When you get it wrong... there's time to get it right...

The church that I attend spent the summer in the Psalms. To encourage people to spend time in the Psalms, they asked members of the congregation to write a song inspired by the Psalms. Anyone could submit a song, you don't have to be musical, or play an instrument... just make a joyful noise.

As a guitar player, I write songs regularly, so I thought this would be a piece of cake.

Honestly, I wrote 4 songs and none of them were any good. So, I did what any Christian would do after failed attempts at trying to do something out of MY OWN WILL for God... I asked Him why nothing was turning out right.

God's answer to me was simple:

You are looking for a song. 

I am looking for worshipers.

Okay... let's talk about conviction...

Let's take time this weekend to not think of going to church, reading our Bible, listening to Christian radio as something that we "just do out of habit." Let's take time to meditate on what God is saying - and more importantly... let's take time to worship Him!

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

bring an offering, and come into his courts!

Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth!

(Psalm 96:7-9 ESV)

Can one person change things?

America, at one time was considered the greatest country in the world. There was prosperity, jobs, low crime. People knew their neighbors and didn't have to really worry about locking their doors at night. Now, things have changed.

Many people have lost hope due to unemployment. Futures are uncertain. Even activities that would cause a brief diversion, like movies, are being interrupted by gunmen. We look to our leaders for help and they don't provide the vision that we need.

What do we do in uncertain times? And more importantly, what can one person do to change things?

In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah is facing a similar challenge. As soon as he realized the dire state of his country he did what we should be doing today:

"As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, 'O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned." Nehemiah 1:4-6

We have got to realize that we, as a country, have tried it our way - and we are failing miserably. We continue to try to push God out of the picture, and we continue to sink. Are you willing to intercede for this country?

I believe that one person can make a difference in the life of others if they truly seek the face of God with humility and sincerity. Are you willing to invest your time and effort to pray for the redemption of a nation?

Here's today's challenge. Ask yourself if one person can change things, then read the book of Nehemiah. It's short... 13 chapters... you can do that in about 20 minutes. Head over to Bible Gateway and read it in either the English Standard Version or the New Living Translation... both are easy to read. Then meditate on what God is saying to you about how to affect change in your community.

How to be great in God's Kingdom

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies; it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour"? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." John 12:24-28

I can't say much more than what Jesus said. If you really want to bear fruit, you need to wholly submit your life to the will of God the Father. It's not an easy thing to do. Even Jesus prayed and asked God if he could take this cup (the act of Him being crucified) away, but ended His prayer with "nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done".

Let us struggle to love God more than our own lives... and let's become fruitful.

Ask not what God can do for you...

John F. Kennedy proposed the following thought: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Since then, our country has changed. Without getting political, a lot of Americans are now asking what our government can do for us. It's an interesting change.

I think it's an interesting change because I see the same thing happening in the church. Serving God is no longer about what we can do for God, but what God can do for us. There is this expectation that because we believe, and because we have been adopted into His family, that we deserve everything that we want!

This isn't a new idea. The same thing happened when Jesus was here. One of the first miracles that Jesus performed was feeding a multitude of people with only a handful of bread and a few fish. People started following Jesus then because they were expecting to be fed without having to do anything.

Jesus quickly set them on the correct path by saying:

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him,“Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whomrhe has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but he will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:25-40

Today, let's struggle to keep things in perspective. Jesus served when He was here by pointing people to His Father. Let's serve like Jesus and speak His truth to those around us. Even Jesus said that He didn't come to do His own will, but the will of His Father... as Christians, let us struggle to be more like Christ!

Father and son relationships

I have 3 sons and 1 adopted son. I was there for the birth of my 3 sons, and met my fourth when he was 7 years old. To me, there is a difference between how each responds to me.

My natural sons don't remember a time in their life when I wasn't there. The things that I ask them to do, the advice that I give has a certain weight based upon the fact that my reputation has been established with them.

