gives us Grace, saves us by Faith, and brings us into Fellowship with the Almighty.  What we have attained is Christ, let us hold true to Him always.

Just a mist

yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (James 4:14 ESV)

I was thinking tonight, while driving home from a long day at the office, how cause and effect, action and reaction, take so much control of our lives.  We spend so much of our lives reacting to someone or something, how does that translate into us relying on God?  How do we react to His cause and effect, or what is our reactions to His actions?  The corporate world part of me has plans, charts, calendars, budgets, people, tools, assets, and a million and one other ways to manipulate this or that to achieve a desired result.  This world view is incompatible with God's way.  We have no promise of tomorrow, none, not even that it will be there.  Our lives are like vapor, here for a moment and then gone.  So comes that question, "what is life?"  Life is our opportunity to point the rest of mankind towards God, to worship Him, to trust in Him completely, and to KNOW that He is coming back again, just as He has risen and conquered sin and death.  We are here for so little time, don't be consumed by earthly stumbling blocks, rather focus on His eternal glory in which we have been invited to partake.

Sub-atomic faith

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 ESV)

Creation is a wonder, an enigma, one that points directly to the creator no matter how deep we look.  Cells, molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, quarks, muons, neutrinos, positrons, anti-matter...it doesn't matter how small you go, there is clearly the unique signature of the creator.  God has a tendency to do amazing things with the the most unlikely of things.  The Bible is full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things through God.  Jesus even points to the mustard seed and it's tiny size as a representation of faith and how even that small bit of faith can and does move mountains.  I have often been amused at physics.  Look at the tremendous amount of power that is released when an atom is split...it can power an entire city or annialate one.  The atom is so small, yet so significant in our world today.  So where am I going with that?  We are called to fear God and keep His commandments, for every deed (every includes big and small), even those done in secret are judged by God.  This may sound so harsh, yet at the same time, look at the huge gift that God gave for us by sending Jesus to die on the cross as payment for our sin.  

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 ESV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves—it is the gift of God. (Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 2:8 TLV)

Ultimately faith in Christ has to start somewhere, even on the tiniest of scales...but God can do HUGE things with even the tiniest of things, it is His specialty...and from there on faith grows and not only will you experience the saving grace of Jesus, you will experience the power of God.

King's ransom

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5, 6 ESV)

The language used in this passage is incredible.  This makes me think about movies like "Ransom" or "Proof of life" in which a "mediation", if you will, is taking place over the delivery of ransom in exchange for the life of another.  In these films, the mediator is a hired professional, being paid to bring resolution to the conflict.  Can you imagine the mediator stepping up and instead of trying to negotiate terms, or the amount of ransom, saying "my client is a much poorer person than I and his/her family has little money/stuff/power, etc.  My Father has more power, money, etc. than you can even begin to imagine.  Take me in their place, harm them not, and let me stand in their place.".  This is what Christ did on the cross, he offered Himself in our place.  He became the King's ransom, The Kng of glory gave His life for all so that all who call on His name will be saved.

Don't grow weary of doing good

As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13 ESV)

Sometimes it can seem that doing the right thing holds no reward and it is tempting to follow the masses towards success, notoriety, fame, fortune, recognition, etc.  We must instead be diligent to put off the desires of the flesh, and die to ourselves daily, hourly, every minute, every second of every day.  Our calling is not bound by this present age, but rather is governed by the sovereignty of Christ, who reigns supreme for all eternity.  To do good unto others is our calling and in this we shall not grow weary, not faint, and above all, we will not be alone, for He is with us always, even until the end of the age.  Let us seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God, so that we may have the strength to give testimony before our fellow man for the reason of the hope within us.  

Rejoice

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! (Psalm 105:3, 4 ESV)

Apart from God, there is nothing good.  Let us continually seek Him and rejoice in Him.

Lights

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. (Psalm 104:1, 2 ESV)

I imagine God in my head sometimes as a super hero.  He has an amazing disguise, He harnesses light , and can bring about nightfall with a flick of His cape.  One of the repeat thoughts that I have, is that if you were in a room with God and none of the lights were on, He would light up the place like crazy!  Even more, if you turned on even the very brightest lights, there would be no discernable difference because the light of Christ is so brilliant.  Nothing can compare to the brilliance of the light of Christ, not the spotlight of recognition, or the stage lights of Hollywood.  He is that brilliant, marvelous, and clothed in the greatest splendor we will ever know.

