Romans 8:18, Romans 5:5
I would not be telling you anything new to say that the book of Romans is so awesome. If you have not read it in it's entirety ever or lately, please do so. It is so good!
Today, I want us to look closely at suffering and hope. Never before in the history of the Earth have there been so many self-help books. Books on "positive thinking" are bound to hit the New York Times Best Seller list every time. These books have even crossed into the Christian realm. There is nothing wrong with thinking positive, but we must not believe things like "it's all small stuff" or that "life is easy, it's just how you look at it". The fact is, it is not all small stuff and life is hard - period! There is suffering involved in life for all people, but this is not all there is.
Romans 5:5 tells us that "hope does not disappoint us". This "hope" that Paul is speaking of is not unfounded optimism. "Hope" in this verse is the Greek word "elpis" which means "joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation"(Studylight.org). This is eternal hope. It is the hope we receive when we trust Christ as our Savior and "it does not disappoint". I say all of this about hope because we have to have hope to get through our sufferings. And sufferings are part of this life and definitely part of the Christian life.
Jesus talked about suffering, Paul talked about suffering - we are going to go through things that are not fun in this life. I have heard people say that the Christian life is not hard. I guess there is nothing wrong with that statement except that it is just wrong! However, we do not have to suffer as the world suffers - as those without hope. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13).
This life is going to be our only suffering. This is it. For those in Christ, eternity holds eternal peace and joy with no suffering involved. Paul did not even think that the suffering of this life was worth comparing with the glory that will be in the next. In light of that, can we do this suffering thing with some faithfulness? I'm not saying its not hard and even as I write this I am reminded of how I act when things in my life are difficult. But, let's pray for each other. Let's pray that whatever we or our brothers or sisters are going through (or will go through), that we will go through it with faithfulness. Lets ask that God not only walk with us through the fire, but that He will receive glory from how we walked through it.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Second Part of Forgiveness
Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 5:22-24
I do not know about you, but these are not my favorite verses in the Bible. They cause me to have to change. They cause me to have to do something. They cause me to have to be uncomfortable and sometimes even confrontational. Because I talk so much, I always say something wrong. I have started just apologizing after almost all my conversations with people and after all of the Bible studies I teach! I think I'll just start with an apology to save time!
Seriously, the Church has an issue with forgiveness. I have struggled with it and I venture to say if you are breathing today, you have as well. But, God is really serious about this forgiveness thing. In case we have forgotten, He allowed His only Son to be rejected, ridiculed, and murdered so we could be forgiven. That fact tells me He's serious about forgiveness.
What I find so amazing in my own life sometimes and in the people around me is that we will forgive people for "big" things, but struggle to forgive people that hurt our feelings. Words that cut to the heart seem to continue to bleed for a long time. What I want to offer you today about the issue of forgiveness is that it cannot be done alone. Regardless of the offense - large or small - we find it impossible to forgive within ourselves. But, we must. So what are we to do?
Again, let me offer some wisdom from my friend, Corrie ten Boom. Corrie spent much time in prison and concentration camps for helping the Jews during the Holocaust. After the war, she was speaking and saw in the crowd a guard that had been at Ravensbruck, one of the most cruel concentration camps. She recognized this man and realized he had been the one the women had had to strip in front of and walk to the showers. He had been very cruel. Ironically, Corrie had just spoken on forgiveness. The former guard walked up to her and told her he had been a guard at Ravensbruck, but since the war had become a Christian. He told her he knew God had forgiven him, but he wanted to hear it from her. He asked her forgiveness and offered her his hand. Corrie stood there frozen knowing that she must forgive him, but the pain was so deep. Her sister had died in the camp. So here's what she did...
What a miracle! That miracle can take place in your life as well. If there is someone you haven't fully forgiven, allow God to do it through you. Surely if He can do it through this woman who had been through so much, He can do it through you and I. Also, if there is someone you have offended or hurt and you know about it, ask their forgiveness. This is a vital issue in our lives. I do not want you or I to miss out on what God has for us because we refused to forgive someone. Let's make it right today.
I do not know about you, but these are not my favorite verses in the Bible. They cause me to have to change. They cause me to have to do something. They cause me to have to be uncomfortable and sometimes even confrontational. Because I talk so much, I always say something wrong. I have started just apologizing after almost all my conversations with people and after all of the Bible studies I teach! I think I'll just start with an apology to save time!
Seriously, the Church has an issue with forgiveness. I have struggled with it and I venture to say if you are breathing today, you have as well. But, God is really serious about this forgiveness thing. In case we have forgotten, He allowed His only Son to be rejected, ridiculed, and murdered so we could be forgiven. That fact tells me He's serious about forgiveness.
What I find so amazing in my own life sometimes and in the people around me is that we will forgive people for "big" things, but struggle to forgive people that hurt our feelings. Words that cut to the heart seem to continue to bleed for a long time. What I want to offer you today about the issue of forgiveness is that it cannot be done alone. Regardless of the offense - large or small - we find it impossible to forgive within ourselves. But, we must. So what are we to do?
