Lamentations 3:22-23 12/26/2017*23*

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is a God of new beginnings.

He is not refurbishing you…you were totaled.
You died with Christ and have been raised as a new creation, and each morning you start renewed.

When you accept the blood of Christ your sins are not only forgiven, they are forgotten.  The old passes away, and there is no connection to the failures of the past. His steadfast love insures that this is a never-ending process.

New Year’s resolutions often deal with what we plan to do in the coming year, but this year let’s talk about what we are NOT going to do… like continue to fight battles that have already been won, or carry baggage that is no longer our responsibility.  Let’s decide not to entertain guilt that has been obliterated by the costliest redemption in all of history.

Then let’s resolve to pass this on to others by forgiving the offenses they have inflicted on us. 

Determine to give a new beginning to anyone in your life who needs one.  If the blood of Christ eliminates your sin, shouldn’t it do the same for theirs?

Grant them forgiveness and you will be amazed at the relief you experience by setting yourself free from all the accounting…the Cross means there is no longer any need to keep score.

He is a God of new beginnings.

So, start again.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P.  Morgan

Ephesians 1:7 12/19/2017

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

What a great Christmas verse. It explains the reason for his coming.

The excitement a gift can bring on Christmas morning is fun, but it is unrelated to what we celebrate.

The joy we celebrate is more akin to the emotion felt by prisoners in a death camp when they see liberating forces approaching. It is not a shallow happiness, it is a deeply emotional bliss.  It is a joy that borders on unbelievability because of the outlandishness of what God did.

Jesus didn’t come to visit on Christmas. He came to pay a debt.

God’s only Son offered himself as payment for my trespasses. His blood for my sin. Not because I deserved it, but because He loves me.

The most impactful act of love known to mankind took place in a manger in Bethlehem, and it is where all human history divides.

Enjoy the Holidays, but set aside some time to contemplate the true gift of Christmas…because that gift changed everything.

“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”
- Alexander Smith

Luke 5:15-16 12/12/2017*28*

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

When was the last time you withdrew to a lonely place and prayed? 

Is it even possible today? 

Apparently, Jesus did it regularly. Have we somehow missed the importance of this habit? Though He was God in human form, He still “often” withdrew.  If Christ thought it important for Him, how much more important is it for us?

The holidays are incredibly busy.  The days are filled with shopping, decorating, and Christmas parties.  But have we overlooked the reason we celebrate? 

Christmas was a rescue mission launched with one goal…to restore the fellowship we had with the Father in the garden. 

As we celebrate the success of that mission don’t forget to take advantage of the result. 

Withdraw to a quiet place today. Spend some time communicating with God and thank Him for Christmas…which liberated you from bondage, and reestablished the relationship you were created for in the first place.

“Most Christians do not have fellowship with God; they have fellowship with each other about God.”- Paris Reidhead

Romans 12:10 12/5/2017*30*

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above

yourselves."

What is the best way for us to love and honor each other during the holidays?

Christmas has nothing to do with Black Friday, Cyber Tuesday or any other shopping strategy.   It is a time to show your appreciation to God for the family and friends He has given you.

Devotion and Honor are not expressed by buying the latest gadget ... that is only a distraction.  In fact, not having time to spend with your family because you are busy trying to get a good deal on their gift is the antithesis of Christmas.

This year purify your holiday.  

Don’t allow materialism to pollute your celebration.  Don’t spend your time looking for trinkets, but instead think of ways to truly honor those you love. 

The best gifts are not the most expensive.

The gifts that are remembered are the simple ones given from the heart. Don’t just buy presents, invest time. Spend more time this Christmas communicating with those you love, and less time shopping for them.

Nothing “online” will compare to a quite conversation with a loved one where you express how valuable they are to you, and how grateful you are that God placed them in your life…don’t miss that opportunity.

“Appreciation can make a day - even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” 
-- Margaret Cousins

2 Thessalonians 1:4 11/28/2017*25*

“Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”

The holidays can be tough.  Especially since according to Facebook everyone else’s life is flawless.

