I was in the church and denied myself the pleasure of opening my email, straightening my desk or tending to any business except for writing down what came to mind that had to be accomplished today. Why? Because I was being drawn to spend time with Papa. For an hour or so I spent time worshipping, crying, praying and reading Nahum. I didn't pray for my family or the church, I communed with God.
As I write this I still almost feel guilty because I lavished my love on the Savior of my soul and thought about Him - Him and me. I would like to suggest that if you don't have those times then you will cease to be a lover of God and end up in a partnership. Don't get me wrong, I am His partner and He is mine - but that is not what defines my relationship with Him. What defines our relationship is the love that we share.
There has to be times where we stop doing for anybody but Him - in fact stop "doing" for Him and just enjoy Him. Weep at the thought of His great love and let your soul long for more of Him and to be more like Him for the simple fact of being able to love Him more.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
August 23
On September 18 I will preach a message for the many people who will be coming back to church. It is "Back To Church Sunday" which was created as an outreach opportunity to connect with all the people who have "fallen" away from God. (I have always found that phrase "victimesk"). Today's reading will most certainly be used as one of my Biblical backdrop to show that God is a God of second chances.
Jonah 3:1 (NIV84) — 1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
Same word. Same speaker. Same hearer. It is not too late for you to hear God's Word to you and to act on it. You could always wait to spend some time in the belly of a beast of some sorts that vomits you up at God's intended destination, but you don't have to! Just do what He is asking and save yourself the bath in stomach acid! It's gross, but you know I am right!
Jonah 3:1 (NIV84) — 1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
Same word. Same speaker. Same hearer. It is not too late for you to hear God's Word to you and to act on it. You could always wait to spend some time in the belly of a beast of some sorts that vomits you up at God's intended destination, but you don't have to! Just do what He is asking and save yourself the bath in stomach acid! It's gross, but you know I am right!
Monday, August 22, 2011
August 22
I have been thinking about the Nex-Gen service yesterday. There was such a anointing on the whole thing that it is hard to narrow down my comments to one particular thing. Today however, I am struck by the sheer power of the Holy Spirit that was present. I personally think that it was our best service this summer! By that I don’t mean that it all went off without a hitch, because it didn’t. The sort of problems that we experience on Sundays were present. When I say best I mean the presence of God was present in a more tangible way and the ministry of His Kingdom went forward in a greater degree. Please don’t interpret that is a slam on anybody else, these are just the facts.
Acts 4:32–33 (NIV84) — 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
There was a simple unity among everyone who ministered that morning, and by ministered I mean they worked (exerted energy to accomplish a task). The speakers were in early praying and worshipping, the worship team was in early practicing, and nearly everybody was on time and ready (and excited), to minister for the Lord. They all were for one another, in unity and they had much grace among them. The power of God was in the worship, in the preaching and even in the prayer for the offering. There was a prophetic mantle on the whole service! And we haven’t even talked about the 30+ minutes a powerful ministry time!
Honor. They were honored to serve. They were honored to do their part. Sometimes we forget how honored we are to be able to serve a cup of water in the name of Jesus, take an offering, lead, teach and minister, partnering with the King of Kings. It really is quite honoring. Just think how honored you would be to throw the first pitch out in a playoff game in the major leagues. How much more to serve one another and the King of the Universe.
Acts 4:32–33 (NIV84) — 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
There was a simple unity among everyone who ministered that morning, and by ministered I mean they worked (exerted energy to accomplish a task). The speakers were in early praying and worshipping, the worship team was in early practicing, and nearly everybody was on time and ready (and excited), to minister for the Lord. They all were for one another, in unity and they had much grace among them. The power of God was in the worship, in the preaching and even in the prayer for the offering. There was a prophetic mantle on the whole service! And we haven’t even talked about the 30+ minutes a powerful ministry time!
Honor. They were honored to serve. They were honored to do their part. Sometimes we forget how honored we are to be able to serve a cup of water in the name of Jesus, take an offering, lead, teach and minister, partnering with the King of Kings. It really is quite honoring. Just think how honored you would be to throw the first pitch out in a playoff game in the major leagues. How much more to serve one another and the King of the Universe.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Aug 16
Now that we are half way through revelation, don’t you feel like you are reading about a train wreck from a dozen different perspectives? My goodness, as I read I said to the Lord, how is anyone supposed to understand this book? I mean really? Men and women through the ages have come up with different understandings of it and what is the common man suppose to make of it?
Revelation 1:3 (NIV84)
3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Notice it didn’t say, “blessed are those who understand fully what this book really means.” Read it and take it to heart. That means we are to first read it, and then let it permeate us. Why? So we will be affected by it! Even if we don’t understand a trumpet or a bowl or what order that it will happen, we are suppose to be impacted by the immensity of the calamity that is going to come on this world! This thing is crazy! There is within us, a natural expectation of the end and this book, among other things, is supposed to stir us up! Let it stir you and spur you on to the Father’s business. With an event (or events) like this coming, we have got to stay on fire!
