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!