Easy?

I may have mentioned before, I have returned to martial arts after being away from it for over 30 years.  I started over again, from a white belt. 

Although my class is mostly teenagers and adults, when we test for our next belt everyone tests together.  That means there is me, one other adult and about 50 children testing.

Little children.

Last night before my test, I noticed a parent drilling her son on the 10 student commitments.  He was struggling to remember a few and you could hear some impatience in her voice as she tried to assist him in remembering. 

What I found interesting was, at the end of the test today, our head instructor offered a prize of a bracelet to whatever parent could quote the ten commitments.  They are things like, "Always do my best, be humble, be trustworthy," etc.

The same young mother stood up proudly to give it a shot and made mistake after mistake, just as her son did.  When she finished we all applauded her, but I could see some of the embarrassment on her face.

Clearly she thought she had this memorized easily and was surprised at her own mistakes. 

I hope she could see the rare glimpse into the life of her child in that moment, I hope it makes her realize it wasn't as easy as she thought.  Maybe it will make her more encouraging to her son and less critical.

It's one thing to sit on the sidelines and think we know and could do better, it's another to actually try.

Made me think of Jesus' words in Matthew 7

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)

In this Moment

Groundhog Day is next Tuesday.  It seems as if we just had the holidays in 2015 coming up and now we are almost saying goodbye to January 2016, wondering how many days of winter we have left.

Maybe it's the older I get, but time certainly does seem to go by quickly.  This past month is a blur to me. 

But in thinking about that,  I'm sure a month from now I will not remember the details of this day.  I may not even remember typing these words.

So how can I be sure I have made the most of every opportunity when I look back on this month?

I occurred to me, it is by living in the moment.  By recognizing all we have is NOW.  As long as we practice making right choices in the moment, we can be sure when one day blurs into the next we are living as we should.

As Paul exhorts us, 

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Eph 5:15-16 (NIV)

Kindness

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control." Gal 5:22-23 (NIV)

That verse jumps out at me today. 

When did I last just do something kind for someone else?

Kindness is listed as a fruit of the Spirit, meaning we should be kind simply because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.  That means we have the ability to be kind, and to show that kindness to others.

I often get frustrated when I see how the world behaves.  That easily happens, however, our kindness can help others find salvation.  Our kind acts can help others see Jesus in us.

Let's pray today and ask the Holy Spirit to show us some little acts of kindness we can do in the lives of those around us.

Who knows what can happen?

 "God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" Romans 2:3 (NIV)

Treasures

I find it interesting how much we focus on rewards in this life.  There is an expectation that things "should" go a certain way.  Especially when we are living our lives as we should before the Lord.

Yet James said, "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." James 1:12

The crown of life.  That's easy to read over isn't it?

Do we realize that the greatest of God's gifts to us awaits us in the next?  Eternal life.  That to have life in Jesus means this world will soon fade and we will step into eternity with him?

How much do we hold onto the things in this life?  What are we willing to let go of in order to focus more on what really matters?  What do we do with our time, talents and treasures?  Where do we invest ourselves?

If we are looking only this life, the answer to these questions will be rather different, but if we are looking at investing in the Kingdom...

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:19-21(NIV)

Hope For The Future

This coming Saturday's forecast, "Mostly sunny, 59".

Apologies to my friends up north!  But after getting hit with icy rain and snow with a little power loss rolled into the mix this past weekend, I am loving the fact that (Lord willing) we will be riding just one week later. 

And Sunday is said to hit 63!

The warmer temperatures all week will most likely erase all traces of snow and ice.  I'm well aware that some had it far worse then we did, the storm is like that, it hits some hard while only grazing others.

And life is like that too. 

I'm sure that as we take our motorcycles out  into the sunshine, this past weekend will quickly fade into memory.  As you can tell, I am placing my hope in the accuracy of the weather service.

Reading 2 Corinthians today,

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.  All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor 4 7-18 (NIV)

Just like the memory of this storm will pass (even for those of you up north... it'll just take longer!) the life we live here on earth will soon fade away.  One day, each of us will step into an unimaginable place of glory, and see the amazing light of our Savior when we see him face to face.