Revelation 1:3 (NIV84)
3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Notice it didn’t say, “blessed are those who understand fully what this book really means.” Read it and take it to heart. That means we are to first read it, and then let it permeate us. Why? So we will be affected by it! Even if we don’t understand a trumpet or a bowl or what order that it will happen, we are suppose to be impacted by the immensity of the calamity that is going to come on this world! This thing is crazy! There is within us, a natural expectation of the end and this book, among other things, is supposed to stir us up! Let it stir you and spur you on to the Father’s business. With an event (or events) like this coming, we have got to stay on fire!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
August 14
I have come to a fork in the road in my life and in the format of this blog. It was the beginning of this year, actual the end of 2010 that God spoke to me about an emphasis on prayer. I sensed that at the end of the first half of this year, I was supposed to transition to a different type of blog. To be honest, it was easier to continue doing what I had been doing for 1 ½ years than to change. Another reason not to change things up was I didn’t want to discourage anybody from reading the Bible through because I value it so highly. But the more I get into this half of 2011, the more I sense that I have disobeyed my Lord, and with that I am going to change the blog a bit. Doing what God says, even if it seems harder, is where the MAX life is – and I want maximum life for myself and for those who read this blog. I also want to obey because He deserves it! I do sense that the life will go much further those of you who read it and spread out into the church and hopefully even further than that.
The subject of my blogging will now be according to God’s Spirit. As I have found out as a teacher, teaching through a book is much easier that teaching topically. The biggest reason is that when you are teaching topically, you really have to hear from the Lord on where to begin and which direction to go as opposed to teaching on the next verse or chapter. That means that the blog will not be necessarily themed or linear. Some days I will blog on the scripture, (I will still be reading through the Bible) and some days it will be the insights God is giving me, still other days it will be encouragement from a shepherd and others it will be statements of faith with some cheerleading. Honestly, I don’t quite know what to expect myself except that God will tell me what to write. If I am not getting it or not hearing it a particular morning, then you will find nothing written, I don’t want to be a rambler.
It has been my practice for quite some time to spend 30-60 minutes with the Lord each morning reading and talking about that reading with God. Sometimes as I write I get the revelation that even surprises me! My practice won’t change much, just what I write. I pray that you not only enjoy it, but that it brings you life and something to meditate on for the day.
The subject of my blogging will now be according to God’s Spirit. As I have found out as a teacher, teaching through a book is much easier that teaching topically. The biggest reason is that when you are teaching topically, you really have to hear from the Lord on where to begin and which direction to go as opposed to teaching on the next verse or chapter. That means that the blog will not be necessarily themed or linear. Some days I will blog on the scripture, (I will still be reading through the Bible) and some days it will be the insights God is giving me, still other days it will be encouragement from a shepherd and others it will be statements of faith with some cheerleading. Honestly, I don’t quite know what to expect myself except that God will tell me what to write. If I am not getting it or not hearing it a particular morning, then you will find nothing written, I don’t want to be a rambler.
It has been my practice for quite some time to spend 30-60 minutes with the Lord each morning reading and talking about that reading with God. Sometimes as I write I get the revelation that even surprises me! My practice won’t change much, just what I write. I pray that you not only enjoy it, but that it brings you life and something to meditate on for the day.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Aug 13
1 Kings 21:9–10 (NIV84)
9 In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
This is how Jezebel operates. She (it - because it is a spiritual force of wickedness) sets up and takes you down. But notice how she took down Naboth. She got two people to lie about him and then turned the community against him. It just takes a couple of "scoundrels" to stir up a whole community to be lead astray towards the plan of evil principalities.
Do you ever find yourself in some sort of predicament and you can't figure out how you got there? I am not talking about being blind to something that you have done, I am talking about serious innocence and all of a sudden you are in trouble. I remember being suspended from work for supposedly telling a deli manager that I should be getting free food because I worked to provide security (for the whole Marina and him) during the Toyota Grand Prix. I told my Sgt. that it wasn't me and he said it was. I told my boss over the whole Marina that it wasn't me and he said he didn't care. But I lost a lot of hours (overtime hours) and I didn't even go in that deli! Like my dilemma, it is often a spiritual force that is trying to control you or take you down. Ask God how to pray!
"Stand therefore! After you have done everything to stand, stand firm"
9 In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
This is how Jezebel operates. She (it - because it is a spiritual force of wickedness) sets up and takes you down. But notice how she took down Naboth. She got two people to lie about him and then turned the community against him. It just takes a couple of "scoundrels" to stir up a whole community to be lead astray towards the plan of evil principalities.