Social media would have you believe that Christianity, is all about comfort, affluence, and the perfect life.  But according to this verse it is really about perseverance. 

God wants distance runners. 

Paul didn’t speak proudly of the Thessalonians perfect life…he boasted of their endurance.  He highlighted their faith when times were hard.
  

Our lives are not easy.  They’re not supposed to be.  Endurance comes when you trust God with that fact, and set out to help others.  A distance runners goal is not to avoid pain, it is to keep running through it.

In the midst of your “persecutions and afflictions” …endure.  Then take it a step further and “count your trials as joy” knowing that “spiritual weightlifting” will make you stronger.

God proved His love for you when He gave the first Christmas gift. 

Trust Him.

There will be trials…but Christmas means you will not face them alone, and the empty tomb means they will not defeat you.

… Keep running.

“The first virtue in a soldier is endurance; courage is only the second virtue.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte

Romans 1:9 11/21/2017

“God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times...”

Whose salvation did you pray for today?   At least one name should pop into your mind when you read that question.   

Are you so invested in the people God has put in your path, that you constantly remember them in your prayers?  Or is your prayer life more about jobs, money, and personal problems?

If we diagramed your prayers what percentage would be about God’s Kingdom, and what percentage would be about yours?

Paul had not yet visited the church at Rome, yet they are constantly in his prayers. Even though he was being imprisoned, attacked, beaten, and shipwrecked, Paul prayed unceasingly for these strangers in Rome that God had laid on his heart. 

Can we be that focused?  Can we be so undistracted by day to day concerns that we pray unceasingly for the people God puts in our lives? 

There will be distractions, people who resent you, those who don’t want you to succeed…but can you ignore it all and focus on the job God has set before you?  Can you “seek first the Kingdom” and allow the other things to be added?

You have a mission today.  God has put people in your path who need to know Him.  Pray for them specifically this morning, and talk to them intentionally this afternoon.  There will be obstacles, but trust God and focus on increasing the Kingdom.  That is why you are here; everything else is just details.

“Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.”
- Elton Trueblood

Psalm 119:105 11/14/2017*10/14*

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

If you are looking to the government, educational system, or our culture to give you direction you are wasting your time.

Even if they knew the way, they would not be allowed to tell you for fear of offending.  Because as long as we are all in the dark, and no one can see us, we are comfortable…lost but comfortable.

Shining a light in the darkness changes that.  The problem with light is it exposes things…it makes us aware of defects.  If we are on the wrong path it disturbs our sense of well-being.

That is what scripture does.  It shines a light on our path and by it we can clearly see the good and the bad in our direction.  It illuminates right and wrong, destroys the argument for relative standards, and upsets those who would rather die in the darkness, than live in the light.

God has provided a compass.  It is authoritative, and it is intended to change your course.  You cannot ignore the light in God’s word.  It will impact you.  It will reveal whether you are a moth or a cockroach because you will either fly to the light, or run from it.

Fly to the light.  Let God’s Word illuminate your path.  Follow the Creators design and you will experience what Jesus meant when he said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. "
- Plato

Philippians 4:7 11/7/2017

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How can “the peace of God” surpass understanding?

Isn’t understanding the very thing that produces peace? 

 

We are a people of proof.  We want things defined, explained, and clarified.  How can we have peace without a comprehension of the solution to the problem we face?

The peace of God may not come from understanding the problem. It may come from understanding something greater than the problem.

 

Peace, without a solution to your situation, comes from understanding the love of God. It is a result of knowing that God, who has carried you this far, will continue to defend, and provide for you.

It is a change of focus.  Instead of staring at the threat, you stare at your protector.  Instead of desperately looking for an escape, you trust that God once again will deliver you. It is the difference in trusting your abilities, and trusting God.

If you are anxious today.  If you long for real peace.  Stop trying to manipulate the situation. Stop trying to understand and explain everything.  Quit looking at the obstacle, and gaze into the loving eyes of the Father.

Choose to rest in the abundant peace that is available, not from understanding the problem, but understanding the One who provides the solution.  According to scripture, that will guard you heart and provide true, unshakable peace.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God”
- Corrie Ten Boom

Genesis 12:7 10/31/2017*28*

“The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land " So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.”

