WHAT COLOR IS THIS DRESS?

Unless you are completely cut off from social media, you are aware of the now famous question "What color is this dress?"

Some people looking at the image of the dress thought it was blue with black lace.  Others argued that it was white with gold lace. 

Everyone was seeing the dress from their own perspective, believing they were right. 

Reading the Word of God can feel like that sometimes.  We read that He loves us, but then trials come into our lives that make us question that love.  What color is the dress?  I'm seeing one color, the Lord is telling me it is another.  The Lord tells me He loves me, but if He loved me would He allow...

That is where trust comes in. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

 in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Yet, isn't it true that the times when we get into the most trouble, are those times when we decide to break away from what the Lord tells us clearly in His word?  When we stop trusting Him and start trusting ourselves?

We have a difficult time, we question God, we take matters into our own hands.  That's one pattern.  Repeat that one, over and over and you will not live a fruitful life in the Lord. 

But proverbs is teaching us that when our own view point is telling us one thing and the Lord clearly teaches another, we have to trust the Lord.  And with that trust, submit to Him.  

That keeps us on the straight path.

Our choices will always follow who we trust most.

What is challenging you today? 

Who do you choose to trust?

HUMP DAY!

"What day is today?" 

HUMP DAY!

And on Friday we'll say something like "Almost there, it's Friday!"

And on Monday we'll say "How was your weekend?" to which the standard reply is "Too short..."

We hear these comments in a never ending cycle.  Even as the week begins we start another cycle of counting down the days to the weekend, where we can get rest.

Yet when Monday comes, why isn't everyone rested?  Even if we sleep away the weekend, we don't feel satisfied. 

Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Many of us are familiar with that verse.  Yet we are not experiencing that soul rest Jesus talks about here.  Perhaps we are missing something.  Since he is pointing to himself as an example to learn from, let's have a look at what Jesus did when he was tired.

Flipping through the pages to John 4

"So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. John 4:5-6 (NIV)

The disciples go to get food, Jesus has his famous conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.  This leads to her running to town and getting more people for Jesus to preach to. 

I think the disciples see this as we would, "Great! It's the weekend, rest time, and now you are working, again?"

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."

32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"

34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

Jesus was nourished by doing God's will . It was like food to him. 

Perhaps it is not more days off to rest we need, but to be engaged more in the work God has for us to do?

Doing the will of God, being yoked side by side with Jesus and with each other.  This type of work satisfies the soul in a way nothing else can or will. 

We are designed for specific work that no one but us can accomplish on earth.  When we find that, we find soul nourishment. 

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10 (NIV)

The danger is, we can feel so weary we turn down that work when it comes our way preferring to "rest" instead. 

What is the Lord calling you to do today, and are you open to do it?

WHAT DOES IT COST TO FOLLOW THE LORD?

Advertisements are all around us.  At best they are designed to highlight the best features of a product while hiding the less desirable ones. At worse they outright deceive.

Sometimes in our desire to see others saved, we can do that with the message of Jesus as well.  We want people to know that salvation is free, and it is.  But just because it is free, does not mean it doesn't require something of us. 

Jesus said, 

 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done." Matthew 16:24-27

I really don't have anything to add to that this morning.  Jesus said it all right there.

What does it cost to follow the Lord? Everything.

TIME TO GET ALL IN!

I remember the very first time I got on a motorcycle. 

I was sitting on the bike and after having gotten used to the clutch, I kept it in first gear and gave it a little more gas.

My feet were still walking alongside but at one point I knew I needed to pick them up, commit, and trust the bike.  There was no halfway point.  I was either going to ride or I wasn't.  Anything in-between was worthless. 

Reading Revelation this morning, in the first few chapters Jesus is speaking to seven different churches. 

For the church in Laodicea he has some pretty strong words.

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Rev 3:15-16 (NIV)

Ever taste something that bad?  You spit it out of your mouth because it is repulsive to you, you don't want it in your body.  That is what the Lord is saying here, and those are very sobering words.

Garages in this country are full of motorcycles with very low mileage on them.  Some people buy a bike and after the investment, for whatever reason they have, they simply don't commit to riding it.  They are not bikers, they just own a bike. 