Holy Spirit

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-15 ESV)

The Holy Spirit is God's great gift to us, intended to guide us, and lead us to glorify the Father in everything.  The Holy Spirit speaks to us, guides us, and tells us the plans that God has for us.  May we always be listening for the Holy Spirit's direction in our own lives, each and every day.

Pray continually, delight in The Lord

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9, 10 ESV)

I love the joy, excitement, and genuiness of this passage.  I may be taking this a different route, but this passage represents so much to me about friendships that I forged in my youth and now even more so when my daughter was born.  When I found out we were expecting, I did not cease to pray for her, and after she arrived, I continued to pray that she would be filled with the knowledge of His will, that she will walk in a manner worthy of The Lord.  Yet even more, I want her to delight in these things. 

Upon pondering on these thoughts for a bit, it became clear to me, that God has the same desires for us.  Just as we want to guide our children to the best things for them, God is drawing us to the best things for us.  He is interceding on our behalf continually and making Himself known to us each and every day.  Thank you Lord for the gift of family and showing how much you love us!

Obedient unto death

but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. (John 14:31 ESV)

Christ's death on the cross not only paid the price for our sin, but also set the example of obedience until death as a display of love for God the Father.  May our own hearts be so obedient as this and capable of understanding the depth of obedience and sacrifice to which we have been been called and willingly partake.

Bug spray and wd40, avoiding rust and moth

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)

I keep going back to Psalm 73 and the idea of living as if we are on our way out.  If we knew there was no tomorrow for us, we would not hold on tightly to our material things, but instead make certain that all of the things that have been unspoken in our lives were said, all the wrongs righted, and all of our prized things given to whomever we wanted.  Truth be told, this is how we should live every day, not being mindful of the things of this world, but rather being certain that the things not of this world have been spoken to all who can and will here.  This will prosper us none on the Earth, yet the spiritual reward, both personal and communal, are great.  Just imagine meeting someone in Heaven who can be tied to the testimony of Christ's work in your own life...that is treasure in deed!

Fuel and air

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14 ESV)

Tonight, while putting my daughter to bed, she asked me a question (as she does every night).  Her question was "What's inside of fire?"  I explained that fire requires 2 things to exist, fuel and air.  Fuel being the actual object that is on fire, and air being needed to allow the fire to continue to burn.  Without either of these 2 things, fire can not survive.  Tonight while reading in Matthew 5, our conversation came to mind.  The question in my mind was slightly different, instead of "what's inside of fire?", the question was "What kindles the fire of Faith in Christ?"  Think about Matthew 5:14, the light is so bright, that a city on a hill CANNOT be hidden.  That's a powerful statement.  In thinking this through, I think the answer is not dissimilar to my daughter's question, the 2 things that kindle the fire of Faith in Christ are fuel (Our heart, mind, and soul) and air (God's word, prayer, worship, living our lives the way He wants us to). I'm over simplifying this I am sure, but I think this is a great starting point for self diagnosis when things aren't going well.  If our light is burning dim, or our fire seems to be going out, we need either more fuel (commitment of heart, mind, body, and soul) or more air (God's word, prayer, worship, Living out what He wants us to).  Look at these two areas and make some adjustments, then watch as the fire is reignited.  He has called us to be the light of the world, let us be sure our flame is burning well.  Fuel and air...both are required.

Snag others from out of the fire

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:20-23 ESV)

Let us pray, walk in love with God, and seek to snag others from the fire, by sharing our faith and the mercy of Christ with all.

Losing it

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matthew 16:25, 26 ESV)

I've been doing much thinking this week.  Job and his buddies sat around and asked why Job, who was righteous, was suffering while other wicked men prospered.  In reading Psalm 73 yesterday, Asaph asked the same basic question of why do the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper.  

I love this particular portion of Psalm 73:

But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! (Psalm 73:16-19 ESV)

I love this portion because of where it starts.  Asaph was struggling with this, then he took his troubles into the sanctuary of God. His response was to draw close to God and to worship God.  Then he is given the knowledge that the wicked are destroyed in a moment.  