Do you build altars when God appears in your life?

Abram built something to remind him of the time God showed up and made a promise.  We should do the same thing.  

It can be a journal, or a scrapbook… or a “God box” with note cards or trinkets in it …  maybe just a calendar with stars on the days God delivers …but we need to do something that documents the times God has shown His power in our lives.

We need this because, when we are threatened, we have a propensity to forget all the times He has delivered us.  It is astonishing how quickly we revert to fear. 

Like the Israelites who began questioning God’s love for them soon after God had miraculously split the ocean for them to cross.  Or like Peter, literally standing on the water and questioning God’s ability to handle a wave.  It defies logic, yet we all are susceptible to it.

Strengthen your faith by becoming intentional about documenting God’s victories in your life.  Build altars and routinely sit and review the amazing things God has done.  God’s work is always easier to see when you look back at it.  

Faith is not a blind leap. It is facing today without fear because of what God did yesterday.  Build an altar to remind yourself.  Be still and remember the grace He has shown you in the past, then confidently walk into your future. 

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.”  Martin Luther

Genesis 50:20 10/24/2017

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

These words were spoken by Joseph to his brothers who had sold him into slavery. How did he avoid resentment? How can we?

The two most destructive emotions on the planet are bitterness, and self-pity. Faith destroys the environment they need to exist.

Trusting God changes your viewpoint.  It transforms you from a victim to an operative. It allows you to see how God can use what should have destroyed you to make you useful and effective against the enemy.

Faith gives you the patience to “let the play develop”.  It allows you to resist panic and wait for God to reveal His plan.  Nothing is more empowering then realizing that God “has your back”.

Confidence in Christ is what allows an alcoholic to both recover and move on to help others fighting the same battle. It enables those who have waded through unimaginable grief to rescue others sinking in it.  It equips battle tested “veterans” who can provide priceless guidance to those just entering the fight. 

Completely Trusting God changes you. 

If you are in the middle of the storm today, hold on.  Know that God loves you, and trust that He will carry you through…then turn your gaze outward and find the “many lives” you are meant to save through the rain.

"It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might know how to speak a word in season to one that is weary."
-  Charles Spurgeon

Isaiah 9:4 10/17/2017*11/4*

“For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor”

The coming of the Messiah brought freedom from burdens and oppression.  He shattered the yoke of slavery and broke the rod used to oppress His children.  That is what God does.

Has He done that for you?  Have you been set you free? 

We have somehow been duped into believing God came to enslave us… to load us down with rules and regulations and make our lives difficult.    But we had already done that to ourselves.

He came to break the chains of sin, to shatter the burden of the law, and to set us free to love Him as our Father. 

There is a song by Zach Williams called “Chain Breaker” and that is what God does.  In fact, the Gospel is the story of Jesus breaking the chains and redeeming you, back into freedom.

If your heart is burdened today and you think God wants to load more rules on your back, then you have been lied to… He came to save you.  He came to carry you through the storm you face today. His love for you put Jesus on the cross, and you can rest assured that no chain is stronger than His blood.

Come to Jesus today as your deliverer. Trust Him as your Savior and accept His gift of restoration. Rest in His love for you and feel the chains that bind you begin to fall away.

“If you’ve got pain - He’s a pain taker,
If you feel lost -  He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains - He’s a chain breaker”
Zach Williams

James 3:9 10/10/2017

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

Don’t tell me you love me and then speak rudely to my children.  Those two things can’t exist together.

Apparently, God feels the same way.  This verse says we cannot praise God, and then with the same mouth, curse those He died to save.  It is a contradiction that is indefensible.

If we are to worship God, we must abandon our insensitivity, and cynicism towards His children.  We have become so accustomed to verbally attacking each other that it is now the natural reaction to any disagreement. 

The harshest personal insults go unnoticed in our society. Yet I assure you, they do not go unnoticed in heaven. We have become so flippant with our words that it seems we have forgotten that they are capable of great destruction.

