When at rock bottom

There are good days and there are tough days.  The good days seem to fly by, and the tough ones...well, seconds seem to be hours, minutes feel like days, and an ending of the misery seems all to welcoming.  We have all been in that place a time or two, or six, or...well, you get the point.  I love the book of Psalms quite a bit, mainly, because there is such emotion expressed.  Joy, sorrow, pain, suffering, anger, regret, repentence, and so forth, are all found in Psalms.  When I have a day that is particulary bad, inevitably I will end up taking it out on someone else.  It could be harsh words, a scornful look, or a combination of the two, it could manifest itself in various ways...none, I might add are good, or that I am proud of.  The crazy part is that in the midst of those feelings, I just really want God to step in and tell me everything is going to be ok...and then after calming down, I realize that all of it, was just a waste of my time, effort, and energy...because He is always there...sometimes, I just need to be still, make my request known, and listen instead of ranting, dwelling, and playing the roll of the little kid throwing a temper tantrum.

Tonight's passage is a great reminder to me for this very reason:

Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me. (Psalm 142:6, 7 ESV)

Do you see the difference in the approach?  It's not dwelling inward on the wrongs that afflict us, it is instead directed towards the overall purpose of glorifying God, trusting in God, focusing on Him, and bringing Him glory.  

In summary, when we are struggling with our life circumstances, the fix is to focus not inward, but upward.  When we set our eyes on Christ, seeking His will, and His glory, our perspective shifts, our hearts of stone are softened, and Christ moves in our lives...changing us, teaching us, and making us more like Him.

SOAP June 30, 2014

Scripture: by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14 ESV)

Observation: Christ set us apart from our transgressions, keeping us and nailing them to the cross.

Application: God loves us and detests our sin.  When Jesus was crucified, all of God's wrath was poured out upon Him and the debt of sin was forever paid.  We must walk as those who are worthy of such a gift, giving thanksgiving, praise, and demonstrating sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others.

Prayer: Daddy, help us to live lives worthy of You...and when we fail, give us the strength to just keep breathing.

Driven/Purpose

One of the things that I struggle with is being "task" oriented, "analytical", and that can sometimes be perceived as being negative.  I can honestly say that Christ has given me a truly tender heart, yet it is guarded closely.  I do not like to be idle, not having purpose, goals, something I am moving towards, bothers me tremendously.  I can relate to Sir Edmond Hilary when he was asked why he climbed Mount Everest and Hilary responded with "Because it was there".  Often times, it is easy to be caught up in the drudgery of day to day living.  It becomes routine, almost auto-pilot.  Yet scripture reminds us that we must be careful to avoid this state of idleness.  

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 ESV)

We must strive, push, endeavor towards purpose, not towards idelness or merely being busy for the sake of being busy.  Whatever we are working towards must have purpose.  I have found in my own life, that purpose and passion run hand in hand with each other.  Whatever I am passionate about, becomes the center of what my purpose is.  If my heart is not in it, I cannot bring myself to pursue it.  This is how God designed us to operate, to be passionate people, with strong desires, and when well applied it makes for an inexpliably powerful combination...and when misapplied, it becomes the ruin of us, causing us to seek other things above God (sin, specifically Idolatry in this instance).  The thing that we must look at in our lives is if our purpose and our passion are in alignment with each other, for if they are not, then we are not in alignment.  There is only one side that is acceptable to God.  We are either aligned with His will, or we are aligned against it.  

In closing, our passion mus become our purpose, and our passion must be for the will of God.  That's an easy thing to say, and much more difficult to do.  Through Christ alone, all things are possible.  

I pray that your passion would be for Christ and His will and that you would pursue your passion with purpose.  

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)

Amen! 

SOAP June 29, 2014

Scripture: 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 1:10 ESV)

Observation: If ever there was a "to-do" list for life, this would be it.  Walk in a manner worthy of The Lord, pleasing Him, bearing fruit and increasing in our knowledge fo Him.

Application: To walk means to execute that which we have learned from God, thereby pleasing Him.  We yield much spiritual fruit in this manner (Love, Joy, Peace, patience, kindness, etc.).  We must increase in our knowledge of Chirst, by walking with Him, studying God's word, talking to Him (praying) and seeking after His will.  When we do these things, Christ increases in our lives and we decrease in our lives...we must be smaller, and He must be bigger.  