Things are different with my adopted son. He is 9 years old now and he doesn't understand my methods or why I may ask him to do certain things, and as a result he misses out on a lot of benefits because I don't want to impose on him in an overbearing way, so I share what I think he can handle in hopes that one day he will understand what a full and rich relationship feels like.

I don't think I fully understood my relationship with God until I experienced this.

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the son does also. John 5:19

Jesus, who was with the Father from the beginning has a layer of trust that I do not have.

As an adopted son (Romans 8:15), it is my responsibility - just as it is with my adopted son with me, to embrace the methods of my heavenly Father.

So, that's my challenge to you this weekend. Look at your relationship with God. Take a sincere look and see whether or not you fully embrace His will, even if it doesn't make sense, or do you treat Him like a step-father that you are still learning to trust.

Family has this element of blind trust... let us struggle to have that kind of trust and faith in God.

Looking for true worshipers

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24

Earlier this year, I moved to a new city and needed to find a new church home. The prayer that I always pray when it's time to look for a church is simply this: "God, please show me true worship."

Sometimes we get confused about what worship is. Is louder better? Is there a good stage band? Are the lights just right? Honestly, none of these things matter. When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well in John 4, He really explains the essence of worship - true worship requires spirit and truth.

It's not an outward sign so people will think that you are having a worship experience. It's making that spiritual connection with God based upon the fact that His spirit is resident in you through the work of His Holy Spirit.

Worship is recognizing the truth that there is only one God, and that He gave His son Jesus to pay for our sins so we can be in fellowship with Him.

My challenge for you this week is to memorize John 4:23-24 and to meditate on it. But more importantly... experience true worship.

I can see clearly now...

Most nights, by the time I come to bed, my wife is already asleep. I crack open the door and silently walk into the room. I tip toe around so I won't wake her up. I make my way to the closet, to the bathroom to brush my teeth, then around the room to my side of the bed. The whole time I'm doing this, I think to myself "It would be so much easier if the light were on."

Now, imagine - if you will, that you are living your whole life with the lights out. It's easy to get turned around and not be sure where you are. It's easy to bump into things. You're not as effective as you could be if you could just simply turn on the light.

What would you do if you walked outside one day and everyone around you had their eyes closed and their hands out in front of them in the middle of the day. What would you think if everyone was stumbling around because they couldn't see - and it was because they had blindfolds over their eyes. Would you say anything?

What if those people were your loved ones, your friends... what if they came over to your house, and as soon as they walked in the door they closed their eyes and stumbled around trying to find a place to sit.

I know this sounds absurd, but for the Christian, this is the world that we live in.


19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. John 3:19-21 ESV

That is the great thing about reading the word of God - it shows you that you need a savior. But once you accept that, and accept the help that God gives, your whole life changes. There is no need to stumble around like you're lost. The answers become clear...

Let's struggle this week to let the light of God illuminate our way. Let us love the statutes of God more than anything else.

Meat Substitutes

I admire my vegetarian friends. It's really hard to be a vegetarian and eat healthy, making good choices. It takes a lot of planning and hard work to make sure that wherever you are, you can make the right eating choices, and that you actually take in enough food to sustain your body.

Every once in a while I venture into the vegetarian world. Just for a few weeks or a few months at a time and I noticed something... I do better when I eat "real food."

What I mean by real food is that when I'm eating like a vegetarian, I am more successful when I don't try to eat meat substitutes. Meat substitutes just don't taste the same, they don't have the right texture and they leave me really wanting the real thing.

What does this have to do with Christianity? Everything!

A lot of times, we try to be Christians, but we want to do it with a "meat substitute". Instead of opening our Bibles and reading what it says, we would rather listen to a preacher on the radio, television, or even read devotions - like this one and think we have what it takes to sustain us in our Christian walk.

It's a nice way to supplement, but it is in no way a substitute for a good old fashioned meal!

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phillipians 2:12-13


God wants us to know Him intimately for ourselves. He desires for us to open up the Word of God and wrestle with what it says. God wants us to ask Him for understanding. He wants us to meditate on His laws and statutes.


Let's struggle this week to read the Word of God for ourselves, and to share what  we learn with at least one person.

