Everyday Devos

Mark 8:34-38

2010-03-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

He Is The Lord

2010-01-25T10:06:00.001-08:00

Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.

Psalm 21:13

On Israel’s final night in Egypt (Exodus 12-13) God struck down every firstborn male, bringing judgment on all the gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12). The reasoning and justification for this act is found in His Words: “I am the Lord.”

He would require from His people the ‘firstborn of every womb’ – both of people and animals. They belonged to Him. He owned them. They were His. How could He require so much? He is the Lord.

Whatever requirements are made of me, this is reason enough – God Almighty is the Lord. He needs no other justification to demand of me anything He wants. Because of God’s immense love and grace for us, it’s easy to slide into a ‘teddy-bear’ understanding of God, as if He exists to serve us. We flutter around the righteous requirements of the Gospel, soft-peddling them… but we’re really thorough with the promises of Scripture and all God does for us! We know these! We cling to these, as we should. We should not shrug off the righteousness and holiness that we’re called to live out as followers of Christ. God does have expectations of us! We cannot accomplish them apart from His grace, but that’s why He has graced us. How can He expect these things from us? He is the LORD.

Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength. I will sing and praise Your might.

Jesus' Voice Trumps

2010-01-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

Luke 5:4-6

The expert fisherman yielded to the Son of God and the results were astonishing! I love those 7 words: “But because you say so, I will…”

Much of my life as a disciple is found in yielding to Jesus. Often I think I know… I mean, I’m pretty confident in what I think would be best. And Jesus leads me to do what is not intuitive. Will I follow? Will I yield? “Because You say so, I will.”

There’s no other reason needed to say ‘yes’ to Jesus and His instructions than because it’s Him who is speaking. Because of who He is, the right answer is: “I will.”

While it is wise to have many counselors and to learn from as many people as possible, Jesus’ voice trumps all others.

Lord, what You say is not always easy. But because You are saying so, I will follow. I trust You with my life. Thank You for leading me and for providing for every need – even the needs I don’t know I have yet! Thank You! I follow You this day.

Don't Paint The Walls

2009-12-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

1 Peter 1:17

God doesn’t show favorites. For Peter this is motivation to live right. God is a righteous Judge and will be so to each person. We live in the fear of God. This isn’t being afraid, but living with the utmost respect for this great God! He is awesome and unspeakable. In view of Him, Peter says to live our lives as strangers here. We have another home. We’re just passing through! God is our Father and He’s taking us somewhere.

Whenever we go on vacation we often can stay in a condo, which is nice for a family our size! When we’re on vacation I never mow the grass or fix electrical outlets or paint the walls – like I do at home (sometimes). Why is that? Because I’m just visiting! Now I usually love being on vacation and dream about staying there longer, but I know not to put down roots. I’ll be going home very soon. This is what Peter is saying to us. While it’s very important how we live here, the reality is that we’re here for only a little while. “Live your lives as strangers.” Don’t invest your heart into this place as if it were your home. It’s not. In 1 Peter 2:11 he wrote, “I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world…”

Since this world is the only ‘home’ we’ve ever known, it is easy to invest your heart, time and resources here. Ultimately it’s like rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. Our home in God’s Presence is one that we see now by faith. We live for that place and one day will experience it – just as surely as we experience life in this world. Everyone who places their trust in Christ will go there. And not for 80 or 100 years, but forever.

Lord Jesus, teach me what it looks like to live as a stranger here. Rearrange my priorities to reflect your Kingdom values. Live through me and help me to bring as many people as possible to You.

Fanning Those Dimming Coals

2009-12-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:6-7

For what reason? Why did Paul tell Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God that was in him? In the previous verse Paul wrote that he had been reminded of Timothy's 'sincere faith.' That kind of faith is special! Most human beings do not have faith in God, let alone a 'sincere faith.' But Paul saw that in Timothy... and because of that Paul tells Timothy to 'fan into flame' that gift. Ministry and serving Christ begins with faith.