Do you ever find yourself in some sort of predicament and you can't figure out how you got there? I am not talking about being blind to something that you have done, I am talking about serious innocence and all of a sudden you are in trouble. I remember being suspended from work for supposedly telling a deli manager that I should be getting free food because I worked to provide security (for the whole Marina and him) during the Toyota Grand Prix. I told my Sgt. that it wasn't me and he said it was. I told my boss over the whole Marina that it wasn't me and he said he didn't care. But I lost a lot of hours (overtime hours) and I didn't even go in that deli! Like my dilemma, it is often a spiritual force that is trying to control you or take you down. Ask God how to pray!
"Stand therefore! After you have done everything to stand, stand firm"
Friday, August 12, 2011
Aug 12
1 Kings 19:2 (NIV84)
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
After one of the greatest victories in all of the Bible and praying in the rain and having supernatural strength to run a great distance faster than a chariot, Elijah, the man who hours ago taunted the prophets of Baal, having such great faith that God would answer by fire from heaven on the sacrifice he prepared, is now running like a child who is surprised in the dark. Why? A threat from Jezebel. In Elijah’s defense, this is more than a woman, it is a high ranking controlling spirit that it making this threat, and Elijah wasn’t ready for that. This was a spiritual attack of powerful forces of darkness who were speaking to Elijah, not just a queen who was ticked off.
Are you applying this to your life? There are people who threaten us and we give it no or little attention, but there are those people in whom there is power when they disapprove or belittle or threaten that sends a chill up our spine and if we are not on guard, they (it) will send us to a place of hiding and even to a place of suicide! There is much to say about the spirit of Jezebel, but let’s see how it was overcome.
1 Kings 19:5 (NIV84)
5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
1 Kings 19:9 (NIV84)
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:15 (NIV84)
15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
First Elijah needed to physically recuperate from his spiritual warfare. Then he needed a Word from the Lord. Then he needed his next assignment. Are you getting this? Physical recuperation, hearing God speak to you and your next assignment are essential to battle depression, anxiety and the oppression of something or somebody trying to exert control over you.
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
After one of the greatest victories in all of the Bible and praying in the rain and having supernatural strength to run a great distance faster than a chariot, Elijah, the man who hours ago taunted the prophets of Baal, having such great faith that God would answer by fire from heaven on the sacrifice he prepared, is now running like a child who is surprised in the dark. Why? A threat from Jezebel. In Elijah’s defense, this is more than a woman, it is a high ranking controlling spirit that it making this threat, and Elijah wasn’t ready for that. This was a spiritual attack of powerful forces of darkness who were speaking to Elijah, not just a queen who was ticked off.
Are you applying this to your life? There are people who threaten us and we give it no or little attention, but there are those people in whom there is power when they disapprove or belittle or threaten that sends a chill up our spine and if we are not on guard, they (it) will send us to a place of hiding and even to a place of suicide! There is much to say about the spirit of Jezebel, but let’s see how it was overcome.
1 Kings 19:5 (NIV84)
5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
1 Kings 19:9 (NIV84)
9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:15 (NIV84)
15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
First Elijah needed to physically recuperate from his spiritual warfare. Then he needed a Word from the Lord. Then he needed his next assignment. Are you getting this? Physical recuperation, hearing God speak to you and your next assignment are essential to battle depression, anxiety and the oppression of something or somebody trying to exert control over you.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Aug 11
1 Kings 17:9 (NIV84)
9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.”
The Word of God came to Elijah and said that. There was something that struck me about the phrase, “I have commanded”, because it didn’t seem like the widow was acting like she had heard God. When Elijah talked to the woman, her plan was to make some bread for her and her son and then die. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t seem like she had heard any type of command about anything to do with feeding the prophet. Are you with me? Doesn’t it seem like that to you?
Here is what the Spirit told me, sometime people have not “heard” God but the Lord has made a way for them to accept what you are about to say. It’s like if you needed a car and the Lord said, go to so and so, I have commanded them to give you a car. When you go to them and ask them for a car, they say, that is ridiculous, I need my cars. Then a few days later they come back to you and say, here is a car. The point in other words is that God gives you FAVOR and that favor has been commanded. It is going to happen even if the people don’t know it yet! The trick is to go the person who God has given you favor with. I completely believe that we have an incredible amount of favor dripping from us, but there are those people who are predisposed to being open to what we are asking for, whether it be help, partnership, material goods or an opportunity to share the gospel, God is preparing people for YOU! Get in your prayer closet and get your next assignment from the Lord.
9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.”
The Word of God came to Elijah and said that. There was something that struck me about the phrase, “I have commanded”, because it didn’t seem like the widow was acting like she had heard God. When Elijah talked to the woman, her plan was to make some bread for her and her son and then die. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t seem like she had heard any type of command about anything to do with feeding the prophet. Are you with me? Doesn’t it seem like that to you?
