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2/2/2011 - Ps. 27:4-5 Living In God's House
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 27:4-5 The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. 1/21/2011 - Ps. 18:19 God Just Likes Watching Me
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 18:19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. 1/14/2011 - Proverbs 3:14-15 The Real World Value of Wisdom
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 3:14-15 For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. 15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 1/10/2011 - Proverbs 3:3-4 Mostly What I Need From You
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 3:3-4 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. 4 Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. OBSERVATION: Who doesn't want a good reputation? Who is not looking for favor with both God and people? Here is what it takes: a deep and strong commitment to simple, faithful kindness. Being kind, gentle, looking for and accentuating the positive, is such an important and overlooked value. We live in a world that exalts the ideals of confrontation and conflict, of getting our own opinions out on the table and convincing others that we are right and they should change. The reality is that most everyone is dealing with some hard thing in their life and what they need from us is not another opinion, it is a load of gentle kindness. It is no wonder that this kind of person has a good reputation. Who do we think fondly of? Those who have shown kindness to us in the midst of hurt and pain. Those are the people we need to be. APPLICATION: I can get so wound up in the idea that some one needs to change the way they do things (especially at home) that I simply forget to be kind. I want to cultivate a reputation of kindness. I fear I have a ways to go. PRAYER: Lord, You are so kind. Help me to be like You in that regard. Remind me when I am getting off track and help me to always show kindness to everyone. 1/6/2011 - Matthew 5:29-30 Don't Even Get Close
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:29-30 “ So if your eye—even your good eye--causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. OBSERVATION: We take sin so lightly; "I guess I made a mistake.", "Alright, I messed up.", or even, "My bad!". Jesus' point here was not to advocate for self-mutilation (besides, when did my eye or hand "cause" me to sin--it's my mind and heart and it is a little hard to get by without those!). He was using this form of speech to simply say; TAKE SIN SERIOUSLY AND DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO TO KEEP IT FROM DESTORYING YOU! What are we willing to give up to avoid sin? Relationships, places, things, activities, TV, books, the Internet? How often do we lie to ourselves and say, "I know I might be tempted by that, but I can handle it. This time will be different." It won't. We can't and it will destroy the joy, peace, contentment and blessing in our lives. It is simply not worth it. If we are serious about sin we will get everything out of our lives that makes it easy to sin. Put a filter on the Internet. Break off the relationship that keeps causing me to fall to sexual sin. Get rid of the tempting goodies in my pantry. Throw the beer out of the refrigerator. Get out of the shady business partnership. Quit hanging out with the gossipy friends. Stay out of the mall. Don't start arguments with those that bring out your anger. Whatever it takes--do it!! You will be glad you did. APPLICATION: Every time I thought I could get close to an area of temptation and not give into the "Dark Side", I have failed. I will not take that chance any more. PRAYER: LORD help me keep this commitment to being and staying right. 1/4/2011 - Psalms 4:1 Who's Right About You?
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 4:1 Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. OBSERVATION: In our great human wisdom, we simply think that God is wrong! He says that we are innocent. He doesn't just say it, He declares it, shouts it out for the whole universe to hear--"YOU ARE INNOCENT!!". We feel and act like He is mistaken. How can He have mercy on us. How can He hear our prayers when we are so sinful and guilt-ridden? Because the God of all the universe has declare us innocent and that is what we are. We ought to act with the confidence that this fact suggests. Come before Him boldly, have audacious faith in His desire to bless. APPLICATION: I feel anything but innocent sometimes. I am so horribly aware of what I have done wrong. I need to hear God tell me the truth!! PRAYER: LORD, help me to hear you say that I am innocent. I want to believe that. Help me to. 1/3/2011 - Proverbs 1:19 Dangerous Greed
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 1:19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life. OBSERVATION: Living in a culture of "more" and "better" that values "stuff" over almost anything, it is easy to become greedy for money. Even if we don't have much, we can orient our lives around getting more and lose sight of them more important spiritual and relational values that make up the basis is real life. Greed steals out life because we spend it in pursuit of things that, in the bigger picture, simply do not matter. APPLICATION: I want my family to be blessed. I don't want them to miss out on anything that God has for us simply because of my laziness and lack of laying ahold of all of God's blessings for us. On the other hand, like everyone else, I can become materialistic. I want to resist that tendency with all that I am. I want to keep God first and relationships with others second in my life. PRAYER: Save me from greed. Free me to pursue only You with all that I am. Forgive me for letting the desire for things push You out of my life. 12/20/2010 - Psalms 139:23-24 The Cure For Auto-myopia
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. OBSERVATION: Strangely, the person we spend the most time with, we may not know very well at all--ourselves. How often do we have big, gapping blind spots (Auto-myopia--nearsightedness about ourselves) when in comes to our basic self-understanding. We don't even know what we don't know (that is why they are called blind spots). Here David asks God to help him with this problem. It is an example we should follow. We may not like what we see, but it is very valuable information--you can't change what you don't know to be wrong. God can not only show us our faults but, even better, show us to path to life, a good life, an effective life. That is how much He loves us and wants the best for us. APPLICATION: I neet to submit myself to God and let Him point where I need to change. PRAYER: Just like David I pray that You would search my heart and show me any wicked way in me. I want to live in everlasting life, right now and for all of my life. 12/17/2010 - Psalms 136:23-26 He Really Is Faithful!!
