Today's Reading:
Deuteronomy 3-4
Mark 10
I love baseball. I always have. It is the greatest of all games. There is no clock to sound the end of play. You can't simply run the ball into the line a few times a run out the clock. You have to let the other guy have his turn. The game isn't over until you have recorded that 27th out...and when that happens it is pure pandemonium.
And it's season is unlike anything else in sport...6 months long...162 games. Some say it's too long. That it has too many games. But that is where the beauty lies. There is always a game tomorrow. We are such a task oriented society. We like to set goals for ourselves so that we can "think" we have arrived at something. But you never arrive at anything, because just like baseball, there is always another game tomorrow, and you must prepare for it. Their is always another day to live so don't linger upon your success for too long. Never get too high, or too low because the season is a grind. It doesn't take a break...Baseball is like life. You don't have a week to prepare for the next game...it's here before you know it...like the next day of life.
It was once asked of a player by the name of Joe Gordon who played for the New York Yankees by his manager "Hey Joe, what's you batting average?" The player replied "I don't know." "Well then, what's your fielding average?" to which Joe replied "I don't know."
and the manager turned at looked to a man he was standing with and said "That's what I like about (Joe). All he does is come to beat ya." He just came to play...
It's why I love baseball
And it is why I love what is written in Deuteronomy Chapter 4. Moses tells the people to listen to God and follow his commands. By doing this they would see their lives become a shining example to the people around them. That through them others would see the greatness of God. By just living the life God had for them to live.
Then in verse 9 he says something I love so much...a warning. “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live!" The danger we get into is we think we have arrived at some point in life and we can then relax...but in life (just like baseball) it doesn't rest, and it won't celebrate your victory. It will come at you, just like the next game of an 162 game season, and you have to be ready.
and then a command to pass these on to our children, and their children, and their children, and their.....because it never ends, and you will never arrive...
and least not until life is over.
162 games...it is a beautiful thing. It is what makes the game great because you can't rest. You can't relax, and you don't get to celebrate until the end. No other sport is like it...no other sport is so much like life.
Someday I want to celebrate with my savior, but the season is not over yet and there is work to be done, another game to be played and no time to celebrate...not yet at least.
I wish to end tonight with my favorite poem. Actually it is the only poem I know. It is called "Game Called" by Grantland Rice
Game Called. Across the field of play
the dusk has come, the hour is late.
The fight is done and lost or won,
the player files out through the gate.
The tumult dies, the cheer is hushed,
the stands are bare, the park is still.
But through the night there shines the light,
home beyond the silent hill.
Game Called. Where in the golden light
the bugle rolled the reveille.
The shadows creep where night falls deep,
and taps has called the end of play.
The game is done, the score is in,
the final cheer and jeer have passed.
But in the night, beyond the fight,
the player finds his rest at last.
Game Called. Upon the field of life
the darkness gathers far and wide,
the dream is done, the score is spun
that stands forever in the guide.
Nor victory, nor yet defeat
is chalked against the players name.
But down the roll, the final scroll,
shows only how he played the game.
May we all play the game well...and for Him
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Our responsibility to one another
Today's Reading:
Mark 1-3
Numbers 1-2
Okay, so I have gotten a little behind on my posting. Not my reading. I am still very much keeping up with my reading. I encourage you to read Mark 1-3 (it won't take long) and Numbers can be a little hard to get through but stick with it :-) Today I want to share a devotional I read on Saturday by Oswald Chambers. It is very good and something to think about. Have a great day.
Verse "For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves."- Romans 14:7
"Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible for other souls spiritually before God For instance, if I allow any private deflection from God in my life, everyone about me suffers. We "sit together in heavenly places." "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." When once you allow physical selfishness, mental slovenliness, moral obtuseness, spiritual density, everyone belonging to your crowd will suffer. "But," you say, "who is sufficient for these things if you erect a standard like that " "Our sufficiency is of God," and of Him alone. "Ye shall be My witnesses." How many of us are willing to spend every ounce of nervous energy, of mental, moral and spiritual energy we have for Jesus Christ That is the meaning of a witness in God's sense of the word. It takes time, be patient with yourself. God has left us on the earth - what for To be saved and sanctified No, to be at it for Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him To be spoilt for this age, for this life, to be spoilt from every standpoint but one - saving as I can disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life as a worker is the way I say "thank you" to God for His unspeakable salvation. Remember it is quite possible for any one of us to be flung out as reprobate silver - ". . . lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Tomorrow's Reading:
Mark 3 (Re-read it)
Numbers 3-4
Mark 1-3
Numbers 1-2
Okay, so I have gotten a little behind on my posting. Not my reading. I am still very much keeping up with my reading. I encourage you to read Mark 1-3 (it won't take long) and Numbers can be a little hard to get through but stick with it :-) Today I want to share a devotional I read on Saturday by Oswald Chambers. It is very good and something to think about. Have a great day.
Verse "For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves."- Romans 14:7
"Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible for other souls spiritually before God For instance, if I allow any private deflection from God in my life, everyone about me suffers. We "sit together in heavenly places." "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." When once you allow physical selfishness, mental slovenliness, moral obtuseness, spiritual density, everyone belonging to your crowd will suffer. "But," you say, "who is sufficient for these things if you erect a standard like that " "Our sufficiency is of God," and of Him alone. "Ye shall be My witnesses." How many of us are willing to spend every ounce of nervous energy, of mental, moral and spiritual energy we have for Jesus Christ That is the meaning of a witness in God's sense of the word. It takes time, be patient with yourself. God has left us on the earth - what for To be saved and sanctified No, to be at it for Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him To be spoilt for this age, for this life, to be spoilt from every standpoint but one - saving as I can disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life as a worker is the way I say "thank you" to God for His unspeakable salvation. Remember it is quite possible for any one of us to be flung out as reprobate silver - ". . . lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Tomorrow's Reading:
Mark 3 (Re-read it)
Numbers 3-4
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
It all becomes so clear...
Today's Reading:
Matthew 27
Somewhere in Leviticus :-)
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he (Jesus) was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:3-8
I learned something long ago, and the longer I study the Bible it proves itself true. The BIble explains the Bible. Yeah, I know it may sound confusing. What I mean is that one verse found in the Bible, in order to understand it fully, you have to know another verse...and that other verse is explained by yet another verse somewhere else in scripture. The Bible is not a random collection of do's and do nots. It is not a self help book filled with a random collection of advice. It is God's grand story. A tapestry so beautifully interwoven that if you take but one thread from the story...it unravels. It would be missing something so important as if one ripped the page out of a novel or cut 10 very important minutes from a movie. It is God's grand painting. The more verses I learn and take to heart the greater my ability to understand fully the truth God wants to reveal in His word.
Tonight I read Matthew 27...the story of the crucifixion of Jesus.It has the ability to read very dry...it's extremely historical in nature. No embellishment...no drama...no fancy words meant to illicit emotion. It is merely a history...and not overly exciting I must say.
But then I remember the words of Philippians 2:3-8 and Matthew 27 takes on a whole new significance. (Yes, you should read Matthew 27 :-)
Jesus was God...and suddenly I think of the scene in the Old Testament where Moses wishes to see God's Glory and God informs Moses quite simply "You can't handle it Moses." I am reminded of how great and beyond us God truly is...and yet here is Jesus in Matthew 27, being that very same God, born as a man and humbling himself to the death on a cross (the most brutal form of death ever concocted) described in Matthew 27...
...and all for me, and you, and anyone else that has ever lived. When I take the identity that the Bible gives me of Jesus in Philippians (and dozens of other verses) Matthew 27 takes on it's full meaning and it is at that time that I find myself reading such a dry, historical recount of a man's death and find tears of joy streaming down my face...because I "Know" who it is that is being beaten, tormented, flog, abused and crucified...
....and I know why He is doing it...all to show me love the world has never seen before or since to bring me back to Himself...it is God in human form...Jesus, the Christ.
Do not make the mistake of reading the Bible as if it is simply a collection of ancient proverbs because if you do you will simply miss the point.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his gone and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
So often quoted, and perhaps so often glossed over with a "yeah, yeah, I know that." that we fail to appreciate the magnitude of what happens in Matthew 27.
Let us not become so fixated upon one part of the painting that we miss the painting itself in all it's beauty.
Thank you Jesus for what you did in chapter 27 of Matthew...because it means everything :-)
Matthew 27
Somewhere in Leviticus :-)
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he (Jesus) was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:3-8
I learned something long ago, and the longer I study the Bible it proves itself true. The BIble explains the Bible. Yeah, I know it may sound confusing. What I mean is that one verse found in the Bible, in order to understand it fully, you have to know another verse...and that other verse is explained by yet another verse somewhere else in scripture. The Bible is not a random collection of do's and do nots. It is not a self help book filled with a random collection of advice. It is God's grand story. A tapestry so beautifully interwoven that if you take but one thread from the story...it unravels. It would be missing something so important as if one ripped the page out of a novel or cut 10 very important minutes from a movie. It is God's grand painting. The more verses I learn and take to heart the greater my ability to understand fully the truth God wants to reveal in His word.
Tonight I read Matthew 27...the story of the crucifixion of Jesus.It has the ability to read very dry...it's extremely historical in nature. No embellishment...no drama...no fancy words meant to illicit emotion. It is merely a history...and not overly exciting I must say.
But then I remember the words of Philippians 2:3-8 and Matthew 27 takes on a whole new significance. (Yes, you should read Matthew 27 :-)
Jesus was God...and suddenly I think of the scene in the Old Testament where Moses wishes to see God's Glory and God informs Moses quite simply "You can't handle it Moses." I am reminded of how great and beyond us God truly is...and yet here is Jesus in Matthew 27, being that very same God, born as a man and humbling himself to the death on a cross (the most brutal form of death ever concocted) described in Matthew 27...
...and all for me, and you, and anyone else that has ever lived. When I take the identity that the Bible gives me of Jesus in Philippians (and dozens of other verses) Matthew 27 takes on it's full meaning and it is at that time that I find myself reading such a dry, historical recount of a man's death and find tears of joy streaming down my face...because I "Know" who it is that is being beaten, tormented, flog, abused and crucified...
....and I know why He is doing it...all to show me love the world has never seen before or since to bring me back to Himself...it is God in human form...Jesus, the Christ.
Do not make the mistake of reading the Bible as if it is simply a collection of ancient proverbs because if you do you will simply miss the point.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his gone and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
So often quoted, and perhaps so often glossed over with a "yeah, yeah, I know that." that we fail to appreciate the magnitude of what happens in Matthew 27.
Let us not become so fixated upon one part of the painting that we miss the painting itself in all it's beauty.
Thank you Jesus for what you did in chapter 27 of Matthew...because it means everything :-)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
We All Need a Loyal Friend...
A Friend is Loyal
“But the thing that makes Woody special is that he'll never give up on you. Ever. He'll be there for you no matter what.” (Toy Story 3)
We are in the middle of a 5 week series called “New Friend Request.” It is my hope that at the end of this series we will have better idea of why we need friends, what things make a good friend and how to choose our friends wisely. The big idea I want us to take away from these 5 weeks is this...“Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your lives.” The people you hang out with and spend time with the most will have a direct impact on the choices you make. Proverbs 13:20 says this exact thing.
“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble”
“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” (The Message)
Last week we talked about the importance of friends. A person alone in this world is in trouble. We all need a friend. We were designed to have friends. Genesis 2:18 says that after God made the first man He said “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 echoes this sentiment. “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
We need a friend or two in our life...but we need the right kind of friend. The type of friend God wants for us.
This week I want to talk about what makes a true friend.
Yesterday I watched Toy Story 3. (Great movie if you haven’t seen it by the way. )The main character is Woody. Now Woody is far from perfect. he gets jealous, He does selfish things at times, but the thing I love about Woody is he cares about Andy (his owner.) He wants to bring Andy joy. He feels like that is his great calling in life, to be there for Andy. We all know the theme song to Toy Story right....
You've got a friend in me. You’ve got a friend in me......( you can sing along if you like :-)
It’s a great song (I think.) There is one line in this song though I want to focus in on. It says “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. We stick together we can see it through.” That’s a friend. You find someone like that, you have got yourself a loyal friend and we all need a loyal friend. Someone who sticks with you no matter what. We all need a friend...and those friends should be loyal.
Woody says it perfectly “What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us.”
That is true friendship. It is that kind of attitude that makes a loyal friend. Being there for someone else. We all want a friend like this, don’t we? We all need a friend like this don’t you think? A loyal friend. Someone who cares more about us that they do about themselves?? A true friend is loyal. I mean...don’t you want to know that the friends you have in your life care more about you then they do themselves? The problem is, many of your “friends”...they don’t care about you. They care about themselves...If are friends will determine the direction and quality of our lives, are these the “friends” we want determining our choices and future? Are these the people you want choosing the kind of life you have? People who don’t really care about you???
We all need a loyal friend.
Proverbs 17:17 says it perfectly I think. “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” The word here that says “loyal” comes from a hebrew word which means the same thing as love. The ESV translation says it this way “A friend loves at all times.” What kind of love is it talking about?? It’s the love that God has for us. The love He showed on the cross when He died for you and me. That’s what a loyal friend looks like. They love, like Jesus, at all times.
Now friendship can be a tricky thing. We read a verse like this and think a friend is someone who just accepts us for you we are. Doesn’t loving someone mean you just accept them?!?! Now while it is true, a true friend is someone who accepts us for who we are...that’s not the only thing a friend should do. See, you can accept someone without actually loving them but if you love someone you will accept them.....but you will do more. We, many times, are willing to settle for a friend who simply accepts and we don’t go any further. People like to be accepted. Acceptance is an important part of a any friendship, but it’s only one part. There are people I went to high school and college with, people who got into all sorts of trouble who had friends that accepted them but didn’t actually love them. And many times it was those “friends” that got them into trouble to begin with. Acceptance is important...just not the only thing.”
I watched a special last night on a guy by the name of Lemmy. Lemmy is the lead guy in a heavy metal band called Motorhead. As I was watching the documentary it got me thinking. See, in the metal world friends are tight. Metal guys stick close to their metal cohorts. They accept each other as they are. But that is all they do often. They accept each others drug use, alcohol consumption and other destructive behaviors. They quite often accept each other to death.
Hey I want a friend that accepts me...but at what cost???
Proverbs 18:24 says “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” I like how it puts the word “friends” in quotes because one who destroys is no friend at all. One accepts another to death...a friend who simply accepts but is not willing to love (you will see the difference in a moment) is no friend at all. It is that type of friend that will destroy your life and your dreams. A person who makes and chooses friends too easily is in trouble of destruction.
But a person who thinks and chooses their friends wisely is smart because a real friend sticks close. A loyal friend will accept you, but they will also do so much more. The word friend used here and other places in the Bible is a word that means “one who loves.”
Someone who loves you accepts for who you are, but they are not willing to leave you there. A loyal friend cares about what is best for you. A loyal friend is even more concerned about you than they are about the friendship. They are more concerned with what is best for you than they are with being accepted by you and what is best for you is what God wants for you. A loyal friend, biblically speaking, is a person who accepts you for you who are but also wants you to grow closer to God and will do whatever is necessary to help you achieve this.
We need friends that help us grow closer to God, not further away.
“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”...“A friend loves at all times.”
As we go through our day, we need to ask ourselves, am I making friends that love me? Am I creating relationships with people who will draw me closer to God or am I making “friends” who will destroy me? Do I have loyal friends in my life? Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. A phony friend won’t take you in the direction you want to go...you need a loyal friend to get you where you want to be.