It's been cold here in Eugene this week. Bitterly cold! It's what's making the news these days. It's 11 degrees this morning which is up from 8 degrees yesterday! Our woodstove has had a workout this week. Again this morning I rose up (too) early to stoke the fire and add more wood. There was no fire, just some dimming coals. I almost waited too long! I added some small pieces and began to BLOW - and after a couple dozen exhales, the wood burst into flame. If I hadn't added the wood and supplied significant amounts of air, the dimming coals would have gone dark and the much needed heat would be no longer.

What type of wood do I need to add to my fire? From where will the air flow from? Fire naturally diminishes. Don't blame the woodstove.

Timothy had sincere faith, but the 'heat' of his ministry was dimming. He was a special young man, but his service for Christ was becoming invisible. 'Fan into flame the gift of God that is in you...'

We understand from verse 7 that Timothy struggled with fear. Maybe he had self confidence issues. Paul tells him to be strong! Be a good soldier for Christ (2 Tim. 2:1-4) because God has given us a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7). In life and ministry there are all kinds of reasons to be fearful. There are all kinds of causes to be timid, but this is not from the Lord. Power. Love. Self-discipline.

Lord Jesus, I ask that You give me 'insight into all this' (2 Tim. 2:7). I begin with faith. May my faith be as sincere as Timothy's! From that place instill within me power, love and self-discipline. My confidence is in You! There's nothing to fear, really. I fix my eyes on You and trust You to do Your work in me and through me - all for Your glory and my enjoyment. Thank you! I live for You this day...

Serious Child's Play

2009-11-24T10:20:00.000-08:00

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:1-4

I am grateful for all of the little kiddos I have in my life. I love them, of course, but spiritually God teaches me through them. Today's passage is a MAJOR lesson and it's a great reminder! If I don't become like a child, I will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Yikes!

Adults are so serious... and cynical... we're self-sufficient and generally do a poor job receiving help from anyone - even God! Adults are often proud and have to work at experiencing joy. I observe most every day that children do not have these problems. It is easy for kids to have fun! They would laugh and scream with glee all day long if I would let them. I tell them to 'settle down' and 'not be so loud.' I'm teaching them how to be a good adult. Oh, oh.

When they become adults, as their dad and pastor, I'll try to teach them how to be child-like so that they can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What's wrong with this picture?

The truth is, I'd like to have the kind of spontaneous joy that comes so easily to these children. My problem is that I'm an adult, and life is serious and hard and busy... with so many responsibilities. Jesus said that I need to humble myself and become like a child in order to enter His Kingdom. Wow! So this is not child's play! Or is it?

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matthew 19:13-14

Lord, I humble myself before You. Make me like these children! They are full of faith and trust. Their lives are filled with laughter and joy... All of this sounds just like Your Kingdom. Help me take my pursuit of You seriously, but myself not so seriously. Give me the perspective of eternity and how You, actually, have everything under control just fine. I can trust You... and I do. Thank You for Your Word which powerfully speaks into my life! You are amazing and I live for You this day.

How God Encourages People

2009-11-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

2 Corinthians 7:5-7

The job that Paul had been given took it out of him! He physically was spent. Mentally and emotionally… even spiritually he was down and out. “Harassed at every turn – conflicts on the outside – fears within.” He was admittedly downcast.

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Because of circumstances… even because of the work of the Kingdom of Heaven, we can be discouraged, downcast and depleted. The infamous spiritual giant Paul experienced this. I guess it’s okay if I do too! I shouldn’t feel out of the range of normal when the emotional and physical tide rolls out.

What do I do in these moments? Where does my help come from? Paul wrote that God is the One who comforts the downcast. What’s significant for me this morning is not that He does, but how He does. For Paul, God sent Titus. And Titus had words of encouragement from the church for Paul. Their love and concern for Paul encouraged him and brought him much joy.

God uses people to encourage people. It is through relationships that God comforts the downcast and nurtures people’s souls. Life is hard, but God is good! He has provided what we need to continue on, living for Him.