Until that day comes, we have that hope.

A Prayer of Praise

Reading 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (NIV)

"David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

"Praise be to you, Lord,

    the God of our father Israel,

    from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power

    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;

    you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you;

    you are the ruler of all things.

In your hands are strength and power

    to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks,

    and praise your glorious name.

 I wonder sometimes do we truly understand that?  Everything comes from God and belongs to God.

Everything is his, all of it.  Often we forget that as Christians even our own bodies are not our own.

 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Let's try something today.  Before making our requests known to God, let us pray David's prayer out loud, slowly and meaningfully.

I wonder if that will change the prayers that follow it...?

--

"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave"
Mother Teresa

Light

Yesterday, due to the ice storm, we lost power from 3:40pm to 10pm.

Since we have a gas stove, we were still able to cook dinner.  A gas fireplace kept the house warm, and candles provided enough light. 

Essentially, we did not go without anything we needed. 

Yet, when the power kicked on I could not help but feel grateful for its return.  I appreciated that power so much because I felt the the absence of its presence.  Especially the return of the light.  Candle light is ok, but it does not shine as bright as a lightbulb.

It is possible to live this life without Jesus, to go about our tasks, thinking we have enough light to see.  But when he comes into our lives, we see things in the brilliance of his light.  We see things that are impossible to see without him.  We understand his word in a way we never have before.

And this is the light that promises never to leave us.

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12(NIV)

"You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light." Psalm 18:28 (NIV)

Psalm 116

Today I was reading Psalm 116.  I kept wanting to stop and find a place to comment on it, but I found myself compelled to just keep reading.

The words are so beautiful and true, I will simply share with you the entire Psalm. If you can, read the words out loud.

Psalm 116  

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 I love the Lord because he hears my voice

    and my prayer for mercy.

2 Because he bends down to listen,

    I will pray as long as I have breath!

3 Death wrapped its ropes around me;

    the terrors of the grave overtook me.

    I saw only trouble and sorrow.

4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:

    "Please, Lord, save me!"

5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is!

    So merciful, this God of ours!

6 The Lord protects those of childlike faith;

    I was facing death, and he saved me.

7 Let my soul be at rest again,

    for the Lord has been good to me.

8 He has saved me from death,

    my eyes from tears,

    my feet from stumbling.

9 And so I walk in the Lord's presence

    as I live here on earth!

10 I believed in you, so I said,

    "I am deeply troubled, Lord."

11 In my anxiety I cried out to you,

    "These people are all liars!"

12 What can I offer the Lord

    for all he has done for me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation

    and praise the Lord's name for saving me.

14 I will keep my promises to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people.

15 The Lord cares deeply

    when his loved ones die.

16 O Lord, I am your servant;

    yes, I am your servant, born into your household;

    you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving

    and call on the name of the Lord.

18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people—

19 in the house of the Lord

    in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

Fools

Michael Card wrote a song called, "God's own fool" that begins with the lyrics,

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life

As the wisest of all of mankind

But if God's holy wisdom is foolish to men

He must have seemed out of His mind

For even His family said He was mad

And the priests said a demon's to blame

But God in the form of this angry young man

Could not have seemed perfectly sane

It is worth remembering that Jesus' teachings are coming from the perspective of God.  We read them, understand them and have a desire to follow them only because the Spirit of God lives in us.  He enables us to see.  Without him, we would be blind.

Jesus' teaching was not understood or accepted by many people who heard him.  If the world did not understand him, what makes us think they will understand us?

So we should not be surprised when we seem "out of our minds" to the people around us.  We will never seem logical, in fact perhaps we should be worried when the church makes too much sense to the world.

In John 6 Jesus said, 

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.  Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.  He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them."

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:64-69 (NIV)

Even for us who believe, it can be difficult sometimes to understand.  But as Peter said, where else can we go?

Free

This past Sunday at Freedom in Clayton, our praise band played the song, "Set me Free" by Casting Crowns.

These lyrics have been echoing in my mind ever since.

