PSALM 121:1-2 10/26/2021*

“I will raise my eyes to the mountains; From where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

It is amazing how much power is in scripture when we slow down and read it.  Just two verses this morning but they contain a remedy for anxiety.

“I will raise my eyes to the mountains” is a choice…a difficult choice.  There are real and devastating problems out there. There are heart breaking sorrows and hard seasons that drain us of strength…. Raising my eyes is an intentional response to those trials. 

This passage explains why we look up – help comes from the Lord… The implication is my support is there waiting for me. I just must raise my head …. God is waiting for me to turn around…to reach my hand toward my Father.  

And in case I don’t realize the value of that opportunity, the psalmist explains who God is… “The Lord, who made heaven and earth”. The all-powerful ever-present King of kings…the Great I AM. The question is not can He deliver me…the question is will I turn to Him and be delivered?

It doesn’t say look around for a path of escape. Nor does it instruct me to look to my friends to bail me out…it says look up. 

At the end of the day, it is just me and God…and He loves me.  I either believe that or I don’t. If I believe it – it changes me. I am no longer a lonely victim. I am a beloved child of God waiting for my deliverance. 

This is not a “positive attitude” message it is much more powerful than that – It is a message about faith…Faith in a very real God who loves and protects me.  So, when I am downtrodden and exhausted, I have a choice to make… I can hang my head – or raise my eyes.  If I choose faith, I will receive strength and be protected in His shadow. 

So, in two verses we go from defeat and fatigue - to deliverance and confidence. With one decision the trajectory of my day is altered. 

So, what is your choice today?  Will you raise your eyes…or hang your head? God is waiting - the choice is yours. 

“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.” - Oswald Chambers

1 Thessalonians 2:4 10/19/2021*

“But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not intending to please people, but to please God, who examines our hearts.”

Who is your target audience? 

In this age of Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms, we seek mass approval not truth. Information is not evaluated on accuracy, but on popularity. 

The news outlets now report twitter reaction to events instead of the actual event. Our daily focus is on pleasing people we don’t know - and who don’t know us.  

Canceling what we don’t like, we ignore facts, and paint a fantasy that satisfies our emotions. All the while projecting the “perfect” life we want others to believe we have - as we envy the manufactured lives our “friends’ display.

It is exhausting, and this verse says it is a foolish way to live your life. 

As Christians we have an audience of One. 

You have been approved by God and that is the only “like” you need.  You have been entrusted with His message and your assignment is not to trend well - but to speak the truth in love.

Imagine waking up today without any objective except to please the God that already loves you.  How liberating it would be if you didn’t know, and didn’t care what the world wide web thought of you?  

What a relief to release the burden of pleasing a thousand online judges - and replacing it with enjoying the Grace of God. The peacefulness that generates - is how you were intended to live.  

Only God sees your heart and only His opinion matters. Stop carrying around the expectations of others. Your goal is to please God, not people.

As Christians we are not to be fragile.  We are fortified by our Father and our value has been established.  We must focus on loving other people - not on impressing them.…Sharing the gospel with them and being intentionally oblivious to the negative opinions of those who don’t appreciate us.

A work of art is not offended by a bad review…. that is between the critic and the artist. Let your critics speak to your creator if they have a complaint - and you just keep joyfully doing what He designed you to do.

“What other people think of me is none of my business.”- Mark Twain

2 Corinthians 6:18 10/12/2021*

"And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

The one name God is never called in scripture is “grandfather”. He is the Father of Abraham, and the Father of Isaac, and the Father of Jacob.  

Our relationship to God is always first generation… You are not a Christian because your parents are Christians. You cannot inherit salvation from your relatives.

Unfortunately, many approach God that way…Their parents knew Him, therefor they consider Him their “Heavenly Grandpa” – It is a comfortable arrangement since grandparents seldom discipline and are easily manipulated by their grandkids.

However, this is an inaccurate, and dangerous supposition.

God only relates to people on an individual bases.  This is made clear in one of the most frightening verses in all of scripture found in Matthew 7 when Jesus looks at some “religious” people and says, “I never knew you”.