“The thing that makes a true, loyal friend special is that they'll never give up on you and helping you become the person God’s wants you to be. They will never give up on you...Ever. They'll be there for you no matter what.”
“But the thing that makes Woody special is that he'll never give up on you. Ever. He'll be there for you no matter what.” (Toy Story 3)
We are in the middle of a 5 week series called “New Friend Request.” It is my hope that at the end of this series we will have better idea of why we need friends, what things make a good friend and how to choose our friends wisely. The big idea I want us to take away from these 5 weeks is this...“Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your lives.” The people you hang out with and spend time with the most will have a direct impact on the choices you make. Proverbs 13:20 says this exact thing.
“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble”
“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” (The Message)
Last week we talked about the importance of friends. A person alone in this world is in trouble. We all need a friend. We were designed to have friends. Genesis 2:18 says that after God made the first man He said “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 echoes this sentiment. “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
We need a friend or two in our life...but we need the right kind of friend. The type of friend God wants for us.
This week I want to talk about what makes a true friend.
Yesterday I watched Toy Story 3. (Great movie if you haven’t seen it by the way. )The main character is Woody. Now Woody is far from perfect. he gets jealous, He does selfish things at times, but the thing I love about Woody is he cares about Andy (his owner.) He wants to bring Andy joy. He feels like that is his great calling in life, to be there for Andy. We all know the theme song to Toy Story right....
You've got a friend in me. You’ve got a friend in me......( you can sing along if you like :-)
It’s a great song (I think.) There is one line in this song though I want to focus in on. It says “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. We stick together we can see it through.” That’s a friend. You find someone like that, you have got yourself a loyal friend and we all need a loyal friend. Someone who sticks with you no matter what. We all need a friend...and those friends should be loyal.
Woody says it perfectly “What matters is that we're here for Andy when he needs us.”
That is true friendship. It is that kind of attitude that makes a loyal friend. Being there for someone else. We all want a friend like this, don’t we? We all need a friend like this don’t you think? A loyal friend. Someone who cares more about us that they do about themselves?? A true friend is loyal. I mean...don’t you want to know that the friends you have in your life care more about you then they do themselves? The problem is, many of your “friends”...they don’t care about you. They care about themselves...If are friends will determine the direction and quality of our lives, are these the “friends” we want determining our choices and future? Are these the people you want choosing the kind of life you have? People who don’t really care about you???
We all need a loyal friend.
Proverbs 17:17 says it perfectly I think. “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” The word here that says “loyal” comes from a hebrew word which means the same thing as love. The ESV translation says it this way “A friend loves at all times.” What kind of love is it talking about?? It’s the love that God has for us. The love He showed on the cross when He died for you and me. That’s what a loyal friend looks like. They love, like Jesus, at all times.
Now friendship can be a tricky thing. We read a verse like this and think a friend is someone who just accepts us for you we are. Doesn’t loving someone mean you just accept them?!?! Now while it is true, a true friend is someone who accepts us for who we are...that’s not the only thing a friend should do. See, you can accept someone without actually loving them but if you love someone you will accept them.....but you will do more. We, many times, are willing to settle for a friend who simply accepts and we don’t go any further. People like to be accepted. Acceptance is an important part of a any friendship, but it’s only one part. There are people I went to high school and college with, people who got into all sorts of trouble who had friends that accepted them but didn’t actually love them. And many times it was those “friends” that got them into trouble to begin with. Acceptance is important...just not the only thing.”
I watched a special last night on a guy by the name of Lemmy. Lemmy is the lead guy in a heavy metal band called Motorhead. As I was watching the documentary it got me thinking. See, in the metal world friends are tight. Metal guys stick close to their metal cohorts. They accept each other as they are. But that is all they do often. They accept each others drug use, alcohol consumption and other destructive behaviors. They quite often accept each other to death.
Hey I want a friend that accepts me...but at what cost???
Proverbs 18:24 says “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” I like how it puts the word “friends” in quotes because one who destroys is no friend at all. One accepts another to death...a friend who simply accepts but is not willing to love (you will see the difference in a moment) is no friend at all. It is that type of friend that will destroy your life and your dreams. A person who makes and chooses friends too easily is in trouble of destruction.
But a person who thinks and chooses their friends wisely is smart because a real friend sticks close. A loyal friend will accept you, but they will also do so much more. The word friend used here and other places in the Bible is a word that means “one who loves.”
Someone who loves you accepts for who you are, but they are not willing to leave you there. A loyal friend cares about what is best for you. A loyal friend is even more concerned about you than they are about the friendship. They are more concerned with what is best for you than they are with being accepted by you and what is best for you is what God wants for you. A loyal friend, biblically speaking, is a person who accepts you for you who are but also wants you to grow closer to God and will do whatever is necessary to help you achieve this.
We need friends that help us grow closer to God, not further away.
“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”...“A friend loves at all times.”
As we go through our day, we need to ask ourselves, am I making friends that love me? Am I creating relationships with people who will draw me closer to God or am I making “friends” who will destroy me? Do I have loyal friends in my life? Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. A phony friend won’t take you in the direction you want to go...you need a loyal friend to get you where you want to be.
“The thing that makes a true, loyal friend special is that they'll never give up on you and helping you become the person God’s wants you to be. They will never give up on you...Ever. They'll be there for you no matter what.”
Thursday, February 10, 2011
You welcomed me...
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
(Matthew 25:35 ESV)
I work with people, and I would love to say I lived this verse out...but I don't. In many ways I am a loner, a hermit. I like to be by myself. I enjoy quiet. I enjoy stillness. It energizes me.
But when I am around others, I like to know that others want me there. When we welcome another person, when we share and show love to our fellow man we are doing the work God put us here to do. The words above were spoken by Jesus. He said that when we do these things for others it is as if we are doing them for Him.
I know one group of people that wants to be welcomed more than any other...the middle school student. They want to know they are known, seen...important. That someone cares who they are just the way they are. That someone knows their name and is glad to have them there.
Of course I guess we all are that way :-)
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
(Matthew 25:40 ESV)
The great thing about Jesus is this...He is God (and God in all his "hugeness" is beyond anything we can ever begin to comprehend.) And yet Jesus did not think of equality with God as something to cling to, gave up his divine privileges; and was born as a human being.
and then He humbled himself and died a criminal’s death on a cross....because He wanted to welcome us...
welcome us and bring us back to God.
Oh that I might welcome others the way He has welcomed me
(Matthew 25:35 ESV)
I work with people, and I would love to say I lived this verse out...but I don't. In many ways I am a loner, a hermit. I like to be by myself. I enjoy quiet. I enjoy stillness. It energizes me.
But when I am around others, I like to know that others want me there. When we welcome another person, when we share and show love to our fellow man we are doing the work God put us here to do. The words above were spoken by Jesus. He said that when we do these things for others it is as if we are doing them for Him.
I know one group of people that wants to be welcomed more than any other...the middle school student. They want to know they are known, seen...important. That someone cares who they are just the way they are. That someone knows their name and is glad to have them there.
Of course I guess we all are that way :-)
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
(Matthew 25:40 ESV)
The great thing about Jesus is this...He is God (and God in all his "hugeness" is beyond anything we can ever begin to comprehend.) And yet Jesus did not think of equality with God as something to cling to, gave up his divine privileges; and was born as a human being.
and then He humbled himself and died a criminal’s death on a cross....because He wanted to welcome us...
welcome us and bring us back to God.
Oh that I might welcome others the way He has welcomed me
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
What I fear most...
Today's Readings:
Leviticus 6-7
Matthew 25:1-30
What do I fear most you ask???
Austin Powers' quotes aside, what is the thing I fear most?? Spiders...yes, they creep me out. Being alone in the dark...no thank you. The movie "Daredevil".....not scary, just really bad.
There are many things that I fear, but the thing I fear most is the thought of my middle schoolers getting involved with the wrong people. I've seen it too many times. I saw it growing up. I saw it in high school. I saw it college. I have seen it in the lives of adults. Nearly 42 years of life and I have seen it happen all to often. Just now I think about the fact that I have taught elementary school for 18 years now. Taught at summer camps for 6 more years. Been a middle school pastor for almost 3 years...it goes without saying that thousands of students have passed through my classrooms (with countless more being seen on the playgrounds of recess and lunch.)
and how many times have I seen a life derailed by the choice to hang with the wrong crowd.
By no means am I saying we wall ourselves off. I don't believe there are bad people and good people. And besides, Jesus did call us to live in a walled city. What I am saying is that our kids need to be careful who they invite into their inner circle. They need to be thoughtful about who they allow to influence their lives.
Tonight I read Leviticus 6-7. Leviticus 7:19 says "Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up." There are many verses in the Bible that talk about things that are clean and unclean.
In Deuteronomy 7:3-4 it says "You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods."
There is a definite warning throughout scripture to be careful about putting ourselves in a position or among people that may lead us astray. I encourage my students to make friends with students who may not believe in all they believe. I don't believe Jesus wants us to shun others simply because of how they live. Jesus himself went to those that needed Him most...but he took 12 other guys with Him :-) We need be careful is all. I want my students to have friends around them, an inner circle, who help them grow closer to God and make good choices. That way they will have the support needed to keep them from following the "wrong" crowd (and in the process those friends may be helping to change a few lost lives as well :-)
In Epic Jv we are learning about friends. How to find friends and build lasting friendships that draw us closer to God. We learned a verse on Sunday. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
What I fear most is that students, in their longing to find friends and someone who "loves" them will venture off alone into a world that does not love them and take them down a path of death and destruction. "Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble." (Proverbs 13:20)
Foolishness, like uncleanness, has a way of rubbing off and making us foolish as well. This is what I fear most, especially when it comes to my middle school friends.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Leviticus 8-10
Matthew 25:31-46
Leviticus 6-7
Matthew 25:1-30
What do I fear most you ask???
Austin Powers' quotes aside, what is the thing I fear most?? Spiders...yes, they creep me out. Being alone in the dark...no thank you. The movie "Daredevil".....not scary, just really bad.
There are many things that I fear, but the thing I fear most is the thought of my middle schoolers getting involved with the wrong people. I've seen it too many times. I saw it growing up. I saw it in high school. I saw it college. I have seen it in the lives of adults. Nearly 42 years of life and I have seen it happen all to often. Just now I think about the fact that I have taught elementary school for 18 years now. Taught at summer camps for 6 more years. Been a middle school pastor for almost 3 years...it goes without saying that thousands of students have passed through my classrooms (with countless more being seen on the playgrounds of recess and lunch.)
and how many times have I seen a life derailed by the choice to hang with the wrong crowd.
By no means am I saying we wall ourselves off. I don't believe there are bad people and good people. And besides, Jesus did call us to live in a walled city. What I am saying is that our kids need to be careful who they invite into their inner circle. They need to be thoughtful about who they allow to influence their lives.
Tonight I read Leviticus 6-7. Leviticus 7:19 says "Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean may not be eaten; it must be completely burned up." There are many verses in the Bible that talk about things that are clean and unclean.
In Deuteronomy 7:3-4 it says "You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods."
There is a definite warning throughout scripture to be careful about putting ourselves in a position or among people that may lead us astray. I encourage my students to make friends with students who may not believe in all they believe. I don't believe Jesus wants us to shun others simply because of how they live. Jesus himself went to those that needed Him most...but he took 12 other guys with Him :-) We need be careful is all. I want my students to have friends around them, an inner circle, who help them grow closer to God and make good choices. That way they will have the support needed to keep them from following the "wrong" crowd (and in the process those friends may be helping to change a few lost lives as well :-)
In Epic Jv we are learning about friends. How to find friends and build lasting friendships that draw us closer to God. We learned a verse on Sunday. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
What I fear most is that students, in their longing to find friends and someone who "loves" them will venture off alone into a world that does not love them and take them down a path of death and destruction. "Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble." (Proverbs 13:20)
Foolishness, like uncleanness, has a way of rubbing off and making us foolish as well. This is what I fear most, especially when it comes to my middle school friends.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Leviticus 8-10
Matthew 25:31-46
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Be Ready, for the Lord is Coming...
Today's Readings:
Leviticus 4-5
Matthew 24:29-51
"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:42)
Tonight at Epic Jv (middle school group) I shared Ephesians 5:15-17 with kids..."So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."
Today, as I read Matthew 24, I was reminded about the need to live thoughtfully. We should think carefully about our choices. We should not live life just hoping for the best. We should have a plan. We should think about each day before it happens. My fear, as i work with my middle school students, is that too many of them aren't thinking about life. They don't have a plan for each day. Heck, most adults don't take a careful look at their life and their choices.
How often do I run headlong into life without a thought or a plan...and then wonder why things don't work out.
I want to live a life of purpose and meaning. I want to live a life of joy and peace but it will not happen by accident.
It takes thought, understanding, and effort. I want to make the most of each day by living the life I was created to live and be the man God made me to be.
I like to think I am on the right track...but I need to stay close to the one who gave me His all...
So that when He comes back He might find me doing all the right things.
Leviticus 4-5
Matthew 24:29-51
"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming." (Matthew 24:42)
Tonight at Epic Jv (middle school group) I shared Ephesians 5:15-17 with kids..."So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."
Today, as I read Matthew 24, I was reminded about the need to live thoughtfully. We should think carefully about our choices. We should not live life just hoping for the best. We should have a plan. We should think about each day before it happens. My fear, as i work with my middle school students, is that too many of them aren't thinking about life. They don't have a plan for each day. Heck, most adults don't take a careful look at their life and their choices.
How often do I run headlong into life without a thought or a plan...and then wonder why things don't work out.
I want to live a life of purpose and meaning. I want to live a life of joy and peace but it will not happen by accident.
It takes thought, understanding, and effort. I want to make the most of each day by living the life I was created to live and be the man God made me to be.
I like to think I am on the right track...but I need to stay close to the one who gave me His all...
So that when He comes back He might find me doing all the right things.
What is Epic Jv??
Here is a copy of my message from Tuesday February 8, 2011 (Excuse the typos and incomplete thoughts...these are sometimes a incomplete draft and I fill in things on the fly :-)
What is Epic Jv??
Epic Jv is many things I believe. First, I think this is a place where one can find friends. We talked on Sunday about how important friends are, that we all need friends. That without friends we are in trouble. Epic Jv is a place where we can find friendship.
Epic Jv is also a place where we can have fun. There is no doubt that Epic Jv is a Happy Fun Time :-)
But most important of all I believe and I hope that Epic Jv is a place where we can find faith. A place where we can seek God and begin to live for Him and Him alone. In order for us to begin to live for God there are certain things we need to do. Remember when we learned about Haggai and how the people were encouraged to begin building God’s house. They were told to start rebuilding the temple of God, a place where people could learn about and worship their creator. We need to begin to build God’s house in our lives.
Now when you build a house, the first thing you do is lay a foundation. The foundation is the most important part of the house. If the foundation is bad, the whole house is bad and will eventually fall apart. If the foundation of our life is bad our lives will fall apart. But if we build our lives upon a firm foundation, if we build our lives upon the correct thoughts and ideas…our life will stand.
The Bible says in Matthew 7:24-25 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” When we build our lives upon the words of Jesus…when we build our lives upon the thoughts of God…we have lives worth living.
Tonight, very quickly, I want to go over 7 things, some of which we have already talked about, that we need to understand and begin to put into our lives if we want our lives to be built upon a firm foundation. These are the ideas I want you to leave Epic Jv knowing and applying in your lives.