It is vitally important that I engage in relationships because God does so much of His work through them. It is unhealthy to seclude ourselves from people. Isolation is not the same as solitude. We need solitude, but isolation is damaging to our souls. We’re tempted to isolate from people because, while God does encourage us through one another, people can cause us great pain. In spite of the difficulties, we must run toward authentic relationships. We will be encouraged.

It’s also vital that I engage in relationships because God wants to encourage the downcast through me. To be a tool for God’s love in the life of another person is pretty cool! This is also called ministry. We serve and encourage people through our relationships with them. We demonstrate love through our kindness and availability. As we serve in the Name of Jesus, God encourages people.

As I think of people that have encouraged me along the way, it was their availability that was used by God in my life.

Father, thank You for being relational! You have demonstrated Your great love through Jesus. You want this relationship with me and I am amazed! Thank You for the loved ones who have been used by You along the way to encourage me. Please use me for your glory and divine purposes to encourage others today.

Walking With God

2009-11-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them

and be separate,

says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1

What is distinctive about the people of God is that God lives in us and among us powerfully. It may be such a basic thing that it is easily missed. It’s a basic characteristic of God’s people, but how amazingly shocking is it?! God lives among His people. As Paul wrote, we are a temple of the living God!

This relationship is the hope and blessing of my faith. I am no longer separated from God through the blood of Jesus. I am blessed to be considered a son of the Most High! I walk with Him everyday.

Because of this blessing of relationship, I ‘purify myself from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.’ It’s out of my deep awe and appreciation for God that I pursue holiness. It’s because of His promises to me that I refuse the things in life that corrupt my body & spirit – and there are many! I do not do this in my own strength, but in the strength that God provides through my relationship with Him.

Father, as I walk with You today, thank You for the strength You give me. I passionately pursue being more like Jesus because of my relationship with You. I want to honor You in the way I live this day. Thank You for this privilege… it’s by Your grace!

No Butterfly Chasing

2009-11-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Being a preacher of the Gospel does not guarantee winning the ‘prize.’ Paul understands that even though he has preached to others, he could be disqualified and not finish this race. There are theologies of men that will struggle with this. ‘Once saved, always saved’ comes to mind. For Paul it would have been ‘Once saved, you’re in the starting blocks!’ As significant as salvation is, it is not the finish line. There is a race we are in! We run in such a way as to win that race.

Paul understood that taking your eyes off of the prize is a real danger. Taking your focus off of Jesus and running off the course – pursuing other things – will disqualify you. You will not win. So Paul is intentional with his life. He pursues a disciplined life as a disciple of Jesus. His flesh serves him and not vice versa.

I feel as though there are areas in my life where I can focus in and become more disciplined. I’ll probably make a list today. It feels like, although I’ve been running the race, I’ve been reduced to a jog. The challenging verse for me is 9:24: Run in such a way as to get the prize. Run with some passion and intensity to win! To do this takes discipline and focus.

Lord Jesus, thank You for this reminder. I want to honor You by the way I live my life. I want to leave nothing ‘out on the field,’ but instead give all that I have for Your fame and glory. Would You energize me by the power of Your Spirit? Give me lazer-like focus to be about what You’ve called me to do. And help me never to shy away from service because it is in that place where I am most like You. This day I live for You…

Just Keep Serving

2009-11-09T07:52:00.001-08:00

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

1 Corinthians 4:5

There were believers in Corinth who had become arrogant. They were proud of their new position in Christ. In the arrogance they claimed authority that was not theirs. Paul and the other apostles, but Paul especially, was degraded in their minds. In this chapter Paul lays all of that out.

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings—and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!

1 Corinthians 4:8-10

Two things are competing for my attention in this chapter. One is that the way of Christ will be difficult. To truly be a servant of Christ, and not expect to be served by Christ, will bring difficult days. It is not a cake walk! We need to battle against feelings of position and entitlement.

The second is not getting tied up in the perceived motivations of people. Way too much time can be used up trying to figure people out. Just move forward serving Jesus and wait for the Lord’s return. He will bring to light the darkness of men’s hearts. He will expose their motives and will judge them accordingly. To those who faithfully serve, they will receive their praise from God at that time.