Here is what the Spirit told me, sometime people have not “heard” God but the Lord has made a way for them to accept what you are about to say. It’s like if you needed a car and the Lord said, go to so and so, I have commanded them to give you a car. When you go to them and ask them for a car, they say, that is ridiculous, I need my cars. Then a few days later they come back to you and say, here is a car. The point in other words is that God gives you FAVOR and that favor has been commanded. It is going to happen even if the people don’t know it yet! The trick is to go the person who God has given you favor with. I completely believe that we have an incredible amount of favor dripping from us, but there are those people who are predisposed to being open to what we are asking for, whether it be help, partnership, material goods or an opportunity to share the gospel, God is preparing people for YOU! Get in your prayer closet and get your next assignment from the Lord.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Aug 10
2 Chronicles 16:7 (NIV84)
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
Asa started out well! He got rid of all the idols and even the Queen Mother and worshipped the Lord. For 36 years he relied on God and God gave him victory, prosperity and rest from his enemies. Then something happened in Asa’s heart and he thought the King of Aram was more valuable that God to have on His side. Get this: He took what was God’s and gave it to the King of Aram so he was assured a victory! Did you get that? He took what was God’s and gave it away for prosperity! Have we done the same? Have we taken the tithe and given it to another so we could prosper?
2 Chronicles 16:12 (NIV84)
12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.
Asa also didn’t even seek God when he was sick! He ONLY trusted doctors. Do we? What happened to Asa? I’ll tell you one of the things that I believe. He had rest and prosperity and didn’t have to rely of God much throughout the years of his reign. He forgot God! He got used to trusting man for everything because there was nothing HUGE that he needed God for. So when the time came that he needed help, he turned to man instead of God. Makes you think doesn’t it?
So what was at the end of Asa’s journey? He was angry at a messenger that brought God’s message to him. When people’s lives are in the dumper because they have forgotten God, they become haters of the church and it’s pastors and even their brothers or sisters who encourage them to repent and seek the Lord.
2 Chronicles 16:10 (NIV84)
10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
Asa started out well! He got rid of all the idols and even the Queen Mother and worshipped the Lord. For 36 years he relied on God and God gave him victory, prosperity and rest from his enemies. Then something happened in Asa’s heart and he thought the King of Aram was more valuable that God to have on His side. Get this: He took what was God’s and gave it to the King of Aram so he was assured a victory! Did you get that? He took what was God’s and gave it away for prosperity! Have we done the same? Have we taken the tithe and given it to another so we could prosper?
2 Chronicles 16:12 (NIV84)
12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.
Asa also didn’t even seek God when he was sick! He ONLY trusted doctors. Do we? What happened to Asa? I’ll tell you one of the things that I believe. He had rest and prosperity and didn’t have to rely of God much throughout the years of his reign. He forgot God! He got used to trusting man for everything because there was nothing HUGE that he needed God for. So when the time came that he needed help, he turned to man instead of God. Makes you think doesn’t it?
So what was at the end of Asa’s journey? He was angry at a messenger that brought God’s message to him. When people’s lives are in the dumper because they have forgotten God, they become haters of the church and it’s pastors and even their brothers or sisters who encourage them to repent and seek the Lord.
2 Chronicles 16:10 (NIV84)
10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Aug 9
Revelation 5:8 (NIV84)
8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
The “harp and bowl” model has been around for years. Simply put, it is worship and prayer. Before it was popularized it was around for millennia. Now of course we have places like IHOP who never stop and haven’t stopped the worship and prayer for over a decade.
Teachers emphasize how important teaching is, evangelists emphasize how important evangelism is, but the book of Revelation emphasizes how important worship is. We see in these 2 chapters (4 & 5) that there is a lot of worship going on. Many might say that since worship is in heaven, we ought to do what we won’t be doing there (worship). Let’s not occupy too much time worshipping and get out and do something for the Lord. I suppose I understand what they are saying, I just disagree. We are a Kingdom of priests and one of our privileges is to worship and pray! We proclaim Christ as King and reign with him on the earth!
Revelation 5:10 (NIV84)
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
We pray heaven on earth all the time. Jesus taught us to and we continue to do just that. Well, what is happening in heaven right now? I will tell you, worship! If we want heaven on earth we had better start modeling heaven and what heaven is doing – worshipping the Savior, worshipping the Father, singing new songs for the new things that He (they) do!
Revelation 5:14 (NIV84)
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Finally, I noticed this, everyone keeps falling down before Him. Again, do we want to model heaven? If so seek extended times of worship, develop regular times of worship, and when you do, fall down at His feet.
8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
The “harp and bowl” model has been around for years. Simply put, it is worship and prayer. Before it was popularized it was around for millennia. Now of course we have places like IHOP who never stop and haven’t stopped the worship and prayer for over a decade.