Christ followers, this world is but a momentary affliction for us.  Matthew 16 stands out to me even more tonight because it makes it clear along with Psalm 73, that the wicked only have their time on Earth to prosper and no matter how much they gain, the cost is their very soul.  Their future holds destruction and separation from God for all eternity.  Christ followers have an eternity to spend with the Almighty.  Our lives on Earth are lost from the pursuit of self and instead replaced with the purpose of glorifying Christ in all that we do.  

In closing, 1 more passage tonight:  

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV)

May our focus be on the things unseen, let us not pursue "stuff", power, or prestige for ourselves, but rather seek to glorify Him in all that we do, draw near to God, be busy about His work, and after enduring this light momentary affliction, be prepared for an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison. Notice it says "light momentary affliction"...I know I've had tuff times that I didn't feel were light, however, that makes me doubly excited when His word says "eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison".  Let us seek Him, worship Him, and draw close to Him.

God is so good!

Brewster's Millions

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.(Psalms 73;25-28)
Tonight while reading this passage, I was reminded of the movie "Brewster's Millions".  The premise of the film is a poor man inherits a million dollars and must spend it all, keeping nothing for himself, and as a reward, he will be granted many times more.  Through out the movie, we see how difficult it is for Brewster to give away the money.  Many of the things he chooses to spend the money on turn into material possessions, thereby making them problematic for the contract.  Tonight's passage in Psalms is much the same.  Just like Brewster, who had to give up everything to attain the prize, so must we give up everything to inherit the Kingdom of God.  We must start viewing this world as if we are on the way out vs. on the way in.  We should seek to be giving away all that we have to glorify His kingdom, vs. striving day in and day out to try to obtain more "stuff".  The nature behind the heart of these actions is key.  Let us strive to give up everything to bring glory to Him, vs. striving to attain everything in order to give him a tiny piece.  

In a moment

A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. (Proverbs 6:12-15 ESV)

It troubles me that in times of anger that my own heart devises evil so easily.  It doesn't happen often, but when that breaking point is reached, it is like flood waters bursting through a dam.  The angry words come out, and none of them can be taken back. I don't want to be broken beyond healing, and I don't want to allow anger to lead my heart.  I believe and I know that He can, is, and will continue to change me to be the man that He wants me to be.  Tonight I just want seek after HIs heart, hear His voice, and be changed.

How much He loves us...an unlikely verse in Genesis

And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (Genesis 6:6 ESV)

This, to me, is one of the most powerful verses in all of scripture.  This is the moment in time that God the Father knew was coming, He is God, all powerful, all knowing, and nothing can surprise Him.  This moment shows how much His love for us is.  All the things that transpire from this point forward, the flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, all the way to Jesus, we see the heart felt hand of the Father, bringing about reconciliation, deliverance, and ultimately salvation for us.  God knew that He was going to send Jesus to pay the price for our sin since the very beginning.  I think that this verse in Genesis 6:6 is very honest.  It grieved God the Father so much to set into motion the pain and suffering that would befall His creation and His son Jesus, yet. He loved us so much, that even at this early stage in the story, He was laying the foundations for our salvation.  What a tremendous love that is!

Power corrupts

3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. (1 Samuel 13;3-4)
Chapter 13 of 1 Samuel details the accounts of Saul's fall from power, he no longer honored the Lord, or obeyed His commands.  I think the verses 3&4 point this out quite well "Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land" & "Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines".  Saul was taking credit for all that God had done, he was now making decisions on his terms, not following God and waiting on God to lead.  This ultimately cost Saul everything.  
There is an old quote that goes "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" and throughout history, it can be seen over and over and over again.  Even David, the man after God's heart, allowed his power to become a stumbling block at one point (story of Bathsheba).  Power does not reside in men, it resides in God almighty.  Any power that men think they have has been granted to them, and ultimately, it has been granted for a greater purpose than to give any man glory.  Often times it may be difficult to see the why behind it, as God's ways are not man's ways.  Throughout the Bible, we see many wicked leaders that were in positions of power and God used it as a means to unify & reproof His people.  
Though power tends to corrupt men, true power is in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  When men realize that they have no power without the triune God, then God's work is most magnified.  When pride is not the motivator, but rather giving glory to the Almighty is the motivator, this makes all the difference.  Jesus repeatedly taught people not to seek out the position of Glory, but instead to be humble.  We are to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.  Jesus, who was fully man, and fully God, and thereby had true Power, walked among us and demonstrated what our lives should look like.  Our lives should look like a sacrifice of praise, a reflection of the power of God, in humility, not glorifying ourselves, but instead glorifying God.  
When we (myself included, always remember that I'm talking just as much to me as I am to anyone else) find ourselves in positions of power, we should ask ourselves the following questions:

• How can I most glorify God in this position or situation?
• What people can I surround myself with that will help keep me accountable to that which God has called me to do?
• How will I insure that I maintain and grow my walk with God amidst the demands of this position?
• Am I willing to give someone else the reigns in a moments notice?
• Is what I am about to do what God wants and will it bring Him glory?
• What is more important to me, my glory or His glory?

The above are by no means an exhaustive list.  Notice that these questions are both planning and heart check type questions and I'm sure there are many more that you can think of.  Our end goal is to bring God glory in all that we do.  Sometimes it is easy and clear, other times it is difficult and each step is made in blind faith while following Him.  

Anticipation

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. (Psalm 25:4, 5 ESV)

In the busy days that make up our lives, we must not forget to seek Him and look for His path for our life.  There is much truth to be lead in and much to be taught.  Let us be eager to spend time with Him, like a young child awaiting their parents return from work...full of excitement and anticipation just to spend time together.

Leaven

And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” (Luke 13:20, 21 ESV)

"A little goes a long way", this is what the kingdom of God is like.  When we allow God to take control in our lives, even a little bit, there is an exponential difference.  Let us relent and give way to His will.

Fruitless time

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6-9 ESV)

Time is a priceless commodity.  Let us make haste, nourish God's word in our heart, that it may bring forth fruit, love, joy, patience, gentleness, self control and kindness.

Labor in vain

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:1, 2 ESV)

Remembering tonight that I can not work hard enough, love deep enough, or care enough to ever bring about anything of value.  I can do nothing apart from The Lord.  

The process of rebuilding

let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ (Nehemiah 1:6-9 ESV)

The story of Nehemiah is one of my favorites and I know I have written about it several times in these last months.  The underlying theme is one of rebuilding.  Tonight's few verses come from the opening chapter.  We see here the roadmap for rebuilding our own lives.  We must first tear down the life of sin that we have built by confessing it to God and repenting, we must turn to Him and trust in ourselves no longer. When we do these things, our heart is prepared and ready for God to move and rebuild us into the men and women of God that he wants us to be.  Rebuilding happens by letting go of the old, laying a foundation for the new, and continually moving forward brick by brick, embracing the vision, His vision, of our future.

Cry out

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. (Psalm 57:2 ESV)

So many times I fight a battle inside my own mind.  It's a battle of doubts, things like "you're not good at...", "you don't really make a difference" and other such negative thoughts.  I don't know all the plans that God has for my life, yet I will cry out to Him because I know He will fulfill His purpose for me.  I know there are many who have these same battles.  You are not alone, cry out to God Most High...He is everything we need.

Conviction and determination

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:4-8 ESV)

Such a powerful passage and with it comes both conviction and determination.  It's not a determination to try to "do better" of my own strength, but rather a determination to draw near to God, that He would draw near to me, and that He would give me clean hands, a pure heart, and give me the strength to fight the battle between the flesh and the spirit.

Once and for all

Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:1-14 ESV)

This passage is key, there is no longer a need for blood sacrifice because of the sacrifice of Christ.  He was the ultimate sacrifice, once and for all.  He paid the debt for all time and He will never do it again, it was finished that day on the cross...once and for all.  No sin you committed yesterday, today,mor will commit tomorrow wasn't paid for.  Salvation comes from faith in Christ, which results in repentance, and results in a relationship, that yields salvation.

Receive mercy, find grace

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15, 16 ESV)

There is nothing in our lives that God doesn't know, understand, or experience.  Through Christ, we are able to draw near to the throne and through Him, we receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.  