Holy Father – find me faithful to Your cause and willing to serve regardless of the circumstances. You outweigh every other and are my motivation for life. I live for you today…

Considered Righteous

2009-11-05T13:10:00.001-08:00

“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Galatians 2:15-16, 21

How is a person considered righteous and free from sin in the eyes of God? This must happen for God to relate to us at all. If we are still considered sinful, God must drive us out from His Presence because He is holy and cannot co-exist with sin.

You might think that the way to be considered righteous would be to do right things, perfectly and all the time. What humanity learned from the Law of God in the Old Testament is that we are unable to live perfectly righteous before God all the time.

So God sent Jesus! Now it is through faith in Him and trust in what He has done for us that a person can be considered righteous and live in God’s Presence. Because of this, everything changes! What I live for changes. How I live changes.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Father, thank You for the freedom of crucifixion! Of course the freedom that Jesus brings because of His obedience to You, but also my own death with Christ. I am free to live for You and I do today.

Heaping Abuse

2009-11-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰come down from the cross and save yourself!”

³¹In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³²Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Mark 15:16-20, 29-32

As if crucifixion wasn’t a big enough insult, people heaped abuse, both physical and verbal, on Jesus. And the King of Glory took it. He took it from the sinners He was dying to save. Their sin was on display and directed toward Him, the One who could forgive them of sin.

I am no different. I would, because of my own insecurities, heap abuse like this. That potential is in me… but it is not of God. It is not living like Jesus to do that. He did not respond to the abuse. He humbled Himself and was obedient to His Father.

The only ones Jesus spoke roughly with were the religious leaders.

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, ³⁹and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

Mark 12:38-40

This was not abuse, however. It was truth that Jesus was speaking. He had no insecurities that would lead Him to sin against people like those who crucified Him did. I must find myself centered in Christ and live confidently in Him.

Lord, thank You for Your Spirit that lives with me. And thank You for how You are making me like You. Do whatever You’d like with me. I live for You and Your glory. My confidence is in You.

Jesus' Confession Led To His Own Death

2009-11-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14:61-62

A mob of people with clubs and swords came in the middle of the night led by Judas the betrayer. They arrested Jesus and brought Him before this Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin. “Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.” (vs 56) Jesus remained silent throughout all the false and contradicting accusations. Finally when asked directly by the High Priest if He was the Christ, Jesus responded. This one response was all He said but it was what the Sanhedrin needed to pursue killing Jesus.

Jesus would go “just as it was written about Him.” But it was His own words that would bring this about. This makes ironic sense because Jesus’ death was God’s will. The Just dying for the unjust. This most significant of all human events would not come about by anyone else’s testimony, just Jesus’! His testimony is true. And wicked humanity killed the Son of the Blessed One, proving again how much we needed a Savior.

Lord Jesus, it would have been nothing for You to have reduced the rulers and false witnesses down to nothing. With Your wisdom and authority they could have been leveled low in that environment, and yet You chose to remain silent because You were following God the Father’s plan. You were obedient to Him to the point of death on a cross! At any point You could have taken rightful command, but You didn’t. In fact, it was Your own confession about Yourself that led to Your death. How You put up with our arrogance and sin… and you offer us salvation! Thank You for what You’ve done; what You are doing and what You will yet bring about. You alone are Lord!

God Enjoys Newness

2009-10-28T07:33:00.001-07:00

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.”

Mark 2:22

I think of the Scripture where God says, “I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:5). He also enjoys new songs (Psalm 40:3; 98:1). Our creative God enjoys newness! If we were more like Jesus, we probably would too. Instead, most people loathe change. They fear it. Routine and sameness is valued because it is known. Where’s the growth in that? Where’s the adventure? God enjoys the adventure, I think. He loves it when I have faith in Him and join Him in the new thing He is doing.

One thing I must do is not just focus on the new thing alone but also the new container. Someone who is in the business of making wine is also in the new wineskin business. Old containers won’t work. You make like them, but you’ll lose both the new thing and the old container if you use it. That brings double the frustration and you might decide to forget the new thing… to toss aside that new dream or direction, but it was really the container’s failure. We rarely blame the old container because we like what’s familiar. Don’t leave the adventure! Just get new wineskins. It can seem like a lot of work, and maybe it is, but it’ll be worth it!