Are you in a tug of war with God?

It's easy to believe in prayer when you are young. You rely on your parents for everything, so you get in the habit of asking. As you get older and you have the ability to make decisions for yourself, asking becomes harder. It's far easier to figure things out on your own.

The thing is, God asks us to pray. Jesus, who was God... prayed. The Bible teaches us to pray.

A lot of times prayer seems like it's a tug of war with God where we want something and God just isn't giving us what we THINK we need. Maybe... it's because we're doing it wrong.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray - the first  two sentences set the tone:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10.

The attitude of prayer is that God's will is done. A lot of times, the tug of war is because we want our will to be done.

In John 15:5 Jesus says: "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

That is a bold statement... apart from God, we cannot be fruitful.

I think a lot of times we think of fruitfulness in terms of earthly success - having a good job, house... the tangible things that we see. As Christians, we know that there is more to abundant life than that. Being fruitful changes the life of those around us. Being fruitful impacts our community. Being fruitful makes a difference in our lives and the lives around us.

Let's go into the weekend really seeking the will of God, and see what He does.

Heart Healthy

I admire people that can knit. You start off with yarn, and two needles and you intentionally weave them together until you make something that serves a purpose... you can make something that will keep you warm, add beauty, be decorative. As you knit the string together, it all becomes stronger than the individual piece of string.

When you think about it, that's how it is with the Word of God. The Bible is like this string that tells you who God is. When you weave that string into your life, you get something that will keep you warm, add beauty... and make you stronger.

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you o Lord; teach me your statutes." Psalm 119:11-12

The psalmist understands... if you continuously meditate on, talk about, ponder, embrace... you get the picture... if the Word of God is always on your mind, when it comes time to make a decision, you will have to actively choose... obey the word of God or not.

God truly desires for us to know who He is. If we sincerely ask Him to teach us His word, and if we meditate on it - God will honor His word and teach us.

My challenge for you is to remember Psalm 119:11-12. Meditate on it... and make it your prayer.

Selah

Accountability

No one is perfect. I'm sure there have been instanced in each of our lives where each of us are. That is why we all need people in our lives that we can be transparent with. People who can hold them accountable when they go off base.

Without going into detail, the other day, my wife say me down and said, "Honey, I think you're on track in every area of your life except this one." And in patience and love she explained to me what it was and how she felt. I can honestly say that I never felt more in love with her or loved.

She cared enough to tell me. That's a powerful thing.

And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
(2 Samuel 12:1-7 ESV)

This is not just an old testament concept.


Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
(Galatians 6:1-3 ESV)

The important thing is HOW you do it...

A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
         (Proverbs 15:1-2 ESV)

Let us struggle to hold each other accountable. If we don't have people in our lives that are willing to hold us accountable, let's make sure that we find people who will.

On the other side of the coin, we also need to be people who are willing to hold others that we care for accountable as well.

Think about this...

When I was in college, I had a mentor, Mark W.,  who was very big of scripture ministry. Any time he would see any of us involved in campus ministry leadership he would walk up to us and say "Give me five" of "Give me ten." We would then be responsible for giving him either 5 or 10 scriptures from memory. Not just the verse, but also the reference of where it came from.

The thing that Mark knew was that remembering scripture and meditating on it has an impact on your life.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
       (Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)

Psalms starts of with a bold statement that a blessed person delights in the lord and meditates on Gods law day and night! The word for Hebrew word for meditate is translated a few different ways.


Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
        (Psalm 35:28 ESV) 


Lisa, my wife was telling me about this a few weeks ago - meditating can be translated as moaning, uttering, meditating, devising, speaking. It's like pondering, talking about it... mulling it over and over again in your mind.


Really, if you think about it, a society becomes what it meditates on. Peoples lives... reflect what they meditate on.

So... here are my 2 questions for the day...

1. Can you give me 5?
2. What are you meditating on?

Let's work on meditating on the Word of God, not just the promises - let's meditate on what God says about  Himself - what he likes... what he doesn't like... and let's struggle to embrace that!