1^st John 4: 19 says “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar.” So, are you a liar?  Apparently, there is no middle ground. Your speech indicates that either you love God and your brother, or you don’t.

According to the verse in James, you can use your words to worship God, or you can use them to demean and insult His children…but you can’t do both.

So, before you verbally unload on someone today, remember they are the only thing in all of creation made in the image and likeness of God…and that should change your tone.

“I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels.” John Calvin

Acts 12: 12 – 16 10/3/20017

 "… many were gathered together and were praying.  And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed."

Have you ever been so busy praying… that you refused to be interrupted by God’s answer? 

These verses took place after an angel had miraculously freed Peter from Prison.  His friends had gathered in earnest prayer for his deliverance.  Yet when they were told he was free, they dismissed it and continued the prayer meeting.

Maybe they were praying out of habit, or obedience but apparently, they were not expecting an answer.

What about you?  When you are on your knees are you listening for a knock at the door?  Do expect God in His great love to answer you, or are you just reciting a mantra?  Have you become so consumed by the performance of prayer that you have forgotten it is a conversation?

At times we obsess over the composition of our prayer, instead of being overwhelmed by the power of the God we speak to…Our contribution is far less important than His.   We need not be eloquent to be heard.

Jesus says not to “babble on thinking you will be heard because of your many words” (Matt. 6:7).  Just go to your Father, spill your heart, and then listen.

Some of us are on our knees begging God to deliver…and His answer is pounding on the front door.

"...True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length." - C. H. Spurgeon

Galatians 5:1 9/26/2017*23*

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Does your faith make you feel free? 

In this verse Paul is talking to some new believers who have been delivered by the cross.  Yet people are telling them they must adopt more and more religious practices if they want redemption.

Has that happened to us?  Is there a vanity in us that makes us think we can earn salvation?  Paul calls that a “yoke of slavery”.   It is an arrogant drudgery that will bleed your spiritual life dry, and it is based on selfcenterdness.  

Many people see the church as a restrictive cage where members sit in bondage Sunday morning, and discuss all the things they cannot do. Is that you? Is your faith a burden? Do you go to church to pick up your shackles for the coming week?  If so, then you have been lied to.

Like a bird from a cage, we should celebrate Sunday morning.  We should sing because we cannot hold it in.  We should share the good news with others not because we are supposed to, but because we can’t help it.   

Don’t buy the lie… Never allow the chains of dead religion to be placed on you again. They were broken at an enormous price, and you have been set free.

Escape the burden today. Love God. Walk humbly with Him.  You have been made perfect in His sight and all He desires is to fellowship with you.  Salvation is not for sale, and you couldn’t afford it if it was… His great gift to you is freedom, you are not a slave, you are a son!

"Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want."

- Martin Luther

John 8:10-11 9/19/2017*16*

Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you”, Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more”.

“Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone” is one of the most quoted verses in the bible…far more than the following verses where Jesus addresses the women caught in adultery. 

Christ did not condone her actions.  He did not minimize her sin or excuse it.  His words to her were direct and to the point…. “stop sinning.”

Christ lovingly removed her condemnation, but did not defend her actions. 

He didn’t name it something else and try to make it acceptable, or place the blame on others... He simply said go and change.  

That is the rub, isn’t it?  When you meet God, He demands transformation.

His Spirit alters your heart, redeems your soul, and gives you the ability to change your actions.  He doesn’t excuse sin, He doesn’t release you from responsibility, and He doesn’t lower the bar.

Never mistake forgiveness for the minimization of sin.  Never misinterpret His love for overlooking.  The fact that sin cannot be overlooked, is the reason for the cross, and that should make it all the more revolting to us.

Sin is not a side note in the story of Salvation, it made it necessary.  Not dealing with what scripture defines as sin, guts the gospel of its purpose and power.

Run from sin… not in order to be saved, but because you are.

 “If I had a brother who had been murdered, what would you think of me
 if I... daily consorted with the assassin who drove the dagger into my brother's heart?…Sin murdered Christ; will you be a friend to it? Sin pierced the heart of the Incarnate God; can you love it? "
- Charles Spurgeon

Matthew 24:38-39 9/12/2017*9*

"For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will be the coming of the Son of Man."