Prayer: Daddy, Thank You for not giving up on us.  Thank You for pursuing us.  Thank you that in our weakness, You make us strong and that through You alone, we can come before the throne.  Amen.

All things new

One day, not far from now when viewed in the scope of eternity, Jesus is coming back.  In that day, all things will be made new.  One of my favorite passages of scripture is this promise:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 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.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:1-8 ESV)

People ask questions about what Heaven is like, and this passage speaks directly to that.  The dwelling place of God will be with men, just as it was in the Garden of Eden, when the Spirit of The Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.  No more sorrow or pain, and wickedness will be forever seperated and all that remains will be perfect, holy, and in the presence of God almighty...forever.

SOAP June 28, 2014

Scripture: Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV)

Observation: in the ups and downs of life, Christ is the plumb line and the only constant.

Application: Our desire for Christ must be greater than the desire of the flesh.

Prayer: Daddy, let us measure ourselves against the plumb line of Christ, seeking You above all else.  May the things of the flesh grow dim in our walk with You.  Thank You for being a God that pursues us.  Amen.

The Harvest

In an age that has access to more information than any other in human history, it is amazing how much we know about technology compared to how little we know about agriculture.  Throughout the Bible, there are many references to agriculture, hearding, etc.  In today's world, we can easily miss an important Biblical concept, simply by not being acclimated to the ins and outs of agriculture.  I am not saying that we are incapable of understanding, merely that we may overlook things that would otherwise be obvious to one who lived the agricultural lifestyle.  There are many references in the Bible to sowing (planting) and reaping (harvesting).  There is a time frame that this happens in.  One doesn't plant a seed one day and awaken the next day to a full crop.  There are many days in between, days of watering, weeding, chasing off birds, and many other seemingly little tasks that make all the difference in the world for the seed to sprout, germinate, grow, produce fruit/grain, etc.  Even after the growth has occurred, the crop has a narrow window of time that it must be harvested...less it spoil on the vine and become food for insects, birds, etc.  I point all of this out not as a lesson on agriculture, but to think through the importance of sharing the gospel, becoming a Christian, growing, maturing, etc.

The passage that brought me to think about this: After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (Luke 10:1, 2 ESV)

The 1st thing is that The Lord sent people ahead of him (in agriculture, you plow the soil before planting the seeds).  Jesus knew the amount of seed He was about to lay down, He knew the amount of yield He was going to get, and He knew that there is a limited amount of time in which to Harvest the fruit.  Yes, we need to be sharing the gospel (tilling the soil, planting seeds, etc.) yet we also need to Harvest that which is planted.  When things are harvested, they are put to good use to nourish other things (typically food).  So when someone becomes a believer, that is the plant sprouting, when it begins to produce fruit, that is when it is able to be used for the purpose that it was planted to begin with.  There are many Christ followers in the world, and many will say that they do not know their purpose, their spiritual gift, etc (nor do I or will I claim to be an expert on the subject).  

So here it is, the question that got me thinking about all of this:  What is the purpose of the laborer who is sent into the the Lord's harvest to do?  I used to think it was a 3 step process, share the gospel, and once people got saved, equip them to share the gospel, then start over again.  After much thought about this passage, I still feel this is one of the points that Jesus was making, however, I also think that He was making the point that there are all kinds of fruits to be harvested, some take longer to grow than others, and some need different things than others.  The fruit isn't the issue, it is getting it all rounded up.  

The thought I would leave you with tonight is this, what could we be doing to help make sure that all kinds of fruit are being harvested?  Not just planting the seeds of the gospel, but developing, discipling, mentoring, encouraging, identifying spiritual gifts, etc.  It takes all kinds of laborers to do that sort of task...and now, more than ever, I see the value in praying that The Lord would send laborers out into His harvest.

SOAP June 27, 2014

Scripture: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 ESV)

Observation: While we are in the flesh, living in a mortal body, we will never obtain perfection.  Still press onward to be more like Christ.  Forget what is in the past (though remember the lessons) for it cannot be changed.  Strain (what a great descriptive word) forward to the future, seeking to make life about the glorification of Christ.