Again, let me offer some wisdom from my friend, Corrie ten Boom. Corrie spent much time in prison and concentration camps for helping the Jews during the Holocaust. After the war, she was speaking and saw in the crowd a guard that had been at Ravensbruck, one of the most cruel concentration camps. She recognized this man and realized he had been the one the women had had to strip in front of and walk to the showers. He had been very cruel. Ironically, Corrie had just spoken on forgiveness. The former guard walked up to her and told her he had been a guard at Ravensbruck, but since the war had become a Christian. He told her he knew God had forgiven him, but he wanted to hear it from her. He asked her forgiveness and offered her his hand. Corrie stood there frozen knowing that she must forgive him, but the pain was so deep. Her sister had died in the camp. So here's what she did...
"And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion - I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. "I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart." - A Tramp for the Lord, Corrie ten Boom
What a miracle! That miracle can take place in your life as well. If there is someone you haven't fully forgiven, allow God to do it through you. Surely if He can do it through this woman who had been through so much, He can do it through you and I. Also, if there is someone you have offended or hurt and you know about it, ask their forgiveness. This is a vital issue in our lives. I do not want you or I to miss out on what God has for us because we refused to forgive someone. Let's make it right today.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Forgiveness of God
Hebrews 8:12, Micah 7:19
There is so much written on the issue of forgiveness I doubt that I have very little to say that you have not heard before. However, I have recently learned some new things about forgiveness and definitely felt some new things about forgiveness.
When someone wrongs us we do not have the ability to forget. The phrase "if you haven't forgotten you haven't forgiven" is just untrue. We just do not have the ability to forget. But, we can commit to forgive, give those feelings to the Lord, ask Him to let His forgiveness flow through us to the other person, and move on. We are not to hold the offense over the other person.
Although I knew God's forgiveness was pure and complete, because I still have memories of my own sin, I guess I thought He did too. I thought that even though the Bible says He does not remember them, that He really just did not hold them against me. It is amazing to me how I still take my "truth" and make it into God's truth when it is not. We as humans are so prone to take our experiences and make them into "truth". We must always, always, always measure our experiences and our feelings against God's Word to find the real truth.
I have recently been reading the second autobiography of Corrie ten Boom. In a chapter that she titles "The Blacks and Whites of Forgiveness" she writes the most profound statement:
As I read this the other day it was as if the Holy Spirit erupted from within me and filled my entire room. I found myself weeping and just praising God for the truth of His forgiveness. Do you realize what that means? Just let it sink in for a little while and then praise Him for the ultimate gift and the freedom it brings. He has canceled all of our debts and made them as if they had never been.
If you ever find yourself in the depths of despair, this fact alone is enough to bring rejoicing. Share it with someone else today. He is an amazing God.
There is so much written on the issue of forgiveness I doubt that I have very little to say that you have not heard before. However, I have recently learned some new things about forgiveness and definitely felt some new things about forgiveness.
When someone wrongs us we do not have the ability to forget. The phrase "if you haven't forgotten you haven't forgiven" is just untrue. We just do not have the ability to forget. But, we can commit to forgive, give those feelings to the Lord, ask Him to let His forgiveness flow through us to the other person, and move on. We are not to hold the offense over the other person.
Although I knew God's forgiveness was pure and complete, because I still have memories of my own sin, I guess I thought He did too. I thought that even though the Bible says He does not remember them, that He really just did not hold them against me. It is amazing to me how I still take my "truth" and make it into God's truth when it is not. We as humans are so prone to take our experiences and make them into "truth". We must always, always, always measure our experiences and our feelings against God's Word to find the real truth.
I have recently been reading the second autobiography of Corrie ten Boom. In a chapter that she titles "The Blacks and Whites of Forgiveness" she writes the most profound statement:
The forgiveness of Jesus not only takes away our sins, it makes them as if they had never been.
As I read this the other day it was as if the Holy Spirit erupted from within me and filled my entire room. I found myself weeping and just praising God for the truth of His forgiveness. Do you realize what that means? Just let it sink in for a little while and then praise Him for the ultimate gift and the freedom it brings. He has canceled all of our debts and made them as if they had never been.
If you ever find yourself in the depths of despair, this fact alone is enough to bring rejoicing. Share it with someone else today. He is an amazing God.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Making a Way
Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-41
God will always make a way for us to do what He has commanded us to do. Recently, I was reminded of the miracle of Pentacost during our family devotion time. Joel and Caleb have already learned that when their Bibles show the wind blowing (as if you can really see it!) that is the Holy Spirit. Pentacost truly was a miracle, yet sometimes we get so caught up in the "tongues" issue that we miss it. Let me explain...
In Acts 1 Luke is giving us an account of the last words of Jesus before He ascends to the Father. Acts 1:8 sounds like an almost impossible task. They were to take the Gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. Okay, Jerusalem they could do. Judea and Samaria would take a little time, but still this was do-able. But the ends of the Earth? How could they do this? Well, they were told to not even start until the Holy Spirit came, but I'm sure they wondered how they would complete such a task. But, God had already made a way.