Churches in this country are full of people who attend on Sunday, but don't commit their entire lives to the Lord. 

We may feel we can be in both worlds and be okay.  "That's just me, Jesus understands..." But that is not what the Lord is saying here.  He says, either we love him and we live for him, or we don't.

But you know, He loves us.  He does not want to "spit us out".  He desires fellowship with us.

Jesus continued to say, 

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Rev 3:19-20

Last Sunday Preacher Mike said the only person we can be sure is a Christian is ourselves. 

Perhaps some of us have been approaching our walks with the Lord like I was on that first ride.  Sitting on the bike, dragging our feet, puttering along, not truly trusting the bike enough to ride.  We wonder "Where is the joy in this riding thing?  Where is the wind in my face? I've been on this for a while now and I haven't gotten anywhere!"

Time to pull our feet up and ride with the Lord.

Time to get all in.

He is waiting for us to join him on that ride.  But you know, according to his Word, he will not wait forever. 

THE WORD OF GOD IS LIFE!

A few days ago my wife was out on her motorcycle on a beautiful sunny day.  Suddenly, while slowing going about 30 mph, she was hit from behind.  The bike was basically knocked out from under her.

Thankfully the Lord was looking out for her and she walked away from the accident.  The bike should be OK too.  It could have been much worse, and I am truly praising the Lord for so obviously protecting her.

What amazes me is this, the woman who hit her said "I heard a beeping noise in my car and I looked down to see what it was and..."

Yes, you heard that correctly.  The "beeping noise", you know...  the sensor that new cars have to tell the driver they are too close to something.   She heard the warning, with no clue what it meant and did not obey it.

Cages...

Ok, back to the Word of God. 

Reading James this morning.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1:22-24 (NIV)

We hear the Word of God in church on Sunday, we hear it at Re-fuel.  Hopefully we are reading it daily.  But are we obeying it?  Do we do what it says?

James continues,

 "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." James 1:25 (NIV)

The Word of God is life.  It is wisdom that makes us wiser than the most educated, and wealthier than the richest people on earth.  It steers us through the confusion and darkness of this world into its perfect light.

But like that beeping sensor, if we don't seek to understand and to obey, it is of no use to us. 

Let us strive not only to hear the Word, but to obey what it says.

SPENDING TIME WITH GOD

How do we mature as Christians?

I recently paid off my Sportster, that marks 5 years of riding.  5 years and about 23,000 miles later it is all mine!

It occurred to me that I put all those miles on this bike, yet because of the short (compared to some) number of years I have ridden I consider myself a new rider.

 

But am I?  Is experience on a motorcycle measured in years or miles?

Then I thought about walking with the Lord.  We live in a country where people claim that they have been Christians for many years.  Some say they got saved as a child.  But is maturity measured in years or in miles?

Miles.  Time spent on the bike, more miles in the seat, simply means more experience.  You cannot be an experienced rider if you simply buy a bike and don't put in the miles.  Years are not as relevant, only the miles ridden in those years.

Miles in the sun, miles in the rain, miles in traffic, miles on open country roads.  Miles riding alone, miles riding with friends.  Times when the bike breaks down, times when it rides as smoothly as it did when it was new.  Those miles are experience, those miles are what matters.

Time with the Lord.  Time spent seeking him, time in His Word, worshiping Him, talking to Him even when you don't feel He is listening.  Times when you experience the amazing joy of His presence, times in the dark nights of the soul when you only have His promises to cling to, and even they seem to apply to everyone but you. 

Those hours, that time is what matters.

We measure our maturity as Christians, not in the number of years we have spent knowing we are saved, but in the day to day living, the miles we put in with our God. Today, spend some TIME with the LORD. 

BROTHERHOOD!

The Lord has been pointing out a theme to me lately. 

Brotherhood, unity, body of Christ, community. 

This theme jumped out at me this morning, once again while I  was reading Matthew.  The very well known "Lord's prayer"

"'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

 Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6:10-13 (NIV)

Did you see it?

Check again, count how many times Jesus uses the words "me, my, I, myself"

That's right.