Authentic Faith
Simply put this is the belief that God can be trusted and He will do all He has promised to do. Do we understand what it means to follow God? Are we trusting God with the important areas of our life? If we want to have faith in God, and He want to live as God wants us to live then we need to understand what that means to have faith. It is knowing who God is and what He wants for our lives and for the world around us. Here is the verse you should memorize. It is Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
We should be developing an authentic faith that trusts God in all areas of our life.
Spiritual Disciplines
One of the ways we develop an authentic faith is by learning how God sees us and the world around us. When we see as God sees, we will do as God says. And how do we see as God sees? We pray and we spend time daily learning about Him by reading the Bible. The verse we need to remember is Romans 12:2
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Are you spending time daily in prayer and reading God’s word?? If not, you need to begin. It is why I text verses. It is why I post them on facebook. It is why I write my blog. I don’t do those things for me, I do them for you I do these things so that your attitudes and behavior might begin to change as you start to see the world through God’s eyes.
Healthy Friendships
This is what we are learning about on Sundays. Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. The people you hang out with and spend time with the most will have a direct impact on the choices you make. You need to start finding friends and creating friendships that draw you closer to God. The verse we should remember when it comes to friends is Proverbs 13:20
“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble”
“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” (The Message)
We need to learn how to build good friendships and avoid bad ones. Are you establishing healthy friendships and avoiding bad unhealthy ones?
Wise Choices
Every day you are faced with many choices…many important choices. Are you making the wise choice? Are you asking yourself “What is the wise thing for me to do?” Are you making wise choices in every area of life? Are you walking and living wisely? The verse here to remember is Ephesians 5:15-17
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.17Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (NLT)
“So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.” (The Message)
As we grow closer to God and learn what He wants for our lives we can then start to make wise choices.
Ultimate Authority
We tend to think rules keep us from being free when in truth it is the exact opposite. True freedom is found under authority. If we want to be truly free and live free lives than we need to realize that God is in control. Also we need to realize that God has put people in our lives that we need to submit to. Our parents, our teachers, Principal at the school, junior high pastor As a young person you have to realize that God is the ultimate authority and that it is God that has placed people over us in our lives. The question you have to ask yourself is “are you submitting to the authorities God has placed over you?” The key verse to remember is Romans 13:1-2
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.”
“Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.”
Others First
Selfishness comes naturally to us all. We don’t need to learn how to be selfish. Selflessness however must be learned. Jesus who is our ultimate example of how to live, put the needs of others ahead of His own. We need to do the same. Humility and service. The key verse to remember here is my favorite one…it is Philippians 2:3-11
“Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." (The Message)
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
What’s The Point?
When you leave this room, when you leave Epic Jv, my hope is that I will stories. Stories of how you are living out your faith in God. Stories of how every day, you are reading the Bible and growing closer to God. Stories of how you are making good choices about the friends you have. Stories of how you had a friendship that was taking down the wrong path and you ended it or stories of how you were a great friend to someone else. Stories of about how when you were faced with a tough choice, you made the wise choice. Stories about how you are choosing the right thing to do. Of how you are putting others first. Stories of how you selflessly look out for the needs of others. I want to hear stories from your parents, from your friends or from you about how your life has been changed by Jesus.
What is Epic Jv??
Epic Jv is many things I believe. First, I think this is a place where one can find friends. We talked on Sunday about how important friends are, that we all need friends. That without friends we are in trouble. Epic Jv is a place where we can find friendship.
Epic Jv is also a place where we can have fun. There is no doubt that Epic Jv is a Happy Fun Time :-)
But most important of all I believe and I hope that Epic Jv is a place where we can find faith. A place where we can seek God and begin to live for Him and Him alone. In order for us to begin to live for God there are certain things we need to do. Remember when we learned about Haggai and how the people were encouraged to begin building God’s house. They were told to start rebuilding the temple of God, a place where people could learn about and worship their creator. We need to begin to build God’s house in our lives.
Now when you build a house, the first thing you do is lay a foundation. The foundation is the most important part of the house. If the foundation is bad, the whole house is bad and will eventually fall apart. If the foundation of our life is bad our lives will fall apart. But if we build our lives upon a firm foundation, if we build our lives upon the correct thoughts and ideas…our life will stand.
The Bible says in Matthew 7:24-25 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” When we build our lives upon the words of Jesus…when we build our lives upon the thoughts of God…we have lives worth living.
Tonight, very quickly, I want to go over 7 things, some of which we have already talked about, that we need to understand and begin to put into our lives if we want our lives to be built upon a firm foundation. These are the ideas I want you to leave Epic Jv knowing and applying in your lives.
Authentic Faith
Simply put this is the belief that God can be trusted and He will do all He has promised to do. Do we understand what it means to follow God? Are we trusting God with the important areas of our life? If we want to have faith in God, and He want to live as God wants us to live then we need to understand what that means to have faith. It is knowing who God is and what He wants for our lives and for the world around us. Here is the verse you should memorize. It is Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
We should be developing an authentic faith that trusts God in all areas of our life.
Spiritual Disciplines
One of the ways we develop an authentic faith is by learning how God sees us and the world around us. When we see as God sees, we will do as God says. And how do we see as God sees? We pray and we spend time daily learning about Him by reading the Bible. The verse we need to remember is Romans 12:2
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Are you spending time daily in prayer and reading God’s word?? If not, you need to begin. It is why I text verses. It is why I post them on facebook. It is why I write my blog. I don’t do those things for me, I do them for you I do these things so that your attitudes and behavior might begin to change as you start to see the world through God’s eyes.
Healthy Friendships
This is what we are learning about on Sundays. Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. The people you hang out with and spend time with the most will have a direct impact on the choices you make. You need to start finding friends and creating friendships that draw you closer to God. The verse we should remember when it comes to friends is Proverbs 13:20
“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble”
“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” (The Message)
We need to learn how to build good friendships and avoid bad ones. Are you establishing healthy friendships and avoiding bad unhealthy ones?
Wise Choices
Every day you are faced with many choices…many important choices. Are you making the wise choice? Are you asking yourself “What is the wise thing for me to do?” Are you making wise choices in every area of life? Are you walking and living wisely? The verse here to remember is Ephesians 5:15-17
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.17Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (NLT)
“So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.” (The Message)
As we grow closer to God and learn what He wants for our lives we can then start to make wise choices.
Ultimate Authority
We tend to think rules keep us from being free when in truth it is the exact opposite. True freedom is found under authority. If we want to be truly free and live free lives than we need to realize that God is in control. Also we need to realize that God has put people in our lives that we need to submit to. Our parents, our teachers, Principal at the school, junior high pastor As a young person you have to realize that God is the ultimate authority and that it is God that has placed people over us in our lives. The question you have to ask yourself is “are you submitting to the authorities God has placed over you?” The key verse to remember is Romans 13:1-2
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.”
“Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.”
Others First
Selfishness comes naturally to us all. We don’t need to learn how to be selfish. Selflessness however must be learned. Jesus who is our ultimate example of how to live, put the needs of others ahead of His own. We need to do the same. Humility and service. The key verse to remember here is my favorite one…it is Philippians 2:3-11
“Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." (The Message)
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
What’s The Point?
When you leave this room, when you leave Epic Jv, my hope is that I will stories. Stories of how you are living out your faith in God. Stories of how every day, you are reading the Bible and growing closer to God. Stories of how you are making good choices about the friends you have. Stories of how you had a friendship that was taking down the wrong path and you ended it or stories of how you were a great friend to someone else. Stories of about how when you were faced with a tough choice, you made the wise choice. Stories about how you are choosing the right thing to do. Of how you are putting others first. Stories of how you selflessly look out for the needs of others. I want to hear stories from your parents, from your friends or from you about how your life has been changed by Jesus.
New Friend Request Series Week #1: We All Need a Friend
This is my sermon fro Sunday February 6, 2011 called "We All Need a Friend" in case you misses it (There are typos and incomplete thoughts :-)
We all Need a Friend
The Bible is a really cool book. It is just the best thing ever written I think. The creator of the universe has shared Himself with us in this book. His thoughts, His wishes, His will, His love...everything we could possibly want to know about God and how He sees the world is contained in these pages and for the next 5 weeks we are going to dive headlong into this book and discover what God has to say about friends.
Who likes friends?? I like friends. Friends are fun, in fact one of the cool things I hear quite often in this room (In Epic Jv) is people saying “hello friend.” It was Heather who started this. (DESCRIBE) I know Kelsey Hougen says it all the time. But there is no doubt that we all like friends. Friends are important to us. It’s why Facebook is so popular I think. You can have so many friends :-) I remember when I first got on Facebook, everyday I would get a little message that said “you have a new friend request.” and I would be like “Yeah...more friends.” It made me feel good. It made me feel important. It made me feel loved and like my existence meant something. That people were glad I was alive. It is because We all need friends.
I have 390 friends on Facebook....but what does that really mean?? Am I really that popular? Don’t answer that question because I know I’m not. How many of my “friends” on facebook am I really that close to? Now, I don’t mean to say I don’t like them, that certainly is not true. I love them all. In fact, when I look at my friends on facebook it is like looking at a timeline...I am 41 years old and when I look at my friends list it’s a little history of my friends. Kind of like a friend museum or a friend hall of fame. Friends from my neighborhood growing up, friends from high school, college...every one of my friends on facebook is someone who at one time or another played a big role in my life.
Friends do play a huge role in our lives...Proverbs 13:20 says “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
That is quite a contrast. There is no middle ground is there. Walk with wise, Good...walk with fools...bad
We all need friends but more than that we all need friendships built upon love and acceptance. We all need friends that encourage our walk with God not ones that hinder it. Our relationship with God should never be compromised because of a relationship we have with another person. We do all need friends, that much should be clear and your friends, the people you “choose” to hang out with and spend time with, the people you invite into your world will play a big role in your life the same way all of my friends on “facebook” have played a big role in my life.
Big Idea, and don’t ever forget this one...Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life.
Friends are important. We all need them and there is a great verse in the book of Ecclesiastes that talks about the importance of friends. It is Ecclesiastes 4:12. Actually I will read you verses 9-12....
"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
We all need friends is the short summary of these verses. We are happier when we have friends than when we are alone in the world. We are more successful in life when we have friends. God designed us this way. In Genesis 2:18 after God made Adam, the first man he said “It is not good for the man to be alone.” When we selfishly live for ourselves than we are doomed to fail but if we serve one another in friendship we find meaning. If we face trouble alone (and don’t forget, God has promised we will all face trouble) we will be defeated but if we have good friends, friends that have our back we can get through the trouble. If you think you can do life alone...you are wrong.
But our lives will also be determined not only by whether we have friends or not but by the quality of our friends.
Two applications I see here. First is this. You need friends. Good friends, and please make every effort you can to come to church these next 5 weeks because we are going to learn how to choose our friends, what to look for in a friend and how to be a friend. We all need a friend or 2...or 390 :-)
...and there are kids at your schools, in your neighborhoods, in this room that need a friend like you. A friend that will draw them closer to God. A friend they can stand with when the bad times come, when Life gets rocky. A friend that loves them. There are kids who haven chosen friends for themselves that will abandon them or lead them in the wrong direction. They need a friend like this rope.
Our friends do play a big role in our lives. We all want friends...we all need friends, even if we don’t want to admit it. We all want someone to hang out with, someone to talk to and someone who knows us. It is why I love Epic Jv. I think this is a place where friends can be found and made. It is place where we can grow closer, in fact there are some exciting new things that are going to be happening in Epic Jv in the future that will allow us to develop deep meaningful friendships.
Because there is a smart way, a right way to do friendship, a way that will draw us closer to God, if we surround ourselves with the right people. See, friendship requires something from you. It is not just what we can get or who makes us feel comfortable. We need friends that will help us move in the right direction.
When I look at my friends on facebook, for the most part they are all people who at one time or another helped me to move in the right direction. They have all impacted my life in one way or another. They have been a part of that cord of rope. We all need friends and for the next 5 weeks we are going to look at Friendship and how God views friendship so that at the end of your life you might be able to look back on your “friend hall of fame” and think “I sure am glad that person was in my life. They helped move closer to God.”
Of course, in my life, there is one friend who stands above all the rest and that is Jesus and if you don’t call Jesus friend everything I say will be pretty meaningless. He is the one friend who will never fail us...
We all need friends
We all Need a Friend
The Bible is a really cool book. It is just the best thing ever written I think. The creator of the universe has shared Himself with us in this book. His thoughts, His wishes, His will, His love...everything we could possibly want to know about God and how He sees the world is contained in these pages and for the next 5 weeks we are going to dive headlong into this book and discover what God has to say about friends.
Who likes friends?? I like friends. Friends are fun, in fact one of the cool things I hear quite often in this room (In Epic Jv) is people saying “hello friend.” It was Heather who started this. (DESCRIBE) I know Kelsey Hougen says it all the time. But there is no doubt that we all like friends. Friends are important to us. It’s why Facebook is so popular I think. You can have so many friends :-) I remember when I first got on Facebook, everyday I would get a little message that said “you have a new friend request.” and I would be like “Yeah...more friends.” It made me feel good. It made me feel important. It made me feel loved and like my existence meant something. That people were glad I was alive. It is because We all need friends.
I have 390 friends on Facebook....but what does that really mean?? Am I really that popular? Don’t answer that question because I know I’m not. How many of my “friends” on facebook am I really that close to? Now, I don’t mean to say I don’t like them, that certainly is not true. I love them all. In fact, when I look at my friends on facebook it is like looking at a timeline...I am 41 years old and when I look at my friends list it’s a little history of my friends. Kind of like a friend museum or a friend hall of fame. Friends from my neighborhood growing up, friends from high school, college...every one of my friends on facebook is someone who at one time or another played a big role in my life.
Friends do play a huge role in our lives...Proverbs 13:20 says “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
That is quite a contrast. There is no middle ground is there. Walk with wise, Good...walk with fools...bad
We all need friends but more than that we all need friendships built upon love and acceptance. We all need friends that encourage our walk with God not ones that hinder it. Our relationship with God should never be compromised because of a relationship we have with another person. We do all need friends, that much should be clear and your friends, the people you “choose” to hang out with and spend time with, the people you invite into your world will play a big role in your life the same way all of my friends on “facebook” have played a big role in my life.
Big Idea, and don’t ever forget this one...Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life.
Friends are important. We all need them and there is a great verse in the book of Ecclesiastes that talks about the importance of friends. It is Ecclesiastes 4:12. Actually I will read you verses 9-12....
"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
We all need friends is the short summary of these verses. We are happier when we have friends than when we are alone in the world. We are more successful in life when we have friends. God designed us this way. In Genesis 2:18 after God made Adam, the first man he said “It is not good for the man to be alone.” When we selfishly live for ourselves than we are doomed to fail but if we serve one another in friendship we find meaning. If we face trouble alone (and don’t forget, God has promised we will all face trouble) we will be defeated but if we have good friends, friends that have our back we can get through the trouble. If you think you can do life alone...you are wrong.
But our lives will also be determined not only by whether we have friends or not but by the quality of our friends.
Two applications I see here. First is this. You need friends. Good friends, and please make every effort you can to come to church these next 5 weeks because we are going to learn how to choose our friends, what to look for in a friend and how to be a friend. We all need a friend or 2...or 390 :-)
...and there are kids at your schools, in your neighborhoods, in this room that need a friend like you. A friend that will draw them closer to God. A friend they can stand with when the bad times come, when Life gets rocky. A friend that loves them. There are kids who haven chosen friends for themselves that will abandon them or lead them in the wrong direction. They need a friend like this rope.