Pentacost was the beginning to the Feast of Weeks and was celebrated on the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week. So there were many pilgrims in the city to celebrate. Jews had come from Judea, Samaria, and all over the Jewish world. When the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and they proclaimed the Gospel, "the ends of the Earth" were present to hear the message. This wasn't just an everyday occurance. The fact that the Holy Spirit came in wind and fire should not have been missed by any Jew. They knew that this was how God had presented Himself in the past. Everyone that witnessed what happened that day went home telling their friends and neighbors what happened at Pentacost.
3000 accepted the message the first day. You can know they went home to their country and told everyone they knew and the gospel was spread. God told them to be His witnesses and they were. He did it through them. The next time you feel as if God is asking you to do something that you feel is near impossible, remember this miracle and that "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37)
God will always make a way for us to do what He has commanded us to do. Recently, I was reminded of the miracle of Pentacost during our family devotion time. Joel and Caleb have already learned that when their Bibles show the wind blowing (as if you can really see it!) that is the Holy Spirit. Pentacost truly was a miracle, yet sometimes we get so caught up in the "tongues" issue that we miss it. Let me explain...
In Acts 1 Luke is giving us an account of the last words of Jesus before He ascends to the Father. Acts 1:8 sounds like an almost impossible task. They were to take the Gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. Okay, Jerusalem they could do. Judea and Samaria would take a little time, but still this was do-able. But the ends of the Earth? How could they do this? Well, they were told to not even start until the Holy Spirit came, but I'm sure they wondered how they would complete such a task. But, God had already made a way.
Pentacost was the beginning to the Feast of Weeks and was celebrated on the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week. So there were many pilgrims in the city to celebrate. Jews had come from Judea, Samaria, and all over the Jewish world. When the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and they proclaimed the Gospel, "the ends of the Earth" were present to hear the message. This wasn't just an everyday occurance. The fact that the Holy Spirit came in wind and fire should not have been missed by any Jew. They knew that this was how God had presented Himself in the past. Everyone that witnessed what happened that day went home telling their friends and neighbors what happened at Pentacost.
3000 accepted the message the first day. You can know they went home to their country and told everyone they knew and the gospel was spread. God told them to be His witnesses and they were. He did it through them. The next time you feel as if God is asking you to do something that you feel is near impossible, remember this miracle and that "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
When God Doesn't Behave - Part 2
1 Chronicles 15:1-3, 12-14, 2 Samuel 6:13-19
Through these passages we can see what King David did with his anger and his terror of God. These are the steps that we must take as Christians when God does not act the way we want Him too.
I have heard Beth Moore say that the first step is that we have to get over our "personal devastation" with God. We must remember that He is God. He is not like us. His ways and His thoughts are higher than our ways and our thoughts. We must accept the things in our life as part of God's sovereign plan for our lives. If the circumstances we find ourselves in were partially caused by our own sin, we must take responsibility, but also know that God has allowed this to happen for a reason and if we will allow Him, He will never waste an experience.
I recently read a story about a Christian woman who lived in Russia during the Communist regime. She has MS and the disease had progressed to the point of her only being able to move one index finger. However, she was fluent in several different languages. Everyday and until late into the night she used a typewriter and that one index finger to translate the Bible and books by Billy Grahm and Corrie ten Boom into the languages of her Christian brothers and sisters. We might think, "why would God allow her to have MS?" But, the answer is that during that time many of her neighbors and friends were imprisoned or killed due to their faith in Christ, but the police left her alone because they felt she was harmless. She could have been devastated and bitter, but she chose to continue to follow after Christ. Amazing.
The second thing we must to is to return to complete obedience. We see that vividly in scripture. David was angry and afraid. Instead of staying that way the rest of his life, he searched the scriptures to see what he should have done to bring the ark of the LORD back to Jerusalem. God blessed his total obedience.
David is called a "man after God's own heart". How amazing that our God chose to associate Himself with someone that among all his other sins, was angry and terrified of Him at one point. That sounds a little like me. I wonder, will God call me a woman after His own heart if I continue to follow hard after him the way David did? If we refuse to allow Satan to sneak in and fill our minds with hatred and bitterness over situations that did not turn out the way we wanted them to and continue to seek and glorify God, I believe He will.
Today, if this has spoken to you personally, repent, move past your personal devastation with God, and return to total obedience. If this does not apply to you, pray for someone that it does and ask God for an opportunity to share it with them. We can be set free today. The cell door is open. Will we choose to close it back or walk through it?
Through these passages we can see what King David did with his anger and his terror of God. These are the steps that we must take as Christians when God does not act the way we want Him too.
I have heard Beth Moore say that the first step is that we have to get over our "personal devastation" with God. We must remember that He is God. He is not like us. His ways and His thoughts are higher than our ways and our thoughts. We must accept the things in our life as part of God's sovereign plan for our lives. If the circumstances we find ourselves in were partially caused by our own sin, we must take responsibility, but also know that God has allowed this to happen for a reason and if we will allow Him, He will never waste an experience.