Father, what new thing do You want to lead me in? What unnerving faith adventure do You have in store for me? Help me to embrace Your leading and trust You completely. Give me Your creativity and a confidence in You that does not shrink back to the comfortable and familiar. Be glorified through my life today, I pray.

Don't Follow The Majority

2009-10-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there.

Acts 27:9-12

The majority often makes decisions. The majority is most often wrong! Don’t make your life decisions based on what the majority thinks. If you have a single person who is filled with the Spirit of God and who loves you – ask what they think. The centurion went with the flow of the majority and ended up going with the flow of hurricane force winds for 14 days and nights! (Acts 27:27)

The most important voice for me to listen to is the Holy Spirit’s voice. Often times I can hear Him through others who are attune to His leading. To follow any other opinion is often disastrous. I will follow Jesus.

Lord, speak to me in powerful, clear and succinct ways so that I may be led by You and make wise decisions. Do Your work through me. Use my voice to speak to others. Give me the insight and discernment to know when it’s not You leading me – all for Your glory!

Become What I Am

2009-10-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

Acts 26:28-29

It is quite the statement Paul made. He would have the King and all in that courtroom ‘become what I am…’ Is this arrogance or is it Paul obeying Jesus’ commission (Matthew 28:18-20)? In another place Paul would write ‘follow me as I follow Christ’ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Wow! This is another shocking statement. Generally we deflect this kind of attention and point people to Jesus. We’re human. We’re frail… so follow Jesus, not me!

This is not arrogance by Paul. The thrust of the Great Commission is to ‘make disciples.’ That’s the imperative Jesus gives to His disciples. Only disciples can make disciples. In essence, we are to reproduce in others what we already are as followers of Christ. Follow me as I follow Jesus.

What about our brokenness and sin? If we’ve been discipled in Christ, our brokenness is also to be reproduced in others. How I am handling my weaknesses, temptations and sins needs to be reproduced in others if I am following Jesus. So follow my brokenness as I yield my life to Christ. Even Paul had a ‘thorn in the flesh’ (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Should we follow a guy who isn’t perfect? Yes, because he’s following One who is.

Paul’s story of persecuting the church became a part of his task of making disciples. How he responded to Jesus was something for others to learn from. Most did not. The words of Jesus to Paul are powerful here…

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 26:17-18

As a disciple of Jesus Christ I am far from perfect, but others can follow me, learn from me and my imperfections, because I have crossed over from ‘darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God.’ I have received the forgiveness of my sins and am living in God’s grace. I pray that all who are listening to me today may become what I am…

Lord, I yield to the work You are doing in my heart today. I want those who follow me to be following You. So break me, build me, fill and use me today for Your purposes. All the glory and honor belong to You. You are awesome, mighty and worthy of my life.

God Working Through People

2009-10-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Acts 15:4

The mission of the church is God’s mission. It doesn’t belong to the church. We didn’t originate the mission and we don’t even carry it out. Oh, we’re involved, but it’s not us doing it. God is carrying out His mission through His people.

Paul and Barnabas had this perspective. Of all the things they accomplished – and they accomplished a lot – they understood that it was God accomplishing His work through them. I noticed this yesterday in the last couple of verses in Acts 14.

On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Acts 14:27-28

And then a third time…

The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Acts 15:12

This perspective changes everything! Since it’s God’s Mission that He is accomplishing through me, I cannot take credit when good things happen. All glory goes to God. I also can’t accept the self-condemnation that easily comes with defeat and setbacks. I am just the Lord’s servant.

What’s important is for me to keep that yielded, humble attitude that listens to the leading of the Holy Spirit. God sees through my busyness. My busyness does not mean the Kingdom of Heaven is advancing through me, it just means I’m busy. The Kingdom advances as God works through me. It’s His work done through His man.

Father, help me steward my life well. It is a gift from You! May I be about your mission, listening and learning from You and seeing You accomplish things that bring You glory.