Don't compare yourself to others

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-4 ESV)

Sometimes it is easy to be blinded by our own importance.  We wonder things like the disciples, comparing ourselves, our ministries, etc. to one another.  We lose sight of that which is most important, being with Him.  He wants us to be like children when mom or dad get home from work, they will do anything just to be near and get a nd give a hug.  Let us remember the next time that we start feuding over things that only detract and distract us from our relationship with Him.

Pursue God alone

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

Satan used pride in the Garden of Eaden to deceive, entice, lure Eve into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He said that by eating of the fruit, they could be like God.  The evil one's most persuasive deception exists even more today...especially in western culture.  Western society is obsessed with "success", power, money, wealth, status, etc., promising that we can be like God, we can have it all.  People do unspeakable, immoral, and sometimes illegal things to acquire these things.  We must guard our hearts against the desirable pursuit of such things.  Great wealth, power, success, status, etc. are all blessings from The Lord.  The man/woman of God who receives them must desire God and Him alone.  We must have the mindset of Job, The Lord gives and The Lord takes away, but blessed be the name of The Lord. 

No brighter, no darkness

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10 ESV)

Light and darkness are such well defined references.  I often will think about things in extremes and this concept came to my mind.  The light of God is so bright, that adding any additional light (light bulb, flashlight, sun) would be unnoticeable.  In Him there is no darkness, thereby making it impossible to detract from His brightness and in the converse, impossible to add to it.  We are inherently little black holes that consume light and create darkness, due to our sinful nature.  When we receive Christ through faith, confess our sins, and seek forgiveness, His forgiveness cleanses us of our unrighteousness, thereby erasing darkness and instead enrobing us in the light of His salvation.  We will never be perfect on this Earth, yet He who has called us unto Himself has, does, and will continue to Love us perfectly.  Amen!

Thank God for me wife!

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. (Song of Solomon 4:7 ESV)

When a man finds the love of a Godly women, he is truly blessed. My wife has changed me, impacted me, and molded me to be a better person.  I am ever so thankful to The Lord for giving me such a wonderful helper.  How blessed I am to have a wife so caught up in the love of Christ.  She captivates me and gives me yet another reason to praise the creator!  He is so good!

Who we care about most and who God cares about most may surprise you...

15 And he said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16;15)

Our lives our full of burdens, challenges, and trials.  Some of them entail watching those we love the most having to endure their own burdens, challenges, and trials.  We look upon them and want nothing more than to take it away from them.  We would shoulder all of it, take it upon ourselves, if it meant that they would be free, happy, well, etc.  This week in particular was very challenging, personally, professionally, spiritually and I was literally moved to tears, yet not for the reasons that one might think.  I am used to casting MY burdens upon the Lord...yet there was something different going on in my heart this week.  God truly gave me a glimpse into His heart, a glimpse of how much He loves us and desires us.  Just as we would do anything to take away the burdens, challenges, trials, and hurts, of those we love, He wants to do the same for us.  This is nothing new or shocking, but what followed was shocking...it brought me to my knees, and continues to bring a tear to my eye even while I type this.  In God's eyes, there are none that He loves more than another, He loves ALL of us...and just like us He wants to take it all upon Himself...and so He did...Jesus who knew no sin, took on the sin of the world so that we may have eternal life.  

Where is the big revelation you ask?  The glimpse God gave me was of how much He loves EVERYONE...Mark 16;15 Jesus commands us to "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."  It doesn't say tell those that we love most, it doesn't say only tell those that won't be offended, it doesn't say only when it's convenient...it says GO into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Now couple that with the glimpse that God gave me of His love for ALL of us.  I'm heartbroken with what I see not only in my own life but in the church as a whole.  There is an entire world full of people with burdens, challenges, trials, hurts, grief, bondage, sin, addiction, and the list goes on and on and the only answer now or ever is salvation through faith in Jesus.  Who is going to tell them if we don't?  Why are there empty chairs next to us on Sunday?  We (I) need to be more vocal about my faith and inviting people to come check out Jesus, and come learn more about Him.