For many of us, this verse is more ominous than it was just a few weeks ago. 

Though we were cautioned about the hurricane, and believed the warnings, the magnitude of the storm caught us off guard and exposed the futility of our preparations.

Mentally our day to day lives had been too important to let weather interfere… but when it arrived, the massiveness of the flood overwhelmed us, and we were powerless to stop the destruction caused by the storm.

Suddenly our meetings, social agenda, and “things to do” list became embarrassingly insignificant, as survival and rescue took their place.

Jesus says His arrival will impact many in the same way.

He has advised us of His impending return, yet we have other things on our mind.  Sunday morning, we give God a nod, and then deal with, what we see as crucial issues, the rest of the week. 

HE. IS. COMING.

 

And when He does the things of this world will be swept away and the insignificance of our fleshly pursuits will be undeniable. Like many in the flood, we will too late recognize what is important, and what is not. Don’t let that happen to you.

The cross is your life raft, and your only refuge from the power of the coming storm.  Don’t dull your senses with worldly pursuits. Stay focused on what matters so when the waters come you will be ready.

Christ used a flood to illustrate the effects of His coming.  As this storm has made us aware of the unyielding power associated with flooding.  I pray we also will be aware of the imminent and unrelenting power of His return.

 

Nothing will stop it…and it will change everything.

“Christians live in anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ and that is such an important segment of truth that the devil has always been geared up to fight it and ridicule it.”  - A.W. Tozer

Proverbs 18:2 9/5/2017*2*

"Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions."

When is the last time you tried to understand someone else’s opinion?
When is the last time you enjoyed airing your own?

If you are like me, the answers to those two questions are embarrassing.

There is an arrogance in us that can’t wait for someone to stop speaking so we can enlighten them.  We use the time our opponent is talking to compose our rebuttal.  Not listening to understand, only listening to prepare a counter attack.

Why are we like that?  What is the root cause?  It is not our ears that have a problem, it is our hearts.

If you don’t value someone why would you care what they believe?  If you don’t think of others as more important than yourself, why would you listen to them?  You cannot love God, and yet find His children unworthy of your consideration. 

We must stop wearing our contentiousness as a badge.  It is not your intelligence that makes you argumentative, it is your self-centeredness.  

Unless we want to be fools, we must learn to listen.  And if we disagree, we must learn to do it without being combative.

Start intentionally placing value on others.  You might find that a caring heart can open your ears.  If you get into a disagreement, really listen.  Change your goal from winning, to understanding. 

You might prove you are right by talking, but it won’t matter if you don’t prove you care by listening.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
- Winston Churchill

Ecclesiastes 5:10 8/29/2017*12/16*

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

The big lie…” if I could just make more money I would be happy”.

That is the lie that keeps us on the treadmill. The belief that what we acquire will give us joy is quicksand.  Materialism, like a drug, always demands more. And when what we desire is acquired without producing the promised happiness, it plunges some into lethal hopelessness.

Money, according to this verse, is worthless in achieving contentment and happiness. Some spend years in pursuit only to finally realize that wealth does not heal the heart. 

It is the opposite of “getting” that produces joy.  The act of giving is what lifts the heart.

One of our family traditions is the giving of “nacho money” at Christmas.  An envelope full of cash is given to someone so they can give it away.  It is “not your money” it all belongs to God. Your job is to find out who God wants you to give it to, and relay back the joy produced by giving it to them.

This is when money can bring joy … when it helps others.  When it is used as an expression of love it can produce happiness.  But when it is exercised in self-love it only makes the void bigger. 

Money is not the problem. Your undying love of it is.

Don’t waste another day misunderstanding the word wealth. 

Work hard and provide for your family.  But when it comes to your heart, pursue real treasure by loving God and loving your neighbor…. use money to do both.

 

Resolve today to set yourself free from the love of money, after all it is “Nacho” money anyway.

“Money is a great servant but a bad master.”