Answered Prayer

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So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Acts 12:5

God answers the prayers of the church and miraculously rescues Peter from prison. When he comes to where the church had gathered and were still praying (Acts 12:12), they were in disbelief to the reality of their prayers being answered. But it was true! Peter had been delivered from certain death. He described how the angel of the Lord brought him out of prison.

Pray earnestly. Expect God to answer! He will always answer. Maybe not in the way you would like, but God will always answer. And as we’re learning from Job – regardless of His answer, Almighty God is worthy of our reverence. Worship Him.

Father, lead me to places of deeper, more earnest prayer. I want to see Your power displayed through my life and the life of Your church. Display Your power for the community to see so that all glory may be given to You.

A Great Number

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“With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.”

Psalm 108:13

“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”

Acts 9:31

“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”

Acts 11:21

Reaching people for Christ will not happen without Jesus. The Presence of His Spirit must be for there to be a strengthening of His church and a growing in numbers. Without God there will not be victory. Without Him at work in and through His church, great numbers of people will not turn to the Lord.

Is it all about numbers? No… and yes! God is not impressed with numbers. What number would ‘WOW’ God? He’s the One who created the billions and billions of stars. He’s the One who created the billions and billions of people. He knows the stars and the people by name. Those who follow Jesus should also not be impressed by numbers. And yet each number is a lost person found! And just as Luke 15 tells us, all of Heaven rejoices when a single sinner repents and turns back to the Lord. We will rejoice in what Heaven rejoices in! If we rejoice in one, of course we will rejoice in a thousand, but not because of the number but because of the Gospel that has the power to save people. Lots of people!

Whether one or a thousand, no one will be saved without the Presence and power of God. This is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth! It will not advance apart from the King of Heaven present and at work in the hearts of people.

So what do we do then? We pray! We pray and make sure that we are available to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will grow us and His church simultaneously, but we need Him. He will do it. He’ll have the victory in and through us, all for His glory.

And so we pray like the early disciples (Acts 4:24-31):

“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“ ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together

against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Complete Healing

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By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Acts 3:16

The crippled beggar was well known by the people as a crippled beggar. He was healed completely and Peter & John explain how. Through the Name of Jesus and faith in that Name, complete healing came to that man.

What healing do I need? Where’s the brokenness in my life? Complete, not partial, healing comes through Jesus. Having faith in His Name means that I trust Jesus’ position, authority and mission. He is who He said He is and He’s done what no one else could do! The Good News is that redemption and the forgiveness of sin can be experienced through Jesus. This is spiritual healing! And it’s complete! The other places of brokenness will also be healed completely as I have faith in His Name.

Jesus, I believe in You. Heal me up completely. Bring glory to Yourself through my life this day.

Stand Up And Praise The Lord Your God

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“Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”

“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Nehemiah 9:5-6

Same Mission; Same Spirit

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Jesus said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:7-8

Here is one of the great mission verses in the New Testament! Jesus describes the new life and activity of His disciples and the power source from which, or from Whom, they will be able to do His mission. Their new life in Jesus’ Kingdom will be one of giving witness to who Christ is and what He has done. The power to live such a life will come from the Holy Spirit who will fall on them. The Holy Spirit will be their Guide and Comforter and the One who will supply for all their needs. He will give them even the words they need to witness for Jesus and fulfill His mission.

This same Spirit empowers me, and all of God’s church, to be about this same mission. We are witnesses for Jesus. We give testimony about who He is and what He has done! Jesus is the Son of God who has redeemed, by His own blood, all who place their faith in Him. Repentance and the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to all the nations!

Holy Spirit, energize Your church for the mission you’ve called us to. Breathe life and vitality into us that we would proclaim the greatness of Jesus. Enliven our hearts that we might live lives worthy of this Gospel and be a blessing to everyone we meet. We are servants in Your Kingdom, living to bring You glory. Be glorified this day!