Zero.

 "'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from the evil one."

I find that interesting, and rather convicting. 

Why do you suppose he worded it that way? 

He tells us to go to Him with our personal needs, and I'm not saying we should not.

But when he specifically teaches on prayer, Jesus teaches us to think of ourselves as a group.  As one.

The body of Christ.

Do we see ourselves that way?  Do we think as a body, pray as one?

Perhaps that is why Jesus, when he prayed for us said, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:20-23 (NIV)

Look again at the beginning of "The Lord's prayer"

"'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven."

When Jesus prayed for us, he prayed that we would be one, and the result would be the world would know Jesus. 

When he teaches us to pray, he teaches to pray for the Glory of God and the coming of His Kingdom.  And to pray that prayer, together, as one.

There is a direct connection between the world coming to know Christ and how we live as his body here on earth.

Is there any wonder he is calling out to bikers, known for their passion for brotherhood, in these last days?

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

Gather, grow and go. We have work to do.

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE.

The Beatles said "All you need is love".

But what is love?

I heard once that when you love someone, the needs, the dreams, and the desires of that person become more important to you than your own. 

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  (John 15:13)

Sometimes we think that laying down our life for someone is something  we can put off because we figure, "well, that means if I have to choose, some day, between my life and theirs, I will choose their life!  Ok, so if that day ever comes..."

For most of us, will we ever really be faced with a life or death choice like that?  Perhaps there is something more to this?

Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:33

Later, John (who was there when Jesus said those words) would write "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16

Laying down our life can mean physical death, but it more often refers to something much more difficult. 

It means setting aside our own selfish desires and choosing someone else's needs over our own. 

This kind of death, the death of self, is often even more difficult. 

Self dies hard.  It dies loudly, often with speeches and self centered declarations along the way.

Paul writes in Philippians, 

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

 rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross! Phil 2:5-8 (NIV)

As the Body of Christ, we are meant to be the salt of the world, the light for all to see.  And how are we to be that salt and light?  Jesus said,  "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." "John 13:34

We desire for our church, for our lives to point to Christ.  When the world looks at us, what do they see?  Do they see us loving each other?

Are we fulfilling the Word of God?

Maybe the Beatles were onto something.

All we need is love...

POSER!

My brother once told me about a friend he had, named Dirk.  His nickname for this man was "Dirk - the unbelievable!"

Dirk would tell my brother stories, like "Once I was behind a car that was stopped at a red light.  The light turned green, then red, then green again!  The car didn't move, a woman was in there putting on her make-up!  So I got out of the car and I broke both her head lights with a hammer!"

Wow, I guess you don't mess with Dirk! 

So as he was telling this story, my brother pointed to some balloons on display and said "Hey Dirk, go pop those balloons!"

"No way, man"

How can a man who would take a hammer to a stranger's head lights be too timid to pop a balloon on a sidewalk display?

Because by his words Dirk would have us believe he was one thing, but by his actions he was clearly not that person.

We have a word for that - poser.

I was reading James this morning, he raises this point.

"Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:13-17 (NIV)

Dead faith, that is a scary thing. 

It is so easy to say we believe, it is so easy to speak those words.  But how do we act?  What do our actions speak to those around us?  What do our actions say about ourselves?

James goes on to say: 

"Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." James 2:18-19(NIV)

To say we are Christians, to claim identification with Jesus Christ, to shout about the Bible and our morals on Facebook is one thing.

But what do our lives really look like?    What do our actions say about what we truly believe, about who we truly are?

Are we posers when it comes to our faith?

GOOGLE IT!

Google it.

A long time ago...  longer than I care to admit, if I were to ask a question and someone were to tell me to "Just Google it!" I would have had no idea what they were talking about. 

Back in my day, we had no fancy internet...

I have come to realize I have crossed the point of no return...  I am making the "Back in my day" statement quite often these days.

Back to "Google", what is that?  It means to go online, open the search engine known as Google, and have it find the answer for you.  As if the internet is the source of truth.  As if that source can be trusted. 

In Google we trust...