Do you want to be free?

Lift your chains

I hold the key

All power on Heaven and Earth belong to me

You are free

Do we understand this about Jesus?  He is all powerful.  The one who is all powerful in heaven on his throne, and on earth offers us freedom.

There are many today who claim power.  There are many illusions to power such as money or position.  But all true power belongs to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone.

In all matters he has the final word.

And he said we are free.

 

" So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36 (NIV)

Thoughts

An inventory of a room in any home can reveal much about the people who live there.  For example, there are three book shelves in our living room that run from floor to ceiling.  Scattered about the house there are many other books as well.  Most of these belong to my wife.  I have a few shelves myself, though not as big or quite as many books.  Therefore, anyone can see that in our home, we like to read.

In the same way, an inventory of our thoughts can tell what kind of life we live.  Do we live a life according to our sinful nature, or according to the Spirit of God?

Our minds are like a theater, and whatever is showing will reveal much about how we live, as Paul said, 

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."  Romans 8:5-6 (NIV)

What is playing today in the theater of your mind?  What would an inventory reveal?

Set Them Free

Imagine for a moment, going into a prison of war camp.  You walk down the hall, see the prisoners in their cages, angry that they are not living as they should. 

And then you start to tell them how they need to live outside the confines of their prison.  "You need to get out more!  Stop acting like POWs!  Go outside, get some fresh air, take a trip, see the world!"

How would they look at you?  How ridiculous  is it to try to convince a prisoner of war to live the life of a free person?

Yet, don't we do that when we try to convince the world they need to live the Christian life and accept our values, without first being set free?

Reading Luke today,

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,  and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.  He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." - Luke 4:16-21 (NIV)

Jesus did not come to merely teach morality, Jesus came to set the captives free.  Everything else comes after that.

Dumb Bird!

I have a pet bird named Ariel.  He is my little musical buddy, I enjoy spending time with him each day

Ariel likes to sit on my shoulder and have his head scratched.  In fact, often if I am not scratching his head, he will hit my ear with his beak and then put his head down to be scratched.

He has  a very unique character...

Every once in a while  he will hit my ear, put his head down, "give me scratchies" but then nip at my fingers and squawk.  This cycle repeats itself a few times.  Hit my ear, put his head down, nip at my fingers, "Squawk!" when they try to give him what he is asking for.

It is as if he is saying, "I want you to give me scratchies, but not with your fingers!"

Kinda impossible.  Often I will whisper to him, "you look kinda dumb, thinking I can do this without my fingers...  just sayin'!'

Normally he finally accepts the fact that I need to use my fingers to give him what he wants.

I thought, isn't that just how we are with the Lord? 

Reading Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)

"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection..."

We tend to want to stop there don't we?  We all want that, to know him in that glory and power!  But look what comes next.

 ...and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."

Um, but not like that!  Sufferings... didn't he die on a cross!?

Squawk!

There is no knowledge of Christ apart from the cross.

His cross and ours, let's not  be a "dumb bird".

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "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. " Matt 16:24-25(NIV)

Doing the Impossible

Reading Matthew 14:14-16(NIV)

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

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."

Have you ever felt like the Lord has asked you to do something impossible?

One our own, we simply cannot.  Just like the disciples are clearly incapable of feeding 500, let alone 5,000 we can feel like accomplishing what the Lord has put in our hearts is impossible.

But that is only when we forget who is with us.  Jesus Christ dwells in us.

Look what happens next,

 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

 "Bring them here to me," he said.  And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.  (vv17-21)

They give Jesus what they have, and with his blessing they are able to complete what he called them to do.

With Jesus, we too can do anything he asks of us.

Even what we feel is impossible.

Huh?

Have you ever watched a movie that had a very complicated plot together with a friend?  Maybe you are both engaged at first, but the more twists and turns it takes, the less interested your friend is.  You think it's awesome, soon they are bored. 

Sometimes you try to explain it to them, but it's almost a letdown because you can tell the impact of the story is lost on them, they are listening only to be polite to you.

It is difficult to share something you are passionate about with someone who is only half interested in it.