Teachers emphasize how important teaching is, evangelists emphasize how important evangelism is, but the book of Revelation emphasizes how important worship is. We see in these 2 chapters (4 & 5) that there is a lot of worship going on. Many might say that since worship is in heaven, we ought to do what we won’t be doing there (worship). Let’s not occupy too much time worshipping and get out and do something for the Lord. I suppose I understand what they are saying, I just disagree. We are a Kingdom of priests and one of our privileges is to worship and pray! We proclaim Christ as King and reign with him on the earth!
Revelation 5:10 (NIV84)
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
We pray heaven on earth all the time. Jesus taught us to and we continue to do just that. Well, what is happening in heaven right now? I will tell you, worship! If we want heaven on earth we had better start modeling heaven and what heaven is doing – worshipping the Savior, worshipping the Father, singing new songs for the new things that He (they) do!
Revelation 5:14 (NIV84)
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Finally, I noticed this, everyone keeps falling down before Him. Again, do we want to model heaven? If so seek extended times of worship, develop regular times of worship, and when you do, fall down at His feet.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Aug 8
Psalm 130:1–5 (NIV84)
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
Boy do I resonate with this today! When there is a desperation that so many things could come crashing down, you really cry out to the Lord! You think about how many times you have behaved in a sinful manner, whether commission or omission and think am I reaping what I have sown? Yet, He does NOT keep a record of our sins, nor does He treat us as we deserve according to our sins, but treats us according to His righteousness and mercy! Where else can we put our hope? My soul is waiting!
I just wrote a song about my personal tough times. It sounded like a country/pop song that would depress anybody! Then I remembered David and how he wrote. The verse talked about my trouble and my fears, but the chorus said:
I believe, I believe, I believe Lord
I believe you'll supply for me Lord
I believe, I believe, I believe Lord
That your love will supply for me Lord
May that be the end of our thoughts, and the last thought at the end of our day. I trust your Word Lord - bring it to pass in my life!
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
Boy do I resonate with this today! When there is a desperation that so many things could come crashing down, you really cry out to the Lord! You think about how many times you have behaved in a sinful manner, whether commission or omission and think am I reaping what I have sown? Yet, He does NOT keep a record of our sins, nor does He treat us as we deserve according to our sins, but treats us according to His righteousness and mercy! Where else can we put our hope? My soul is waiting!
I just wrote a song about my personal tough times. It sounded like a country/pop song that would depress anybody! Then I remembered David and how he wrote. The verse talked about my trouble and my fears, but the chorus said:
I believe, I believe, I believe Lord
I believe you'll supply for me Lord
I believe, I believe, I believe Lord
That your love will supply for me Lord
May that be the end of our thoughts, and the last thought at the end of our day. I trust your Word Lord - bring it to pass in my life!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Aug 7
2 Chronicles 10:8 (NIV84)
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
God gives us wonderful counselors and advisors who have much wisdom and many years of life under their belt (not to mention grey hair). Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of the elders and ask his buddies (even though they were serving him), for advice. I know that we can think of ourselves at a younger age, and we can think of some young people who are doing the same thing - rejecting the advice of elders, but I think us old people do the same thing from time to time because we do "what seems right to us", just like Rehoboam did. Rehoboam had pride. I am sure the decision to have more for himself and to dominate the people came from a heart of lust as well. Our decisions to reject the advice of our elders can come from a heart of pride - this we have to watch out for. Sometimes we say, "everyone is wrong but me, I have heard from God". That could be true, but it reminds me of a woman who is engaged or deeply involved with man who her parents and others don't like. She thinks knows best in her head and goes ahead with the marriage and is now caught in a trap of vexing proportions, only to look back and say, "I wish I would have listened".
There is one thing that Rehoboam did right the some fail to do at all, he sought advice! The danger sign in our lives is when we will NOT seek or hear ANY advice for certain areas of our lives. Maybe it is marriage, maybe it is finances or maybe it is childrearing, the fact that we avoid all advice is a tell tale sign that we have more pride than Rehoboam did.
James 4:10 (NIV84)
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
God gives us wonderful counselors and advisors who have much wisdom and many years of life under their belt (not to mention grey hair). Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of the elders and ask his buddies (even though they were serving him), for advice. I know that we can think of ourselves at a younger age, and we can think of some young people who are doing the same thing - rejecting the advice of elders, but I think us old people do the same thing from time to time because we do "what seems right to us", just like Rehoboam did. Rehoboam had pride. I am sure the decision to have more for himself and to dominate the people came from a heart of lust as well. Our decisions to reject the advice of our elders can come from a heart of pride - this we have to watch out for. Sometimes we say, "everyone is wrong but me, I have heard from God". That could be true, but it reminds me of a woman who is engaged or deeply involved with man who her parents and others don't like. She thinks knows best in her head and goes ahead with the marriage and is now caught in a trap of vexing proportions, only to look back and say, "I wish I would have listened".
