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

Isaiah 1: 16-17 3/26/2019*

“Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

The verse we like to quote out of the book of Isaiah is 1:18 “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” … but we sometimes miss these two verses that come right before that.

God is telling His children to stop sinning. To turn from their duplicity and do what is right.  Hypocrisy in your life is like a blemish on your nose…it is easy for others to see, but hard to see yourself…In this chapter, God tells us to get a mirror.  He wants change…and His Son died to give you the ability to change.

God doesn’t need your money, your rituals, or your sacrifices. In verse 11 He says that He has more than enough burnt offerings and has no pleasure in empty gifts.

God wants your heart.  Stop making excuses. God wants you to live differently. Obedience is better than sacrifice. If you are doing something that is separating you from God. Stop.

“Stop doing wrong. Learn to do right” is a hard statement, but it is not complicated and the only way to accomplish it is to get started. 

Decide to follow God today - and then take the first step. Whether its lust, anger, pride, worldliness…whatever…stop giving your sin authority it no longer has.

If you’re afraid you can’t give up that sin permanently, then stop for a day…or for an hour…or a minute.  Then commit to seek His strength minute by minute, and you will discover a freedom you have never known.

We are soldiers of the cross, and soldiers fight.  God said you would be victorious. He said if you resist the devil, he will flee from you (James 4:7). So, get in the battle…We are promised victory, but you cannot win a war that you refuse to fight…. Your fight for freedom begins today.

“When all is said and done, the life of faith is nothing if not an unending struggle of the spirit with every available weapon against the flesh.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Psalms 5:3 3/19/2019*25*

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

It took a while for me to apply this verse in my life. I was too busy, and felt I had to “hit the ground running” each morning to accomplish my “to do” list for the day.

But someone told me two things that impacted me:

1. You should tune the instrument before the concert.
2. God’s not in a hurry…Joshua 10:13 “So the sun stood still…”

First, I need to set my mind on the eternal. I need to flush the trash the world puts in my heart and begin each day focused on what matters.

Second, God is not worried about me running out of time since He controls it…He can add hours to my day.

The realization of these two facts changed my approach from “I have too much to do to spend time with God this morning” – to “I have too much to do to neglect spending time with God this morning”.

The psalmist understands the concept and even adds a final ingredient.  He “waits expectantly” … and that is the last piece of the puzzle because it addresses my focus.

The first thing I need to do each morning is get my marching orders…  Consult with God and re-set my priorities to His. I can then begin to do the things I need to accomplish but my anticipation lies in what He will do.  

What God will do is what the day is about, not the trivial things I will accomplish and forget. 

When we get in a hurry and lose focus, we are in danger of missing the point. We run the risk of letting the urgent overpower the important.

So, let me challenge you to start your day with God. That is what you were created for and is the reason you exist.  Your relationship with your Heavenly Father is the only purpose for living that won’t disappoint you.

So, decide why you get out of bed in the morning.  What is your reason for living?  If you have discovered the truth, the first thing you will do each day is let God hear your voice.

“I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”  ― Martin Luther

Job 26:14 3/12/2019*27*

“Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

God is bigger than you think He is.

Job recorded some pretty astounding miracles before writing this verse ... and yet states that this is just a hint of what God can do.

We limit God with our capacity to understand. Like Peter walking on water and being startled by a wave, we forget whom we serve.  We allow temporary problems to disrupt peace that is based on eternal promises and power.

Since the God of peace is your protector. Whom shall you fear?  If God is for you who can be against you?... The truth is, it is laughable for any person or problem to oppose you considering who stands guard over you.

The reason I know God is bigger than we think He is… is because He is bigger than we are capable of thinking He is…

We don’t have the aptitude to comprehend that kind of supremacy. We are astounded when we get a glimpse, but we’re only seeing a shadow.

The creation of the universe, the parting of the Red Sea, raising Lazarus from the dead …all that was a whisper…the outskirts of an inconceivable force.

And when that same power loves and protects you…whom shall you fear?

The day will come when every knee will bow…. Scripture says the Lord will return with a Shout… But until then, rest in His whisper…the immense power of that still small voice provides assurance that is permanent.

Rest in that peace. Run in that freedom, and no matter how blown away you are by God’s response to your faith, no matter how amazed you are by His power…just know that you don’t even know.

 “God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible - what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves.”

-      A.W. Tozer

Esther 9:27 3/5/2019*28*

”... the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed”

What dates do you celebrate the great things God has done in your life?

If you’re like me the answer is none.

In the book of Esther, the Jews are delivered from Haman’s scheme to destroy them and they “took it on themselves” to set up a custom to celebrate this rescue every year.

We should do the same…. Hallmark has no patent on holidays and there is no excuse not to habitually recall and celebrate the times God has blessed you.

My new goal is to establish a Brigman family custom where on certain dates throughout the year we get together and say, “do you remember when God…?”

Like the children of Israel, I have the ability to pass through a God-parted ocean and the next day become anxious over trivial matters. I am naturally adept at worrying … but must train myself to trust. This custom of regularly rejoicing over God’s blessings will help set my mind on God’s incredible dependability.

Revelation 2:4 says “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” … maybe we do that because we forget all that He has done for us.  

So, look through your journal, talk to your family and recall the times that God has moved in your life…then get your calendar and set up a reoccurring reminder to remember and celebrate His Grace.

From now on watch for His hand …when you see His blessings “take it on yourself” to build a monument, set a holiday, or do whatever it takes to never let His provision in your life be forgotten.

“We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose that He wrought all His mighty acts and showed Himself strong for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders for the saints who are now upon the earth.”

-      Charles Spurgeon.

Romans 15:13 2/26/2019*

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Hope is important. Without it, people perish. We see this more and more as our society spirals into the depths of despair and anxiety.

In this verse Paul makes an amazing statement. He refers to God as “The God of Hope”. He asserts that you can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that God will fill you with joy and peace “as you trust in Him”.

The last phrase is the key that will change your life…you must trust in Him…you must choose to trust The God that gives Hope.

This Christmas both my kids had just gotten new apartments, so I gave one of them a little wooden sign that said, “choose happy”.  I have been mocked for the gift as it did not meet “fixer upper” standards (and to be honest is was purchased on Christmas eve) but the theme rings true.

Each day I must choose what I am going to focus on…either my long list of problems, or the fact that I can trust my God to handle them.

If I focus on the problems, anxiety and restlessness will result in more stress and create more problems… If I focus on trusting God, it will cause the anxiety to subside and allow me to deal with issues I need to deal with.

There is no way to have peace without Trust. There may be problems that must be solved, and healing that needs to take place, but without trusting God there is no way to acquire hope.… Take care of yourself, address your needs, and choose to trust God, and rest in the hope that only He provides.

Deliberately pick contentment. Not in a shallow way ignoring reality but by focusing on the fact that God loves you and has promised that nothing in all creation can separate you from that love. Make that your foundation and you will have hope.

There will still be storms but anyone can ride out a storm as long as they have hope.

“Choose happy”
 - Boyd’s ugly little sign