Reading Matthew 13:10-15 (NIV) today,

"The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see;

    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

At first it seems like Jesus does not want some people to know the truth about the Kingdom.  But reading further reveals something of what is really going on here.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

"'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people's heart has become calloused;

    they hardly hear with their ears,

    and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

    hear with their ears,

    understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.

Some hear the words of the Lord, but they are simply not engaged enough to dig further.  Jesus reveals more of his truth to those who are hungry for it, those who dig for it with passion.  Some just get the story, others get the truth behind the story.  But the lukewarm will never understand.

This is a lesson to us all.  When we come upon a difficult scripture, do we dismiss it?  Or do we stop, pray, ask the Lord to help us see and understand?

His Love Endures Forever

Psalm 136 begins with  "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever."  - Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

And  then it repeats that same phrase, over and over again, "His love endures forever" a total of twenty-six times.

The psalm then ends with, yup, you guessed it,  "Give thanks to the God of heaven.His love endures forever." (vv26)

In-between these identical statements are pronouncements  of God's faithfulness and mighty acts that the Lord has done.  Each followed by that same phrase.

"His love endures forever."

Take a moment, and prayerfully begin to remember times when you have seen the Lord's hand move in your life.  Some days this is harder to see than others, so if that's the case, begin with "He sent his son to die for me, his love endures forever.  He helps me to understand his word, his love endures forever.  He has given me..."

You get the idea.

This kind of worship can reinforce in our own minds the truth that we serve a loving and faithful God.  He is worthy of our praise.

And yes, his love indeed endures forever.

Two Men Named David

Two men named David passed away yesterday.

One, David Bowie.  It would be difficult to be unaware of the impact he had on music, or the amazing talent that kept him making music and reinventing himself right up to the end of his life.  David Bowie is a legend, a man of music.

The other David, was less known.  His name was David Edwards.  Oddly enough I just referenced him a few blogs ago.  He was president of the Bible College at the time I attended, many, many years ago.

Here is a sample of some of the comments that were made since his passing.

" Great man of God!  I'm sure all of heaven is rejoicing as they receive him!"

"A pillar.  His straightforward, no-nonsense approach accompanied by the gleam of joy in his eyes commanded the love and respect of students, staff and faculty.  He was a man of God whose example elicited the same.  He didn't push, he led."

There were many more like that, the same term repeated over and over.

Man of God.

I do not know if David Bowie knew the Lord or not, I'm would not make a judgment on that either way, and that is not my point.

However when I think of a life spent making an impact, I cannot help but wonder about my own life.  What would I want people to say about me when I pass?  As a musician, I could never even dream of making the mark David Bowie made.  Few musicians could ever  repeat that kind of status.

But sitting here, thinking of the lives of these two Davids, and their passing; I know where I want to make my impact.  I know what I want to hear when my life on this earth comes to a close.

 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Matthew 25:23

"Brothers, what we do in life...  echoes in eternity." - Maximus, Gladiator

From Darkness To Light

The past few weeks there have been more dark, overcast and rainy days than I'd like.  I know it's January, but this is the south right?

So, this morning when I woke up and noticed the clouds breaking in the sky and felt the temperature in the high 50s as I pulled our motorcycles out of the garage; I could not help but feel my mood lifting, even before we rode off to Sunday service at Freedom.  I had not realized until that moment just how much being surrounded by darkness had taken its toll on me.

On the way to Clayton, the sun just seemed to burst out from the sky, and I thanked the Lord for it.  That twenty mile ride was too short!

Needless to say, we took the long way home after church!

Some times our life can get to feeling like we're at that same point.  We see all that is going on, in the news, or feel the pain of past and present hurts, it gets to be too much.  We feel surrounded by darkness, we often forget what it feels like to be in the light.

Reading Isaiah 61:1-4 (NIV)

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

    to proclaim freedom for the captives

    and release from darkness for the prisoners,

 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor

    and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

    instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

    instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

    instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

    a planting of the Lord

    for the display of his splendor."