There is one thing that Rehoboam did right the some fail to do at all, he sought advice! The danger sign in our lives is when we will NOT seek or hear ANY advice for certain areas of our lives. Maybe it is marriage, maybe it is finances or maybe it is childrearing, the fact that we avoid all advice is a tell tale sign that we have more pride than Rehoboam did.
James 4:10 (NIV84)
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Aug 6
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV84)
13Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
After many ramblings and interesting thoughts penned by Solomon, he ends with a resounding verse that has echoed through the ages. This is the conclusion of all of life for the people of the earth. Fear God and keep his commandments!
My life's composition is so much more that what I do everyday, how much I earn, how I supply my family's needs, how much fun and enjoyment I have and the rest I get at night. It is a direct and second by second communing with the Creator of the Universe that CANNOT be compartmentalized to Sundays, Wednesdays or any other day in which there is "spiritual" activity. Fearing God is a moment by moment way of life that leaves Him out of nothing, but more than takes Him into account, it reckons Him our entire account for life! It is easy for all of us to segment our lives into spiritual and non spiritual, areas God has access to and areas that either I don't need Him involved with or areas I don't want Him involved in.
David Crowder has a great song that we should listen to - Wholly Yours. It's chorus talks about God's holiness. He ends the song with this refrain:
So here I am, all of me
Finally everything
Wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours
May that be our life refrain.
13Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
After many ramblings and interesting thoughts penned by Solomon, he ends with a resounding verse that has echoed through the ages. This is the conclusion of all of life for the people of the earth. Fear God and keep his commandments!
My life's composition is so much more that what I do everyday, how much I earn, how I supply my family's needs, how much fun and enjoyment I have and the rest I get at night. It is a direct and second by second communing with the Creator of the Universe that CANNOT be compartmentalized to Sundays, Wednesdays or any other day in which there is "spiritual" activity. Fearing God is a moment by moment way of life that leaves Him out of nothing, but more than takes Him into account, it reckons Him our entire account for life! It is easy for all of us to segment our lives into spiritual and non spiritual, areas God has access to and areas that either I don't need Him involved with or areas I don't want Him involved in.
David Crowder has a great song that we should listen to - Wholly Yours. It's chorus talks about God's holiness. He ends the song with this refrain:
So here I am, all of me
Finally everything
Wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly
I am wholly, wholly, wholly Yours
May that be our life refrain.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Aug 5
Psalm 150:6 (NIV84)
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
This root (praise) connotes being sincerely and deeply thankful for and/or satisfied in lauding a superior quality(ies) or great, great act(s) of the object. The Psalm itself interprets this type of “praise” and states that it is done with instruments of all kinds, it is done with dancing, and in other Psalms it is done with shouting, and generally a off the charts type of demonstration of what is going on inside the worshipper. In other words, I am so thankful, so satisfied that the God of the universe who created everything, who is awesome in His power and all that He does, loves me, pays attention to me, delights in me, that I will use everything I can get my hands on to praise Him. In addition, I will use every part of my body to praise Him too! Nothing is going to stop me from praising him and I will not be “controlled” or “held back” by myself or anybody else in how I praise Him! Of course there is a time and place for things, the Spirit will tell you that, but don’t let anyone contain the praise you HAVE in your heart and soul for God! Go all out, be exuberant – Jesus was and still is for you!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
This root (praise) connotes being sincerely and deeply thankful for and/or satisfied in lauding a superior quality(ies) or great, great act(s) of the object. The Psalm itself interprets this type of “praise” and states that it is done with instruments of all kinds, it is done with dancing, and in other Psalms it is done with shouting, and generally a off the charts type of demonstration of what is going on inside the worshipper. In other words, I am so thankful, so satisfied that the God of the universe who created everything, who is awesome in His power and all that He does, loves me, pays attention to me, delights in me, that I will use everything I can get my hands on to praise Him. In addition, I will use every part of my body to praise Him too! Nothing is going to stop me from praising him and I will not be “controlled” or “held back” by myself or anybody else in how I praise Him! Of course there is a time and place for things, the Spirit will tell you that, but don’t let anyone contain the praise you HAVE in your heart and soul for God! Go all out, be exuberant – Jesus was and still is for you!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Aug 4
2 John 8 (NIV84)
8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.
To watch people nearly throw away all of their lives with God for pleasures is depressing to me. Later John writes that his heart is encouraged by people who stay faithful to the truth, and I agree. Many people start their path with God – their walk with God - with vim and vigor. They go hard after God and throw themselves into His life. Inevitably things come up to “call” people back to the way they used to live. It is inviting and attractive to some and they “feel” as though they cannot avoid the lure. They are attracted to it as a fish to something shiny in the water. They bite and then they are ensnared, taken captive and reeled in to a certain death, whether that death is a complete death, a rejection of all of God (or whether that can happen at all), there is a death of the things that God has done. It is as if you have made it to 5th grade and then you lose all your knowledge and skills and when you return, it is back to kindergarten. There is a death though that cannot not be illustrated in this simple metaphor, that drags your soul to the place of ugliness that God had given you victory over.