 I can honestly say that my heart was changed forever this week by this glimpse into how much God loves us, and though it sounds strange, I find myself loving people.  Instead of getting angry when someone cuts me off in traffic, I've been thinking "I bet their having a rough morning and that's why they're so distracted."  and then saying a prayer for them. I know I'm still going to make mistakes, and that I will never be perfect while here on this earth.  I do know that in a world full of "sickness" the only cure is Jesus and we have the "cure" for the sickness and must do everything in our power to make sure everyone has an opportunity to receive the cure.  It's not about growing a church, it's about loving people.  I can't stress it enough, He loves us ALL so much...we in turn must love others enough and care enough to tell them, bring them, show them the gospel of Christ.  It's time to rise up, it's time to speak up, it's time to LOVE our neighbor.  Start with something simple this week, Love on some people that you don't know, invite some folks to church, sit down on a park bench with an elderly man/woman and ask them how their day is going.  Let the light of Christ shine bright...

It's NOT about rules

I intended to post this last evening, however, the night got away from me.  Today will be a 2 post day I guess.
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. (Luke 15;1-2)
Jesus had zero interest in religion.  Jesus wanted to develop relationships with people, relationships that would change them from the inside out.  Think about any relationship that you have had over time, has the other person in the relationship changed you, impacted your, influenced you?  I know that I can say unequivocally, "YES!".  Jesus was/is/and always will be the son of God.  He died on the cross, defeated sin, and death so that we may be saved.  No man/woman shall come to the Father except by Jesus.  Knowing Jesus is all about relationship, NOT about rules, regulations, or a naughty and nice list.  When we truly know Jesus, we are forever changed from the inside outward, just like we are changed by any meaningful relationship in our lives.  In Christ, we become new creations, our sins forgiven, our desires changed (though while on this Earth we will forever struggle with sin, yet we are forgiven!).  Christ followers, let us not be characterized by a spirit of judgement of the unchurched, rather let us go to them, receive them, speak to them and share the good news that Christ came for ALL people and that TODAY could be their day of salvation.  Faith in Christ + nothing else = Sa;vation!  Let God change them from the inside out...and let us display the Love of Christ.

We be free men!

YouFor freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 ESV)

Imagine if our life of sin were like a jail cell, the door shut and thick walls to escape.  Upon accepting Jesus as our Saviour, the doors are opened and our shackles are removed.  Though the door is open and the restraints keeping us from moving are gone, many never venture much beyond the cell itself.  We have become institutionalized to a life of sin, gained a comfort level with it, we simply don't want to leave it behind, it's a safety net.  This very idea of hanging onto sin, results in detrimental impacts to all!  

We must be prepared to leave behind the old self, and instead embrace the new self that has improved embracing of the Spirit on all things. 

No matter what the world says, do what is right in the eyes of God

8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (Daniel 6;8-10)
Even in the face of adversity, do what is right and honorable before the Lord...that is all that matters.  I love that Daniel knew that what he was doing was against the law, yet he didn't care, it was more important to him to pray to the one true God.

Work and glory

Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men. (Proverbs 22:29 ESV)

Like many men, I try to do the best job that I know how to do.  Questions, criticism and praise come and go and at the end of the day, all that matters is that my actions are acceptable before The Lord.  This is a lesson I continually struggle to learn.  I want to be accepted among men as one whoe does well in his work, to be considered skillful...yet I do not wish to seek glory in this fashion.

Salvation does not mean a trouble free life

As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matthew 13:20, 21 ESV)

The promise of Salvation through Christ is not trouble free.  We must trust in Him for all things, thereby growing our faith and reliance on Him.

Share with gentleness and respect

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3:15, 16 ESV)

"With gentleness and respect", this phrase was something that I struggled with in my youth when presenting the gospel.  We ought to be most careful about this aspect, as those who we wish to hear can easily be deafened by our actions/attitudes/approach if not done with gentleness and respect.  The end goal is to show that you care and that the Love of Christ is alive in you.  Make sure the passion that flows out of you, does so in this manner.

Let it go...

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. (1 Corinthians 7:17 ESV)

Let us strive to live the life that He has called us to and let go of the life that our flesh wants for ourselves.

One focus

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16 ESV)

Quite simply put, if you are busy doing one thing, you are not busy doing something else.  If we are busy pursuing the things of God, there is no room to be caught up in the things of the flesh.  It is akin to a horse having blinders on, the focus is solely on that which is ahead.  Distraction is everywhere, yet if we filter all through the word of God, it magnifies that which we ought to do and that which we are to steer clear.  Let us continually seek Him and walk with Him in spirit and truth.

