Matthew 6:6 4/30/2019*

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Prayer is a discipline.

In Thessalonians the bible says to “pray without ceasing” meaning constantly be in communication with God. However, this passage is addressing another type of prayer. The type Jesus practiced when He would slip away early in the morning to pray. (Luke 5:16)

This type of prayer requires total focus…not praying while you are doing something else, not driving to work, not while you’re stuck in traffic…but an appointment.  A time set aside to close your door and meet with God.

You absolutely should be praying in traffic, you should talk to God throughout your day, but you should also have a daily private conference with Him. A specific time that is set aside for you to be still and connect with God.

You would never have your iPhone out during a scheduled meeting with your boss. You wouldn’t multitask while talking to your largest client. Those meetings are too important…that is what this verse is saying.

This passage quotes Jesus giving us very specific instructions about a very specific prayer practice.  Why then is it so hard to do?  Maybe because the enemy desperately doesn’t want you to do it.

This type of prayer is usually born in crisis…it happens naturally when you have a problem.  But what if it happened every day?  How different would your life be if you met earnestly and exclusively with God every morning?

Let me challenge you as God has challenged me. Try it…make it non-negotiable for one week.

Every morning go into a room and close the door. Sit down, be still, and discuss things with God. Confess, repent, worship, bring your petitions to Him. Make a list. Take notes. Make it your war room and do business with your Lord.

This will be hard to do, but don’t back down… determine to do it for a week and my guess is you will never again want to live without the power this brings into your life.

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"
- Corrie ten Boom

John 8:36 4/23/2019*

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”

Jesus is not being dramatic or poetic here. He means exactly what He says…He is saying that the word “freedom” means something, and unless He has set you free, you don’t know what it is. 

Are you free? …Do you want to be free? …Or have you become comfortable in your confinement?

Animals that are raised in cages acclimate to them. They find security in their imprisonment.  It is heartbreaking that when the door is finally open, they often remain inside, because they fear liberty. 

Finding comfort in confinement is not freedom, but we do the same thing. We become comfortable in our sin.  It is familiar and predictable and though it imprisons us, we choose to be a slave to it because it is all we know.  Furthermore, as we look around this world - it is all we see … but that is not freedom. 

Freedom is not mundane and predictable. It is liberating and empowering.  There is an anticipation and excitement to it. That is why Jesus differentiated between what the world calls freedom, and what He calls freedom.

Christ didn’t just open the door, he destroyed the cage.  He conquered death, and rose from the grave, sin has lost its grip on you …So, the question is, what sin have you surrendered to?…Whatever it is, it is powerless, and you can walk away.

Jesus says He has broken the chains and you can be truly free.  But no one can push you out of your cell, you must walk out on your own. Today you can leave the dungeon you have lived in your entire life…you just have to follow Him out. 

We have all seen the photos of freed prisoners from concentration camps…The pure joy at the arrival of liberating forces is evident on their faces…. That can be you this morning…That can be you every morning.

Step into the sunshine and begin the life you were meant to live…because when the Son of God sets you free…there is no prison that can hold you. 

“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.”
- Rosa Luxemburg

1 Peter 4:8 4/16/2019*

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

People debate what the end of this verse means, but let’s discuss the beginning of it.

“Above all, love each other deeply” … How are you doing in that area? 

This chapter discusses suffering, idolatry, resisting sin, and some very important issues but Peter says above all of that, we must love each other deeply.

It seems we are quick to categorize ourselves by our memberships, but our identifying mark is to be love…. that is how we are to be picked out of the crowd.

So again, how are you doing in that area?  

If someone was asked to describe you in one word, how far down the list would “loving” be? …that is an important question.

Similarly, If I asked you how you’re doing spiritually would you list religious activities, church attendance, scripture memorization, etc. …or would talk about those you love intentionally and well? 

I am glad you memorize scripture; it is important that you are consistent at church, and bible study… but Jesus said “the world will know you belong to me by your love” …that is your ID card.

The end of the verse says that love works like spackle…if covers stuff up.  Whether that means your sin or other’s sin is open for discussion, but the fact of the matter is, love buries junk that doesn’t need to be seen.

Relationships that are bathed in love are smooth and seamless and look very different from the world. When people see Christians, who love deeply…that, more than any sermon, will draw others to Christ.

“It's easy to talk about how much you love God, but loving others reveals how much you truly do. “

-      Elizabeth George

Acts 9:5 4/9/2019*

""Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked."

Saul knew “what” he was talking to, but he didn’t know “who” …. The answer to his question changed him from a religious man to a Christ follower.

Saul (also known as Paul) was well versed in the Torah and Jewish traditions. He had studied the Old Testament prophets and He knew the rules and the procedures for excelling in his religious community.

But suddenly Jesus appeared and obliterated all of that.

God was no longer an ambiguous concept that was simply part of Saul’s world view.  Instantly Jesus became very real, and very personal.

On the road to Damascus, Christ made the point that He is not a subject that you study, or a distant theological concept.  He is the one and only true God, and He is very interested in having a connection with you.

God’s desire is not to have us do His work….it is to have us draw close to Him so He can work through us.

Saul’s religious agenda had to be interrupted before he could hear Jesus.  He had to be stopped in his tracks and confronted by his personal Savior. In that moment Saul realized that there is a difference in knowing there is a God…and knowing God.

What about you? Have you been so busy with your religion that you have neglected meeting the one it is about?

Be confronted by Jesus today.  Stop your programs.  Interrupt your schedule and personally come face to face with your Lord and Redeemer.  The goal of the cross was not to increase your productivity…it was to allow you rest in the arms of the Savior.

Ask the question that Saul asked…” who are you Lord?” …Your life goal should be to learn a little more each day about the answer to that question …everything else is just details.

“A rule I live by is to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend.  It is not a creed, a mere empty doctrine, but it is Christ Himself we have.”

-      D.L. Moody

Romans 10: 2-3 4/2/2019*

"For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.  Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own…”

Just because you are sincere doesn’t mean you’re not sincerely wrong. Being zealous for a god that you have created in your own mind can put you in danger.

This passage points out that the Jews, in their ignorance of God’s truth, made up their own rules, much like we have done today.

The problem with that is that human “truth” changes.  Academic books from just 50 years ago will be very different from today’s versions. Revisions must constantly be made as facts reveal inaccuracies.

But God’s truth stands unmovable…His Holy Word has been unchanged for centuries…not revised by facts, but confirmed by them. Your zeal must find its foundation in that book alone.

If your belief system requires adjusting the bible, if you feel the need to add to its teachings or minimize things you don’t agree with… then like the Jews, your zealousness is not based on knowledge. And it will fail you.

Likewise, if you claim the bible as your infallible guide but don’t know what it says you will be vulnerable to deception.

God has preserved His Word for us, and we have a choice to make. Learn His truth or make up our own. If we choose the latter, we will bear the consequences.

Be zealous men of action. But make sure your zeal is based on knowledge.  Study the truth, talk to your creator, and memorize His Word in order to set your course for the day.

Zeal based on truth will make you a fruitful man of God. Zeal based on your own rules will make you wrong but never in doubt, and that will lead to some very expensive mistakes. Choose wisely.

“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”
– Charles Spurgeon