Application: The past is in the past and the future is what we must strain towards.  Passing from past to future requires moving through the present.  Someday may never come, but Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, they come around every week...replace "someday I'll....[fill in the blank] for The Lord" with [Enter day of the week] I am going to do [enter the action]...even better, do it now.  Strain forward, press onward, advance, step by step, inch by inch, all for His glory.

Prayer: Daddy, You are the God of the past, present, and future.  You are the Alpha & Omega, the beginning and the end.  You have always been, always will be, and therefore You never leave us.  Teach us to be children of obedience, compassion, love, and action.  Give us a sense of urgency, to do things now and not "someday".  Amen.

Pride

Pride is a 2 way street in many ways.  All good things come from God above, yet sometimes we fail to remember or give credit to Him for that.  Tonight, I was thinking about pricde.  Ironically, there are times when we seek the spotlight and relish in it, and then there are times where we are in the spotlight and would rather be somewhwere else.  No matter which group you may find yourself a part of, let's see what scripture has to say:

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 ESV)

Clearly, God is looking at our hearts, our motives, etc.  He wants us to know what he expects our lives to look like. 

SOAP June 26, 2014

Scripture: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3 ESV)

Observation: The nature of our relationship with Christ requires us to not be self focussed, but rather focussed on others.

Application: Whatever is in your power to do good towards your neighbor, do it.  Share the love of Christ through action today!

Prayer: Daddy, remove the mirror of self in our lives and replace it with a window into the lives of others.  Give us compassion, hope, and desire to go forth and proclaim You above all.  Amen

Why God created Hell

One of the most common questions I hear from people is "If God is so loving, why does Hell exist?"  This is an excellent question to ask.  God is the author of creation and through Him alone, everything is possible.  There are good things and bad things, rights and wrongs, yet even amongst those, there is a more important distinction...things that God participates and things in which God is absent.  Hell is a real place that has the complete absence of God.  God loves us so much, that He would rather give us a choice to spend an eternity without Him, than force us into spending an eternity with Him.  

There are many scripture passages to illustrate this point.  Tonight, let us focus on this:

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16 ESV)

I love this verse because it takes things to the very core of who we are...to where our allegiance lay.  We choose to either be enslaved by sin, or children of obedience, through faith in Christ and the forgiveness of sins.  

So to those who ask the question about why God would allow anyone to go to Hell, the answer is simply this.  God loves us so much that He will not force us to love Him...even if that means great suffering for us for eternity...because that is what we chose. 

SOAP June 25, 2014

Scripture: And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. (Philippians 1:6, 7 ESV)

Observation: Human interactions impact eternity.  People with whom you share the gospel have an eternal result (good or bad) based on their acceptance or rejection of Christ.

Application: God leads us down paths that may seem like they are dead ends, failures, etc.  Our own perception is not important.  He is at work and He alone will bring it to completion.  He is not dependant on us, we are dependant on Him.

Prayer: Daddy, prepare our hearts to obey and not judge ourselves by outcomes, but by obedience to You.  Amen.

Live with abandon

I am a planner.  Many would say that this is a good thing...until they mess with my schedule and literally watch me turn to Rainman in front of them.  If I'm in a meeting that is scheduled to end at 4:30pm, at 4:31pm, I am no longer listening...I'm thinking about the schedule, the perpetualness of it, how it impacts other people's time, etc.  I AM NOT LISTENING anymore.  This has been somehting that I have struggled with my entire life.  In my teen years, I learned from my High School band director (best teacher I ever had, Thanks Mr. C) the slogan "If you're early you're on time, if you're on time, you're late, and if you're late there is NO EXCUSE".  This became my personal slogan, motto, etc.  Then, slowly, through many poor decisions on my part (like repremanding an employee for being late without knowing why they were late, only to find out that their grandmother had just died) I began to see that the world isn't always black and white...as a matter of fact, God made it that way...and He did so that we would learn from each other.  That brings me to tonight's verse:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 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 4:13, 14 ESV)

Plan all you want, but realize NONE of it is guaranteed.  Our time here is so short, the real question we must ask is "Am I doing the best thing I could be doing for the kingdom right now?"...and if the answer is "No", then reconsider what we are prioritizing.  One of the gentlemen I work with, routinely states that he "errors on the side of action".  I have come to believe that this is the correct response to following God.  When he says "go", we should go...and go NOW.  Bottom line, we/I need to be less plan oriented, and more following oriented.  After all, how can you go wrong following closely after Jesus.  Let Him be our guide...that is how we can most glorify Him, give up the stress of this mortal coil, and live our lives with abandon.

