The woe of money

But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:8-10 ESV)

It's not that money itself is bad, it is the desire and obsession for it that leads men into ruin.  It is an unslakable lust that causes men to exercise poor judgement and to abandon things of great spiritual value.  Let us not seek after riches, power, or glory, but rather give richly, pray for His power to save us from this evil age, and bring Him all of the glory.  We are reflectors of our hearts and because He lives in us, let His light shine through us unto all mankind.  Amen!

Ideal relationships

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. (1 Timothy 5:1, 2 ESV)

Though out my Life thus far, I have had the benefit of many relationships.  Some relationships have been deeper than others and some have taught me more than I would have ever thought possible.  This passage in  1 Timothy is particularly special to me because many of the relationships mentioned I either never had, or were such that they were never in the manner that was deemed "normal".  I therefore interpret this passage as how I perceive these relationships...and they are all a very warm, inviting, respectful type of relationship in my mind.  May we seek these sort of ideal relationships amongst fellow believers, withholding judgement and instead seeking to edify others, and encourage them as Christ has brought others into our own lives to encourage us.  Let us be sure to use our tongue to bring about life.

He is always near

And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” (Matthew 20:30, 31 ESV)

Imagine being in the position of these 2 blind men.  They have heard the news about Jesus giving sight to the blind and they hear that He is now close by.  They begin to call out to Him, yet the crowds are telling them to be quiet...I can't blame them for shouting out even more.  This was their chance to have their sight restored.  

I think this describes us and how we need to be in our day to day lives.  We know that we are sinners in need of our Saviour.  We cry out to God, seeking His intervention, then the worldly voices of doubt try to quiet us by saying that God's not real, or you must have done something wrong to deserve the current circumstance.  This is when we must cry out even louder, and be even more persistent, because we know that Christ is near...and the best news is...He is always near.

The "church"

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34, 35 ESV)

If we are the body of Christ, we must be known for our love for one another.  Let us therefore draw close to each other, break bread, offer prayers, and seek Him together.  The "church" is all believers and all of us must seek to love as Christ loved us.  That means forming deep relationships like the relationships that Jesus had with the disciples.  This means being "all in", not just being a fair weather friend.  This means doing life together, being transparent, not proud, but rather wrapped in humility.  The church isn't some mystical thing, it is simply a bunch of people in desperate need of a Saviour who have found Jesus and as a result, an outpouring of love, community, and accountability emerge.

Don't grow weary

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

We. must never grow weary of doing good.  Though we may struggle and feel down trodden, we must always seek to shine His light before men, no matter how hard it seems.  Christ is enough, He is all we need.

Before all things

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17 ESV)

Today I was thinking about creation on the drive home from work.  I love this time of year!  The air is crisp, the leaves begin to change a magnificent color, and the corn stalks wave lifeless in the breeze awaiting their reaping.  I was thinking about there being void and darkness and that all that is had to be created, and that all that was created was good.  Then I began to think that even before all the splendor and glory of creation, was the splendor and glory of Him.  He was before everything, and everything is His and holds together in Him.  What an amazing God we serve, everlasting to everlasting!

If you are getting beat up, do an armor check

Yesterday was a tremendously difficult day.  My normal process at the end of the day is to think through my day and ask these questions:  What went well?  What did not go well?  What could I have done differently to alter the things that didn't go well?  What can I learn to do more consistently from the things that went well?  I learn a lot from these mini-reviews, and more times than not, I learn how imperfect and in need of a Saviour I am.

I was thinking this morning about the various components that made yesterday so challenging.  Many of those challenges were relating to people, having to work through their problems before being able to  move forward.  I had allowed other people to negatively impact me to the point where I was feeling angry.  I began to think this morning about Ephesians 6 and putting on the whole armor of God.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."  (Ephesians 6:13 ESV)

When we put on the whole armor of God, we are able to fend off attacks, able to stand firm.  This was very insightful this morning, because it made me see that anytime I am feeling this way, I had better do a quick armor check and make certain that I am properly equipped and armored.  It is amazing how simply doing a spiritual gut check can yield amazing results and defeat even the strongest of adversaries.  

Today was a great day, and that I attribute to making sure my armor is in place and that He is my focus and nothing else.

Take pleasure in life's toils

What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 ESV)

Today was a day of frustrations.  I turned to the book of Ecclesiastes and read.  The above scripture is so true.  God knows all, has seen all, and He knows the future outcome of everything.  We are to take pleasure in the toils of this world.  That seems counter intuitive at first, but I suppose it goes along with the Axium "there is no pleasure without pain" or perhaps the opposite is equally true, "there is no pain without pleasure".  Either way, it is the various trials of life that provide the variety and flavor to our lives, and we should learn to enjoy it while fulling trusting in Him to handle the outcome.

Trust and standing in the breach

They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. (Psalm 106:19-23 ESV)

All through out scripture there are accounts such as this, in which men who experienced first hand the power of God, where men turn their back on God.  Let us trust in Him for everything, and let us stand in the breach for others in prayer for the changing of their heart.  Praying tonight that the Holy Spirit would move mightily and draw people towards Jesus.