– Francis Bacon

1 Samuel 16: 10-11 8/22/2017

"Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.””


Do you feel unimportant? 
Does it seem like you’re not the kind of person who will ever be a “world changer”?

I bet David felt that way when his father sent him out to tend sheep instead of allowing him to be considered for greatness.


But it turns out that God, and man, have very different opinions, when it comes to choosing a team.  David, whose own father didn’t think he had potential, would one day be a great king, and God would use his lineage to usher in the savior of the world.

Likewise, when Christ chose twelve guys to establish Christianity not one scribe, priest, or religious teacher was chosen.  No one that a search committee would have recommended was selected. Just a bunch of unknown guys, whom God had equipped to change the course of humanity.

Nothing about you is an accident. God has a job for you, and when He puts you in the game, trust that He has prepared you to accomplish His plan.

Don’t listen when the world discounts your ability. God personally designed you. 

Be alert. Be confident ... knowing you cannot do it by yourself is the first qualification you need to achieve greatness. 

Look for needs that you are not qualified to meet, and meet them.  Have faith in God’s power, love your neighbor, and let those two forces guide your steps.

Boldly believe that you can do all things through Christ. Then be prepared to be amazed when God calls you out of the pasture to change the world.

“God doesn't call the equipped. God equips the called.
And you have been called.”  - Rick Yancey

Matthew 16:6-9 8/15/2017

“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread. “Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand?”

I think if the phrase “shake my head” was popular 2000 years ago, we would find it often in scripture.

 

The disciples actually believed Christ was upset because they had forgotten bread.  Never mind that two chapters earlier Jesus fed 5000 people with a few fish and a couple of rolls.  Somehow, they still thought Jesus was worried about lunch.

   

The disciples, like us, have trouble looking past the small issues of life, to find the truths that matter. We restrict our view to trivial daily task and it minimizes our existence.

 

Our prayer life consists of minor requests. Our faith involves tiny leaps. And our worship is shallow, and forced.  At times God must look at us, shake His head and ask, “Do you still not understand?”

   

We need to change our focus from earthly, temporal things, to the everlasting things of God.

   

When we pray it should be about eternally significant issues.  When we step out in faith it should be outlandish… if we do this… worship and praise will be natural and extravagant.

    

Starting today, let’s stop being distracted by mundane things and focus on what Jesus deemed important.  Practice being heavenly minded, focusing on issues more important than lunch…. If we can change our focus we can then begin to “understand”.

“What consumes your mind, controls your life.”  - Unknown

Hebrews 4:12 8/8/2017

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Have you ever heard a sermon, or read scripture and thought of someone who really needed that message?  It is natural to think of those we love, but does that ever distracted you from hearing what God is saying to you? 

The Word of God is alive.  It is dynamic and if you are hearing, or reading it, it is directed at you.  It is examining the thoughts and attitudes of your heart.  God is talking to you, not your spouse, your child, or your friend.

We must train ourselves to pay attention.  We must stop treating the word of God as though it is common and natural.  It is not.  It is like nothing we have read or heard before… it is alive, and communicating directly to us. More powerful than any weapon known to man, it is the only thing that can change our hearts.

God’s word can penetrate your very soul. It can expose things, repair things, and change things in your life.  The temptation to think the message is intended for others can distract you. That distraction interferes with the words ability to impact your own “thoughts and attitudes.”

Let’s start seeing the Word, as a personal conversation with God.  

He has a message for you and that message has power to pierce your heart and change who you are. If someone else comes to mind, jot their name down for later, but get back to the discussion. You and God have business to attend to… He’s not talking to them… He is talking to you.

“To me the Bible is not God, but it is God’s voice, and I do not hear it without awe.”  -   Charles Spurgeon

2 Timothy 3:1-5 8/1/2017

"...There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power...”

Apparently the last days will be marked by a false Christianity that does not change those who posses it.  While they talk about faith, their lives are filled with a long list of traits that deny their faith has any power.

Do we hold to a form of godliness but deny its power?
Is our faith an outward decoration - or an internal engine that drives our lives?