Our friends do play a big role in our lives. We all want friends...we all need friends, even if we don’t want to admit it. We all want someone to hang out with, someone to talk to and someone who knows us. It is why I love Epic Jv. I think this is a place where friends can be found and made. It is place where we can grow closer, in fact there are some exciting new things that are going to be happening in Epic Jv in the future that will allow us to develop deep meaningful friendships.
Because there is a smart way, a right way to do friendship, a way that will draw us closer to God, if we surround ourselves with the right people. See, friendship requires something from you. It is not just what we can get or who makes us feel comfortable. We need friends that will help us move in the right direction.
When I look at my friends on facebook, for the most part they are all people who at one time or another helped me to move in the right direction. They have all impacted my life in one way or another. They have been a part of that cord of rope. We all need friends and for the next 5 weeks we are going to look at Friendship and how God views friendship so that at the end of your life you might be able to look back on your “friend hall of fame” and think “I sure am glad that person was in my life. They helped move closer to God.”
Of course, in my life, there is one friend who stands above all the rest and that is Jesus and if you don’t call Jesus friend everything I say will be pretty meaningless. He is the one friend who will never fail us...
We all need friends
Monday, February 7, 2011
God is Holy, and He expects His people to be like Him
Today's Reading:
Matthew 24:1-28
Leviticus 1-3
"...see that no one leads you astray."
- Matthew 24:4
"You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, and holy."
- Leviticus 19:2
At winter camp a few weeks ago the theme was "Reflection." That as God's people our life should reflect God's love and holiness. I think as Christians we can sometime just stop at love and go on about our lives...and I think that is a mistake. Not that loving is easy or not important. It is. Jesus himself said you are to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
But sometimes I think we forget what was said first by Jesus when He was asked what was most important. “ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."
and how do we love the Lord you ask?!?! “If you love me, obey my commandments." (John 14:15) and when we follow His commandments we live as Jesus did...a holy life.
God knows we aren't perfect but we are still called to reflect His holiness and live as Jesus lived.
Today, as I read Leviticus 1-3 I learned something new. First of all, Leviticus is a crazy book. So many rules, so much procedure, such detail. But there is a reason...because God is Holy. He is perfect and a holy life is a life of detail...taking nothing for granted. I also learned about the different kind of offerings. I learned about a burnt offering which was meant to atone for one's sins and restore someone to fellowship with God.
This is what Jesus did
A grain offering I learned about as well. It was meant to honor God with a worshipful gift. I feel as though that when we accept Jesus sacrifice as the thing that brings us back to God we are called to honor Him with our lives by following Him. And then the peace offering, meant to express thanks and gratitude to God....
That's life. When we look to a holy and perfect God to bring us back to Him and then we honor and thank Him with or life...by following Him and reflecting His holiness
and then I read in Matthew 24:4 where Jesus says "See that no leads you astray." God sacrificed everything for us, to bring us back to Him so that we might live the life we were created to live...and we should see that no one comes between us and God.
God is Holy, and He wants us to be Holy and live and love as He did.
I can't wait to keep reading...so that I might get closer to Him :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Matthew 24:29-51
Leviticus 4-6
Matthew 24:1-28
Leviticus 1-3
"...see that no one leads you astray."
- Matthew 24:4
"You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, and holy."
- Leviticus 19:2
At winter camp a few weeks ago the theme was "Reflection." That as God's people our life should reflect God's love and holiness. I think as Christians we can sometime just stop at love and go on about our lives...and I think that is a mistake. Not that loving is easy or not important. It is. Jesus himself said you are to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
But sometimes I think we forget what was said first by Jesus when He was asked what was most important. “ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."
and how do we love the Lord you ask?!?! “If you love me, obey my commandments." (John 14:15) and when we follow His commandments we live as Jesus did...a holy life.
God knows we aren't perfect but we are still called to reflect His holiness and live as Jesus lived.
Today, as I read Leviticus 1-3 I learned something new. First of all, Leviticus is a crazy book. So many rules, so much procedure, such detail. But there is a reason...because God is Holy. He is perfect and a holy life is a life of detail...taking nothing for granted. I also learned about the different kind of offerings. I learned about a burnt offering which was meant to atone for one's sins and restore someone to fellowship with God.
This is what Jesus did
A grain offering I learned about as well. It was meant to honor God with a worshipful gift. I feel as though that when we accept Jesus sacrifice as the thing that brings us back to God we are called to honor Him with our lives by following Him. And then the peace offering, meant to express thanks and gratitude to God....
That's life. When we look to a holy and perfect God to bring us back to Him and then we honor and thank Him with or life...by following Him and reflecting His holiness
and then I read in Matthew 24:4 where Jesus says "See that no leads you astray." God sacrificed everything for us, to bring us back to Him so that we might live the life we were created to live...and we should see that no one comes between us and God.
God is Holy, and He wants us to be Holy and live and love as He did.
I can't wait to keep reading...so that I might get closer to Him :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Matthew 24:29-51
Leviticus 4-6
Friday, February 4, 2011
Come Back Tomorrow...when I double blog
Today's Readings:
Exodus 39-40
Matthew 22:23-39
“ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Matthew 24:1-8
Leviticus 1-3
Exodus 39-40
Matthew 22:23-39
“ ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Matthew 24:1-8
Leviticus 1-3
Thursday, February 3, 2011
He offers so much, and we often just don't care
Today's Readings:
Exodus 31-33
Matthew 22:1-22
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!" (Matthew 22:2-3)
One of the dangers I knew would come up when I began this blog thing is that as I read through the Bible there was going to be some difficult passages. Not difficult to understand, but difficult to write about, because they are so darn convicting and at times...
...well if you are reading, you get it :-)
Today I read Matthew 22:1-22 and Exodus 31-33 (Please read these). There is a pattern that presents itself, not just in these verses, but throughout the Bible where God offers people so much and they often just don't care. They turn and go their own way. They get impatient (so very quickly) and decide to do their own thing. God offers us a banquet, a feast of fine food, and we settle for rice cakes and cafeteria burger.
Lord, I ask that we all would see what you offer and that we might trust, follow, and at times wait on you...you are too great to be ignored.
And the love you showed on the cross....
well may it be the one thing I never turn away from.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Exodus 34-35
Matthew 22:23-46
Exodus 31-33
Matthew 22:1-22
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!" (Matthew 22:2-3)
One of the dangers I knew would come up when I began this blog thing is that as I read through the Bible there was going to be some difficult passages. Not difficult to understand, but difficult to write about, because they are so darn convicting and at times...
...well if you are reading, you get it :-)
Today I read Matthew 22:1-22 and Exodus 31-33 (Please read these). There is a pattern that presents itself, not just in these verses, but throughout the Bible where God offers people so much and they often just don't care. They turn and go their own way. They get impatient (so very quickly) and decide to do their own thing. God offers us a banquet, a feast of fine food, and we settle for rice cakes and cafeteria burger.
Lord, I ask that we all would see what you offer and that we might trust, follow, and at times wait on you...you are too great to be ignored.
And the love you showed on the cross....
well may it be the one thing I never turn away from.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Exodus 34-35
Matthew 22:23-46
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The power to lift an X-Wing
Today's Readings:
Exodus 29-30
Matthew 21
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:21-22)
Oh great...there you have it...I can't move a mountain...I have no faith!!!
Let's see...in Matthew 21 Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey and everyone cheers (they would yell loudly later on in the week as we will soon see, but they won't be cheering.) He clears the temple (which is one of my favorite parts of the Bible I must say) and He gets into it with the Pharisees (What else is new...Cause they just never really got it.)
But stuck in the middle of all this Jesus sees a fig tree, with no fruit :-( and Jesus says “May you never bear fruit again!” and immediately the fig tree withers up. Needless to say the disciples were amazed when they saw this (and just now I am wondering once again why this amazed them. Had they met Jesus?!?! These guys had been with Him for how long now and they keep getting amazed at things He does. But before we get to harsh on these guys I think we should realize that we ought to be amazed everyday at what God can and does do...He's AMAZING!!! So yeah, be amazed :-)
But they ask anyway, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
and Jesus says “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
(Matthew 21:21-22 ESV)
So much for my faith. I can't even say to a rock "hey, wiggle just a bit for me will ya" let alone tell a mountain to go jump into the ocean. Now I learned tonight that moving a mountain was a common metaphor in Jewish literature for doing what was seemingly impossible. Well, that makes me feel a little better about my faith.
but I think the real lesson here is this...
If I have faith in God and trust in HIm and His ways fully their is nothing I cannot accomplish for Him. (Heck, I am guessing that if God really wanted me to throw a mountain into the ocean and I had full faith that He wanted me to do it...well, that mountain is taken a swim my friends :-)
The point of this verse is simple I think. Put God first and seek Him. Trust in His ways fully and His purposes for your life. Follow Him whatever the cost and don't be looking out for what you want but for what God wills. Our prayers and actions should reflect a humble and willing submission to the leading of God's Spirit.
Will I ever move a mountain in my life? I am guessing not, but can I do what seems impossible if I trust in God and follow after Jesus??
Yeah, now that I can do :-)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Exodus 31-32
Matthew 22
Exodus 29-30
Matthew 21
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:21-22)
Oh great...there you have it...I can't move a mountain...I have no faith!!!
Let's see...in Matthew 21 Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey and everyone cheers (they would yell loudly later on in the week as we will soon see, but they won't be cheering.) He clears the temple (which is one of my favorite parts of the Bible I must say) and He gets into it with the Pharisees (What else is new...Cause they just never really got it.)
But stuck in the middle of all this Jesus sees a fig tree, with no fruit :-( and Jesus says “May you never bear fruit again!” and immediately the fig tree withers up. Needless to say the disciples were amazed when they saw this (and just now I am wondering once again why this amazed them. Had they met Jesus?!?! These guys had been with Him for how long now and they keep getting amazed at things He does. But before we get to harsh on these guys I think we should realize that we ought to be amazed everyday at what God can and does do...He's AMAZING!!! So yeah, be amazed :-)
But they ask anyway, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
and Jesus says “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
(Matthew 21:21-22 ESV)
So much for my faith. I can't even say to a rock "hey, wiggle just a bit for me will ya" let alone tell a mountain to go jump into the ocean. Now I learned tonight that moving a mountain was a common metaphor in Jewish literature for doing what was seemingly impossible. Well, that makes me feel a little better about my faith.
but I think the real lesson here is this...
If I have faith in God and trust in HIm and His ways fully their is nothing I cannot accomplish for Him. (Heck, I am guessing that if God really wanted me to throw a mountain into the ocean and I had full faith that He wanted me to do it...well, that mountain is taken a swim my friends :-)
The point of this verse is simple I think. Put God first and seek Him. Trust in His ways fully and His purposes for your life. Follow Him whatever the cost and don't be looking out for what you want but for what God wills. Our prayers and actions should reflect a humble and willing submission to the leading of God's Spirit.
Will I ever move a mountain in my life? I am guessing not, but can I do what seems impossible if I trust in God and follow after Jesus??
Yeah, now that I can do :-)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Exodus 31-32
Matthew 22
Monday, January 31, 2011
God deserves our Best
Today's Readings:
Matthew 20:17-34
Exodus 25-26
Maybe I heard it in a sermon. Perhaps I read it in a book once....
or maybe I am just making it up :-)
As I read through these verses in Exodus on the building of the tabernacle I am amazed by the detail and awesome decor that went into it's creation. The tabernacle was to provide a place where God might dwell among His people. At first glance of these verses I remember thinking "what kind of God would require such...decadence?" This was seriously what I thought, and it was hard for me to understand. It seemed like on one page you would read about Jesus saying be humble and then I would read about all this gold and silver and fine linens needed to build God's house. It seemed so weird to me.
Then I realized who God is...and it all made sense.
God is beyond anything we can comprehend. So majestic, so awesome, So holy. It only makes sense that his house would reflect in some way all He is. He is greater than all the treasure the world has ever seen and I think it is important that this place where He would dwell among His people would reflect in some way all He is.
It reminds me that God, the God who gave His life in the person of Jesus on the cross, deserves my best.
"Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:2-28)
and I give Him my best when I live like He did. The creator of the universe humbled himself and became a man. He humbled Himself even more when He died upon the cross. (Read Philippians 2:3-11 for a complete understanding of the humility of Jesus...it's my favorite verse)
If we want to lead, we must serve. If we wish to accomplish the extraordinary we must first humble ourselves. Our lives should reflect God in the way we serve one another and look out for others interests with selflessness and joy.
If we wish to reflect Him in our lives than we should look to Him in all things.
These two verses or sections of scripture show us God's holiness and His love
and it is these that we must reflect in our lives.
Tomorrow's Readings:
Exodus 27-28
Matthew 21:1-22
Matthew 20:17-34
Exodus 25-26
Maybe I heard it in a sermon. Perhaps I read it in a book once....
or maybe I am just making it up :-)
As I read through these verses in Exodus on the building of the tabernacle I am amazed by the detail and awesome decor that went into it's creation. The tabernacle was to provide a place where God might dwell among His people. At first glance of these verses I remember thinking "what kind of God would require such...decadence?" This was seriously what I thought, and it was hard for me to understand. It seemed like on one page you would read about Jesus saying be humble and then I would read about all this gold and silver and fine linens needed to build God's house. It seemed so weird to me.
Then I realized who God is...and it all made sense.
God is beyond anything we can comprehend. So majestic, so awesome, So holy. It only makes sense that his house would reflect in some way all He is. He is greater than all the treasure the world has ever seen and I think it is important that this place where He would dwell among His people would reflect in some way all He is.
It reminds me that God, the God who gave His life in the person of Jesus on the cross, deserves my best.
"Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:2-28)
and I give Him my best when I live like He did. The creator of the universe humbled himself and became a man. He humbled Himself even more when He died upon the cross. (Read Philippians 2:3-11 for a complete understanding of the humility of Jesus...it's my favorite verse)
If we want to lead, we must serve. If we wish to accomplish the extraordinary we must first humble ourselves. Our lives should reflect God in the way we serve one another and look out for others interests with selflessness and joy.
If we wish to reflect Him in our lives than we should look to Him in all things.
These two verses or sections of scripture show us God's holiness and His love
and it is these that we must reflect in our lives.
Tomorrow's Readings:
Exodus 27-28
Matthew 21:1-22
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tomorrow's Readings
I will share some thoughts tomorrow......
but for your reading pleasure Read Matthew 20 and Exodus 23-26
Have a super day :-)
but for your reading pleasure Read Matthew 20 and Exodus 23-26
Have a super day :-)
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Rules don't take away freedom...they bring freedom
Today's Readings:
Exodus 20-24
Matthew 19
Today's thoughts will be short. I read through the 10 Commandments today. I will never understand why people hate them so. Well, actually, I do understand, and it makes me sad. God sets up rules and parameters for life. Why??? Because He loves us. God wants us to live freely, joyfully experiencing all He has to offer us. But there are things that stand in our way of experiencing the love and joy found only in God. So God tells us those things that we should avoid so that life might be what He wants it to be... what we it it to be.
God is our father, and like any good father He wants to make sure His children avoid those things that will bring them harm and those things that will bring them pain. But we think we know better. We don't want anyone or anything telling us what to do.That is what makes me sad. It is the reason why some hate the 10 commandments. They see it a affront to their independence. They them as a way to take away their freedom. So they resist...and they end up prisoners of their own destructive behavior.
I love sports. Baseball, football, hockey....and all sports have one thing in common.