If Jesus doesn’t have a personal relationship with you, then He has no relationship with you at all…You must have an individual connection with Him. God does not have distant relatives…no grandchildren, nieces, or nephews… He only has beloved children.

To become His child, you must understand the gospel message. Then you have to agree with the truth of your sinful condition… and finally – (the step that many miss) You must accept redemption by faith and claim God as your Lord and Savior. 

These steps make God your Father.  And that changes everything. 

It alters every aspect of your existence. No longer an orphan, you are now in close connection with your Heavenly Father and you can begin living the life you were created to live.

Stop observing other people’s relationship with God from a distance and trying to live vicariously through them. Accept God’s invitation and live each day connected to Him, enjoying His love and protection as His child.  

Only you and God are involved in that transaction, and He has already paid the price for your adoption. 

Claim the birthright that was purchased for you on the cross. And with Christs’ righteousness now accredited to you, you can securely walk hand in hand with your Heavenly Father.

“God’s children are God’s children anywhere and everywhere, and shall be even unto the end. Nothing can sever that sacred tie, or divide us from his heart.” — Charles H. Spurgeon

 

James 1:17 10/5/2021*

“Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Only the things of God are truly good. The world can only offer cheap imitations. 

Drugs and alcohol may offer a temporary numbing peace…Promiscuity can offer false intimacy to briefly mask loneliness…The love and pursuit of money can offer superficial feelings of self-worth. But none of it last - and when the respite passes, you are worse off than before. 

Things that are authentically good at their core only come from God. Which makes sense because He is the creator and designer of your life. He knows your needs and offers perfectly designed gifts that are eternally beneficial. 

The inner peace you long for can only be found in a relationship with a Heavenly Father who loves you and controls your life accordingly. 

Loneliness disappears when Jesus Christ lives within your heart and your relationship with God is a moment-by-moment reality.

Your self-worth has been eternally established by the fact that you were chosen and redeemed by God Himself.  He loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son…How could anything the world offers compete with that? 

What is stopping you from deciding to only accept authentic gifts from now on? …Is there any reason not to make a life changing decision to insist on the best from this day forward? 

It is after all – up to you. 

The key is that God will not share the throne of your life. So, you have a decision to make…. Reject the sin and tiny idols that contend for your attention, and you will see clearly enough to receive the incredible gifts of the one true God.

Clean house today.  Put God on the Throne and evict the false gods you have allowed into your heart. Reject the temporary scams that sin offers and insist on the authentic and perfect gifts from God.  

Confess your sin, Repent, and establish God as the ruler of your life and the provider of your needs…  and you will be amazed at the good and perfect gifts He has in store for you. 

“Be prepared at all times for the gifts of God … For God is a thousand times more ready to give than we are to receive” - Meister Eckhart

John 4:39-41 9/28/2021*

“Now from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” So, when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word”

After meeting Jesus, how long should you wait before telling other people about Him? ... Apparently, just as long as it takes to find someone to tell.

The woman at the well was not qualified…. She had been married multiple times and was living with a man she wasn’t married to…but immediately after meeting Jesus she started a revival in her hometown. 

It doesn’t matter how bad your life has been…It doesn’t matter how sinful yesterday was – If you have met Jesus - you have a story to tell. 

Too often we think we are not qualified to share Christ because we haven’t been to seminary - or we have made mistakes that exclude us from talking about Jesus.  

This woman didn’t preach, she didn’t argue theology. She wasn’t qualified to answer questions with scripture, and she had a bad reputation…. but Jesus had touched her heart and that was enough to send her on a missionary journey. 

Many of us have been saved, changed, and educated – We have been in church for years…and yet we don’t speak up.  Fearful someone will know our history and call us hypocrites. We believe we are not competent to reach out to others – so we don’t. 

The difference between the woman in this passage and us - is focus – she wasn’t focused on her credentials; she was focused on Jesus. It wasn’t a religion or a program she was pushing - it was a relationship with a man who knew her every flaw - and loved her anyway.

What about you? Has Jesus impacted you in a way that compels you to talk about Him? Is your love for Christ more important than your reputation? Are you willing to be ridiculed to get some folks in front of Jesus?  