Now, I'm not against technology, after all, this blog is posted on the internet.  But something struck me this morning while reading 1 Corinthians.

"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. " 1 Cor 2:10-11 (NIV)

When we have a question, where do we go?  What is our first stop on the path of wisdom?

Searching the internet is not a bad thing, but do we understand that we are searching the source of human knowledge when we do?  Have we forgotten, as Paul clearly tells us, "We have the mind of Christ." 1 Cor 2:16 (NIV)

There are two sources of wisdom, God and man.  The Word of God teaches us that we have access to a wealth of wisdom beyond limits.  The pages of the Bible contain the very Words of God.  The Spirit of God, living inside us, enables us to understand those words. 

Let's try something this week.  As the Word clearly tells us, 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5 (NIV) 

Save Google for finding funny cat videos.

I'm glad it's Saturday!

It was a pretty rough week at work, I'm glad it is Saturday. 

I was reading through James this morning and came across this verse.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 (NIV)

This is the kind of verse you can read when things are going well and smile.  But when life is hard, and trials bring us to the breaking point?  A verse like this can really rub a nerve the wrong way.  Endure my trial?  Yes, but consider it pure joy?  Are you out of your mind James?

Perhaps one of us is, and I get a feeling it is not James. 

Reading on...

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."

The crown of life.  Eternal life. 

I have known many who appeared to be Christians over the years but have since left the Lord.  The trials came and they simply did not persevere. They fell away. 

If we live our lives just for the enjoyment of this world, then we will be frustrated when anything gets between ourselves and that goal. 

However, if our eyes are fixed on the goal of eternal life, if we are in agreement with the Holy Spirit who is conforming us into the image of Christ, then we begin to see the trials from James' point of view.  We realize there are things in us that trials bring out.  There are  areas in us that need to be changed.  And the goal of God in our life is not to give us a comfortable life, but to transform us into the image of His son.

So if we let the trials do that, then YES that is a reason to have true joy.

Setting Boundaries

Have you ever noticed the kind of response you get when people find out you ride a motorcycle?  One of the most common comments I get goes along the line of  "Well, I would love to ride, but no way - those are dangerous!  Are you crazy?"

Gee, thanks I didn't know that...and yes maybe I am.

Some people express a desire to get on a bike, but show how their fear stops them.  Now perhaps for some, that's a good thing!  I know many people who should not get on a bike.  But don't try to pass your fear on to me. 

Fear of riding set a limitation in that persons life.  It created a boundary they will not cross. 

Reading Psalm 128 this morning this verse jumped out at me. 

"Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

    who walk in obedience to him." Psalm 128:1 (NIV)

At first glance this sounds like it goes against Jesus teaching to love God doesn't it?  Here we are reading to fear God? 

What does Jesus say on the subject?

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:28-31

Jesus teaching here is that it is better to fear God, because he loves us.

Fear sets boundaries.  If we fear riding, we won't ride.  If we fear man, then we will allow men to set our boundaries.  For example, if we fear the rejection of men by telling them about Christ, then we have allowed that fear to create a boundary we will not cross. 

But when we fear only God, then God sets our boundaries and we end up walking among men without fear.  That is what Jesus is teaching here. 

By fearing God, we fear the one who both loves us and who has no boundaries. 

Let's ask the Lord to show us when and how we walk in fear of man, and then help us to only walk in fear of God.

"Mister Anderson"

"Mister Anderson..."

In the movie The Matrix, Agent Smith never calls Neo by his real name. He calls him Mr. Anderson.  This is a very subtle attack.  If we don't know who we are, we don't act in accordance with our identity.  Those of us who enjoyed the movie remember the classic scene when Mr. Anderson accepts who he is, "My name is NEO!" and defeats his enemy.

Satan does that very thing,  Twice in Matthew chapter 4 he says to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God," attempting to cast doubt at Jesus' identity. 

This same enemy is after you and I.  The Bible is very clear on this. "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Just as when he went after Jesus, one of his tactics is to attack our identity - who we are in Christ.

So how do we combat this?  The same way Jesus did, using the living Word of God.

"Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." Gal 4:6 (NIV)

This is why the study of the Word is so important.  To understand who God is, and who we are in relation to God. Jesus said, "The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life." John 6:63 (NIV)

Just as with Neo, that knowledge is the difference between life and death.

SUPERHERO!

I'm still amazed that they did a reboot of the Spiderman series.  There's also another Avengers movie coming out, as well as Daredevil on Netflix. 

Superhero movies and TV shows are growing in momentum, and it doesn't seem to matter that we all know the stories.  We want to see it done again and again and again.  

Popular interest can say something about what we desire.  The reason many of these movies are so popular is because of a common theme.  An ordinary person has an extraordinary encounter and then becomes extraordinary. 

We want to know we are not created by chance, we want to believe there is a hero deep inside us ready to be born.  And these movies touch on that desire.

Reading Ephesians this morning, this stood out to me.

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength  he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms" Eph 1:18-20 (NIV)

We were all ordinary people, who had an extraordinary encounter that infused us with a special power that is not of this world. 

We are superheroes.

Give that a minute to really sink in.  There is power in us, and there is also a great purpose. 

 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Do you see how important we are?  We are the heroes in the midst of our own lives.  We have been given power, and with that great power comes great responsibility. 

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

And our superhero mission?  Nothing less than to take up the cause of Christ, who came to save the world.

Daily Rock Blog

I grew up in a housing project.  There was a group of older kids that hung around the common stairs that lead up to our small apartment. 

I remember once they started yelling things at me as I passed them on the stairs. There were many of them, only one of me. I tried to ignore it, but they kept it up for a few days.

Then I went up the stairs one day and one of my brothers, Rick, happened to be visiting my mother. He was the type of guy you just did not mess with. Rick  heard the yelling, saw what was going on and immediately confronted them.

All he did was walk out, look at them and shout, "Do you have something to say now?"

Apparently they did not.  The taunting stopped after that.  I was Rick's brother, belonged to his family, you don't mess with Rick's brothers.

In a similar way Psalm 100 says, 

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

     Worship the Lord with gladness;

    come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:1-3 (NIV)

We have reason to rejoice because we belong to one greater than ourselves.  He is the Lord of all creation, and we are his. 

The Psalmist is exhorting us this morning to grasp two things.  First "Know that the Lord is God."  God, the creator, the almighty, all powerful Holy One. God!

 

In the movie "Oh God", God gives John Denver his card.  All his card said was "God".  That's all it needed to say, that sums it up.

Next the Psalmist tells us "It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."

Know who God is and know who we are in relation to Him.

Let's allow that truth to settle into our hearts this morning.  Think about that, what does it mean to belong to the Living God? 

Daily Rock Blog

The weekend is over, it's Monday (again). 

Do you feel refreshed after the weekend?  

Last year, I did something rather stupid. I brought  the lawnmower out and tried to start it up with the gas that was in it.  You know... the gas that had been sitting for months. I thought, surely it hasn't been long enough to make the gas go bad, and if it did, I don't have to drain it, I'll just add this new gas now, mix the two and...

My arm still hurts thinking about how many times I pulled that string.  Finally I stopped, drained the all gas, got it working.

This year I remembered that lesson, I drained the gas completely, and put in fresh. 

It started with one pull. Lesson learned, worthless fuel in the mix is not a good thing... ever.

Brings me to Psalm 23 this morning. 

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

   He makes me lie down in green pastures,

   he leads me beside quiet waters,

   he refreshes my soul." Psalm 23 1-3 (NIV)

Read that last line again, "he refreshes my soul."

How do we spend our weekends?  It's Monday morning do we feel our souls are refreshed?  Perhaps the answer to that question lies in how much time we spend allowing the Lord to refresh us, and how much worthless fuel is in our mix. 

Sometimes we can pursue what is harmless activities, but they don't provide the refreshing our souls crave.  They are junk food for the soul.

Then we go to church on Sunday, expecting the new gas to mix with all that we were doing Saturday, then off again to spend the afternoon however we'd like. 

And Monday morning comes, we pull and pull and pull.... wondering "where is our zeal for life?"

How much worthless fuel is in the mix of our lives?