Jesus quoted this scripture in Luke chapter 4.   Later, speaking to his disciples about his death and resurrection he said  "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33, (NIV)

That is where we live now, despite the darkness.  That is the victory of Jesus, the joy of our salvation!

Can He? Will He?

Years ago, a man named David Edwards preached a sermon.  In it he mentioned something that has stuck with me all the years since. 

There is a difference (when speaking about God) between, "can he?" and "will he?"

It is easy to accept "can he?"  Of course he can, God can do anything.  The answer to this question, when it comes to the struggles of our life is always, "yes".

But we live in the realm of, "will he?"  That's the crunch isn't it?  Can God heal a sick person?  Yes... Will he?  Sometimes he does, sometimes he does not.

When the writer of Hebrews said, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)  how do we relate to that?  Is this talking about faith in the things God will do for us?  If I have enough faith, he will let me win the lottery?  That kind of thing?

I think it goes deeper than this.  Our faith, our solid faith is not in asking God to do what we want him to do and believing he will do it.  Rather, it is in trusting that God is who he says he is, and that he will act in accordance with what he has revealed about himself. 

Faith in God, not faith in his works.  This requires a relationship; not going to God only to ask him to do things, but getting to know who he is, talking to him, praising him, reading his word, obeying what it says even if we don't understand it.

And then, in that relationship, we live a life of faith in this God we cannot see.

The Jesus We Expect

Reading Mark 6 today,

"Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.  When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?  Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph,Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home." He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith." Mark 6:1-6(NIV)

I have to admit I have never seen myself in this story.  It was more of an account that informed me of something that happened in Jesus' life.

But then one verse kept jumping out at me, "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith."

That made me stop...  Does a lack of faith in my own life prevent Jesus from doing a work? 

Have I come to see life a certain way, and expect less and less from the Lord?  Do I think I know so well what Jesus would and would not do in my life, that I no longer expect great things from him?

The town's people grew up with a Jesus that didn't do miracles.  And now they were not open to seeing him for who he really is.  And because of this lack of faith, he could not do anything in the lives of all but a few of them. 

In fact, it would seem a Jesus with the power to change circumstances or bring healing was actually offensive to them.

Have we become complacent, thinking, "this is all there is how it will always be in our lives, Jesus hasn't done anything before now, why should I believe he ever will?"

Could it be, the reason Jesus hasn't moved in certain areas of our lives is because we simply don't believe he will?

Psalm 34 - 2

Ok back to Psalm 34.

A parent is a child's first real contact with the "outside world".  Obviously, this can be good or bad, based on the parent.  If a parent is harsh or abusive, the child will learn to be guarded, expecting life to be harsh as they grow.

LIkewise, if a parent is loving and nurturing, a child learns to love and trust, often seeing the good in people.

Our parent/child relationship shapes our view of reality.

After David talks about how he prayed and the Lord listened and heard him, he makes several statements about the Lord.  Almost as if he knows we need to be re-educated he begins by encouraging us to, "taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." vv8

9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,

    for those who fear him lack nothing.

 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,

    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

    and his ears are attentive to their cry;

 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

    he delivers them from all their troubles.

 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 19 The righteous person may have many troubles,

    but the Lord delivers him from them all;

 22 The Lord will rescue his servants;

    no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.  (NIV)

Perception, the way we see life, affects what we believe to be true.  Take a moment to pray about these few verses.  Is this what you believe a life with the Lord looks like?  If not, then ask yourself, why?

Either the Word of God is wrong, or our perception is.   If there is a contradiction, both cannot be true.

Smart money's on the Word of God.

Remebering

What is your lion?  What is your bear?

Many of us are familiar with the story of David, how when he was just a shepherd he went up against a giant named Goliath.  He slew the Philistine warrior with a simple sling and stone, and the power of the the Lord!

But did David always have the faith that caused him to not just fight Goliath, but to volunteer and run to the fight while trained soldiers would not?

Why would he do that?  What would make him believe he could succeed? 