Regardless of your background or education…If you know Christ, you are qualified. Find the courage to say,” Come see the man that changed my life” ... and leave the rest up to Him.

“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” 

– Charles Spurgeon

Joshua 24:15 9/21/2021*

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua is not politically correct. 

He proclaims an inflexible right and wrong…He declares The Lord as the only true God …. He is not being inclusive - And he is no doubt offending the Israelites by rejecting their ancestor’s religion. - Yet his desire to speak truth overpowers any need for approval from men. 

Are we as zealous as Joshua, or are we in danger of allowing “virtue signaling” to become an idol in our country?  

The church has attempted to recruit God to our team - instead of joining His. We like the concept of Christianity, but we want to control the details so as not to risk upsetting our emotionally “woke” congregations. We claim “functional deity” for ourselves allowing us to remove anything offensive from the scripture. As Voltaire said, “God created man in His own image, and we have been trying to repay the favor ever since.” That never has, nor ever will be acceptable to the Great I Am. 

When Joshua issues this challenge about false gods to his people, they knew exactly what false god’s he was referring to…. Do we?

Do we realize that popularity can be a god? Do we understand that “fitting in” can be an idol that leads us away from Jesus? Is comfort and tranquility tempting enough to stop us from following God?   

I wholeheartedly approve when Joshua says to other people “choose this day whom you will serve” … But how do I respond when God says the exact same thing to me? My idols of prosperity and comfort are just as repugnant to God as the gods “beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites”.

Joshua’s message is unbending.” …We WILL serve the Lord.” That sentiment could get you canceled today… but Joshua had decided whom he would serve …. It is time for us to decide as well. 

“If I am going to know who Jesus is, I must obey Him. The majority of us don't know Jesus because we have not the remotest intention of obeying Him.”

Oswald Chambers

GENESIS 1: 27 9/14/21*

“So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them...”

You can act like an atheist…but you cannot react like one. 

God’s image has been stamped on your core and it shows in your reactions.  If someone steals from you – you will insist on justice. There is no other species on earth that does that…and the reason you do it - is because you were created in the image of a righteous God.  

You have knowledge of a higher power written on your heart. (Hebrews 10). The question has never been “Is there a God?” … It has always been “Who is God?” … People who call themselves atheist have simply decided that they merit the job. 

No one argues we should live by the “law of the jungle” where “might makes right” as atheism would logically advocate …. No one actually believes there is no right or wrong…. The dispute arises over who gets to decide the parameters. 

So, the argument is over relativism not atheism…and the question becomes – Who is in charge?

You need to deal with that question – 

You are the only created being that has been given a moral compass. You can attempt to use “science” to excuse your unresponsiveness to that compass. But in the end, you must deal with your unique awareness of good and evil… You are not an animal with no conscience - and that makes it complicated.  

Scripture says that God is Spirit - and so are you - and your Spiritual aspect is far more important than the physical one… Search for what you already know is there.  Nothing will fill the void you feel except your Heavenly Father. Study the Bible. It is an accurate, historical document that reveals a living Holy God who loves you. 

You are not a highly evolved organism who somehow developed a sense of virtue. God created you as His child - and your desire for justice is a family trait. 

You are an eternal being - in need of eternal truths…. Face the reality of your heritage and it will answer the nagging questions in your heart and fill you with peace and purpose. 

“You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.”

― C.S. Lewis

PSALM 25:19-21 9/7/2021*

“Look at my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with violent hatred. Guard my soul and save me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.  Let integrity and uprightness protect me, For I wait for You.”

I don’t have many enemies who hate me with violent hatred….  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?  

I know the prince of this world “hates with violent hatred” anything that relates to holiness. I also know that Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

Do I not look enough like Jesus to be hated at times?  Do I not sound enough like Him to be rejected occasionally?  Do I blend in a little too well with people who have no desire to be righteous?

Scripture says this world is not our home…. We are aliens, foreigners…just passing through. But has the church adopted so many of the world’s habits that we appear to be local citizens?   Are we chameleons, who say enough to ease our conscience - but not so much that we stand out in a crowd?