RULES!!!
Why? Because without rules, the game would be nothing but anarchy. Each trying to play the game the way "they" want it to be played. Each player selfishly looking out for his own interests. A game played this way isn't much fun. Sadly though, this is the way life is being played and we wonder why there is so much sadness.
Many blame God, which I think is extremely humorous. God gave us freedom (because He loves us) and He has shown us how the game of life should be played and then we get mad at Him when we decide to play the game "our way" and things don't work out.
I think of the rich young ruler found in Matthew 19 (You may want to read it now.) He wanted life the way it was meant to be. He longed for it. He had two problems though. First, he thought he had always played life the right way...no fouls. Well, he was wrong but Jesus doesn't turn him away. He tells this young man what he must do
"If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
He was saying to the man "You want life the way I designed it to be then you have to make life no longer all about you." The rich young man couldn't do this...and he walked away sad.
God has given us the way to live, and it is quite simple...not easy, but simple. And we have rejected it. We have rejected His peace, His joy, His freedom, and His love....
...and then we wonder why we are trapped in such an evil world. Well, we brought it on ourselves.
Rules don't take away freedom, they give freedom.
Time to take out my rulebook I guess and learn to play the game the right way
could be fun :-)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Exodus 25-26
Matthew 20
Exodus 20-24
Matthew 19
Today's thoughts will be short. I read through the 10 Commandments today. I will never understand why people hate them so. Well, actually, I do understand, and it makes me sad. God sets up rules and parameters for life. Why??? Because He loves us. God wants us to live freely, joyfully experiencing all He has to offer us. But there are things that stand in our way of experiencing the love and joy found only in God. So God tells us those things that we should avoid so that life might be what He wants it to be... what we it it to be.
God is our father, and like any good father He wants to make sure His children avoid those things that will bring them harm and those things that will bring them pain. But we think we know better. We don't want anyone or anything telling us what to do.That is what makes me sad. It is the reason why some hate the 10 commandments. They see it a affront to their independence. They them as a way to take away their freedom. So they resist...and they end up prisoners of their own destructive behavior.
I love sports. Baseball, football, hockey....and all sports have one thing in common.
RULES!!!
Why? Because without rules, the game would be nothing but anarchy. Each trying to play the game the way "they" want it to be played. Each player selfishly looking out for his own interests. A game played this way isn't much fun. Sadly though, this is the way life is being played and we wonder why there is so much sadness.
Many blame God, which I think is extremely humorous. God gave us freedom (because He loves us) and He has shown us how the game of life should be played and then we get mad at Him when we decide to play the game "our way" and things don't work out.
I think of the rich young ruler found in Matthew 19 (You may want to read it now.) He wanted life the way it was meant to be. He longed for it. He had two problems though. First, he thought he had always played life the right way...no fouls. Well, he was wrong but Jesus doesn't turn him away. He tells this young man what he must do
"If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
He was saying to the man "You want life the way I designed it to be then you have to make life no longer all about you." The rich young man couldn't do this...and he walked away sad.
God has given us the way to live, and it is quite simple...not easy, but simple. And we have rejected it. We have rejected His peace, His joy, His freedom, and His love....
...and then we wonder why we are trapped in such an evil world. Well, we brought it on ourselves.
Rules don't take away freedom, they give freedom.
Time to take out my rulebook I guess and learn to play the game the right way
could be fun :-)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Exodus 25-26
Matthew 20
Friday, January 28, 2011
Is 491 enough?!?!?
Today's Readings:
Matthew 18:21-35
Exodus 19-20
Forgiveness is a tricky thing. It's because you don't get much out of it. To truly forgive you have to give up all of your rights. To be truly forgiving one must be completely humble. This world would be a much different place if we could simply humble ourselves, rid ourselves of all selfishness, and truly forgive.
What if we all forgave like Jesus???
I guess that's the point.
In Matthew 18 we see Jesus teaching (something he did quite often) and Peter, one of the disciples, speaks up an asks what seemed like a simple question. "“Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?" (Matthew 18:21) The question was appropriate given the conversation going on, about what to do if another brother sins against you. So Peter asks the question "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
Seven times was a generous number. Peter knew this. I am quite certain Peter's question was a legitimate one. I am certain Peter wished to gain some new insight from Jesus on the topic of forgiveness. But his question also has just a hint of pride. "How about 7 times Jesus? Isn't that so generous of me?" I picture Peter hoping Jesus would say something like "Well done Peter. What a fine answer that is." Meanwhile the other disciples would be standing around clapping and saying "Good answer, good answer" as if they were on a long lost episode of "The Family Feud."
It actually was a pretty good answer. After all Peter had probably heard many times from the rabbis of the time that since God forgave Israel's enemies only 3 times to forgive anyone any more than 3 times was pretty unnecessary. To do so SEVEN times.....Wow!!! Good for you Peter!!!
But then Jesus, as He has done so many times before, blows their thanking out of the water.
Seven times you say Peter?!?! Is that your final answer?!?! (in your best Regis please)
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!"
I can imagine Peter's smile turning to a bewildered frown. The other disciples glancing at one another wondering if they heard Jesus correctly. "Did He just say what I thought He said?...SEVEN TIMES SEVEN!?!?!"
That's 490 times
Now don't get hung up on the number. The point is not "That person has done me wrong 490 times, but now it has gone too far...that's it...491 is one time too many!!!!!!
Jesus chose an amount so beyond their thinking to illustrate that our forgiveness is to be never ending.
(Don't miss the story of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:23-35)
Jesus wants us to reflect His love and that means a selfless, humble, forgiving heart that goes beyond the ordinary. After all, like the king in the story (Matthew 18:23-35) who forgives a servant for a debt of Ten-Thousand Talents (which is an incomprehensible amount of money) we have been forgiven by God a debt we could never repay...
...and He did it by dying on a cross
Now that is the perfect picture of perfect forgiveness...perfect selflessness...perfect humility...
...and perfect love
Is 491 enough????
What do you think.
Tomorrow's Readings:
Matthew 19
Exodus 21-22
Matthew 18:21-35
Exodus 19-20
Forgiveness is a tricky thing. It's because you don't get much out of it. To truly forgive you have to give up all of your rights. To be truly forgiving one must be completely humble. This world would be a much different place if we could simply humble ourselves, rid ourselves of all selfishness, and truly forgive.
What if we all forgave like Jesus???
I guess that's the point.
In Matthew 18 we see Jesus teaching (something he did quite often) and Peter, one of the disciples, speaks up an asks what seemed like a simple question. "“Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?" (Matthew 18:21) The question was appropriate given the conversation going on, about what to do if another brother sins against you. So Peter asks the question "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
Seven times was a generous number. Peter knew this. I am quite certain Peter's question was a legitimate one. I am certain Peter wished to gain some new insight from Jesus on the topic of forgiveness. But his question also has just a hint of pride. "How about 7 times Jesus? Isn't that so generous of me?" I picture Peter hoping Jesus would say something like "Well done Peter. What a fine answer that is." Meanwhile the other disciples would be standing around clapping and saying "Good answer, good answer" as if they were on a long lost episode of "The Family Feud."
It actually was a pretty good answer. After all Peter had probably heard many times from the rabbis of the time that since God forgave Israel's enemies only 3 times to forgive anyone any more than 3 times was pretty unnecessary. To do so SEVEN times.....Wow!!! Good for you Peter!!!
But then Jesus, as He has done so many times before, blows their thanking out of the water.
Seven times you say Peter?!?! Is that your final answer?!?! (in your best Regis please)
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!"
I can imagine Peter's smile turning to a bewildered frown. The other disciples glancing at one another wondering if they heard Jesus correctly. "Did He just say what I thought He said?...SEVEN TIMES SEVEN!?!?!"
That's 490 times
Now don't get hung up on the number. The point is not "That person has done me wrong 490 times, but now it has gone too far...that's it...491 is one time too many!!!!!!
Jesus chose an amount so beyond their thinking to illustrate that our forgiveness is to be never ending.
(Don't miss the story of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:23-35)
Jesus wants us to reflect His love and that means a selfless, humble, forgiving heart that goes beyond the ordinary. After all, like the king in the story (Matthew 18:23-35) who forgives a servant for a debt of Ten-Thousand Talents (which is an incomprehensible amount of money) we have been forgiven by God a debt we could never repay...
...and He did it by dying on a cross
Now that is the perfect picture of perfect forgiveness...perfect selflessness...perfect humility...
...and perfect love
Is 491 enough????
What do you think.
Tomorrow's Readings:
Matthew 19
Exodus 21-22
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Who do you say I am??
Today's Readings:
Genesis 12-15
Matthew 16-17
Have I mentioned yet how much I love what I am doing this year??? Each day brings new insight, new truth (well, not new...it's really old truth, eternal in fact...what I mean is something new to think about that is true.) Forget McDonald's cause I am loving this!!
Matthew 16 is chalked full of things that make you go "hhhmmmmm." So much to think about. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6) That's a weird statement. Were the Pharisees and and Sadducees making bad bread at the time and trying to sell the ingredients to unsuspecting chefs??? (Why I am suddenly thinking about the movie I saw about Woodstock??) No, this is simply a warning that just like how yeast can start so small and grow in to something large we are to watch out for false teaching. Even the tiniest lie can turn ultimately destructive. Truth need not be tainted so we are to be careful about the thoughts we allow to enter our hearts and minds.
We also find the disciples arguing as well in this chapter (a common occurrence I am afraid) and Jesus calls them out once again for their lack of faith. "Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up?" (Matthew 16:9) Apparently they didn't.
In Matthew 16:18 We see Jesus changing Simon's name to Peter (which means rock). God does this quite often. He changes people's names throughout scripture. It is most often seen when God wishes to change a person's identity to something new. Simon is no longer who he was when Jesus met him and by now calling him Peter he is identifying him with the new person he has become (or is becoming.)
In Matthew 16:23 We see Peter (yep, same guy) disagreeing with Jesus when Jesus says He would be killed. "This will never happen to you" Peter says...
and how does Jesus respond you ask????
"Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23)
Viewing life from a human point of view, not from God's. I just did a 5 week series on seeing the world through God's eyes. "If we could see the world as God does we would do what He says." was the main point of the series and Romans 12:1-2 played a big roll (go ahead and read it :-) I love the idea of viewing life from God's perspective.
Which brings me to my point. "What Erin?!?! You haven't even begun to make your point yet?!?!?!" I just didn't want you to miss out on all the great stuff found in Matthew 16. But Matthew 16:15 may be the single most important question asked in all of scripture. Actually check that. It is the single most important question in life
“But who do you say I am?” is the question Jesus poses to His disciples.
How we answer this single question will determine everything about us. It will determine how we live this life...and it will also determine how we spend eternity.
"Who do you say Jesus is?"
This question is the tipping point of human life. It is the fulcrum upon which everything sits. It is the center piece of life itself. Jesus is either who He claimed to be...or He was a mad-man, not worthy of any praise at all. There is not middle ground. He was either a fool, a liar, a crazy person...or He is the creator of everything. God himself in human form. There are no other choices to be had and how we answer, how we view Jesus determines everything about us. It determines our choices. It determines our words. It effects our thoughts. There is nothing in life that is left unaffected by the answer we give to this simple question.
It is is big deal.
So join me. Read with me about this man we call Jesus and discover for yourself. I know who I say Jesus is. He is my savior, my lord. He is God, the one who made me and died for me on a cross. He holds my life in his hands. Jesus is everything to me and I long to know Him more and more reflect his love and holiness to a world that does not know Him and often does not care.
I know who I say Jesus is...but what about you??
"Who do you say Jesus is?"
how you answer will effect everything.
(P.S. Don't miss Exodus 14. Red Sea parting and all. Then study the Red Sea a bit. Might change how you view this story :-)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Genesis 18-19
Matthew 18:1-20
Genesis 12-15
Matthew 16-17
Have I mentioned yet how much I love what I am doing this year??? Each day brings new insight, new truth (well, not new...it's really old truth, eternal in fact...what I mean is something new to think about that is true.) Forget McDonald's cause I am loving this!!
Matthew 16 is chalked full of things that make you go "hhhmmmmm." So much to think about. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6) That's a weird statement. Were the Pharisees and and Sadducees making bad bread at the time and trying to sell the ingredients to unsuspecting chefs??? (Why I am suddenly thinking about the movie I saw about Woodstock??) No, this is simply a warning that just like how yeast can start so small and grow in to something large we are to watch out for false teaching. Even the tiniest lie can turn ultimately destructive. Truth need not be tainted so we are to be careful about the thoughts we allow to enter our hearts and minds.
We also find the disciples arguing as well in this chapter (a common occurrence I am afraid) and Jesus calls them out once again for their lack of faith. "Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up?" (Matthew 16:9) Apparently they didn't.
In Matthew 16:18 We see Jesus changing Simon's name to Peter (which means rock). God does this quite often. He changes people's names throughout scripture. It is most often seen when God wishes to change a person's identity to something new. Simon is no longer who he was when Jesus met him and by now calling him Peter he is identifying him with the new person he has become (or is becoming.)
In Matthew 16:23 We see Peter (yep, same guy) disagreeing with Jesus when Jesus says He would be killed. "This will never happen to you" Peter says...
and how does Jesus respond you ask????
"Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23)
Viewing life from a human point of view, not from God's. I just did a 5 week series on seeing the world through God's eyes. "If we could see the world as God does we would do what He says." was the main point of the series and Romans 12:1-2 played a big roll (go ahead and read it :-) I love the idea of viewing life from God's perspective.
Which brings me to my point. "What Erin?!?! You haven't even begun to make your point yet?!?!?!" I just didn't want you to miss out on all the great stuff found in Matthew 16. But Matthew 16:15 may be the single most important question asked in all of scripture. Actually check that. It is the single most important question in life
“But who do you say I am?” is the question Jesus poses to His disciples.
How we answer this single question will determine everything about us. It will determine how we live this life...and it will also determine how we spend eternity.
"Who do you say Jesus is?"
This question is the tipping point of human life. It is the fulcrum upon which everything sits. It is the center piece of life itself. Jesus is either who He claimed to be...or He was a mad-man, not worthy of any praise at all. There is not middle ground. He was either a fool, a liar, a crazy person...or He is the creator of everything. God himself in human form. There are no other choices to be had and how we answer, how we view Jesus determines everything about us. It determines our choices. It determines our words. It effects our thoughts. There is nothing in life that is left unaffected by the answer we give to this simple question.
It is is big deal.
So join me. Read with me about this man we call Jesus and discover for yourself. I know who I say Jesus is. He is my savior, my lord. He is God, the one who made me and died for me on a cross. He holds my life in his hands. Jesus is everything to me and I long to know Him more and more reflect his love and holiness to a world that does not know Him and often does not care.
I know who I say Jesus is...but what about you??
"Who do you say Jesus is?"
how you answer will effect everything.
(P.S. Don't miss Exodus 14. Red Sea parting and all. Then study the Red Sea a bit. Might change how you view this story :-)
Tomorrow's Readings:
Genesis 18-19
Matthew 18:1-20
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thoughts from a Saturday in the Mountains
Now that I am back from camp, let me share my thoughts from my Saturday solo time...
"Today I read Matthew 14 and wondered "How many times do I make God small?...How many times a day do I doubt God's power and love for me and when I do how does my ability to reflect God's love suffer?"
Jesus fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. How does my lack of faith not allow God to work through me in such a way?