Around your neck and on your heart

"3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart."

(Proverbs 3;3)

Steadfast love and faithfulness, 2 things that the Lord demonstrates perfectly to us and we ought to in turn demonstrate to others.  Writing these on the tablet of our heart leads us to behave differently.  Our actions become gentler, our words become kind and encouraging.  Hanging them around our neck leads to others seeing love and faithfulness and draws them to the author of love, God the Father.  I love the simplicity, but pray for His strength to do both.

Simple things & being deliberate

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22-24 ESV)

Today I was walking across the street in a crosswalk, when a car came came around the corner rather quickly.  I paused to allow the car to pass, but instead the car came to a stop and the driver motioned me to cross.  I waived as an acknowledgment of gratitude and crossed the street.  I expected next to hear the car accelerate rapidly away as a gesture of impatience from the driver, a final "I'm in a hurry you know"...but it didn't happen, the car gently drove away...I was amazed.  Why was I amazed?  I think it is because that I know if I were the driver, it is likely what I would have done.  I never really gave it much thought until this morning, but what message does that send to the person who you just motioned across the street when you rev the engine quickly as you drive away?  It certainly isn't gentleness or self-control.  

This simple life experience from this morning brings to mind something even more important...being deliberate in our actions.  We need to mean to do what we do, if we are going to be patient, don't be rushed or hurried about it, if we are going to be gentle, don't be forceful about it, if we are going to be kind, do so without placating the recipient, if we are going to be self controlled, let us not do so in a way that puts others down, if we are going to love, let us love unconditionally.  Whatever we choose to do, decide to do it with the purpose and goal of glorifying Christ.  I know for me it starts with deliberately looking at each action in my life and asking the simple question "How could Christ be better glorified through <insert activity>.  I know for starters, I won't be speeding away after being gracious and waiving someone across the street, I will instead be extra vigilant to demonstrate gentleness and self control.  Maybe the person on the other end will have a similar thought as I did today and it might just make their day.

Loving the unforgivable

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.(Psalm 91;3-7)
Have you ever made a terrible mistake?  The kind of mistake that haunts you.  The kind of mistake that you only escape in sleep (though sometimes you have nightmares about it) and then remember quickly upon waking.  The kind of mistake that you feel that you feel like you are paying for each and every day.  It carries a tremendous weight...it chokes life from you...it chokes hope...
This has been on my heart for several weeks now.  In the eyes of men there are things that are unforgivable, yet in the eyes of God, all sin is equal.  God is holy and perfect and any sin is too much at all.  While men judge other men for what they have done, God wants to draw us to himself and accept Jesus as our savior.  He wants us to know that He paid the ultimate price for us on the cross so that we may have life...WE ARE FORGIVEN.  This is such a hard concept for us to understand when we look at it through the view of someone else's life, yet it is what we cling to most when it involves ourselves.  There are people who have committed what are unspeakable crimes, and we as humans condemn the person for eternity, writing them off as "defective".  The thing that I have been literally feeling in my heart over the past few weeks is that the forgiveness of Christ and the restoration that takes place in salvation, the freedom of Christ is exactly what the people we have written off need the most.  They need to be set free from that moment in their life that haunts them..in many cases it was 1 momentary lapse in judgement that has lead to a lifetime of judgement upon themselves.  I realize that I'm not talking about popular things, in our society, we don't forgive or love murderers, drug dealers, etc.  I'm not saying that they should be pardoned for their crimes, yet I am saying that they are not exempt from the saving grace of Jesus.  I know this isn't popular, yet we must not neglect these people who are in desperate need of Christ...and we as the Church must share the love of Christ, pray for their salvation, and seek to minister to them as we minister to one another.  
Can you imagine being the person who made a bad decision,waking up every day to the consequences, with no love, nothing to look forward to, and ultimately zero hope...this happens every day for those who don't know Jesus...regardless of what their "bad decision" was?  We are all only 1 bad decision away from being there...let us be sure to share the FREEDOM that is Jesus!  Scripture says that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"...US...not some of us, US...
Tonight I'm praying that the heart of God's church would be stirred with a desire to spread the LOVE & PEACE of Christ to all whom they encounter...so that the FREEDOM, LOVE, & PEACE of Christ would reign supreme in the hearts of all.