I recently read a story about a Christian woman who lived in Russia during the Communist regime. She has MS and the disease had progressed to the point of her only being able to move one index finger. However, she was fluent in several different languages. Everyday and until late into the night she used a typewriter and that one index finger to translate the Bible and books by Billy Grahm and Corrie ten Boom into the languages of her Christian brothers and sisters. We might think, "why would God allow her to have MS?" But, the answer is that during that time many of her neighbors and friends were imprisoned or killed due to their faith in Christ, but the police left her alone because they felt she was harmless. She could have been devastated and bitter, but she chose to continue to follow after Christ. Amazing.
The second thing we must to is to return to complete obedience. We see that vividly in scripture. David was angry and afraid. Instead of staying that way the rest of his life, he searched the scriptures to see what he should have done to bring the ark of the LORD back to Jerusalem. God blessed his total obedience.
David is called a "man after God's own heart". How amazing that our God chose to associate Himself with someone that among all his other sins, was angry and terrified of Him at one point. That sounds a little like me. I wonder, will God call me a woman after His own heart if I continue to follow hard after him the way David did? If we refuse to allow Satan to sneak in and fill our minds with hatred and bitterness over situations that did not turn out the way we wanted them to and continue to seek and glorify God, I believe He will.
Today, if this has spoken to you personally, repent, move past your personal devastation with God, and return to total obedience. If this does not apply to you, pray for someone that it does and ask God for an opportunity to share it with them. We can be set free today. The cell door is open. Will we choose to close it back or walk through it?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
When God Doesn't Behave - Part 1
1 Chronicles 13
Here we have a story that so far has a terrible ending. The Israelites were trying to do something for God and all of a sudden He ruined their party! Not only ruined it, but struck down Uzzah. Did you catch the next 2 verses? Let's read them again:
So David was angry at God because of what the LORD had done and he was terrified because he knew the power of the God he was angry with. How unspiritual for David to feel that way! I just cannot believe that they put that in the Bible! Isn't that how we feel sometimes too? Yet another reason why I love the Bible! The people were real - just like you and me.
If we are honest with ourselves, we can probably all say that there has been a time when we felt like this about God. There are times we may not understand why He chose to do things or why He chose not to do them. Maybe our lives did not turn out the way we wanted them to. Maybe we feel as if God took someone or something away from us or our children. On the outside we appear to be moving on. But, on the inside the darkness and bitterness is growing.
I believe I have met people like this and we could all definitely turn out like this if we are not careful. Sometimes we will find these people deeply embedded into the church serving themselves to death. I have done this personally. By being involved in everything I hoped to fill a void that only Jesus Himself could satisfy.
Never forget that Satan hates you and wants to destroy your life. If he cannot bring you to hell, his next best option is to turn you against God in an effort to ruin your life and hurt God. We cannot allow our temporary circumstances to become our "truth" when it comes to the character of God. Someone might say, "well, you don't know what happened to me!" "I have the right to be angry!" "God took my child or my child's future". You know what? We do have the right. God stands with His arms open, but we have the right to turn away. We have the right to deny Him access to our hearts. However, what that translates to is that we have the right to be miserable all the days of our life.
So what do we do when we find ourselves angry and terrified of the Lord? We will look at what David did tomorrow, but for today will you pray Psalm 139:23-24?
Allow God to search you today to see if there have ever been any of these feelings that you have not dealt with. If He reveals any, confess them today, ask for His forgiveness and allow the blood of Jesus to wash them away. The first step is repentance. We will see the rest of the story tomorrow. There is hope.
Here we have a story that so far has a terrible ending. The Israelites were trying to do something for God and all of a sudden He ruined their party! Not only ruined it, but struck down Uzzah. Did you catch the next 2 verses? Let's read them again:
Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah... David was afraid of God that day...
So David was angry at God because of what the LORD had done and he was terrified because he knew the power of the God he was angry with. How unspiritual for David to feel that way! I just cannot believe that they put that in the Bible! Isn't that how we feel sometimes too? Yet another reason why I love the Bible! The people were real - just like you and me.
If we are honest with ourselves, we can probably all say that there has been a time when we felt like this about God. There are times we may not understand why He chose to do things or why He chose not to do them. Maybe our lives did not turn out the way we wanted them to. Maybe we feel as if God took someone or something away from us or our children. On the outside we appear to be moving on. But, on the inside the darkness and bitterness is growing.
I believe I have met people like this and we could all definitely turn out like this if we are not careful. Sometimes we will find these people deeply embedded into the church serving themselves to death. I have done this personally. By being involved in everything I hoped to fill a void that only Jesus Himself could satisfy.
Never forget that Satan hates you and wants to destroy your life. If he cannot bring you to hell, his next best option is to turn you against God in an effort to ruin your life and hurt God. We cannot allow our temporary circumstances to become our "truth" when it comes to the character of God. Someone might say, "well, you don't know what happened to me!" "I have the right to be angry!" "God took my child or my child's future". You know what? We do have the right. God stands with His arms open, but we have the right to turn away. We have the right to deny Him access to our hearts. However, what that translates to is that we have the right to be miserable all the days of our life.