Excuse me for a moment as I hearken back to a scene from my favorite movie "The Empire Strikes Back." Luke's X-Wing was stuck in the mud (it was a big space ship). Luke tried to to lift it out...he couldn't...he thought it was impossible...
...Then Yoda lifted it from the swamp and placed upon dry land. Luke said "I can't believe it" to which Yoda responded "That is why you failed."
How often to have the faith of Luke??
In Matthew 14 the disciples of Jesus were on a boat during the evening and they saw someone walking on the water...and they freaked out. They thought it was a ghost. I would have freaked also. I often think we picture Jesus walking upon a glassy sea, one that is calm and serene. This was not the case.
Jesus told them to be calm, to not be afraid. In a sense he was saying "have faith." Peter called “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
Jesus said "come."
...and Peter stepped out onto the water, "But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted." (Matthew 14:30)
Jesus grabbed Peter and said “You have so little faith,”...“Why did you doubt me?”
How often do I doubt and think "It's too big."
I want to reflect God's power, His love, His holiness. I want to reflect it to a world that all too often seeks to make Him small.
"I wanna burn bright like a star in the night
fall, fall and surrender it all
sing a while and believe like a child...
...I just wanna be your reflection."
and it takes faith
Tomorrow's Readings:
Genesis 12-13
Matthew 16
"Today I read Matthew 14 and wondered "How many times do I make God small?...How many times a day do I doubt God's power and love for me and when I do how does my ability to reflect God's love suffer?"
Jesus fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. How does my lack of faith not allow God to work through me in such a way?
Excuse me for a moment as I hearken back to a scene from my favorite movie "The Empire Strikes Back." Luke's X-Wing was stuck in the mud (it was a big space ship). Luke tried to to lift it out...he couldn't...he thought it was impossible...
...Then Yoda lifted it from the swamp and placed upon dry land. Luke said "I can't believe it" to which Yoda responded "That is why you failed."
How often to have the faith of Luke??
In Matthew 14 the disciples of Jesus were on a boat during the evening and they saw someone walking on the water...and they freaked out. They thought it was a ghost. I would have freaked also. I often think we picture Jesus walking upon a glassy sea, one that is calm and serene. This was not the case.
Jesus told them to be calm, to not be afraid. In a sense he was saying "have faith." Peter called “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
Jesus said "come."
...and Peter stepped out onto the water, "But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted." (Matthew 14:30)
Jesus grabbed Peter and said “You have so little faith,”...“Why did you doubt me?”
How often do I doubt and think "It's too big."
I want to reflect God's power, His love, His holiness. I want to reflect it to a world that all too often seeks to make Him small.
"I wanna burn bright like a star in the night
fall, fall and surrender it all
sing a while and believe like a child...
...I just wanna be your reflection."
and it takes faith
Tomorrow's Readings:
Genesis 12-13
Matthew 16
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The prize goes to the one who seek earnestly...
Today's Readings:
Matthew 13:31-58
Genesis 49-50
"I trust that your mind is open and your heart available because we have some marvelous, marvelous things that God will show us..."
These are words, slightly summarized, of a speaker I enjoy listening to. It really is true when it comes to the things of God. There is something special that happens when someone earnestly seeks God. When a person seeks God with all their heart, mind, and soul regardless of where it takes them. A person who seeks not selfishly looking for what they can get but for what God can (and will) give.
Joseph seemed to realize that if he would simply seek God in all things eventually God would lead him some place amazing.
Matthew 13:31-58 contains so much....
Likening the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and leaven. Two things that can start out so small but become something amazing. I think faith is like this. It can start out so small, so tiny, but if it is pure, if it is true....
...the final result can be huge.
But I love Matthew 13:44-46 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Parable of the Pearl “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"
The concept that faith and a life lived fully for God is beyond price...the idea that it is worth giving up everything to obtain...
18 years ago I found that treasure, I discovered that pearl...
I pray that you find it as well :-)
Weekend Readings:
Matthew 14 & 15:1-20
Exodus: 1-8
Matthew 13:31-58
Genesis 49-50
"I trust that your mind is open and your heart available because we have some marvelous, marvelous things that God will show us..."
These are words, slightly summarized, of a speaker I enjoy listening to. It really is true when it comes to the things of God. There is something special that happens when someone earnestly seeks God. When a person seeks God with all their heart, mind, and soul regardless of where it takes them. A person who seeks not selfishly looking for what they can get but for what God can (and will) give.
Joseph seemed to realize that if he would simply seek God in all things eventually God would lead him some place amazing.
Matthew 13:31-58 contains so much....
Likening the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and leaven. Two things that can start out so small but become something amazing. I think faith is like this. It can start out so small, so tiny, but if it is pure, if it is true....
...the final result can be huge.
But I love Matthew 13:44-46 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Parable of the Pearl “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"
The concept that faith and a life lived fully for God is beyond price...the idea that it is worth giving up everything to obtain...
18 years ago I found that treasure, I discovered that pearl...
I pray that you find it as well :-)
Weekend Readings:
Matthew 14 & 15:1-20
Exodus: 1-8
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
How deep are your roots??
Today's Readings:
Matthew 12:24 - 13:30
Genesis 43-48
"How deep is your love" was a great song by the Bee Gees...but that's not what I am here to talk about :-)
Throughout the Bible the human life is likened to that of a tree. There are just so many...Psalm 1 "They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
Jeremiah 17:8 "He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
There are many more. Trust me on this one...or don't...go ahead, look them up for yourself. The imagery of a tree is used so often and for good reason. We all know trees. We have all seen beautiful, green, lush trees and we all have seen dried up and withered ones as well. The picture is something we all share. The person (or "tree) that remains in God, that seeks God, that ponders His word and meditates on it day and night, the one who saturates his mind and heart with the truth of God's word is like a tree that never lacks and flourishes in all seasons. It's the message we see over and over again.
It is why I love the words found in Matthew 12:33-37....
“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad....For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
You would think words like this would make me shudder but we all know how I like direction and clear expectations. I like this stuff.
So what kind of tree are you??
We will be identified and remembered by our deeds, that much is clear here. But our deeds are ultimately an expression of what lies within. If a tree is to produce good fruit it has be good on the inside. It has to get good stuff in to it if it is going to have good stuff come out of it.
When I was in middle school I did a science fair project (I didn't really want to :-) My project..."The effects of salt water on pea plants." I'll tell you what the effects are...the plants died. The water I put into them ultimately caused their destruction. The inside of the plant was bad so.....
This verse is a call to be mindful of what we put into our hearts and minds and to understand that we are not be careless about our living...the effects of not "considering our ways" will be devastating.
...and then in Matthew 13 Jesus tells a story about a man planting seeds...read these verses because they talk about under what conditions a life for Jesus can flourish and under what conditions a life will end up, well, like my salt water pea plants.
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." it says in Colossians 2:7-8. It is a call to build our lives upon the very bedrock of Jesus, upon the very living water of God's word. To allow our roots to grow deep so that our hearts and minds might be so saturated with God's truth that we will be like a good tree, like a tree planted along the riverbank.
I work with some great middle school students and last night at our Tuesday night group we had 55 kids attend. What excites me most about this number?? It is that I am being allowed to help all of them grow deep roots. It is my joy and pleasure to be used by God in this way and I can only hope that God is accomplishing this through me. That they would begin to plant themselves upon the life giving words of Jesus and that in doing so they can stand firm during what is a very difficult time in life. So much seeks to destroy them...to choke off the life giving truth and replace it with destructive "salt water." I want them to know the joy, peace, patience, and love that can only come from Jesus.
Oh how I pray that there roots will grow down into Him...so that they would be like the tree in Psalm 1...planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season. never withering,
and prospering in all they do
I want to be like that tree too...with deep roots...remaining green, not anxious, and bearing fruit
But how deep are our roots???
Why not start reading with me this year and we will see just how deep we can go :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 49-50
Matthew 13:31-58
See ya tomorrow :-)
Matthew 12:24 - 13:30
Genesis 43-48
"How deep is your love" was a great song by the Bee Gees...but that's not what I am here to talk about :-)
Throughout the Bible the human life is likened to that of a tree. There are just so many...Psalm 1 "They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
Jeremiah 17:8 "He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
There are many more. Trust me on this one...or don't...go ahead, look them up for yourself. The imagery of a tree is used so often and for good reason. We all know trees. We have all seen beautiful, green, lush trees and we all have seen dried up and withered ones as well. The picture is something we all share. The person (or "tree) that remains in God, that seeks God, that ponders His word and meditates on it day and night, the one who saturates his mind and heart with the truth of God's word is like a tree that never lacks and flourishes in all seasons. It's the message we see over and over again.
It is why I love the words found in Matthew 12:33-37....
“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad....For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
You would think words like this would make me shudder but we all know how I like direction and clear expectations. I like this stuff.
So what kind of tree are you??
We will be identified and remembered by our deeds, that much is clear here. But our deeds are ultimately an expression of what lies within. If a tree is to produce good fruit it has be good on the inside. It has to get good stuff in to it if it is going to have good stuff come out of it.
When I was in middle school I did a science fair project (I didn't really want to :-) My project..."The effects of salt water on pea plants." I'll tell you what the effects are...the plants died. The water I put into them ultimately caused their destruction. The inside of the plant was bad so.....
This verse is a call to be mindful of what we put into our hearts and minds and to understand that we are not be careless about our living...the effects of not "considering our ways" will be devastating.
...and then in Matthew 13 Jesus tells a story about a man planting seeds...read these verses because they talk about under what conditions a life for Jesus can flourish and under what conditions a life will end up, well, like my salt water pea plants.
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." it says in Colossians 2:7-8. It is a call to build our lives upon the very bedrock of Jesus, upon the very living water of God's word. To allow our roots to grow deep so that our hearts and minds might be so saturated with God's truth that we will be like a good tree, like a tree planted along the riverbank.
I work with some great middle school students and last night at our Tuesday night group we had 55 kids attend. What excites me most about this number?? It is that I am being allowed to help all of them grow deep roots. It is my joy and pleasure to be used by God in this way and I can only hope that God is accomplishing this through me. That they would begin to plant themselves upon the life giving words of Jesus and that in doing so they can stand firm during what is a very difficult time in life. So much seeks to destroy them...to choke off the life giving truth and replace it with destructive "salt water." I want them to know the joy, peace, patience, and love that can only come from Jesus.
Oh how I pray that there roots will grow down into Him...so that they would be like the tree in Psalm 1...planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season. never withering,
and prospering in all they do
I want to be like that tree too...with deep roots...remaining green, not anxious, and bearing fruit
But how deep are our roots???
Why not start reading with me this year and we will see just how deep we can go :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 49-50
Matthew 13:31-58
See ya tomorrow :-)
Monday, January 17, 2011
It is beyond my power...
Today's Readings:
Genesis 41-42
Matthew 12:1-23
"Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”
“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”
Genesis 41:14-16
Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob had been thrown into a pit by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely imprisoned and here he stands before Pharaoh, the most powerful man in all the land with a chance to solve a big problem for Pharaoh...and perhaps himself. He knew he could solve the problem. He knew he had that power, a power if used could get him out of jail and possibly get Joseph his life back...and what does he say?
"It is beyond my power."
WHAT?!?! C'mon Joseph, you have suffered long enough. Take the credit. Allow Pharaoh to give you some props. You deserve this. But that's not Joseph..."I can't, but God can." After so many years of trouble, trouble he didn't cause. Hardship that would cause most men to curse God, Joseph chooses instead to give God the glory.
He must have known that God had been up to something in his life (but more on this later)
Joseph gives God the glory...and in turn Joseph is honored and respected by Pharaoh. So much so that Pharaoh makes Joseph the most powerful man in the country. (Genesis 41:38-40)
"Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”
When we honor God, people see it, they respect it...and it makes God look good. He gets the glory when we are faithful.
"let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16)
"Make it your goal to live a quiet life...then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live..." (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)
"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors...they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God" (1 Peter 2:12)
There is something marvelous about the quiet, humble, faithful and consistent life that seeks to daily glorify God that gets people's attention. It is a life that leads others to glorify Him as well.
I think we all could be just a little bit more like Joseph...
"It is beyond my power...but God can."
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 43-45
Matthew 12:24-50
Genesis 41-42
Matthew 12:1-23
"Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”
“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”
Genesis 41:14-16
Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob had been thrown into a pit by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely imprisoned and here he stands before Pharaoh, the most powerful man in all the land with a chance to solve a big problem for Pharaoh...and perhaps himself. He knew he could solve the problem. He knew he had that power, a power if used could get him out of jail and possibly get Joseph his life back...and what does he say?
"It is beyond my power."
WHAT?!?! C'mon Joseph, you have suffered long enough. Take the credit. Allow Pharaoh to give you some props. You deserve this. But that's not Joseph..."I can't, but God can." After so many years of trouble, trouble he didn't cause. Hardship that would cause most men to curse God, Joseph chooses instead to give God the glory.
He must have known that God had been up to something in his life (but more on this later)
Joseph gives God the glory...and in turn Joseph is honored and respected by Pharaoh. So much so that Pharaoh makes Joseph the most powerful man in the country. (Genesis 41:38-40)
"Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”
When we honor God, people see it, they respect it...and it makes God look good. He gets the glory when we are faithful.
"let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16)
"Make it your goal to live a quiet life...then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live..." (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)
"Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors...they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God" (1 Peter 2:12)
There is something marvelous about the quiet, humble, faithful and consistent life that seeks to daily glorify God that gets people's attention. It is a life that leads others to glorify Him as well.
I think we all could be just a little bit more like Joseph...
"It is beyond my power...but God can."
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 43-45
Matthew 12:24-50
Sunday, January 16, 2011
With a little light, it's easy to see where you're going
Today's Readings:
Genesis 39-40
Matthew 11
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
I once had a conversation with another christian about what life is like before Jesus and after. She said "The christian life is so hard. It was so much easier when I didn't know any better."
I couldn't disagree more
I find it interesting that here in Matthew 11, Jesus utters the words "the blind see...and the deaf hear." Have you ever wandered? I mean just gone out and without a plan just wandered? Just gone off and not worried about where you end up? No direction, no purpose, no place to be. I suppose it can be fun for a while but eventually you will have to ask yourself "Where am I and where am I going?" Otherwise, your just lost.
I prefer direction
I think we all do if we are honest with ourselves. We all, ultimately, want to know where we are going. It is why I love the words of Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” A life lived for Jesus doesn't lack hardship. It causes us to face many challenges and trials. It certainly doesn't lack trouble...
...but it also doesn't lack direction.
Direction that is clear and precise. There is a peace that exists when you realize that no matter where you are, no matter what kind of trouble or challenge you come up against, you are still going somewhere amazing. No worry...just follow. No anxiety of what to do next...just follow. No asking yourself "Is this the right thing to do?" because the creator of everything has made the path so very clear. It's not as difficult as we make it out to be much of the time. We cloud life, not God. We confuse direction, not Jesus.
I imagine the thought found in Matthew 11:30 is what allowed Joseph (Genesis 37-50) to live the life he lived. To stay focused in times of such despair. He knew God was taking him somewhere. In Genesis 39 we read an account of Joseph's life when he was faced with a "difficult" choice.
"Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man,7and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” (Genesis 39:6-9)
I am quite certain he knew his choice was going to bring him trouble...and it did. He ended up in prison. I think he knew this might happen. But he made the choice.
Why?
Because he had direction. Even in prison it says Joseph followed.
Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."
You want to know what is hard...walking in the dark. Trying to find your way when there is no light. That's difficult.