This week, let's take notice of the activities we engage in when we are tired and need a break.  How many can be replaced with some conversation with God, or spending time in His Word, listening to some worship music, etc?

Then perhaps we will understand better what it means to be led by still waters and have our souls refreshed.

Daily Rock Blog

One of my favorite movies is a comedy called "Blast from the past" with Brendan Fraser.  It's about a man who was raised in a fallout shelter underground. 

There is a scene where Adam is walking down the street and for the first time he sees the sky.

He is looking up at it, just amazed, declaring "look at it!" and the people around him are trying to understand what he is seeing.  Adam tells them clearly, "The sky! I've never seen anything like it!" 

Only a little girl sees what Adam sees, the others have simply lost the wonder of how beautiful the sky is. 

Psalm 19 reads, 

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world. - psalm 19 1-4 (NIV)

Nature around us can inspire us to see the attributes of God if we remember this one simple fact: we are looking at His creation. 

In the book of Romans, Paul tells us, " For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:20 (NIV)

Spring is here, those of us who ride are excited to enjoy the good weather.  We see the roads others drive every day, but from a different perspective than those who travel in a cage. 

I would challenge all of us this season to see His creation around us and ask "what do these wonders teach me about the living God?"

Daily Rock Blog

Yesterday we talked about how the Psalmist spoke to himself to lift up his own soul.  Today I want to touch on how we can encourage each other.

Ever notice when we see a good movie, or go to a bike show, or simply enjoy an experience, we have a natural desire to share? If Facebook teaches us anything, it's that people naturally want to share their experiences. Although sometimes I'd like to see a "TMI" button on Facebook! But that's another story...

Paul says in Ephesians chapter 5:18-19 (NIV)

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit."

There is power in that!  This past week at Refuel a brother shared a Christian rock song that had been going around in his head all day. I asked him to send it to me and he posted it on my Facebook page. What blessed him first, then blessed me. 

Think about that, next time a song, scripture, or teaching from a sermon touches you. Take a moment, write it down so that when the time comes, you can share it with others.

That is one way we can build each other up!

Happy Friday!

Daily Rock Blog

I am sipping my coffee, and hearing some distant thunder this morning. 

Yesterday was a bit rough for me, Refuel - time with my brothers - refreshed me last night.

But I hear that thunder, and I wonder what today will bring with it.

Reading psalm 42 this morning, I realize what I could have done yesterday, what I will do today.

The Psalmist was  having a rather rough day when he wrote this one, but there is a lesson in how he handles it.

"My tears have been my food

    day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

    "Where is your God?" Psalm 42:3 (NIV)

But then he says something interesting, and here is what jumped out at me this morning.

"Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God." v5

It's easy to miss. But there is a difference here between what he is feeling and what he knows is true.  His emotions are in charge, and he is taking back control by speaking the truth about God to himself. 

His mind knows he has reason to praise God! And as he speaks these words to himself and then to God, his outlook begins to change. 

"My soul is downcast within me;

    therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep

    in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

    have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love,

    at night his song is with me—

    a prayer to the God of my life." vv6-8

There is power in that. When the day is dark, our minds can follow our emotions bringing us down. 

But if we bring to mind those times when we have clearly seen God move in our lives, remember that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that He loves us, remember that we have reason to praise Him, then by doing that and speaking scriptures to ourselves, our outlook can change, even when our circumstances may not.

And that is half the battle right there, to face life's challenges with the right perspective. That is what it means to have the "mind of Christ".

To believe the Word of God, when the thunder roars the loudest. To trust in Him and His Word during these times of testing, that will make all the difference, and often in those times we experience the most growth. That is how our minds transform. And the more we do that, the easier it will get.

What will today bring? I don't know, but I know how I want to handle it this time.

Daily Rock Blog

And so we have reached another hump day!

Judging by the stormy forecast, maybe I should have made the coffee a little stronger, oh well!

So yesterday I mentioned jumping into the Psalms for the week. As a musician, I love the idea that God has His own "song book". When talking about where to keep our thoughts so they stay on what is good, pure, praise worthy, etc, in an effort to keep our minds on the right path (Phil 4), a great place to do that is in the Psalms.