So what do we do when we find ourselves angry and terrified of the Lord? We will look at what David did tomorrow, but for today will you pray Psalm 139:23-24?
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Allow God to search you today to see if there have ever been any of these feelings that you have not dealt with. If He reveals any, confess them today, ask for His forgiveness and allow the blood of Jesus to wash them away. The first step is repentance. We will see the rest of the story tomorrow. There is hope.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
"Do What it Says"
James 1:22-25
John 14:15
Obedience is an issue that we can probably never talk about enough. I have obedience issues come up into my walk with Christ daily. In this world we live in, we are almost bombarded with issues and images that we have to decide what to do with. Are we going to truly follow Christ or just partially? This has been so vividly seen in the current presidential election. We have two primary candidates that both profess to be Christ followers yet they both seem to separate their professional lives from their personal lives. However, since my life is certainly not "inconsistent-proof", I must judge myself first.
Obedience is really important to God. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command". Wow! I think all of us would say that we love Jesus, but He measures our love for Him by our level of obedience. I pray almost daily that He would give me and my family a heart to love Him and now I have added "an obedient spirit" because that is something that is so foreign for me. In my flesh, I am so disobedient, even to the point of rebellious. But, when I allow Christ to live through me, a willing, obedient spirit emerges. It has to be from Him.
The biggest obstacle to peace in our lives is a lack of obedience, but in my reading this week I also came across a quote that has had me thinking. See below...
I believe this is overwhelmingly true. We can only be filled with the Spirit to the point that we are yielded to Christ. Have you turned everything over to Jesus yet today? We must confess all known sin and ask Him to reveal to us anything else we need to get out of the way before He can fill us with His Spirit today or any day. The Kingdom of Heaven has come to Earth. Is He living through you today?
John 14:15
Obedience is an issue that we can probably never talk about enough. I have obedience issues come up into my walk with Christ daily. In this world we live in, we are almost bombarded with issues and images that we have to decide what to do with. Are we going to truly follow Christ or just partially? This has been so vividly seen in the current presidential election. We have two primary candidates that both profess to be Christ followers yet they both seem to separate their professional lives from their personal lives. However, since my life is certainly not "inconsistent-proof", I must judge myself first.
Obedience is really important to God. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command". Wow! I think all of us would say that we love Jesus, but He measures our love for Him by our level of obedience. I pray almost daily that He would give me and my family a heart to love Him and now I have added "an obedient spirit" because that is something that is so foreign for me. In my flesh, I am so disobedient, even to the point of rebellious. But, when I allow Christ to live through me, a willing, obedient spirit emerges. It has to be from Him.
The biggest obstacle to peace in our lives is a lack of obedience, but in my reading this week I also came across a quote that has had me thinking. See below...
God does not fill with His Holy Spirit those who believe in the fullness of the Spirit, or those who desire Him, but those who obey Him. - F. B. Meyer
I believe this is overwhelmingly true. We can only be filled with the Spirit to the point that we are yielded to Christ. Have you turned everything over to Jesus yet today? We must confess all known sin and ask Him to reveal to us anything else we need to get out of the way before He can fill us with His Spirit today or any day. The Kingdom of Heaven has come to Earth. Is He living through you today?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Treasure the Word
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Yesterday, the pastor at my church, Buddy Champion, preached about the importance of the Word of God in our lives. Of course, as most of you know, nothing excites me more than the Bible so I absolutely loved his message. Here are list of some facts about the Bible:
It is amazing to me that God brought all of Bible together into one book that works so perfectly together. There is no greater work of literature than the Bible, but is it more than that. Is it just a book? The Bible is the very words of God spoken into our lives. What if you were in a remote country and had never heard the "old redemption story" and one day someone walked up to you and handed you the very words of your creator in your language? How do you think you would feel? Even though it is hard to comprehend, I think that Bible might become my most treasured possession.
But, treasuring our Bibles is really not enough. They are meant to be used, to be consumed so to speak. Let me give you an example. I like pretzels okay, but my children love pretzels. I can see them eating them and not really want any. However, the way they eat them makes them look like the greatest food on the planet! After a few minutes of watching them eat them, I will want some too! I fear that sometimes I do this with the word of God. Sometimes, I do not spend enough time in His Word daily, but then I hear Beth Moore or David Platt or John Piper and I think "yeah, I want some of that". So what do I want? Do I want the Bible or do I want the hear a great speaker?
I am by no means saying that God does not use preachers and teachers. He uses them in great and mighty ways to bring about change in our lives. What I am saying is that the really exciting, supernatural things really happen when we are alone with God and that Book. The words are sharp and they are literally alive.
A few years ago when I really got serious about learning God's Word and praying God's Word I realized that one of the reasons I wanted to do so was so when I see Him face to face, I will not go babbling on and on like I am prone to do! I want to be able to pour out my love for Him from His own Word. I have a long way to go, but I'm glad I have some great company!