Tempted To Pray

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“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Luke 22:31-32, 39-40, 45-46

Jesus is not unaware of our weakness and susceptibility to temptation. He also, better than we, knows the spiritual realm and the fact that God’s enemy, Satan, is constantly working for our downfall. Temptation comes to lead us to sin and separation from God, who cannot co-exist with sin. Jesus understands all that’s going on with us… so what does He tell His disciples? “Pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” He even told Simon that He was praying for him so that his faith would not fail. That’s what can happen. That’s the goal of the enemy: to shake and uproot our faith in Jesus.

Temptation is one of those few things in life that is common to every person. We all experience temptation and Satan’s attempts to unravel our faith in God. What’s our defense? Prayer.

I don’t understand all the mystery of prayer, but what occurs to me this morning is that prayer works as a defense against temptation by diverting our hearts and minds back to God. The forbidden apple on the tree was appealing to Eve and it captured her attention over God’s love and will for her. Every temptation attempts to do the same to us. It clouds our minds. The fog rolls in and we do not see the love of God and His desire for us. We fall into temptation because we do not see clearly.

Earnest prayer lifts the fog! It clears out our minds by redirecting us back to the Father who loves us. Our faith is not unraveled but actually strengthened during these moments and temptation can be avoided. How? God provides the way of escape! Paul wrote…

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

Father, thank You for Your great love for me. Thank You for Your Spirit that lives with me and leads me. Help me to pray more and find in You the strength for everyday life. You are awe-some.

A Bias For Movement

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Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

Ezra 10:4

The bulk of Ezra 9 is Ezra praying prayers of repentance. He is ashamed because of Israel’s great sin against their holy God. He does praise God for being so gracious.

“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.

Ezra 9:13

Even so, the heaviness of guilt remains. Ezra sits ashamed and appalled before God.

Shecaniah comes to Ezra as the first Nike spokesman. (He has a great name! Say it out loud 2-3 times…) Shecaniah acknowledges all that Ezra has prayed as true but then says, ‘Just do it!’ “Rise up; take the matter into your hands. Take courage and do it.” Ezra rises up and does it! It wasn’t perfect… not a 100%... but good things came about. God was exalted and holiness was promoted in the hearts and lives of His people.

There are times for earnest prayer and there are times to get up and get it done. There are many times when I’ve acted when I should have prayed and prayed when I should have acted. Some excuse inaction with prayer. “I’m waiting on the Lord.” I get that, but have you moved so far ahead of God that He needs time to catch up? Are you that fast?

What we need to do is pray and go and then pray AS we go. Through the Holy Spirit very present in our lives we can be directed as we move. Sometimes we can be paralyzed with the thought of heading in the wrong direction, so we don’t move in any direction. I believe that God is able to redirect me while in motion. And if I am going in the opposite direction, He is fully capable of getting my attention. It’s like the classic illustration: You can’t steer a parked car.

Having a bias for movement can be pleasing to God, I think, as long as I have my heart in tune with Him. If I’m listening as I go, He is pleased with my movement and can lead me. This is much better than inaction, even if I justify it with prayer. God has no problem keeping up with me. He also can get my attention at any moment. So I will move forward. I’ll take courage and just do it.

Father, forgive me when You’ve wanted to lead me but I was sitting in neutral. Thank You for the people in my life that bring my Your strength and courage. Direct my life this day as I live and act for You.

Considered Worthy

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Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage,and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.

Luke 20:34-36

These verses come in the middle of a chapter where the religious leaders are questioning Jesus’ authority and trying to trap Him in what He says. Jesus was able to ‘see through their duplicity’ (vs. 23). Answering the Sadducees who were skeptical of the resurrection, Jesus said that those who are ‘considered worthy’ will be part of that age. The feeling I get from Jesus’ words is that most won’t. Most people in this age will not be in that age. Those who are considered worthy will be the minority. This is very different than the pervasive thought that most all people will find their way to Heaven. Jesus said,

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

How does a person find that small gate? How do we walk on the narrow path? How can I be ‘considered worthy’ of the age to come? The answer is found in the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Father, thank You that Jesus has made me worthy, by Your grace. Help me to stay on this narrow road everyday. I live for You and Your glory.