SOAP June 24-part 2(unrelated-just missed June 23)

Scripture: Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4 ESV)

Observation: First, I must state that Epehesians 6 is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  Spiritual warfare, putting on the whole armour of God, etc...and then there is tonight's verse.  It is specifically directed towards fathers.  Whether you are a father at this point in your life, have been, or hope to be, I want you to take a stroll down memory lane with me.  Did your dad ever do anything that just really got under your skin?  You know, the kind of thing that made your blood boil, and you knew it was just a matter of time before you blew a gasket?  If we are beign honest, I bet we can all think of something.  Whether it was calling out every mistake we made on a sports field, yelling at us for our grades, and many, many other things that come to mind.  Understand, that the issue at hand here is not the action, it is the attitude, the action, the motive in whiich it was delivered (or at least in my case it was, I will not suppose or pretend to know what your own upbringing was like) that proved problamatic.  Many times as a  young man (and though far less often, even sometimes as an older man) I find myself angry at my father for his actions.  Tonight's verse speaks to me as a father and as a son, both from an earthly perspective as well as a heavenly perspective.  The first half seems to give us license to be like  "But Dad!!!!...." yet the 2nd part is the absolute key.  Father's must not provoke their children to anger but teach them the discipline and instruction of The Lord.

Appliation: Father's, current, past, present, and future, we must focus  on the second half of this verse as if our own live's depend on it.  We must bring up our children in the discipline and instruction of The Lord.  That means we must be the spirttual leaders in our homes, we must be the first to praiser God, we must be the first to acknowledge that The Lord gives and The Lord takes away, and still blessed be the name of The Lord.  We must play the part of moses and navigate them through the Red Sea, teaching them how to control their grumbling.  I could go on and on and on about this.  The simple fact is, that if we as their fathers do not demonstrate the things of God, then we have failed!  The number of children growing up without Dads in homes today is simply staggering...truly mind boggling.  We must focus on bringing up our children in the discipline of The Lord.  That alone may save not only thier life, but one day, their very soul.

Prayer:  Daddy, Thank you so much for Fatherhood.  Thank you for the heart that you have given me for dads.  I'm praying for an outlet for the heart that you have given me to help other Dad's.  Open doors and do what you do best.  Alll for your glory.  Amen!

Moral Turpitude

There is a trend that seems to be growing.  I remember seeing the development of it in a high school classroom 20 years ago, and vehemently arguing against it then.  It is this concept that "Knowledge is power" and that we should "Seek Knowledge" with all cost.  My teacher (Who was an excellent teacher in his own right, but a sinner, encouraging and justifying others to sin none  the less) routinely taught us that we must seek knowledge (worldy knowledge) above all else.  We even had a special hand sign to use in hallways, pep rallies, football games, etc that meant "seek knowledge".  I want you, dear reader, to understand that I have nothing against the pursuit of knowledge.  My issue is the source of the knowledge.  Mankind has come up with many "great" ideas throughout history...let's list a few shall we?  Prostitution, slavery, taxes, fraud, deception, we could probably fill multiple pages with the inherently evil things that mankind has come up with.  The issue that struck me tonight is a term than many of you may not be familiar with.  It comes primarily from the legal community and is called "Moral Turpitude" and is defined by Wikipedia as:

The concept of "moral turpitude" might escape precise definition, but it has been described as an "act of baseness, vileness, or depravity in the private and social duties which a man owes to his fellowmen, or to society in general, contrary to the accepted and customary rule of right and duty between man and man."

In other words, someone guilty of "Moral turpitude" is like a wolf in sheeps clothing, appearying to be one thing, but in fact being the other.  They corrupt those around them, corrupting them and tearing away at who they are.  Let's tie this in with some scripture and see how that lines up with what the Bible says about the importance of our character.

"Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:33, 34 ESV)"

When we keep bad company, we become prey to someone who has "morale terpitude".  We may not intend to "go that far", "behave that way", etc. but what ends up happening is that we are so overcome by the coruptness that we give in to sin and temptation...hence the "ruins good morals" part of the verse.  I'm not saying don't have friends who aren't Christians, however, I am saying that you should stack the deck in your favor...if their will be 4 unbelievers, why not bring along 8 believers?  You'll probably have more fun and a heck of a lot better chance presenting the gospel!  

We must be cautious about our company and avoid getting labled as a person or one who associates with person/persons with "Moral turpitude".  Live the gospel loud, and this will be fix itself.  

This message is intended to encourage you, not to discourage you.  Feel free to email or post with any questions, comments, etc.  God bless each of you.  You have my daily prayers and I am personally thankful for each one of you who read this.  To God alone be the glory, Amen.

SOAP June 24, 2014

Sorry this is a day late.  I literally fell asleep while writing last night.  Here we go:

Scripture: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV)

Observation: Time is an interesting thing.  During our physical life, it is finite, and it is the one thing that no matter what you do, you cannot make more of it.  "Time keeps ticking away" so the saying goes.  Interestingly enough, since life in Christ is for an eternity, which is an expanse of time without end, we must make the most use of our finitie time here on earth to do the Lord's will.

Application: You will never have more time in your life than you have right now...and after having read that, you now have even less...and still less.  Do the Lord's will NOW, with a sense of urgency.  While Christ followers have an eterniity to spend with Christ, non-believers have an eternity seperated from God in Hell, a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Recall the rich man begging for Lazerus to go and bring him some water, and to go and tell his brother's that they had best repent...in other words, make the best use of their time, to seek after Christ.

Prayer: Daddy, Thank you for being the God of the finitie and the God of the infinite.  Your finger prints are on the smallest things in the universe like Quarks, and the most huge things like galaxies with billions of stars that we can't even begin to fathom...and yet in all your might and glory, You love us.  Thank You for that.  Teach us Lord, to number our days and to seek Your kingdom daily.  Amen.

Covetousness

There are so many cool things in this world!  Video games, cars, houses, luxury apartments, music, instruments, the "in crowd", smart phones tablets, food, movies, and the list goes on and on and on and on...We, as a culture in the U.S.A., have developed an entire culture that tells us "to want, is good" and not only that, but "you deserve it", or even worse, "you are entitled to it".  I am not suggesting that any of these things are inherently bad, yet I would encourage us all to take pause and evaluate our current level of possession.

In today's uber-commercialized market, people are programmed that to be happy, they need to buy something (and after the brief sense of euphoria leaves, you are left desiring that same feeling again, it becomes a viscous cycle).  

What does scripture say?  I think David had it spot on in Psalm 119:

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:10, 11 ESV)

If we engage our whole heart, not just a portion, and in fact, not wonder from His commandments, what mighty vessels we would be for God's kingdom!  David had written God's word on his heart, it was so important to David that he remembered it always and acted on it in his many decisions.    When we take God's word and apply it to our lives, we do not sin against God, rather, we bring Him glory!  I don't know about You, but I'd love to be the person with God's word written on my heart, and to be known for seeking after God's heart.  Seeking after God's desires= faithfulness.  Seeking after our own interests while "sprinkling on a little Jesus", longing for someone elses's stuff, life, money, position, power, etc.  is called covetousness and it can prevent or destroy your relationship with Christ.

Gut check:  what do you cover?  Final thought, what are You going to do about it?  David was a man that continually sought after God...and here some 2000 years later, we still know him for this.  Let our lives speak volumes about the many ways that we endeavor to seek Him above all.   Let's write the scriptures on the fabric of our heart...and live them out so we will not sin against God.

SOAP June 22, 2014

Scripture: Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)

Observation: if we can't say anything nice...

Application: Building one another up is sometimes easy, and sometimes hard.  Giving words of encouragement are important...and so are rebukes.  Let us not seek to be haughty in attitude or display a "holier than though " mentality, yet let us instead seek to encourage and correct one another as a demonstration of the overflowing of God's grace, love, and mercy.  He is the author of love...and we are made in His image.  Love on some people today!