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Yesterday, the pastor at my church, Buddy Champion, preached about the importance of the Word of God in our lives. Of course, as most of you know, nothing excites me more than the Bible so I absolutely loved his message. Here are list of some facts about the Bible:
- 66 Books
- 39 Old Testament
- 27 New Testament
- 40 Authors
- 1600 years to complete
- 13 Countries
- 3 Continents
- One Theme - Redemption
- One Hero - Jesus
- One Villain - Satan
- One Purpose - Glory to God
It is amazing to me that God brought all of Bible together into one book that works so perfectly together. There is no greater work of literature than the Bible, but is it more than that. Is it just a book? The Bible is the very words of God spoken into our lives. What if you were in a remote country and had never heard the "old redemption story" and one day someone walked up to you and handed you the very words of your creator in your language? How do you think you would feel? Even though it is hard to comprehend, I think that Bible might become my most treasured possession.
But, treasuring our Bibles is really not enough. They are meant to be used, to be consumed so to speak. Let me give you an example. I like pretzels okay, but my children love pretzels. I can see them eating them and not really want any. However, the way they eat them makes them look like the greatest food on the planet! After a few minutes of watching them eat them, I will want some too! I fear that sometimes I do this with the word of God. Sometimes, I do not spend enough time in His Word daily, but then I hear Beth Moore or David Platt or John Piper and I think "yeah, I want some of that". So what do I want? Do I want the Bible or do I want the hear a great speaker?
I am by no means saying that God does not use preachers and teachers. He uses them in great and mighty ways to bring about change in our lives. What I am saying is that the really exciting, supernatural things really happen when we are alone with God and that Book. The words are sharp and they are literally alive.
A few years ago when I really got serious about learning God's Word and praying God's Word I realized that one of the reasons I wanted to do so was so when I see Him face to face, I will not go babbling on and on like I am prone to do! I want to be able to pour out my love for Him from His own Word. I have a long way to go, but I'm glad I have some great company!
We must allow the Bible to penetrate every aspect of us so we can experience God's best. - Buddy Champion
Friday, August 15, 2008
There's a Judge in Heaven
Daniel 7:9-10
A few days ago my two boys, Joel and Caleb, were playing with Lego's in Joel's room. Suddenly, I heard Joel scream "stop it!" to his brother. I went and asked what was going on and Joel said that Caleb hit him with a block. I looked and Caleb was sitting there like a little angel just putting blocks together. I asked Joel if he was sure that Caleb was hitting him and basically told him I did not believe he was telling the truth. Joel just looked at me and said, "well, that's okay because God saw him and He knows that Caleb did do it!".
Do you ever get frustrated when it seems like someone has gotten away with something? Does it ever upset you when someone is wronged, stolen from, or even murdered and the case goes unsolved? These things do bother me. A few years ago, I watched the news every waking moment when my particular community was hit by the Natalie Holloway tragedy. I prayed everyday that they would find her or that her parents could at least find out what happened to their daughter. And yet, this case and many others still go unsolved.
The truth of the matter is: these cases are not unsolved. God is the supreme judge. He is the Ancient of Days, reigning in wisdom and power. He is so holy, His throne is own wheels so it can follow Him wherever He goes! The King is never without His throne. This is the God we serve. He sees and knows and will judge the unjust acts that happen on this Earth. No kidnapping, no murder, no rape, nothing has escaped His supreme knowledge and judgment.
Even though I thought what Joel said was funny, Joel was satisfied in knowing that God knew what had happened even when I did not. What a reminder it was to me to know that God can be trusted to bring about righteous judgment in His time.
A few days ago my two boys, Joel and Caleb, were playing with Lego's in Joel's room. Suddenly, I heard Joel scream "stop it!" to his brother. I went and asked what was going on and Joel said that Caleb hit him with a block. I looked and Caleb was sitting there like a little angel just putting blocks together. I asked Joel if he was sure that Caleb was hitting him and basically told him I did not believe he was telling the truth. Joel just looked at me and said, "well, that's okay because God saw him and He knows that Caleb did do it!".
Do you ever get frustrated when it seems like someone has gotten away with something? Does it ever upset you when someone is wronged, stolen from, or even murdered and the case goes unsolved? These things do bother me. A few years ago, I watched the news every waking moment when my particular community was hit by the Natalie Holloway tragedy. I prayed everyday that they would find her or that her parents could at least find out what happened to their daughter. And yet, this case and many others still go unsolved.
The truth of the matter is: these cases are not unsolved. God is the supreme judge. He is the Ancient of Days, reigning in wisdom and power. He is so holy, His throne is own wheels so it can follow Him wherever He goes! The King is never without His throne. This is the God we serve. He sees and knows and will judge the unjust acts that happen on this Earth. No kidnapping, no murder, no rape, nothing has escaped His supreme knowledge and judgment.
Even though I thought what Joel said was funny, Joel was satisfied in knowing that God knew what had happened even when I did not. What a reminder it was to me to know that God can be trusted to bring about righteous judgment in His time.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Searching for the Truth
I have said and I have heard others say things like, "well, I don't know about all that, I just believe". We almost boast at times about our ignorance of the Bible. Yes, a simple faith in Christ is enough, but once we have that simple faith we have a responsibility to study and sort out the deep truths. Will we ever understand fully? No, but we can ask God for supernatural wisdom and understanding into His Word.