Saul wondered the same thing when he told David, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth." 1 Sam 17:33 (NIV)

Yet David had confidence, he replied to Saul remembering his own history of walking with the Lord

"But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.  The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Sam 17:34 -37 (NIV)

David had a history with the Lord, and he knew he could face the giant because he was ready to. 

Take a moment, think about some victories the Lord has given you; write them down, post them so you can see them and remember.  Because we do face problems in our lives, like giants.  Remembering what God has already brought us through can help us to defeat them.

Remember your lion and your bear.

Psalm 34 - 1

Reading Psalm 34 today.

I will praise the Lord at all times.

    I will constantly speak his praises.

I will boast only in the Lord;

    let all who are helpless take heart.

Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness;

    let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

    He freed me from all my fears.

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;

    he saved me from all my troubles.

For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

    he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Psalm 34:1-7 (NLT)

Sometimes it is helpful to spend some time with just a few verses.  Looking at the first seven of this psalm, we have a unique glimpse into some of the elements of David's prayer life.

David said,  

I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

I will boast only in the Lord;

I prayed to the Lord

In my desperation I prayed

David's part in this example seems to be to praise God, to boast only in him and then pray!

Let's look at God's part,

He answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

The Lord listened;

He saved me from all my troubles.

We are so used to being self-sufficient, aren't we?  We try to do everything ourselves, often carrying burdens we were not meant to carry.  Yet in this example it's clear; the child is going to the father, who is greater (worthy of the praise).  The child asks, the father answers.  The child comes in desperation, the father frees from fears. 

Anxiety often comes when we forget our place.  No matter how old we get, we are forever children of God.  And when we turn to him, he lifts our burdens, he hears us.  David explains this is not just unique to him.

"For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

    he surrounds and defends all who fear him."

We'll dig a little bit more into this psalm tomorrow.

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"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave"
Mother Teresa

Quitting

Have you ever quit on something?

One winter day, about year ago, I decided that I wanted to build a model of a viking ship.  I went online, found one, bought glue, paints, paintbrushes, the whole kit!

I had not built a model in years.  But now I was more mature, I could take my time and really do a good job.  It would be relaxing, I assured myself.

Well, I got about halfway through and realized it was far too much work.  Especially when it came to the little strings I needed to loop all around for sails and such.  I started putting off the progress, days became weeks, became months...

A year later, it still sits on a shelf, unfinished.

I gave up on it.  I simply did not have the passion to finish what I started. 

Yesterday Preacher Mike quoted this scripture, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6 (NIV)

Remember that day you told the Lord your life was his? Remember when you surrendered it all to him? 

At times we may feel like that ship, sitting on a shelf unfinished.  But God never stops working, God remembers when we gave him our lives.  He has been working, nonstop, from that day forward.

"God is not human, that he should lie,

    not a human being, that he should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not act?

    Does he promise and not fulfill?" Numbers 23:19

Sometimes we may feel like God is finished with us, but the simple truth is, he is just getting started.

--

"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave"
Mother Teresa

Who Are You Thankful For?

I'm always amazed that no matter how many times we read the Word, even if we know a verse by heart, something new can jump out at us.

Reading Galatians today,

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." Gal 1:3-4 (NIV)

This is such a simple example of love and relationship.  Paul is thinking about his friends in Galatia, and as he writes his letter, he tells them how he feels about them.  He is not only thankful to God for them, but he let's them know he is.

Take a moment today, in fact, take two or three!  Think about the people in your life you are truly thankful for.  Perhaps even follow Paul's example here and tell them so.

--

"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave"
Mother Teresa

Happy New Year!

And the new year is here!

What will it bring, only the Lord knows!

But I thought it fitting to start this new year with a Psalm,

Psalm 96

1 Sing to the Lord a new song;

    sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;

    proclaim his salvation day after day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

    he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,

    but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before him;

    strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,

    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

    bring an offering and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;

    tremble before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns."

    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;

    he will judge the peoples with equity.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,

    he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

    and the peoples in his faithfulness.  (NIV)

May the Lord bless you and keep you in this new year, may his face shine upon you and give you peace!

--

"Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave"
Mother Teresa