Prayer: Daddy, break my heart again and again for hose who do not know You...and then give me boldness and the words to speak.  Amen.

Anger- the problem and some solutions (non-exhaustive)

One of the greatest things we must do as people living in a society, is to take accountability of our own actions.  That means we don't point the finger, give a list of excuses and explain why it wasn't our fault, or any other attempt to avoid shouldering the responsibility.  

Anger is a human emotion.  This is a fact.  Anger can manifest itself in various ways, some beneficial, and some...not so much.  There are just reasons to be angry and then there is just being angry, almost perpetually.  How we choose to act out our anger is of the utmost importance, it is telling about us, what we stand for, and in many cases, can have long lasting impacts on others.  What does scripture have to say about human anger?  Well, there are actually a lot of verses, tonight I want to focus on James 1:19-21

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-21 ESV)

First, notice the loving tone, "my beloved brothers".  This is not an angry letter, it shows a vibrant, caring, relationship between the involved parties.  Next, notice the advise "be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger".  Have you ever found yourself interrupting other people, trying to finish their sentence, cutting them off, or other similar behaviors?  What meassage does that send to that person?  Do they feel beloved?  Do they feel like they matter to us? What are we doing to foster that relationship?  Are we stepping on these folks...are we demonstrating hostility? 

 I read a lot if motivational books in my profession.  2 things I recently read came to mind while pondering on this passage.  1: treat everyone like they have a sign around their neck that says "I need to know that I matter to you!" And 2: take the time to listen when people want to tell you something, that simple action could have a profound impact on their life...and you/we may never know it.  You/me, we cold be their shining star that gives them hope and leads them to Christ (all for His glory).

So how does this all tie together? When people cut us off on the road, instead of getting flustered and angry, let it go...it's not worth it.  When you see someone with a frown at the coffee shop, say hello with a smile, and offer a kind word, or even offer to chat with them over coffee...then simply listen...really listen, in a true genuine fashion. You may be surprised where the interaction may take you or how it may impact the receiving party.  Truth be told, you may find that you benefitted more from the conversation than they did.  Seek to leave people in a better place than where you found them.  This can be a hard one sometimes, because of how one may define "better".  Simply put, I would view "better" as, "are they pointed towards Christ?".  If so, than that is the definition of success in my book.  Finally, we must allow ourselves to let go of the things we hold onto that make us angry (believe it or not, studies show that the things we think are making us angry are, in fact, NOT what make us angry and rather point to deeper root issues that need resolution...often times deeling with feelings of insecurity or inadequacy).  Christ changes all, we who have accepted Him as our Savior have been made new creations.  Let us cultivate the attributes of being great listeners, waiting our turn to speak (and having something well thought out to say for that matter), being slow to become angry (if at all) and thereby producing the righteousness of God...which points people to Jesus.

Anger is a huge problem in the "me" centered culture that we live in today.  Tonight's passage barely scratches the surface of the topic.  I would encourage you to spend time in God's word, asking Him to write it on your heart, and that He would keep us all far from rampant wickedness.  

In closing, demonstrate God's love for others (thereby not demonstrating anger) by treating all people like they have a sign around their neck that says "make me feel important" because when you/we do that for them, that is demonstrating the love of Christ.  Lastly, listen intently when people want to tell you something.  Be engaged, ask questions, relish in the details (when appropriate of course).  This level of engagement shows how much you/we love them and that in turn demonstrates how much Christ loves them.  It might sound hard, yet I assure you....you end up getting way more than you give, and much of that is in the form of growth in your relationship with Christ.

SOAP June 21, 2014

Scripture: For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— (Ephesians 3:1 ESV)

Observation: Paul's dedication went well beyond conviction or compulsion.  Paul was a prisoner for the gospel, not willing to be silenced regardless of the personal sacrifice.

Application: May our own conviction be as strong as Paul's, with God's help.  Let nothing stand in our way from advancing the kingdom wherever and whenever possible.

Prayer: Daddy, remove fear, uncertainty, and doubt and replace the with boldness, confidence, and assurance.  Amen.

SOAP June 20, 2014

Scripture: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9 ESV)

Observation: Salvation is by grace, through faith and NOT by works.