"...but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." Daniel 2:28
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Grace Beyond Measure...
Psalm 130
This is one of my favorite Psalms! I love it because it reads so beautifully and is a wonderful prayer to pray back to the Lord. However, its truth runs so much deeper than just its beautiful language. This Psalm is written from a place of total trust in God. The Psalmist knows he is a sinner, but he also knows that God is merciful and hears his prayer. He has a complete trust in the mercy of God.
My favorite verses are 3-4:
There is forgiveness with the Lord! If there wasn't we would flee from His presence in terror. The word "feared" means "honored, worshiped, trusted and served as the one true God". Verses 5-8 are then expressed as a cry of total trust in the Lord. He is waiting on the Lord, longing for Him. This psalm ends with a plea and invitation for Israel to trust in the Lord as well.
Have you put your trust in the Lord today? First and foremost, have you come to Him for forgiveness of your sin? If you have, then leave that sin behind today. So many times we ask and ask and ask for forgiveness over a sin or sinful period of time in our lives. He is faithful to forgive the first time we ask. Many times I have demonstrated to God that I do not believe Him on this issue. I have confessed and confessed particular sins many times. Finally God spoke to me through someone else to ask why did I think I was more faithful than Him? If I could do my part, did I not think He was faithful enough to do His?
Finally today, I want us to think about the open invitation that the Psalmist gave. He was inviting his entire nation to join him in trusting in the Lord. We can invite our entire "nation" or our circle of influence to trust in the Lord by the way we choose to live our lives today. I have been reminded lately that He is still seeking to save the lost. We are still here, He still has a job for us to do and it always involves more people coming to repentance.
As we go about our daily lives, may we always be ready to share why we have hope for tomorrow. There are those who have no hope, but we can show them where true hope comes from. People still need forgiveness. Let's point them to the one that can redeem them "from all their sins."
This is one of my favorite Psalms! I love it because it reads so beautifully and is a wonderful prayer to pray back to the Lord. However, its truth runs so much deeper than just its beautiful language. This Psalm is written from a place of total trust in God. The Psalmist knows he is a sinner, but he also knows that God is merciful and hears his prayer. He has a complete trust in the mercy of God.
My favorite verses are 3-4:
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared.
There is forgiveness with the Lord! If there wasn't we would flee from His presence in terror. The word "feared" means "honored, worshiped, trusted and served as the one true God". Verses 5-8 are then expressed as a cry of total trust in the Lord. He is waiting on the Lord, longing for Him. This psalm ends with a plea and invitation for Israel to trust in the Lord as well.
Have you put your trust in the Lord today? First and foremost, have you come to Him for forgiveness of your sin? If you have, then leave that sin behind today. So many times we ask and ask and ask for forgiveness over a sin or sinful period of time in our lives. He is faithful to forgive the first time we ask. Many times I have demonstrated to God that I do not believe Him on this issue. I have confessed and confessed particular sins many times. Finally God spoke to me through someone else to ask why did I think I was more faithful than Him? If I could do my part, did I not think He was faithful enough to do His?
Finally today, I want us to think about the open invitation that the Psalmist gave. He was inviting his entire nation to join him in trusting in the Lord. We can invite our entire "nation" or our circle of influence to trust in the Lord by the way we choose to live our lives today. I have been reminded lately that He is still seeking to save the lost. We are still here, He still has a job for us to do and it always involves more people coming to repentance.
As we go about our daily lives, may we always be ready to share why we have hope for tomorrow. There are those who have no hope, but we can show them where true hope comes from. People still need forgiveness. Let's point them to the one that can redeem them "from all their sins."
Monday, August 11, 2008
What Does Jesus Look Like?
Revelation 1:9-20
I think we all have a picture in our mind of what Jesus looked like when He was on Earth. But, what will He look like when we see Him face to face? The account that John gives us in Revelation gives us a pretty good idea of what the glorified Jesus looks like. Whether He looks like this all the time in heaven or not, I do not know. What I do know about these verses is that they give us a lot of insight into the character of Jesus. Let's break them down and see what we can learn today.
The "Son of Man" was "dressed in a robe... with a golden sash..." symbolizes the reality of Christ's royalty. When He was on Earth, He did not take His rightful throne. When He returns, He will. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whether or not humanity believes Him to be or not. "His head and hair were white like wool" symbolizes Christ's supreme wisdom in all circumstances. He is all knowing and He even has wisdom to share about our everyday circumstances. "Eyes like blazing fire" symbolizes Christ's penetrating insight, His all-knowing-ness so to speak. He sees all including what is in the heart of all men. Bronze feet symbolize His mighty power and the power to stomp out the enemy. The double-edged sword in His mouth symbolizes His divine judgment. The words of His mouth are what will stand. His word can cut through us completely to reveal the truth. His brilliant face is a reflection of the glory of God the Father.