WATCH OUT or it will happen to you! You will lose the reward that you have already attained! I am not saying you will lose your salvation, but you will lose your victories and deliverances. You will lose your confidence and you will feel horrible about yourself, lost in the guilt that you were once cleansed from. Soon you will recognize that you have returned to the pig pen that you have been saved and cleansed from, and that realization will motivate you to come back or it will depress you and drag you into the mud to a deeper level. DON’T DO IT – IT IS NOT WORTH IT! The pleasure of sin can never be compared to the pleasure of pleasing God and working to advance His Kingdom! I implore you, don’t lose what you have attained – don’t lose your reward! Don’t think that you can play around with worldliness and not become it’s slave – you most certainly will. Your reward is worth your sacrifice! Live like you are wholly His – that is what you were made to do!
8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.
To watch people nearly throw away all of their lives with God for pleasures is depressing to me. Later John writes that his heart is encouraged by people who stay faithful to the truth, and I agree. Many people start their path with God – their walk with God - with vim and vigor. They go hard after God and throw themselves into His life. Inevitably things come up to “call” people back to the way they used to live. It is inviting and attractive to some and they “feel” as though they cannot avoid the lure. They are attracted to it as a fish to something shiny in the water. They bite and then they are ensnared, taken captive and reeled in to a certain death, whether that death is a complete death, a rejection of all of God (or whether that can happen at all), there is a death of the things that God has done. It is as if you have made it to 5th grade and then you lose all your knowledge and skills and when you return, it is back to kindergarten. There is a death though that cannot not be illustrated in this simple metaphor, that drags your soul to the place of ugliness that God had given you victory over.
WATCH OUT or it will happen to you! You will lose the reward that you have already attained! I am not saying you will lose your salvation, but you will lose your victories and deliverances. You will lose your confidence and you will feel horrible about yourself, lost in the guilt that you were once cleansed from. Soon you will recognize that you have returned to the pig pen that you have been saved and cleansed from, and that realization will motivate you to come back or it will depress you and drag you into the mud to a deeper level. DON’T DO IT – IT IS NOT WORTH IT! The pleasure of sin can never be compared to the pleasure of pleasing God and working to advance His Kingdom! I implore you, don’t lose what you have attained – don’t lose your reward! Don’t think that you can play around with worldliness and not become it’s slave – you most certainly will. Your reward is worth your sacrifice! Live like you are wholly His – that is what you were made to do!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Aug 3
Ecclesiastes 2:10 (NIV84)
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
I really love this book! It has such great things to say and so many viewpoints of life. If you look beyond the depression of a great man, (in the beginning of the book) you will see so much life and wisdom!
In verse 10 a key is found to unhappiness. Solomon got whatever he wanted. All that he did was FOR HIM! We dream about being able to buy whatever we want, but he was a man who did and came up empty! His wisdom wasn’t kicking in! He didn’t even want to leave it to his son, he was completely self absorbed. Lesson: rich or poor, if you are self absorbed, you will be unhappy and even depressed. Here is a key verse:
Ecclesiastes 2:25 (NIV84)
25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
The him is God. This is so right, but Solomon wasn’t applying it to his life and his quest for attainment. People, without the purposes of God working in your life, whatever you attain will NEVER satisfy you. We only find our being and purpose in Him. In all of life there is much to enjoy, but that enjoyment disappears as soon as it comes. Vacations are great until they are over and you are back to work, then the enjoyment of it flitters away. However, in Christ our work (of enjoyment or toil) lasts forever. It has meaning and we enjoy building for others as much as we do for ourselves as it is in the plan of God. In Him we live and move and have our being.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
I really love this book! It has such great things to say and so many viewpoints of life. If you look beyond the depression of a great man, (in the beginning of the book) you will see so much life and wisdom!
In verse 10 a key is found to unhappiness. Solomon got whatever he wanted. All that he did was FOR HIM! We dream about being able to buy whatever we want, but he was a man who did and came up empty! His wisdom wasn’t kicking in! He didn’t even want to leave it to his son, he was completely self absorbed. Lesson: rich or poor, if you are self absorbed, you will be unhappy and even depressed. Here is a key verse:
Ecclesiastes 2:25 (NIV84)
25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
The him is God. This is so right, but Solomon wasn’t applying it to his life and his quest for attainment. People, without the purposes of God working in your life, whatever you attain will NEVER satisfy you. We only find our being and purpose in Him. In all of life there is much to enjoy, but that enjoyment disappears as soon as it comes. Vacations are great until they are over and you are back to work, then the enjoyment of it flitters away. However, in Christ our work (of enjoyment or toil) lasts forever. It has meaning and we enjoy building for others as much as we do for ourselves as it is in the plan of God. In Him we live and move and have our being.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Aug 2
1 John 4:11–12 (NIV84)
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
There are couples in this world who claim to love one another. They have pledged themselves to one another and have given one another a commitment of relationship, however when you watch them operate, you see displays of pent up aggression, you hear the sharpness in their speech and you feel the disunity at times. I can think of people who I haven’t seen a tender touch or a sincerely tender word back and forth between them. They may have commitment, but they don’t have love. How can I judge? Like the empire says, “I calls em’ as I sees em’”. Love MUST been seen – yes even in public!