Application: Seek to strengthen faith, and NOT focus on works.  Faith will yield works as fruit, yet works without faith are worthless.

Prayer: Daddy, strengthen our faith and let us produce Your fruit.  Amen.

SOAP June 19, 2014

Scripture: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:7-10 ESV)

Observation: forgiveness is by grace through faith in Christ.

Application: All things come together through Christ, without Him, there is no reunion between Heaven and Earth.  To have faith in Christ is to have promise of this reunification.

Prayer: Daddy, help us to follow after Your will, filtering out the noise of this present age and seeking after You alone.  Amen.

SOAP June 18, 2014

Scripture: For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Galatians 6:3 ESV)

Observation: we ought not think higher of ourselves than we actually are.

Application: The flesh desires power, pride, self reliance, self praise, recognition from others, and to be the center of attention.  This is from Satan, who himself sought these same things for himself and was cast out of Heaven.  Everything that we have, possessions, talents, gifts, etc. come from God and are to be used to glorify God, not ourselves.  Seek to honor God alone and avoid the deception of the enemy.

Prayer: Daddy, the fight for humility is so hard and we/I need Your help.  Thank You for how You have gifted each of us.  I pray that You would give us the stregnth and courage to use our gifts to lift Your name high among this world, giving You the glory, honor, and praise...no matter the cost.  Amen.

SOAP June 17, 2014

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

Observation: One who is freed from slavery does not return to it, rather he fights against it and seeks to release those who are still in chains.

Application: Life is not full of hard things or easy things, it is rather, full of struggle.  The influence of everything that we subject ourselves to develops our world view.  Their is an ever present struggle that exists between the spirit and the flesh.  The flesh, sin, is the yoke of slavery to which Paul is referencing.  If we immerse ourselves in God's word, we greatly influence the outcome of our struggle against the flesh by hiding His word in our hearts and keeping us from sin.  If we immerse ourselves in sin, it will equally influence the struggle and destroy us from the inside out.  Once we accept Christ and experience His life changing power, grace, and mercy, we must not return to our former chains, but fight to share the good news with others so that their chains may also be broken...so they too may be set free by Christ.

Prayer: Daddy, let us immerse ourselves in Your word, and through Your Holy Spirit, break the chains of sin and tear down the gates of Hell.  Let us not fetter ourselves in sin, but clothe ourselves in righteousness, putting on the full armor of God.  Amen.

June 16, 2014

Scripture: And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:6, 7 ESV)

Observation: He is our Daddy, "Abba Father". 

Application: There is no substitute for the holy, all encompassing love of God.  He alone is our Daddy.  While we have earthly fathers, none can compare to the Almighty Himself.  Let us relish in the facts that He has called us His children!

Prayer: Daddy, You love us more than we deserve, and for that alone we are eternally thankful.  Thank You for being the original Father.  I love you.  Amen.

SOAP Jne 15, 2014

Scripture: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:28, 29 ESV)

Observation: we are all children of God.

Application: to be called Christ's child, one must accept Him as theit Lord and Saviour.

Prayer:  Daddy, teach us, mold us, guide us, and hold us, so that we may bring you glory, honor, and praise.  Amen!

SOAP June 14, 2014

Scripture: yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16 ESV)

Observation: The single biggest lie about Christiantity that is believed almost universally is that salvation is based upon "good works".  This is not biblical or true.

Application: Salvation comes solely by faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Daddy, I pray that the simpleness of the gospel would shine bright and that people would come to know You.  Amen.

SOAP June 13, 2014

Scripture: For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10 ESV)

Observation: The approval we should seek is God's approval.

Application: worry not about what men think, instead seek to please The Lord in all things.

Prayer: Daddy, teach us to strive for Your satisfaction and glory, and nothing else.  Amen.

SOAP June 12, 2014

Scripture: Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

Observation: we must constantly asses ourselves and make honest judgements about where we stand.

Application: When we frequently evaluate ourselves, it gives light to the areas of our lives that we must surrender to Christ.

Prayer: Daddy, help us to see our undoing and help us to fix it.  Amen.

SOAP June 11, 2014

Scripture: For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV)

Observation: Our dependance on Christ is most evident in times of struggle and the most dangerous of times is during times of prosperity when we think we can rely on ourselves instead of God.