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 136:23-26 He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. 24 He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever. 25 He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever. OBSERVATION: What does the "faithful", "enduring" love of God look like? He understands our weaknesses. He makes allowances for them but, even more, He works to make our weaknesses into strengths. He saves us from those people and things that would destroy us--if we let Him. He provides all the resouces that we need for life, fulfillment and Godliness. And, because He loves us faithfully, without fail and without end, we are able to live as we were made to live: as secure, confident, trusting human beings. What should be our response? To seek to live in, to understand and take to heart this love and simply to give Him thanks for loving us so much. APPLICATION: I am trying to understand, to internalize this great love of God. I understand more than I did before, but I have so far to go. I should have far to go--God's love is beyond my full understanding. I just want to stay in pursuit of that knowledge. PRAYER: I want to know You!!! Because, God, Your faithful love endures forever, the more I know You the more I will understand Your greatest characteristic--Your heart of love. 12/16/2010 - Psalms 135:18 You Are Who You Idolize
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 135:18 And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. OBSERVATION: One viewing of American Idol proves the truth of this verse. We make idols of our pop stars and then we become just like them--superficial, decadent narsisitic and vain. Our culture has made an idol of material things and then has become like those things; everything has a price, the deeper values tend to disappear (what dollar bill understands love and honor), we focus on what we can get and consume right now. We have the values of our idols. APPLICATION: I tend to idolize success. Unfortunately, success in God's eyes may be different than the way I am looking at it. In idolizing the wrong view of success, I become over worried about what people think of me and fear, too much, that they might reject me. PRAYER: Lord, help me to idolize only You. I want to be like You. I want to have Your values and perspective on life. Forgive me for making anything or anyone else an idol. 12/15/2010 - Feel Dumb Sometimes? Proverbs 20:1-4
FEEL DUMB SOMETIMES? REFERENCE: Proverbs 30:1-4 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an oracle: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: 2 "I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know! 5 "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
12/8/2010 - Hosea 10:12b Hard Hearts or Righteous Lives
SCRIPTURE: Hosea 10:12b Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ OBSERVATION: I can't make myself holy or righteous--I've tried, I've failed. However I can't just hope for change and "leave it up to the Lord." I know that He wants my full cooperation. What then is my part? Breaking up the hardness of heart (that is, allowing Him to soften my heart) and pursuing Him. We all fear sofening our hearts because soft hearts are vulnerable hearts--the kind that can be hurt and rejected. But it is the only kind God can work with. What will happen when I have a soft, broken heart and choose to seek Him? Then God, Himself, will make it possible for me to live as I ought, to live righteously APPLICATION: I want to be right. I also recognize that this world can harden my heart--towards God and towards others. I need to allow Him to make me more soft and responsive. I need to keep up a full hearted pursuit of knowing Him. PRAYER: Lord, I need You in every way. I need You to break up my hard heart. I need You to give me a hunger and thirst for You that will never be satisfied and I need You to help me to be the righteous man You have called me to be. 12/7/2010 - Hosea 6:3 The Greatest Knowledge
SCRIPTURE: Hosea 6:3 Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” OBSERVATION: There is nothing in the universe more important and profound than knowing God. What is the key to this "knowing"? Desire, commitment, willingness to make the pursuit of this knowledge our greatest preoccupation. God responds not to the cynic, not to the causual pursuer, not to intellectual reflector but only to the earnest seaker. It is when we "seek Him with all our hearts" that we will find Him. There is no greater knowledge. APPLICATION: I want to know God but sometimes I am spritually ADHD--everything distracts me: worry, pleasure, hyper-activity, tiredness. I want to focus on the knowledge of Him alone. PRAYER: Lord, give me a hunger and thirst for You that will not be satisfied by anything else. Teach me to hate the things that would get in the way of this pure and invaluable knowledge. 12/2/2010 - 3 John 1-3 What Are Those Peepers Peeping At?