The old illustration of not having faith in a chair until you sit on it applicable here.  We can speak of our trust in the chair.  We can discuss how sturdy it looks, but until we sit in it we really don't know if it will hold us or not.

Unfortunately, many of us have the same relationship with our faith.  We talk about it.  We tell others how important it is to us, we have jewelry and clothing that advertise it's value...but we have yet to sit in it.  We have yet to allow ourselves to completely depend on it to hold us up......and until we do that, we are denying it's power.

Powerless faith, is both useless, and dangerous.  It is not only destructive to the holder, but to those they influence as well.

If that is you today, let's change things. Let's take a seat in godliness.  Let's become lovers of God, not lovers of pleasure.  Put your hope and trust completely in Him ... not denying His power, but betting everything on it. Godliness is not something you have, it is something that has you. It is a powerful force that should drive and direct your every thought, and action. 

Your reflection of His love will be a light to others that shows that godliness is not a decoration, but a dominate force that shapes your life.

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." - Brennan Manning

John 3:30 7/25/2017*22*

"He must become greater; I must become less."

Most of us are OK with the first part of this verse, but we struggle with the second.

It goes against our nature to try to decrease in importance.  What we desire is for Christ to increase and we increase with Him.

The problem with that scenario is our job description.  We are flashlights, used to help others find the light switch.  Individually and collectively the church is supposed to lead others to Christ.  As mere reflections of His love we, by definition, will fade once our convert finds the source of love.

Understanding this verse can reduce anxiety and confusion for us.  It is not that we are to decrease by loving less, or not trying as hard....it is simply the nature of the arrangement.  Once the sun appears the brightness of the stars fade.  The stars have not changed, the environment of the viewer has.

Can we really "die with Christ" and have Him live through us?

The enemies' original weapon is "self ____" - conceit, Pity, loathing, absorption... Fill in the blank. What ever you put there will be a distraction because it is still about you.

Even the misinterpretation of this verse, resulting in a conscious self-centered humility, is destructive. The goal is not to think low of yourself, it's to  not think of yourself at all.

We must decrease, we must disappear...it must be Christ living in us.  If we can get there, it makes us immune to all insults, compliments, attacks, and praises. All of those are powerless to distract us if our goal is to show people the "light switch".

Strive this week to disappear.

Not  to feel good about yourself, not to feel bad about your self...disappear.

Have your needs met so completely in Christ that you need nothing but the opportunity to show His love to others.

“There are two types of people--those who come into a room and say, ' here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are."
―Frederick L Collins

Matthew 16:18 7/17/17*15*

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Why did Jesus choose Peter?

Peter is the linebacker of the Apostles. He reacts. He rushes in. He is passionate and spontaneous.

His mistakes are documented in scripture more than any other Apostle:
- he almost drowned when he walked on water - and was reprimanded.
- he cut off a soldiers ear in the garden defending Christ - and was reprimanded.
- he told Jesus that he would not allow Him to be crucified - and was reprimanded.
- he said he would die before denying Christ - and was reprimanded with a look, after denying Him the third time.
- and the list goes on and on...Why build the church on him?

The answer is in Peter's bold proclamation that Jesus was the "Christ...the Son of the living God!" Peter knew who, and what, Jesus was, and that moved him to action.  This is the attribute that made Peter the foundation that hell could not prevail against.

His passion for God moved him and overpowered any fear of failure.  He was not so concerned about his reputation that he was afraid to act.  Peter was "all in"...with nothing held back, and that is what God used to build the church.

Today we suffer paralysis by committee.  We hedge every bet, and make sure we have no possibility of embarrassment before we act. Each move is calculated to be sure we are protected. We have become so fearful of ridicule that we choose not to try.

Nothing can be built that way.

We must become men who realize "He is the Christ, the son of the living God".  And that knowledge must eliminate all hesitation.

Be a little reckless with your faith today.  If God prompts you to speak, start talking.  If God whispers for you to help someone, do it.  If someone needs something you can provide, give it to them.

God builds things with people who move.

Get out of the boat.  You will probably get wet, but you also might walk on water.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -  Wayne Gretzky