Application: Weakness draws us close to Christ.  To prefer weakness is to prefer closeness to Christ.

Prayer: Daddy, it is so hard sometimes to yield to the flesh and rely on You.  Change our hearts, that our desires would be one with Your desires.  Amen.

SOAP June 10, 2014

Scripture: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. (2 Corinthians 11:30 ESV)

Observation: weakness is merely an opportunity for God to show His power.

Application: God uses our weakness to bring glory to Himself and thereby renewing and strengthening our faith.

Prayer: Daddy, teach us to be thankful in our weakness and rely on You alone.  Amen.

SOAP June 9, 2014

Scripture: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 10:17 ESV)

Observation: Boast in The Lord alone.

Application: Whatever boast we have is in he Lord alone.

Prayer: Daddy, may our only boast be in You.  Amen.

SOAP June 8, 2014

Scripture: And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV)

Observation: God is able...

Application: Trust in The Lord for He alone is sufficient.

Prayer: Daddy, eliminate doubt and replace it with trust.  Amen.

SOAP June 7, 2014

Scripture: So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. (2 Corinthians 8:11 ESV)

Observation: bring things to completion.

Application: Finish whatever is started.

Prayer: Daddy, give us the stregnth to complete everything that we start, for Your glory alone.  Amen.

SOAP June 6, 2014

Scripture: For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV)

Observation: godly grief produces repentance.

Application: Submit every thought and action to the obedience of Christ, in doing so, we become mindful of our inequity, leading to godly grief that produces repentance.  

Prayer: Daddy, teach me to be mindful, deliberate, and submissive to Your will in all things.  Amen. 

SOAP June 5, 2014

Scripture: and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18 ESV)

Observation: He has chosen to call us sons and daughters.

Application: The love that a young child expresses to to it's parents is the same type of love that we ought express to God.

Prayer: Daddy, thank You for calling me Your son.  Thank You for grace, for change, for Jesus, and the Holy Spirit...and so much more.  Amen.

SOAP June 4, 2014

Scripture: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

Observation: No matter how much I try to understand the depth of God's love, this passage always amazes me.

Application: "for our sake"...and people claim that God is just some mean old man sitting in judgement.  Christ, in His obedience to the Father, left the perfection of Heaven so that we could be reconciled to God, "that in him we might become the righteousness of God".  We can do nothing to deserve it, and that is the good news that we should tell others.

Prayer: Daddy, thank You for Your amazing grace and generosity, without which I would be hopelessly lost in darkness.  Set a fire in my soul Lord.  Set a fire that consumes all that I may be solely Yours.  Amen.

SOAP June 3, 2014

Scripture: 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 4:17, 18 ESV)

Observation: I love the phrase "weight of glory"!  Imagine a great amount of anything that is valued by weight, gold, silver, spices, herbs, etc.  Jesus has prepared for us an eternal weight of glory...let us look to that!

Application: No matter the trial, it is pale in comparison to an eternity with Jesus.  The things of this workday are passing away, but the things of The Lord are eternal, therefore let us set our hearts and minds upon the things of The Lord.

Prayer: Daddy, let my heart, soul, and flesh be satisfied in nothing but You.  Amen. 

SOAP June2, 2014

Scripture: Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:15-17 ESV)

Observation: Jesus came to fulfill the law, that we may be free.

Application: In Jesus, there is freedom from all evil.  Freedom from oppression, from depression, from loneliness, freedom from addiction, from hatred, malice, and lust.  Wherever His spirit is, freedom abounds.  We must turn to The Lord and I doing so, we will find freedom.

Prayer: Daddy, help us find freedom in Jesus tonight.  You are, have been, and always will be more than enough for us.  Amen.

SOAP June 1, 2014

Scripture: For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, (2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV)

Observation: Our faith permeates the air so that those around us know where we stand.

Application: Be aware that even if not intended, people take note of our actions.  Will their observations of our actions be an argument for or against Christ?  

Prayer: Daddy, I pray that our lives would be worthy of You.  I know we cannot be perfect in the flesh, yet I pray that Your grace and mercy would abound and change our hearts to desire You above all else.  Amen.