But with a little light to show the way...it's really not that hard at all.
It's actually pretty easy...and I think that's the point.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 41-42
Matthew 12:1-23
Genesis 39-40
Matthew 11
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
I once had a conversation with another christian about what life is like before Jesus and after. She said "The christian life is so hard. It was so much easier when I didn't know any better."
I couldn't disagree more
I find it interesting that here in Matthew 11, Jesus utters the words "the blind see...and the deaf hear." Have you ever wandered? I mean just gone out and without a plan just wandered? Just gone off and not worried about where you end up? No direction, no purpose, no place to be. I suppose it can be fun for a while but eventually you will have to ask yourself "Where am I and where am I going?" Otherwise, your just lost.
I prefer direction
I think we all do if we are honest with ourselves. We all, ultimately, want to know where we are going. It is why I love the words of Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” A life lived for Jesus doesn't lack hardship. It causes us to face many challenges and trials. It certainly doesn't lack trouble...
...but it also doesn't lack direction.
Direction that is clear and precise. There is a peace that exists when you realize that no matter where you are, no matter what kind of trouble or challenge you come up against, you are still going somewhere amazing. No worry...just follow. No anxiety of what to do next...just follow. No asking yourself "Is this the right thing to do?" because the creator of everything has made the path so very clear. It's not as difficult as we make it out to be much of the time. We cloud life, not God. We confuse direction, not Jesus.
I imagine the thought found in Matthew 11:30 is what allowed Joseph (Genesis 37-50) to live the life he lived. To stay focused in times of such despair. He knew God was taking him somewhere. In Genesis 39 we read an account of Joseph's life when he was faced with a "difficult" choice.
"Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man,7and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” (Genesis 39:6-9)
I am quite certain he knew his choice was going to bring him trouble...and it did. He ended up in prison. I think he knew this might happen. But he made the choice.
Why?
Because he had direction. Even in prison it says Joseph followed.
Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."
You want to know what is hard...walking in the dark. Trying to find your way when there is no light. That's difficult.
But with a little light to show the way...it's really not that hard at all.
It's actually pretty easy...and I think that's the point.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 41-42
Matthew 12:1-23
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Are you ready to follow??
Today's Readings:
Genesis 36-38
Matthew 10:21-42
I can't stress enough the importance of what Jesus says in Matthew 10:21-42 but the verse I think hits it home are verses 24-25 “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master."
It is no secret that I love Star Wars and my favorite of the films is by far "Empire Strikes Back." I can remember the frustration of Yoda as he tried to teach Luke...and Luke just wouldn't listen. He thought he knew better. Time and time again Yoda, wise old Yoda would say one thing and Luke would do the opposite...and it never worked out for Luke.
You think he would have learned.
Here in Matthew 10 Jesus really breaks it down so well. These verse are filled with purpose...both of the follower of Jesus and of Jesus himself. It both encourages and warns. Truly, if you are interested in following Jesus YOU MUST READ these verses.
Talk about purpose and focus, check out verses 37-39 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."
This is not a call to not love our family. On the contrary, It is a call to put the one first in life who can enable us to truly love our families. To put the one first who is life itself.
Like I said, don't miss these words.
and tune in tomorrow because I will talk about Genesis and the life of an amazing guy named Joseph. So read Genesis 37-41 (and further in the days to come)
Have a great day :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Matthew 11 and Genesis 40-41
Genesis 36-38
Matthew 10:21-42
I can't stress enough the importance of what Jesus says in Matthew 10:21-42 but the verse I think hits it home are verses 24-25 “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master."
It is no secret that I love Star Wars and my favorite of the films is by far "Empire Strikes Back." I can remember the frustration of Yoda as he tried to teach Luke...and Luke just wouldn't listen. He thought he knew better. Time and time again Yoda, wise old Yoda would say one thing and Luke would do the opposite...and it never worked out for Luke.
You think he would have learned.
Here in Matthew 10 Jesus really breaks it down so well. These verse are filled with purpose...both of the follower of Jesus and of Jesus himself. It both encourages and warns. Truly, if you are interested in following Jesus YOU MUST READ these verses.
Talk about purpose and focus, check out verses 37-39 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."
This is not a call to not love our family. On the contrary, It is a call to put the one first in life who can enable us to truly love our families. To put the one first who is life itself.
Like I said, don't miss these words.
and tune in tomorrow because I will talk about Genesis and the life of an amazing guy named Joseph. So read Genesis 37-41 (and further in the days to come)
Have a great day :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Matthew 11 and Genesis 40-41
Friday, January 14, 2011
Day 14...The Adventure Continues
Today's Readings:
Genesis 33-35
Matthew 10:1-20
Verses that caught my eye:
Genesis 34
Matthew 10:16 and 10:20
A couple quick thoughts on today's reading. As I read the old Testament, I have to often step back and remind myself "This is history here." There are parts of the Old Testament that are are hard to understand and difficult to read. But it is good to know, as I read, that God can use horrible choices made by deeply flawed people and cause something good to come out of it. As I read Old Testament sections I have to realize I am reading a historical document and at times people do really evil things. Just because these things are in there doesn't mean God condones or is happy about them happening.
As you read through these sections, it is important to see how God works in and through the lives of these people, even when they do things God would never want them to do.
In Matthew 10 I am reminded about how I must live as a follower of Jesus. In Matthew 10:16 Jesus says "“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves." It should be no secret that those who follow Jesus will have their enemies. There is one who will stop at nothing to keep the name of Jesus from spreading. He already knows he is defeated but he works to take as many with him as possible.
We are sheep among wolves in this world...not a promising way to look at things...
...unless we are smart and Godly, unless we are wise and ready for the attack. If we know the wolf is there, we can prepare. We should know our enemy and know his ways so we can combat them in a manner that brings glory to God. I think that is the word given here in this verse.
It couples up nicely with the words of verse 20 I think
"For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." These are words that bring me peace in my role as middle school pastor. When I am aware, when I listen to God and walk after Him, He will give me words to speak. Words that will bring people a more complete knowledge of Him.
So, let us all read on...the adventure continues.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 36-38
Matthew 10:21-42 (and it's good :-)
Genesis 33-35
Matthew 10:1-20
Verses that caught my eye:
Genesis 34
Matthew 10:16 and 10:20
A couple quick thoughts on today's reading. As I read the old Testament, I have to often step back and remind myself "This is history here." There are parts of the Old Testament that are are hard to understand and difficult to read. But it is good to know, as I read, that God can use horrible choices made by deeply flawed people and cause something good to come out of it. As I read Old Testament sections I have to realize I am reading a historical document and at times people do really evil things. Just because these things are in there doesn't mean God condones or is happy about them happening.
As you read through these sections, it is important to see how God works in and through the lives of these people, even when they do things God would never want them to do.
In Matthew 10 I am reminded about how I must live as a follower of Jesus. In Matthew 10:16 Jesus says "“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves." It should be no secret that those who follow Jesus will have their enemies. There is one who will stop at nothing to keep the name of Jesus from spreading. He already knows he is defeated but he works to take as many with him as possible.
We are sheep among wolves in this world...not a promising way to look at things...
...unless we are smart and Godly, unless we are wise and ready for the attack. If we know the wolf is there, we can prepare. We should know our enemy and know his ways so we can combat them in a manner that brings glory to God. I think that is the word given here in this verse.
It couples up nicely with the words of verse 20 I think
"For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." These are words that bring me peace in my role as middle school pastor. When I am aware, when I listen to God and walk after Him, He will give me words to speak. Words that will bring people a more complete knowledge of Him.
So, let us all read on...the adventure continues.
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 36-38
Matthew 10:21-42 (and it's good :-)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tune in Tomorrow....
Hey Friends. Busy day today so although I did the reading...not enough time to post.
So come back tomorrow for Matthew 10 and Genesis 32-34...
So come back tomorrow for Matthew 10 and Genesis 32-34...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
He is unlike any other
Today's Reading: Matthew 9:1-17 & Genesis 29-30
Key Verses: Matthew 9:2 & Matthew 9:9
What I love most about reading the accounts of Jesus is that fact that He is unlike anyone else. He doesn't act like anyone ever before and anyone since. He is original. Everything he did was so perfect, so right, and freaked just about everyone out. He was so different (and He still is.)
We look at Jesus from here in the future. We know who He is...I am not so certain even those closest to Him really understood who He was (that is until he rose from the dead...talk about different...but we will have more on that later.)
In Matthew 9:2 we see "Some people (bring) to (Jesus) a paralyzed man on a mat." Not an uncommon thing to happen. Jesus was healing many and the news had got around. But check out what Jesus says to the man and his friends.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” (Matt. 9:2)
Excuse me?!?! Did that just happen?!?! Did he actually just say "Your sins are forgiven"?!?!
I am pretty sure only God himself can do that...in fact some teachers of religious law said as much. The scribes believed Jesus was dishonoring God by taking upon himself the prerogative to forgive sins, which only God can do.
"But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” (Matt. 9:3)
(pause for effect :-)
Yes, He did!!!! (and that's because He is)
And then Jesus, just being Jesus says in so many words "You don't believe me do you? I know what your thinking, this guy says sins are forgiven, but come on...it's easy to say that. He has no proof"
Check out Matthew 9:5 “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
and that is just what the man did. He jumped up and went home. That is so awesome!!!!
That had all the people talking for sure, but then Jesus did something else so very.....well, different. Later he walks up to this guy named Matthew and says "Follow Me and be My disciple." So what's the big deal you ask? Well, Matthew was a tax collector and they were the lowest of the low. The Jewish people hated tax collectors. They were people of no morals. They would sell their mother for a buck if they could (or at least that was the perception.)
and Jesus (and we all should know by now who He is) calls this "scum" to follow Him and be His disciple. Now that's different.
and now go and read Matthew 9:12-13....com'n, Go and do it. I'll wait (picture me waiting)
Jesus is unlike anyone else. He didn't do things the way anyone thought He should...and thank goodness or else we would all be in a world of hurt.
Continue to read with me the accounts of Jesus, the one like no other. We will be reading about Him until June so it's definitely not too late to join the journey...
...and who knows, when it's all said and done we might just be different as well :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 31-32 & Matthew 9:18-38
See ya then...
Key Verses: Matthew 9:2 & Matthew 9:9
What I love most about reading the accounts of Jesus is that fact that He is unlike anyone else. He doesn't act like anyone ever before and anyone since. He is original. Everything he did was so perfect, so right, and freaked just about everyone out. He was so different (and He still is.)
We look at Jesus from here in the future. We know who He is...I am not so certain even those closest to Him really understood who He was (that is until he rose from the dead...talk about different...but we will have more on that later.)
In Matthew 9:2 we see "Some people (bring) to (Jesus) a paralyzed man on a mat." Not an uncommon thing to happen. Jesus was healing many and the news had got around. But check out what Jesus says to the man and his friends.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” (Matt. 9:2)
Excuse me?!?! Did that just happen?!?! Did he actually just say "Your sins are forgiven"?!?!
I am pretty sure only God himself can do that...in fact some teachers of religious law said as much. The scribes believed Jesus was dishonoring God by taking upon himself the prerogative to forgive sins, which only God can do.
"But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” (Matt. 9:3)
(pause for effect :-)
Yes, He did!!!! (and that's because He is)
And then Jesus, just being Jesus says in so many words "You don't believe me do you? I know what your thinking, this guy says sins are forgiven, but come on...it's easy to say that. He has no proof"
Check out Matthew 9:5 “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
and that is just what the man did. He jumped up and went home. That is so awesome!!!!
That had all the people talking for sure, but then Jesus did something else so very.....well, different. Later he walks up to this guy named Matthew and says "Follow Me and be My disciple." So what's the big deal you ask? Well, Matthew was a tax collector and they were the lowest of the low. The Jewish people hated tax collectors. They were people of no morals. They would sell their mother for a buck if they could (or at least that was the perception.)
and Jesus (and we all should know by now who He is) calls this "scum" to follow Him and be His disciple. Now that's different.
and now go and read Matthew 9:12-13....com'n, Go and do it. I'll wait (picture me waiting)
Jesus is unlike anyone else. He didn't do things the way anyone thought He should...and thank goodness or else we would all be in a world of hurt.
Continue to read with me the accounts of Jesus, the one like no other. We will be reading about Him until June so it's definitely not too late to join the journey...
...and who knows, when it's all said and done we might just be different as well :-)
Tomorrow's Reading:
Genesis 31-32 & Matthew 9:18-38
See ya then...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A Look at Faith
Today's Reading: Matthew 8 & Genesis 27-28
Key Verses: Matthew 8:2, Matthew 8:9 & Matthew 8:26
What is faith??
In Matthew 8, among many other truths, we catch a glimpse of what faith is and what faith is not. As I read Matthew 8 I was struck by these three verses. In Matthew 8:2 we see a leper come and kneel before Jesus and say "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
A few things I noticed. Lepers suffered from more then just a disease, they were social outcasts. Jesus had crowds of people around him, following him, and yet this leper, this social outcast wanted healing so badly he was willing to go amongst many people in order to speak to Jesus. Why?? He had faith. He knew Jesus could heal him. By saying "if you will" he acknowledges the power of Jesus and that only Jesus could heal him. He knew who Jesus was and what He could do.
That's faith.
In Matthew 8:9 we see a not another leper but a Roman Centurion. He comes to Jesus and says “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” It says he pleaded with Jesus to help him and Jesus said he would come and heal. But look at what the Centurion says "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed." The Centurion knew who he was, and who Jesus was. He also knew that Jesus could heal with just a word and he says as much in 8:9 "I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
The centurion recognized Jesus’ authority. From his own experience, he knew that when he gave orders, they were quickly obeyed. He figured that God had entrusted Jesus with authority to work miracles.
He had an idea of who Jesus was and what He could do
Faith
Yet, we see the disciples, the hand picked fellows of Jesus in Matthew 23-27, in a boat with Jesus. There is a storm. A big storm, a Great storm. The boat was being flooded with waves. The disciples are freaking out...and Jesus is asleep. The disciples come, wake him, and say "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
Really?!?! You are going to drown?!?! Don't you know who is in the boat with you?!?!?
Jesus says as much in his reply to their hysterics. "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”
Don't you know who I am??? Don't you know what I can do???
Then he calmed the storm.
So what is faith in God?? It's trust He can do what he says He can and that He will
That's Faith...and I want it :-)
Key Verses: Matthew 8:2, Matthew 8:9 & Matthew 8:26
What is faith??
In Matthew 8, among many other truths, we catch a glimpse of what faith is and what faith is not. As I read Matthew 8 I was struck by these three verses. In Matthew 8:2 we see a leper come and kneel before Jesus and say "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
A few things I noticed. Lepers suffered from more then just a disease, they were social outcasts. Jesus had crowds of people around him, following him, and yet this leper, this social outcast wanted healing so badly he was willing to go amongst many people in order to speak to Jesus. Why?? He had faith. He knew Jesus could heal him. By saying "if you will" he acknowledges the power of Jesus and that only Jesus could heal him. He knew who Jesus was and what He could do.
That's faith.
In Matthew 8:9 we see a not another leper but a Roman Centurion. He comes to Jesus and says “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” It says he pleaded with Jesus to help him and Jesus said he would come and heal. But look at what the Centurion says "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed." The Centurion knew who he was, and who Jesus was. He also knew that Jesus could heal with just a word and he says as much in 8:9 "I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
The centurion recognized Jesus’ authority. From his own experience, he knew that when he gave orders, they were quickly obeyed. He figured that God had entrusted Jesus with authority to work miracles.