I don’t desire to be hated – but there are opposing forces in this world, and they pursue opposing goals. 

It is our job to light up the darkness. Some people prefer darkness - and do not appreciate what the light exposes.  So, we cannot always expect applause when we shine, but when it is dark, our light is needed most. 

We need to choose this day whom we will serve.  Start looking to integrity and uprightness for protection, and stop counting on our own ability to fit in. 

It would be easier if righteousness was met with approval…and one day that will be the case…. But that is not the offer here on earth. The offer here is to die to self and live for Christ. Our goal is to please God and pursue holiness.

If it is up to us, we should be at peace with all men - but it will not always be up to us and at times holiness will demand unpopular words and actions. 

Saddle up anyway…Speak the truth in love…Walk straight…unashamedly choose your side and wait on the Lord.

“Persecution shows who is a hireling, and who a true pastor.”

- Bernard of Clairvaux

1 CORINTHIANS 4:14-16 8/31/2021*

“I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you, imitate me. ”

Two Questions: 
1. Are there people in your life you could say you have “begotten through the gospel”?

2. Are you walking with God to the degree you can encourage others to imitate you?

Paul sees the Corinthians as his children in the faith. He has earned the right to speak by accurately sharing the Word. There is a hint of annoyance in his comment about the 10,000 teachers because the truth he preached was being polluted by others with ulterior motives.

I think God may have that same annoyance at my insistence on new ways to worship…new ways to interpret scripture…new music…new pithy ways to preach… I may have 10,000 teachers but the Holy scripture is what birthed me. I need to cling to that…I need to meditate on the unvarnished, unenhanced, accurate Word of God…and use it to reach others.  

Adding creativity is fine, but the core of my faith is walking through scripture daily. As Darrell Royal said I need to “dance with the one that brung me”.

Secondly Paul has earned credibility with the Corinthians based on his conduct.  His walk matches his talk…. It may seem humble if I am hesitant to say “live as I live” - but it is not so much humility, as it is disobedience.

So, do I continue excusing my defiance – or do I change it? Do I continue to explain my sin, or do I put the bar back were Jesus set it, and strive to reflect Christ?

Constantly using “humble brags” to rationalize my failures gets old.  Talking one way and walking another leads to my actions speaking so loudly that people cannot hear my words.

 

We have been commanded to make disciples…. It is time to invest in people by accurately sharing scripture …it is also time to start living in a way that allows us to say, “do what we do” … not “do what we say.”

“Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ.”

- A. W. Tozer

 

PSALM 23:4-5 8/23/2021*

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”

This passage is often quoted in an almost boastful manner…But it hit me differently this morning… It had a comforting, but ominous tone.

The passage doesn’t say IF I walk through the valley of death…It says I WILL walk through it…. I am not carried, I don’t fly…I walk. It doesn’t say I am strolling through a plush garden …it says I am in a deep dark valley, and I am at times assigned the task of putting one foot in front of the other just to get through it.

It is the valley of the shadow of death…the ultimate predator - a dark frightening place. A table is prepared for me but not with friends …sometimes I must sit with enemies who want to destroy me.

Yet, in the midst of all of this- I do not fear, I am protected by the Shepherd, and I am not alone – through the struggle, this is what comforts me.

Too often we try to portray the Christian life as a carefree walk in the park…but you were not given the full armor of God so you could walk in the park…it was provided so you could walk through the valley.  You wear armor to do battle.

People don’t identify with the prosperity gospel because it doesn’t sync up with what they see in the world… The lost see our pristine steeples and our flawless veneers - and look elsewhere for comfort.

We need to get rid of the “perfect life” social media façade, and speak the truth… We’re in a raging battle – the war is all around us…. but we are not alone, we are not afraid - and though bloodied and bruised at times - we are more than victorious.

Drop the perfect Christian charade – be transparent, show your wounds…and others will seek you out …Then you can do battle together… Armor on - walking through the valley without fear, fighting right beside each other.

“There is a beautiful transparency to honest disciples who never wear a false face and do not pretend to be anything but who they are.” - Brennan Manning