Over and over in this book of 1 John it talks about loving one another. It is the marker of whether God lives in us or not. How in the world can you tell that someone loves another unless they demonstrate it – publically – like The Father and Jesus have done? Again, it IS THE marker of whether God lives in us or we are a phony Christian!
It is obvious that we “ought” to have love for one another because God loves us – all of us. If He loves everyone, then we ought to love everyone because He has valued them enough for His love. There is this thought, really a principle in verse 12; if we are a lover of people (especially the brethren as this book refers to), then God’s love is working in us and through us. In fact it has been made complete in us! That is crazy to think about. The way we love others is directly related to the way we allow and understand God’s love for us. That is something to meditate on!
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
There are couples in this world who claim to love one another. They have pledged themselves to one another and have given one another a commitment of relationship, however when you watch them operate, you see displays of pent up aggression, you hear the sharpness in their speech and you feel the disunity at times. I can think of people who I haven’t seen a tender touch or a sincerely tender word back and forth between them. They may have commitment, but they don’t have love. How can I judge? Like the empire says, “I calls em’ as I sees em’”. Love MUST been seen – yes even in public!
Over and over in this book of 1 John it talks about loving one another. It is the marker of whether God lives in us or not. How in the world can you tell that someone loves another unless they demonstrate it – publically – like The Father and Jesus have done? Again, it IS THE marker of whether God lives in us or we are a phony Christian!
It is obvious that we “ought” to have love for one another because God loves us – all of us. If He loves everyone, then we ought to love everyone because He has valued them enough for His love. There is this thought, really a principle in verse 12; if we are a lover of people (especially the brethren as this book refers to), then God’s love is working in us and through us. In fact it has been made complete in us! That is crazy to think about. The way we love others is directly related to the way we allow and understand God’s love for us. That is something to meditate on!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Aug 1
Psalm 13:1 (NIV84)
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
Psalm 13:5–6 (NIV84)
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
This is one of those golden Psalms that I just love! David, a man after God’s own heart and full of passion for life and God, is one of those guys that is absolutely straight up with how he is feeling. He is not just “in touch” with what is going on inside of him, but he can express it without feeling like he is breaking some kind of positive confession rule.
Here he describes his soul as it is, feeling distance and forgotten because of the trouble he is in. King David knew trouble and here he is crying out and asking God what we all want to ask Him when we are in that type of place – WHERE ARE YOU GOD?! Simple, truthful and to the point David describes the ache inside and shows a desperation of need.
The beauty of David is in verses 5 and 6. He nearly, if not always ends like this when he pens his emotions of wondering. He remains confident in God and often declares that although he may not feel particularly vindicated or freed from his circumstance, he will trust in, rejoice in, sing to, declare and think about God’s goodness. Oh let me take up his example. That in the middle of it all, I sing to the Lord of His goodness and give heartfelt thanks for my salvation. I am sure that David had learned that this was how you got out of these types of situations although his life may be still being sought. What I mean is even though the physical situation hasn’t changed, the inward situation has. Be honest with God with how you feel about your life at every moment, then finish it off with the confession of a heart that believes in His deliverance.
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
Psalm 13:5–6 (NIV84)
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
This is one of those golden Psalms that I just love! David, a man after God’s own heart and full of passion for life and God, is one of those guys that is absolutely straight up with how he is feeling. He is not just “in touch” with what is going on inside of him, but he can express it without feeling like he is breaking some kind of positive confession rule.
Here he describes his soul as it is, feeling distance and forgotten because of the trouble he is in. King David knew trouble and here he is crying out and asking God what we all want to ask Him when we are in that type of place – WHERE ARE YOU GOD?! Simple, truthful and to the point David describes the ache inside and shows a desperation of need.
The beauty of David is in verses 5 and 6. He nearly, if not always ends like this when he pens his emotions of wondering. He remains confident in God and often declares that although he may not feel particularly vindicated or freed from his circumstance, he will trust in, rejoice in, sing to, declare and think about God’s goodness. Oh let me take up his example. That in the middle of it all, I sing to the Lord of His goodness and give heartfelt thanks for my salvation. I am sure that David had learned that this was how you got out of these types of situations although his life may be still being sought. What I mean is even though the physical situation hasn’t changed, the inward situation has. Be honest with God with how you feel about your life at every moment, then finish it off with the confession of a heart that believes in His deliverance.
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