He had an idea of who Jesus was and what He could do
Faith
Yet, we see the disciples, the hand picked fellows of Jesus in Matthew 23-27, in a boat with Jesus. There is a storm. A big storm, a Great storm. The boat was being flooded with waves. The disciples are freaking out...and Jesus is asleep. The disciples come, wake him, and say "Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
Really?!?! You are going to drown?!?! Don't you know who is in the boat with you?!?!?
Jesus says as much in his reply to their hysterics. "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”
Don't you know who I am??? Don't you know what I can do???
Then he calmed the storm.
So what is faith in God?? It's trust He can do what he says He can and that He will
That's Faith...and I want it :-)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Build Your House the Right Way
Today's Readings:
Genesis 23-24 &
Matthew 7
Key Verses: Matthew 6:33, 7:24-27
Matthew is the book...and it just keeps getting better. 7:7-8 tells us that the one who seeks after God will find good things. 7:12 gives us the "Golden Rule." How do I choose a key verse amongst all these?...they are all so good. I chose today to settle on Matthew 6:33 (since I didn't write anything yesterday) and Matthew 7:24-27.
When I was 28, I was in a Bible Study with a few friends of mine. One night we all spent about 20 minutes alone with God. We searched our Bibles for verses that we could take with us each day. Verses we could memorize and try to live out. It was that night I read these words found in Philippians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." These words, written by Paul, are obviously inspired by the words of Jesus himself found in Matthew 6:25-33.
Jesus is talking about why we should not worry or be anxious. That God is good and He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. And then, in Matthew 6:33 Jesus speaks these words that ring as true today as they did 2,000 years ago.
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
The lesson here is clear. When we seek God first in all things, when we look to Him first for wisdom and knowledge. When seek to bring Him glory at all times...God will provide everything we need. Not everything we want, but all we need. What a tremendous promise and source of joy...and it is true. When I seek myself or other things first in life, life lacks all joy and peace. But when I seek Him first...peace and a joy no circumstance can take from me :-)
In many ways this concept is echoed again in Matthew 7:24-27. It asks us to look and think about what we build our lives upon. What truths, ideas, and realities we base our daily lives upon will determine everything. In Epic Jv (my middle school group) we have been learning about the book of Haggai found in the Old Testament. It is a book that asks us to look at our lives and our priorities. "Consider your ways" are the words God speaks through Haggai.
"Take a good, hard look at your life.
Think it over."
As we start this new year, it is a great time to look at our lives and examine what we put importance on. What is our life built upon? Where do we go for wisdom? Where have we placed our hope?
Continue reading with me this year....you won't regret it.
Read Genesis 22...I have really reading the Old Testament and seeing God tell His story through the lives of people who are...well, a lot like us.
Tomorrow's Reading: Matthew 8:1-17 & Genesis 25-26
Genesis 23-24 &
Matthew 7
Key Verses: Matthew 6:33, 7:24-27
Matthew is the book...and it just keeps getting better. 7:7-8 tells us that the one who seeks after God will find good things. 7:12 gives us the "Golden Rule." How do I choose a key verse amongst all these?...they are all so good. I chose today to settle on Matthew 6:33 (since I didn't write anything yesterday) and Matthew 7:24-27.
When I was 28, I was in a Bible Study with a few friends of mine. One night we all spent about 20 minutes alone with God. We searched our Bibles for verses that we could take with us each day. Verses we could memorize and try to live out. It was that night I read these words found in Philippians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." These words, written by Paul, are obviously inspired by the words of Jesus himself found in Matthew 6:25-33.
Jesus is talking about why we should not worry or be anxious. That God is good and He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. And then, in Matthew 6:33 Jesus speaks these words that ring as true today as they did 2,000 years ago.
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
The lesson here is clear. When we seek God first in all things, when we look to Him first for wisdom and knowledge. When seek to bring Him glory at all times...God will provide everything we need. Not everything we want, but all we need. What a tremendous promise and source of joy...and it is true. When I seek myself or other things first in life, life lacks all joy and peace. But when I seek Him first...peace and a joy no circumstance can take from me :-)
In many ways this concept is echoed again in Matthew 7:24-27. It asks us to look and think about what we build our lives upon. What truths, ideas, and realities we base our daily lives upon will determine everything. In Epic Jv (my middle school group) we have been learning about the book of Haggai found in the Old Testament. It is a book that asks us to look at our lives and our priorities. "Consider your ways" are the words God speaks through Haggai.
"Take a good, hard look at your life.
Think it over."
As we start this new year, it is a great time to look at our lives and examine what we put importance on. What is our life built upon? Where do we go for wisdom? Where have we placed our hope?
Continue reading with me this year....you won't regret it.
Read Genesis 22...I have really reading the Old Testament and seeing God tell His story through the lives of people who are...well, a lot like us.
Tomorrow's Reading: Matthew 8:1-17 & Genesis 25-26
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Today's Readings
Today's Readings are....
Matthew 16:19-34
Genesis 20-22
Check back later for my comments...and then add your own :-)
Matthew 16:19-34
Genesis 20-22
Check back later for my comments...and then add your own :-)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Take my Life and Let it Be.......
"All for you and for Your Glory."
Today's Readings: Genesis 18-19 & Matthew 6:1-18
Key Verses: Matthew 6:1
This is one of my favorite parts of the BIble, and I also think it is at times greatly misunderstood. "Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven."
But does God really want us to do things in secret?
I have heard it said this is what the verse is saying. That we are to be like the C.I.A of good deeds. I don't think that's true however. If one reads the verse closely, you will see it says "Don't do your deeds to be admired by others Later on in verse, when talking about giving it says "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others."
The focus here is not on doing things in secret. The focus is on the why behind your acts. What is the driving force behind your deeds? Are they to bring praise to you, or glory to God?
and then in verse 6:9 Jesus teaches us to pray...and it starts like this
"Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven."
and if you look at this prayer, and how it starts, there's the point. The prayer is focused fully upon God as should be our lives. Our lives are to be given for the glory of the one who created everything so when people see what we do, God will get the glory.
"Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Jesus says in Matthew 5:16.
The Point: Righteousness should not be done for public recognition but as a service to God.
So stop sneaking around and being a "covert Christian." It's not wrong if someone knows you did something Godly...just make sure the praise goes in the right direction.
P.S. Keep up with the Old Testament Readings. I will something to say about them tomorrow.
Today's Readings: Genesis 18-19 & Matthew 6:1-18
Key Verses: Matthew 6:1
This is one of my favorite parts of the BIble, and I also think it is at times greatly misunderstood. "Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven."
But does God really want us to do things in secret?
I have heard it said this is what the verse is saying. That we are to be like the C.I.A of good deeds. I don't think that's true however. If one reads the verse closely, you will see it says "Don't do your deeds to be admired by others Later on in verse, when talking about giving it says "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others."
The focus here is not on doing things in secret. The focus is on the why behind your acts. What is the driving force behind your deeds? Are they to bring praise to you, or glory to God?
and then in verse 6:9 Jesus teaches us to pray...and it starts like this
"Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven."
and if you look at this prayer, and how it starts, there's the point. The prayer is focused fully upon God as should be our lives. Our lives are to be given for the glory of the one who created everything so when people see what we do, God will get the glory.
"Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Jesus says in Matthew 5:16.
The Point: Righteousness should not be done for public recognition but as a service to God.
So stop sneaking around and being a "covert Christian." It's not wrong if someone knows you did something Godly...just make sure the praise goes in the right direction.
P.S. Keep up with the Old Testament Readings. I will something to say about them tomorrow.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
God's Timing, Not Ours
Today's Readings: Genesis 16-17 & Matthew 5:27-48
Key Verses: Genesis 17:17 & ALL of Matthew 5:27-48
Yoda: "I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience."
Obi-Wan: "He will learn patience."
We do not like to wait, and we think we always know best...and those two things rarely work out well for us. My son is extremely impatient (gee I wonder where he got that from). The only good thing about his impatience is the fact I get to quote Star Wars and say "Patience my young padawan."
In Genesis, God had promised Abram (soon to be Abraham) that he would be the father of a great nation. That his descendants would be "so many that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!". Yet, he was nearly 100 years old, and his wife wasn't much younger. So in Genesis 16 they thought they might just hurry God's timing along...and without getting into too much politics right now, the results of their impatience hasn't really worked out well for anyone. It's been causing problems for a long time.
That's what happens when we take matters into or own hands, fail to trust God and his timing, and go off on our own. We mess everything up. And the effects of our actions are far greater than we can ever know.
God was going to give Abraham his son. God was going to cause Sarah to get pregnant...all they had to do was wait.
Easier said than done. You know, I work with middle school students and I created this mostly for them. I remember middle school, high school, and college. Asking kids to wait on certain things seems like an impossible task. They want to be grown ups now so they rush the clock...and things usually happen...things no one wants to happen...and lives are forever changed.
It is difficult to wait for the things God has promised. Heck, there are things God never promised, but we want those things, and so we just go off on our own...
"Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."
- Psalm 27:14
To live in faith means to wait patiently in recognition of the Lord’s goodness. Such a life is not always pleasant for the godly but our future is secure. God does promise good things for those who have faith and "wait" upon Him and Him alone. What God has planned for our lives both now and for all eternity is far beyond what we can comprehend as we live today.
So grab a seat upon this bench with me my friends...and let's do a little waiting together. Who knows, it might just be more fun than we know.
P.S. Please read Matthew 5:27-48...it is life altering and mind blowing!!!!!
Tomorrow's Readings: Matthew 6:1-18 & Genesis 18-19
Key Verses: Genesis 17:17 & ALL of Matthew 5:27-48
Yoda: "I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience."
Obi-Wan: "He will learn patience."
We do not like to wait, and we think we always know best...and those two things rarely work out well for us. My son is extremely impatient (gee I wonder where he got that from). The only good thing about his impatience is the fact I get to quote Star Wars and say "Patience my young padawan."
In Genesis, God had promised Abram (soon to be Abraham) that he would be the father of a great nation. That his descendants would be "so many that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!". Yet, he was nearly 100 years old, and his wife wasn't much younger. So in Genesis 16 they thought they might just hurry God's timing along...and without getting into too much politics right now, the results of their impatience hasn't really worked out well for anyone. It's been causing problems for a long time.
That's what happens when we take matters into or own hands, fail to trust God and his timing, and go off on our own. We mess everything up. And the effects of our actions are far greater than we can ever know.
God was going to give Abraham his son. God was going to cause Sarah to get pregnant...all they had to do was wait.
Easier said than done. You know, I work with middle school students and I created this mostly for them. I remember middle school, high school, and college. Asking kids to wait on certain things seems like an impossible task. They want to be grown ups now so they rush the clock...and things usually happen...things no one wants to happen...and lives are forever changed.
It is difficult to wait for the things God has promised. Heck, there are things God never promised, but we want those things, and so we just go off on our own...
"Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."
- Psalm 27:14
To live in faith means to wait patiently in recognition of the Lord’s goodness. Such a life is not always pleasant for the godly but our future is secure. God does promise good things for those who have faith and "wait" upon Him and Him alone. What God has planned for our lives both now and for all eternity is far beyond what we can comprehend as we live today.
So grab a seat upon this bench with me my friends...and let's do a little waiting together. Who knows, it might just be more fun than we know.
P.S. Please read Matthew 5:27-48...it is life altering and mind blowing!!!!!
Tomorrow's Readings: Matthew 6:1-18 & Genesis 18-19
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Salt and Light
Today's Readings: Genesis 13-15 & Matthew 5:1-26
Key Verse: Matthew 5:13
It's the Attitude behind the Act. It's not the Deed but the Desire.
These were words spoken in a sermon I recently listened to by a famous preacher and it is the main idea presented in Matthew 5. One could write an entire book about Matthew 5. They have actually. Many an author has written on the words spoken in Matthew 5. The beginning of what has become known as "The Sermon on the Mount." A speech given by Jesus that set everything upon it's ear. There are so much truth presented here one could spend a lifetime dwelling upon it's meaning.
That's actually not a bad idea.
Yet in the midst of this grand chapter of God's word, verse 5:13 stands out in a way I have never noticed until just today. Jesus is presenting to us the truth that what is on the inside is what matters. The words found in I Samuel 16:7 says, "The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God is not so concerned with the outside as He is with the inside. And the outside is only validated insofar as it is representative of what is on the inside.
This idea that life springs from what is inside is repeated over and over again in scripture but it is "crystallized" here in Matthew 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
It is no accident that in a chapter where God tells us to examine the internal he compares us to salt. Think about it, why is salt valuable? Why is salt able to get done what it needs to get done? Why do people use salt? Well, I hate to be overly simple but the reason is...IT'S SALT!!!!
What makes salt salt?? It's what you find on the inside. If you change the the internal chemistry of salt, you no longer have salt. The only reason salt is useful is because of that which makes it salt.
Jesus here is saying "You want to live for me?? It starts on the inside in your heart and mind." You take care of the attitude the actions will flow. I think that is why I love reading my Bible. It changes my heart. It transforms my mind, the way I think. It turns me into...well...salt. The kind of "salt" God can use.
Matthew 5 is all about attitude. It is all about how you see and think about things. It is a great chapter of my favorite book and I seriously encourage everyone (myself included) to wake up every morning and before you do anything read Matthew 5.
Imagine what life would look like if we all did...It's easy if you try :-)
P.S. I know I didn't comment on it, but read the Old Testament verse as well.
Tomorrow's Reading: Matthew 5:27-48 & Genesis 16-17
Key Verse: Matthew 5:13
It's the Attitude behind the Act. It's not the Deed but the Desire.
These were words spoken in a sermon I recently listened to by a famous preacher and it is the main idea presented in Matthew 5. One could write an entire book about Matthew 5. They have actually. Many an author has written on the words spoken in Matthew 5. The beginning of what has become known as "The Sermon on the Mount." A speech given by Jesus that set everything upon it's ear. There are so much truth presented here one could spend a lifetime dwelling upon it's meaning.
That's actually not a bad idea.
Yet in the midst of this grand chapter of God's word, verse 5:13 stands out in a way I have never noticed until just today. Jesus is presenting to us the truth that what is on the inside is what matters. The words found in I Samuel 16:7 says, "The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God is not so concerned with the outside as He is with the inside. And the outside is only validated insofar as it is representative of what is on the inside.
This idea that life springs from what is inside is repeated over and over again in scripture but it is "crystallized" here in Matthew 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
It is no accident that in a chapter where God tells us to examine the internal he compares us to salt. Think about it, why is salt valuable? Why is salt able to get done what it needs to get done? Why do people use salt? Well, I hate to be overly simple but the reason is...IT'S SALT!!!!
What makes salt salt?? It's what you find on the inside. If you change the the internal chemistry of salt, you no longer have salt. The only reason salt is useful is because of that which makes it salt.
Jesus here is saying "You want to live for me?? It starts on the inside in your heart and mind." You take care of the attitude the actions will flow. I think that is why I love reading my Bible. It changes my heart. It transforms my mind, the way I think. It turns me into...well...salt. The kind of "salt" God can use.
Matthew 5 is all about attitude. It is all about how you see and think about things. It is a great chapter of my favorite book and I seriously encourage everyone (myself included) to wake up every morning and before you do anything read Matthew 5.
Imagine what life would look like if we all did...It's easy if you try :-)
P.S. I know I didn't comment on it, but read the Old Testament verse as well.
Tomorrow's Reading: Matthew 5:27-48 & Genesis 16-17
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