Enough

And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” (1 Samuel 4:3 ESV)

Tonight's passage spoke to me about being careful about the application of faith.  The Israelites did not have faith that God would give them the victory, they had faith that the ark of the covenant would.  The very thing that God had used and dwelled in became the object of their faith.  

In our lives today, it might look something like this:  "God, I need ________".  Then God gives you what you asked for.  Months later you are in a jam and rather than rely on God, you rely instead on _______. The very thing that God gave to us, becomes the object of our faith.  We humans tend to do this a lot, that is, try and do things on our own.  Even worse, we try to twist things into seeming like they are what God wants.  

The truth is, and will always be, that we He wants us to be completely reliant on Him...Him alone, not the stuff He can get us, do for us, etc...He wants to be EVERYTHING.  

That's a tough message sometimes, but it is so true, and so very freeing.  The God of the universe wants to be our sole desire. He wants it so badly that He sent Jesus from Heaven to Earth, suffered the cross and paid the debt for our sin.  

I know so many people who wonder about themselves "am I enough?".  The answer to that question is ironically a different question all together..."Is He enough?"  We will never be less valuable to God.  We are His desire, and He wants us to trust and rely on Him.  He stands at the door and knocks...don't be afraid to open the door.  

I think John Piper sums it up nicely "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him".

Roof tops

What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. (Matthew 10:27 ESV)

It is often times easy to proclaim the things of the world with boldness, after all, who is likely to defame you for talking about last night's game, debate, etc.  the paradigm shifts when it comes to the things of God, we find ourselves stumbling over words, over analyzing how it may be perceived, etc.  We must learn to be bold and proclaim the things of God from the roof tops with excitement and passion.

Friends

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 ESV)

God has created amazing people and put them in our lives to help bare each other's burdens.  We as the body of Christ keep one another accountable, provide wisdom, show compassion, and exhibit the love of Christ.  This is truly a blessing and it in turns strengthens our own ability to act in turn towards others.  

I am ever so thankful for the people that God has put in my life, and that I am honored to call friends.

In desperate need of a savior

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23 ESV)

We are defiled from the inside of our very being.  We can not save ourselves, but praise be to God that as Romans 5:8 says, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".  We are a wicked people in desperate need of a Savior, and we are beyond blessed that God the Father saw fit to send His only Son into the world to save us from ourselves...Amen!

We must not trust ourselves over God

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1, 2 ESV)

There are days when it feels like we should trust in ourselves, when every fiber in our being seems to whisper "I'm in control".  This is an illusion, a sin of pride.  We must abide in the shadow of the most high and seek not to trust ourselves over Him.  

Storms and poems

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ESV)

We know not what troubles await tomorrow's dawn

We can not perceive that which has been written long before our breath

Though trouble comes, and hope seems to flicker like a candle, we will not yield

Our troubles fade in the light of Christ

Our souls rejoice in everlasting life

Though darkness falls across the Earth, let His light shine with all our worth

Tonight I see storm clouds on the Horizon, and I'm dreading the fight.  I need Jesus, and nothing more.  This passage from 2 Corinthians really spoke to me, proclaiming that He is alive in me and that He alone is victorious.  

The aroma of Christ

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:15-17 ESV)

Christ has sent us into the world to share His word with sincerity, to tell His story and how our own story is a part of it.  These words are the aroma of Christ to all who hear them.  What a powerful thought, think about how strongly your sense of smell is tied in with your memories.  Think about how far away you can be from something and still smell it, or know that it is close by.  We are just like that in the world, wherever we go, the aroma of Christ is in the air, and people know it.  Let us not shy away from this, but instead let us embrace it with conviction...until the whole world hears!

Swallowed up in victory

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:54-58 ESV)

He has given us the victory!  Sometimes I find myself so focussed on the little details of life, that i forget  the big picture.  I read this passage tonight and was refreshed.  I know this, believe it, etc., but it hadn't been top of mind for quite some time.  What a great reminder for all Christ followers.

Acceptable

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 ESV)

There are many days when my struggle begins with "I need to be doing more...".  The blank can be filled in with so many things: prayer, worship, spending time in His word, sharing my faith, and the list goes on and on.  Tonight while reading Psalm 19, I took great comfort in verse 14.  Even David struggled with the idea of not being enough, and he puts it so wonderfully by asking the Father to find his words and meditations of his heart "acceptable".  This points to it being a heart issue, a desire to want to do more, give more, serve more, for no other reason than wanting to bring an acceptable sacrifice in gratitude to the Creator.  Feeling humbled, and grateful tonight.

Put off self

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (James 3:16, 17 ESV)

The capacity of the human heart for wickedness is only equalled by the incomparable grace of God in the merciful gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  When we choose to seek self glorification instead of glorifying Him, we engage in a vile practice.  We must cling closely to the truth, putting off self, embracing peace, demonstrating mercy and sincere impartiality.  We must not consider ourselves above others.  

This is a tough thing to do, laying down our pride in the perfect, pure, reasonable knowledge of the Almighty.  Let us seek to be such a people and show such things as the fruit of His work in our own lives.  Amen!