You may be thinking, "how interesting...Thank you for sharing, but what does that mean for me today?" What God has taught me through these verses is that Jesus is not like me. So many times I put Him down on my level. He did choose to be human for a time and I do believe that He understands our struggles because He has lived through them, but He is so much bigger than me. He is God and I do not need to forget that. Secondly, He has shown me that we can be completely confident in this God that we serve. He has supreme wisdom, He sees all, knows all, is all-powerful, and is supreme judge over all circumstances and people. He knows me better than I know myself and when I come to Him over and over with the same issue, He not only sees that I am struggling, He even knows why. And, He does not just keep it a secret. Over time He reveals to me the wisdom I need.
The last thing I want us to look at in the verses is the significance of the lampstands and stars. Christ reveals the mystery of these in verse 20. The lampstands are the churches and the stars are the angels of the churches. There are two schools of thought on the "angels". Some theologians believe they are truly guardian angels for the churches while others believe this speaks to the "messengers" or pastors themselves. Either way, Christ holds them in His hand. He is in control of all things including what goes on in the body of Christ. Even when bad things happen in the Church and to the Church, we can trust that Jesus is still in control.
It is so important for us to know who this Jesus is that we worship. He is supreme and supernatural. Let us not forget who we are dealing with and "fall face down, as His glory shines around".
I think we all have a picture in our mind of what Jesus looked like when He was on Earth. But, what will He look like when we see Him face to face? The account that John gives us in Revelation gives us a pretty good idea of what the glorified Jesus looks like. Whether He looks like this all the time in heaven or not, I do not know. What I do know about these verses is that they give us a lot of insight into the character of Jesus. Let's break them down and see what we can learn today.
The "Son of Man" was "dressed in a robe... with a golden sash..." symbolizes the reality of Christ's royalty. When He was on Earth, He did not take His rightful throne. When He returns, He will. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whether or not humanity believes Him to be or not. "His head and hair were white like wool" symbolizes Christ's supreme wisdom in all circumstances. He is all knowing and He even has wisdom to share about our everyday circumstances. "Eyes like blazing fire" symbolizes Christ's penetrating insight, His all-knowing-ness so to speak. He sees all including what is in the heart of all men. Bronze feet symbolize His mighty power and the power to stomp out the enemy. The double-edged sword in His mouth symbolizes His divine judgment. The words of His mouth are what will stand. His word can cut through us completely to reveal the truth. His brilliant face is a reflection of the glory of God the Father.
You may be thinking, "how interesting...Thank you for sharing, but what does that mean for me today?" What God has taught me through these verses is that Jesus is not like me. So many times I put Him down on my level. He did choose to be human for a time and I do believe that He understands our struggles because He has lived through them, but He is so much bigger than me. He is God and I do not need to forget that. Secondly, He has shown me that we can be completely confident in this God that we serve. He has supreme wisdom, He sees all, knows all, is all-powerful, and is supreme judge over all circumstances and people. He knows me better than I know myself and when I come to Him over and over with the same issue, He not only sees that I am struggling, He even knows why. And, He does not just keep it a secret. Over time He reveals to me the wisdom I need.
The last thing I want us to look at in the verses is the significance of the lampstands and stars. Christ reveals the mystery of these in verse 20. The lampstands are the churches and the stars are the angels of the churches. There are two schools of thought on the "angels". Some theologians believe they are truly guardian angels for the churches while others believe this speaks to the "messengers" or pastors themselves. Either way, Christ holds them in His hand. He is in control of all things including what goes on in the body of Christ. Even when bad things happen in the Church and to the Church, we can trust that Jesus is still in control.
It is so important for us to know who this Jesus is that we worship. He is supreme and supernatural. Let us not forget who we are dealing with and "fall face down, as His glory shines around".
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Let the Veil Down
I realize that I wrote on these verses a few weeks ago, but last night God revealed them to me in an entirely new context and I am so excited about it. I have been talking with many of my friends and spiritual counselors recently and we have all come to the same conclusion: There has to be something more when it comes to corporate worship. I have been wanting to write on worship for quite some time, but the Lord just has not brought all of my thoughts together yet. However, last night I truly feel like I got an answer to prayer.
Sometimes during corporate worship I feel like we are just missing it. If what we are doing in our worship services is supposed to be practice for when we get around the throne, I fear we are going to be very surprised. For a long time, I have prayed that the Holy Spirit would rain down during our worship services. I’ve prayed that He would come in wind and fire and change hearts and lives. But, I have never prayed that He would open our eyes.
I realized last night through these verses that until the “veil is taken away” we cannot experience freedom in Christ. The two go together. We cannot truly experience the freedom of God until He removes the veil and we see that He is truly more important than anything else.
Many times I have prayed that God would draw His people to worship Him in freedom. He knew exactly what I meant, but I should be asking Him to remove the veil from our eyes. When that happens and we see the Lord, there will be freedom. It is coming. Will you join me in this prayer?
“Greater things have yet to come,
Greater things are still to be done
In this city.
Greater things have yet to come,
And greater things are still to be done here…”God of this City - BlueTree
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