SCRIPTURE: 3 John 1-3 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. OBSERVATION: We become what we look at. When we are constantly looking into the face of God, when we are seeing Jesus for who He really is, we become like Him. So much so that when He comes, when we can see Him fully face to face, we will be fully like Him. This passage tells us that this expectation, of seeing Jesus, keeps us desiring to be pure. It seems that the more we put the focus of our lives on Him, the more we become like Him, that is in this instance, we take on His purity. The answer to how to stay pure in a putrified world is to focus on this point of purity--Jesus Himself. APPLICATION: So much of this world gets so much of my attention. No wonder that, sometimes, my mind and my heart begins to be like this world's. I want to have the mind of Christ. I want to look like Him and live like Him. I know that the only way this is going to happen is if I keep my eyes on Him and never, ever take them off. PRAYER: Lord, keep my eyes on You--all the time, without fail. 12/1/2010 - I John 2:15-17 Whatta You Crave?
SCRIPTURE: I John 2:15-17 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. OBSERVATION: Our problem is not the world and the things it offers us, our problem is our heart and how it gets attached to those things. In others words, our problem is not "out there", it's "in here". The reason that these cravings are so destructive is because that is all they are, cravings. If we pursue them as in end in themselves, we will never have enough and the pursuit will consume us. How much is enough achievement or possessions? The world's answer is always "just a little bit more". God, on the other hand, offers us a life of fulfillment and peace simply based on submitting and following Him. We have the chance to get off of the "desire treadmill" and sit in the easy chair of His grace. APPLICATION: I want, I want, I want. I need, I need, I need. What I really want and need is simply more of Him. What I really want is to find a place of peace and relaxation in His presence and live there--for the rest of my life. PRAYER: Forgive me for pursuing the cravings of this world. May You alone be my one desire. May I find my fulfillment, my meaning, my identity in You and You alone. 11/30/2010 - Psalms 119 What Gives You The Shakes?
SCRIPTURE: Ps. 191:161-162, 165, 168 Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. 162 I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. . . . 165 Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. . . . 168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do. OBSERVATION: This passage suggests and interesting question: what makes your heart tremble? Is it God's instructions for our lives and our desire not to disappoint the God we love or what people threaten to do to us? The fact that the Word of God is a "great treasure" ought to drive us back to it day after day. It is often the case that the reason we deal with anxiety and lack peace is because we are doing the very things that God's Word tells us not to. Do we want peace? Try obeying the Word. Finally, we ought to obey knowing that nothing, nothing is hidden from God. Nothing we say, nothing we think, nothing we watch, read or touch. All of it is open to God. This, in itself, ought to challenge us to live more circumspect lives. APPLICATION: Sometimes I feel like the commands of God restrict me too much. Sometime, frankly, I hope He is not watching (even though I know He is). But, through it all, I have learned that when I commit myself to studying and applying God's Word, it changes my life for the better. PRAYER: Your Word is the TRUTH and I want to live it out every day. I can't do it without Your grace. Help me, strengthen me, be with me. 11/19/2010 - James 3:17-18 wisdom for "Home For The Holidays"
SCRIPTURE: James 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. OBSERVATION: This is a great scripture for those tense holiday family gatherings. How do you show others that you are right (especially in matters of faith)? By showing that the wisdom you bring is always looking for peace not conflict. That (and here is a hard one) you are always, always willing to yield to others instead of making sure your opinion is the one that counts. James promises us that two things will result--you will bring peace and everyone--you included--will become more rightous. We ought to try it this Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. We should make a commitment now to pusue peace, no matter how pugnatious any of our relatives are. it could make a world of difference. APPLICATION: I sometimes want to be considered the "Smartest Guy in the Room". Instead I should want to be the most kind, gentle and caring--then people will really care about what I have to say. PRAYER: Lord, help me to be the kind of person that others want to hear from because I am consistently gentle, peaceful and willing to yield. I need your help! 11/17/2010 - James 1:2-4 To Endure, To Wait, To Receive
SCRIPTURE: James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. OBSERVATION: We tend to thnk about endurance as, at best, something you never want to get good at--certainly not a character quality that would, somehow improve our lives. James takes a different view. He sees endurance as an enhancement for our lives, something that has the potential to make us "perfect and complete". Why does he have this view? Because he is very aware that God has promised to provide and take care of us. The problem is our willingness to hold on in faith and prayer believing for this divine intervention that is promised. What does it take to have that essential willingness to wait for the inevitable blessing? Simply endurance. Good will ALWAYS come, the question is, will we still be faithfully and obediently waiting for it? APPLICATION: God has taught me so much about endurance over the last few years. I have been learning to ask what He is up to and to cooperate with it. I have been learning that endurance is not just sitting and waiting but engaging in expectational action. I have been learning that when you learn endurance, the trials of this world have much less effect on you. PRAYER: Oh God, that I might endure!! Teach me to continually wait for You to come and fulfill my hearts desires--at least those that You have given me. Help me to never get discouraged and never to give up. You never, ever give up on me. 11/16/2010 - Hebrews 13:5-6 Who Do You Fear?
SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 13:5-6 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” OBSERVATION: Even though it refers to money, this passage is about so much more--something deeply profound and that is the answer to this question: "What are you afraid of?" Most of us live out lives afraid of or messed up by what people can do to us. The reason we often find it so hard to trust God is that we have more fear of humans than we have of God. Some how this simple message needs to get pressed deeply into our souls: God says: “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” How profoundly different out lives would be if we truly believed that. Gone would be the fear of rejection. Gone would be our tendency to try to meet our own needs in fleshly ways. Gone would be the anxiety and worry that consumes so many of us so much of the time. APPLICATION: I am not there yet but I am learning it--God will never leave me or forsake me. I don't have to be afraid. PRAYER: Dear Lord help me to hear You say this to my soul. Help me to live like it is true--You will never fail me, You will never abandon me. I want to live like that is true. 11/10/2010 - Hebrews 10:14-17 Making Perfect People Holy
SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 10:14-17 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, 16 “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” OBSERVATION: This passage is essential to our understanding of what Jesus did for us: He both made us "perfect" (i.e. without guilt or shame) and, at the same time, He is in the process of making us "holy". In other words, we are becoming who we already are! Some want to just focus on the perfection that Christ has already bought for us--and they are right when they say that most Christians do not understand who they are in Christ. We need to, we must, understand this more. Others focus only on the being made holy part. Their focus is only on what we need to change and what God is making us into--and there are plenty of Christians who need to be reminded that Godis still working on them and that they need to cooperate with that work. The best place, the safest place, is to live in both worlds at the same time. To fully seek to understand who we are and how perfect (and perfectly accepted and loved) we are in Christ and to be constantly aware and asking Him how He wants to perfect and grow us. APPLICATION: I am trying to learn. I am seeking to know. I am a student of the love and grace of God and I love Him enough to want to please Him by allowing Him to change and grow me up. I still stuggle in both areas but I am not going to give up!! PRAYER: Lord, help me to see who I am in You, constantly, clearly, consistently. In my heart I want to please You and live in the holiness You are calling me to. Teach me, help me, grace me to live that way. 11/9/2010 - Psalms 107:2 Have You Been Redeemed? Say So!!