Psalm 119  asks a question on this very subject.

"How can a young person stay on the path of purity?"

And it gives the answer, "By living according to your word." Psalm 119:9 (NIV)

Good question, easy answer. Like Preacher Mike says, "it's easy - but it's hard!"

Let's read on to verse 10 and 11.

"I seek you with all my heart;

    do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart

    that I might not sin against you."

I'd like to suggest an exercise for us today. Verse 10, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Try singing that, even now. The Psalms don't record the musical notes that went with them, I think part of that is simply so we can sing them any way we like. But sing that a few times.

"I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you"

Write it down, put it in your pocket and throughout today, let's just sing that one verse.

You don't have to worry about how you sound, just sing it aloud. There is power in the spoken (or sung) Word of God.

Let's move on, making the next couple of verses a prayer. Again, if you can, pray this out loud.

"Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.

 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word." - Psalm 119:12-16 (NIV)

Now, I'm not going to promise that by doing this, we are going to have an awesome hump day! But I can say that, by making this a habit, we will draw closer to God, get to know Him and be transformed by the renewal of our mind! (Romans 12:2)

Tomorrow, we'll check out some more of the Word of God to "hide in our hearts."

GOOD FRIDAY!

Today is Good Friday. This is the day we traditionally remember the
death of our Lord.

I have been reading along in the Gospel of Matthew, leading up to
Easter Sunday. But this morning I woke with some verses from Romans on
my mind.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ
died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous
person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

It's easier for us to understand Jesus dying for us when we are on our
knees, broken and asking forgiveness. After all, at that time we are
sorry for our sins, easier to love right?

But the Word of God doesn't say that He died for the repentant
sinner. It's very clear, "While we were sinners, Christ died for us."

While we were going our own way, while we were hurting other people,
while we were living selfish lives, while we were destroying
everything around us. Jesus saw all that, yet he still loved us. He
still chose to die for us. All of whether or not we end up on our
knees in repentance.

That is the amazing love of our savior. He has the eyes to see beyond
all we do and are, to love us unconditionally.

And what does he ask us to do in response to this?

"Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as
yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)

Cut Right to the Point

The Word of God can cut right to the point. Have you ever noticed that?

When I was a kid we had an old super 8 movie projector with no sound. As I watched the images of the cartoon reel, I used to make up what I thought the cartoons were about. I had nothing to go on but the actions of the characters since there were no words. And by those actions I had to decide who was good and who was bad. 

I wonder, if  someone watched a silent reel of our  day what would they make of us? What words would they give our actions? What kind of a character would we be?

Still reading along in Matthew, Chapter 21 takes place in Jerusalem (the week before Jesus was crucified). Among many teaches we find this short parable. 

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

"'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.

"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" Matthew 21:28 - 31 (NIV)

It is easy to say "yes" to God, however the way we live our lives will truly say if we meant it.

Matthew 14

Waking up, sipping coffee and cracking open the Word.

I'm still reading in Matthew these days, there is just so much in this Gospel! I feel like I can't read more then a few lines without getting hit with something amazing. That's how it was for me this morning. Reading in Chapter 14.

"As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:15-16 (NIV)

Let's just stop right there. The disciples saw a need and thought they had the answer. Jesus also sees the need, but His answer is very different.

"You give them something to eat."

Ever feel like that? Ever see a need and feel you should send the person to someone who can help better then yourself? That perhaps you don't have the wisdom or resources to offer?

Like the disciples, you see your limited resources and not the unlimited resources of the the Living God.

What would happen if, at that moment, instead of sending them away, we ask the Lord if He would like  to use us to meet the need? Perhaps listen, see if the wisdom comes to mind to help a friend through a difficult time. Or perhaps give something of our own resources if led by God to do so?

Because the disciples obeyed Jesus here, they became part of His work. They got to feed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish.

Imagine what that must have felt like, to be a part of that miracle.

The next time you see a need in front of you, take a moment before sending them away. Perhaps the Lord is whispering to you...

"You give them something to eat..."

—
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