The last days

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 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 3:1-5 ESV)

Watching the news today, I couldn't help but to wonder how many generations have felt that they we're living in "the last days".  I read through this list of descriptors and it seems that many of these have been problematic for quite a few generations, yet increasing in frequency and intensity.  Then I got to "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power".  This most aptly describes the attitudes of so many people in the world today, who profess faith and yet deny the power of God.  People who routinely look for ways outside of God, instead of inviting Him to be a part of their lives.  No doubt that the end gets closer everyday, let us who love God pray that The Lord would send workers into the harvest and that their hearts would be changed forever.

Attributes

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. (Romans 12:9-12 ESV)

Another great passage describing all that we are to be.  

Bless, do good, pursue peace

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:8-12 ESV)

This passage spells out all that we should be, showing sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, etc.  We are called to bless, do good, and pursue peace.  Praying this tonight.

Only One

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 only way to the Father is through Christ, who pleads our case and paid our debt for all eternity.

Never stop

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8 ESV)

What a great reminder today about God's goodness and faithfulness.  Let us never stop praying and let us never lose heart!

So What?

Today began much the same as many other days.  When I walked outside to leave for the office, I was greeted by the cool morning air, the smell of fall upon the wind, and a flood of nostalgia that goes with it overtook me.  There is something about a cool breeze, fog clinging closely to the ground, and beams of sunlight painting shadowed stripes to the earth that draws me to the splendor of the Creator.  My senses seem heightened, smells aren't just smells, they're a journey to a specific place and time in my past.  Tastes aren't just good, they are savory, mouth watering, something you want to remember for ever, because it reminds you of something fond in the past.  Sounds aren't just ambient things in the background, they are a beautiful chorus of things remembered...leaves scratching along the ground, the wind blowing through trees, and the wooosh of air while driving with the windows down...all of them, a sweet melody drawing my mind to all that has been in my life.  Though fall is not yet upon us, I am longing for it...that is when the grand gallery of the paintings of His Creation are on full display.  Who can deny that there is a Creator after looking upon an autumn scene, sipping coffee or hot cider, reading  a book (Robert Frost is a personal favorite), listening to the peaceful symphony as the wind blows in your face, and smelling the sweet and slightly bitter smell of autumn?  This began my day on a decidedly positive note.  I listened to music, talked to God (pray) as I often do on my drive to and from the office and I was burdened by these words ..."So What?".

Luke 14; 16-24
"16 But he said to him, A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come, for everything is now ready.18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.22 And the servant said, Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.23 And the master said to the servant, Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. "

I love this passage in Luke 14, because it talks specifically as to how we are easily caught up in the activities of day to day life, that we miss the celebration of life that God has placed right in front of us.    We pass over the Glory of Him for the things of this world.  He longs for us to celebrate with Him, to break bread with us, to spend time together. He wants the banquet hall to be full and not just of people, but of those who WANT to be there.  
"So What?" Creation cries out in worship of the creator, the same way we ought to worship through our very existence.  We should strive to have all that we are be a reflection of Christ's glory. I exhort you, the next time you are taken in by His creation, give pause and consider the Creator as creation points us directly to Him.  Take Pause, go to the banquet, feast, celebrate, give thanks...and do it NOW...other things can wait...

A simple invitation

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. " (Matthew 28;19-20)
This passage is commonly referred to as "The Great Commission".  This passage came to my mind tonight while talking about how to grow a church.  I want to be clear, that I am not interested in numbers from a pride perspective, but rather from an objective standpoint.  The church as a whole can reach more people by having more people.  I read some interesting statistics from Dr. Thom Rainer:
"Eighty-two percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited."&"Only two percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church. Ninety-eighty percent of church-goers never extend an invitation in a given year."
Think about this for a moment...lets say you have 200 Facebook friends and you invited each of them to Church...that would mean that 164 would be likely to attend church if invited.  That is a staggering number!  Let's say that the church body has 300 people, based on Dr. Thom's statistics, only 6 people in the congregation will invite people, however, if they engage their entire social network, look at the impact...6 people @ 200 friends each =1200 people invited, @ an 82% response rate, that would be 984 people or about 20 extra people per week.  
Why don't we invite more people to church?  Why is that # only 2%?  
God calls us to Go.  We can only speak to people about God if we go to them or they come to us.  Should we not use all of the tools at our disposal to share the love of Christ with everyone?  We should should do this and more!  
Challenge time:  Invite your entire Facebook list to join you at church this Sunday!  Don't wait for a special day, just offer them a sincere invitation to come and see what you are all about.  Then pray!  Pray that God will bless the harvest.  Let's be bold!

Glorious day

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14 ESV)

I for one, am very excited by this passage!  I can not wait for the return of Christ, and  to behold the glory of the risen Savior.  What a glorious day indeed that will be!

Myths

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:1-4 ESV)

I can not even begin to say how true this passage is!  There are many false teachers and many who have been led away by them. The proving ground for all things must be God's word, not some myth that says what we want to here.