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 107:2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. OBSERVATION: What is most convincing to others about God, is our personal experience. They can argue with our view of scripture or who we think Jesus was when He was here on earth, but what can they say in the face of: "He saved me. Freed me from the trap I was in." APPLICATION: God has one so many great things for me. I need to be ready to share those things with others who do not know Him. I used to be cynical, negative and a little anti-social. God has brought me so far and I need to not keep that to myself. PRAYER: Thank you for saving me. Thank you for freeing me. May I always be ready to share what You have done for me with those who don't know You. SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 3:12-15 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” OBSERVATION: Part of what God expects of us is simply faith. Being unbelieving causes us to turn away from the living God. Our job is to trust God as firmly now as we did when we came to Christ. How often do we ignore God when He is talking to our hearts. We call it distraction, or the flesh or "my right to choose"; God calls it rebellion! APPLICATION: I need to be very careful to hear what God says to me. I don't want to be in rebellion but, sometimes, I just close my ears and rebellion is what God calls this. PRAYER: Lord, forgive me for not listening to You more closely. I want to obey. I need Your grace. Please help me. 10/27/2010 - Titus 1:1-2 Don't Let Age Slow You Down
SCRIPTURE: Titus 2:1-2 As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. OBSERVATION: As I am getting older I am noticeing the verses that relate to "older men" where I used to focus on the ones for "younger men". So guys, those of us "of a certain age" , what do we need to learn? Paul is, wisely, aware of the struggles of mid life and older--we sometimes let our self-control slip, we make unwise decisions out of our emotional reactions to aging and, because of these choices, we loose our right to be worthy of respect and to be listened to. The next generation needs the wisdom that we have to offer and we can not allow our lifestyle choices to disqualify us from passing that on with confidence. So my brothers, fellow "older men", lets take up the challenge to finish well; to retain our commitment to a disciplined and wise lifestyle. A commitment to build and maintain the lifestyle and relationships that will help us pass on all that God has put into us over they years. It is not time to stop now--we have so much to give. APPLICATION: I sometimes wonder if anyone wants what to hear what I have learned over the years. Yet, after a few moments of pity-party, I realize that there are many young men (and women) that I can advance and encourge. I just need to make sure my life and relationships support this goal. PRAYER: Lord, show me who You want me to mentor. May I live well so that I can be effective in this fulfilling this responsibility. May the next generation be stronger because of what I leave behind in the lives of others, by Your power and grace. 10/26/2010 - Lazy and Stupid Proverbs 26:16
Lazy and Stupid REFERENCE: Proverbs 26:16 Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.Observation: We all want the easy way. It is hard work building a family or saving for retirement or running a business or a successful department. We all look for the short cut that will get us to our goal without work or sacrifice. Wise counselors tell us that no such animal exists. We are not going to win the lottery. Our business will not grow itself. Our retirement funds will not magically put themselves into our account. Who wants to hear that? So, when we are feeling lazy, we simply ignore this very good advice. The wise person realizes that others, outside of their situation, can sometimes see things more clearly than they can. They learn to take the advice of these counselors and judge to see if they are taking the easy way out rather than building slowly and successfully. We must not be either lazy or impatient. Steady and slowly over time, listening to wise counsel, is the best way to see anything succeed.
10/25/2010 - Ps. 95:5-7b Full Spectrum Worship
SCRIPTURE: Ps. 95:5-7b Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. . . . 6 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, . . . 7b If only you would listen to his voice today! OBSERVATION: This is the recipe for full spectrum worship--joyful praise, awe inspired worship and the willingness to submit and obey. Any worship that does not include (at least as some point) all of these elements is not fully the worship that God desires. Too often the tendency is to worship the way we want, the way that is natural for us--if we are joyful types, that becomes the "all" of our worship. If we are more serious types, we only appreciate worship when it inspires us to a deep sense of awe. Too many of us forget that worship is not really worship if it does not include obedience. We feel like when we have done our bit in word and song that worship has taken place. God makes it clear that worship must impact our lifestyle to be full and real. APPLICATION: Two things I can work on. I need to pursue joy; to find it in the Lord and express it fully in my praise. I tend to get overly serious and forget the value of pure joy. Second, I must always remember that my praise words, (i.e. "You are Lord", "The Lord reigns", etc.) must be in concord with my actions. I can not, with integrity, worship Him with my mouth and fail to worship Him with my life. PRAYER: Dear Lord, may I always bow down before You in awe and pure worship, find joy in being with You and submit my life to Your commands. I want to be one who worships fully!! 10/22/2010 - 2 Timothy 1:6-7 Power, Love and Self-discipline
SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 1:6-7 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. OBSERVATION: How do we make sure that we are effective as we can be in using the gifts God has given us by His Spirit? Cultivate these threee things: power, love and self-discipline. We need all three. They balance each other out. We need power, the dunamis, the ablitity to get-er-done but, without love, power turns into manipulation and control. How many people love everyone but have no power to help them. Love without power is mushy, but ineffective, sentiment. A self-disciplined person gets things done for the Kingdom of God. They are able to say "no" to the desires of the flesh and focus on fulfilling their call. However, a self-disciplined person who doesn't love tends to look down on the "merely mortal" people around them and wonder why they can't be as self-controlled and think less of them for it. We need all three, power--to get it done, love--so we do it for the right reason and self-discipline so that we don't get distracted along the way. APPLICATION: I want to do better in all three. I would like to see more power in my life--to see the supernatural come about. I must confess that I am not always as loving as I would like to be--but I want to be!! And, I am too often distracted. I spend too much time just reading stuff on the Internet when I need to be focused on what is in front of me to do. PRAYER: Lord, I am so glad that tell me that these things are part and parcel of the Spirit being in me. Fill me with Your Spirit today and may I have power, love and self-control because the Spirit works it in me. 10/20/2010 - 1 Timothy 5:22 Dangerous Leaders
Dangerous Leaders REFERENCE: 1 Timothy 5:22 Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.Observation: We sometimes feel pressured in the church to get leaders appointed and serving as quick as possible. The need seems so great and we want to see people ministered and cared for. While the motivation is pure, the decision to act quickly may not be so wise. The most valuable thing that the church is responsible for is human souls. It is the only thing that is eternal. If we are too quick to appoint leaders, they may not have the right character, and may end up wounding and hurting the very people we are most concerned for. Paul has simple advice; don’t be in a hurry. We have to believe and live by the scripture where Jesus says He will build the church and the gates of hell can not prevail against it. If He is building His church then those of us who are working with Him in this endeavor can relax and let Him bring along the leaders in His time. If we don’t have them then He may not be wanting us to try to do more ministry than we can with who we have. We have to trust the true leader of the Church--Jesus Himself. Application/Confession: I am guilt of appointing leaders who had not proven their character before they began to serve. They were charismatic, committed and said the right things. They were missing one important element --time. I have learned (I hope) to look for proven character over time before I appoint anyone. It is in asking them to be patient and wait that the true character exposes itself. PRAYER: Lord remind me what not following Your Word on this subject has cost me. Help me to trust You and not to panic and place people who have not proven themselves into ministry. Remind me that when I pray and commit the church to You, You will bring the right people along at the right times. SCRIPTURE: I Timothy 4:8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” OBSERVATION: Isn't it interesting that we have decided a long time ago that physical training will require a fairly intense level of commitment and willingness to suffer discomfort (that is why we often avoid it--to our detriment). On the other hand, we feel like becoming godly ought to be easy and discomfort free. However, this verse challenges us to commit to the process of becoming godly like we would train for a marathon or a weight lifting competition. It means that we would be willing to give this pursuit the focus, commit and tenacity that physical training requires. APPLICATION: I need to learn from both sides of this verse. I need to commit more to physical training--losing weight and exercising but, even more, I need to make a real commitment to training in godliness. I am doing pretty well with my daily devotions but I sense God calling me to a deeper level of fasting and intercession. I hate it. Frankly, it hurts!! Yet, I know it will be good for me. PRAYER: Lord, help me. I want to become more and more like You. I don't want to take the easy way out. Please give me the grace to pursue a disciplined approach to training in godliness--putting down my flesh and pursuing Your kind of life with all that I am. 10/14/2010 - Proverbs 25:15 The Pursuation Strategy That Works
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 25:15 Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones. 10/13/2010 - Proverbs 25:11-12 Golden Apples of Truth
SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 25:11-12 Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket. 12 To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry. OBSERVATION: Advice can be lovely or it can be a cause of conflict and pain. A big part of the difference is this simple word of direction--make it timely. Don't try to advise someone when they are already upset. Don't try to advise someone when they have other things they must concentrate on. The best course, often, is to praise what you can, immediately after the event, when someone does their best (like taking a test, playing in a sporting event, or performing in front of a croud) and then present advice when they are in a receptive mood as they are preparing for the next time they do this "thing". That is often when it is most timely--and most useful, and most beautiful. On the other hand, if we are receiving advice, be open to it. Seldom is the person trying to destroy us, even if they are a bit ham-handed in the way they present it. We should see the other's perspective as our friend. They are caring enough for us to help us to be better people. They may not be right--but we can honor the attempt and learn what we can. APPLICATION: I need to be careful, especially with my staff, when and how I give advice. Too often I just let-er-rip when I should be looking more carefully for the right moment--the perfect timing. I know it would make my advice more effective and that is what I want to be. PRAYER: Lord, help me to give and to recieve advice with a load of grace. May my words be with grace and my reception of others be with grace as well. |
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