Put on the Power

I was reading in Luke 23 last week and I came across a verse that I swear was not in there the last time I read from this chapter.  It is a verse where Jesus gives a great promise to his disciples.  Jesus promises power to His disciples in Luke 23:49. 


The word for power here is the work from which we derive the word dynamite.  Dynamite is a powerful thing.  It can be used to absolutely destroy some thing or to gently craft something.  The promised power that Jesus speaks of here comes from the Holy Spirit.  This power is the same power that had raised Jesus from the dead.  The disciples know the power of the Spirit in that are speaking to the risen Jesus even now.  Jesus promises this power to them.

There is an interesting way, though, that Jesus promises this power.  He say you will be clothed with power.  When I think of being clothed, my mind is immediately drawn to choice.  Each morning, we stand before our closet with one question on our mind, "What am I going to wear today?" Granted this question is easier to answer for some than others.  Either way, though, there is a choice that needs to be made.  We have to make the decision of what to wear.  I think this is at the heart of what Jesus is saying here.  Daily, we must make the decision to be clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit.  In essence we are making the decision to live according to our will or according to God's will.  Will I live today in my power or in the power of the Holy Spirit?  I must decide.

Don't let your righteousness get in the way

I was reading this morning and came across John 18:28.  When I read it, I just had to laugh. Seriously? You don't want to defile yourself by going into Pilate's house, but it's okay to deliver a man up to murder?  I know, that's a little harsh, but it serves of a great example of how righteousness, self-righteousness in this case, can get in the way of true holiness.

Oftentimes, we think that our righteous acts are what make us holy.  I think this is the trap the Pharisees fell into.  They were so caught up in their righteousness that they were missing out on true holiness. How I pray that does not happen for me or you.  Let us not become so full of ourselves, so confident in ourselves that we forget and forsake the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

Follow Closely to Keep Up

Picture from talkandroid.com

I love Twitter.  I've been tweeting for a couple of years now and am closing on on my 3000th tweet.  I get most of my news from Twitter.  I keep up with friends on Twitter.  Friends keep up with me on Twitter. Twitter is good.  For those who are not familiar with Twitter, you follow people (those fellow twits who tweet) and people follow you. I have quite a few followers but near as many as others. Even thought I have a few hundred followers, they are not following me closely.  Many of them I have never met personally.  So, in essence, those who follow me do so at a distance.  They may know about me and what kind of coffee I drank this morning, but they really don't know me.  I think this serves as a picture of the spiritual walk of many people in our nation.

In Luke 22:54-62, we have Luke's account of Peter's denial of Christ.  This is a gut-wrenching passage for me. Why? Because there have been times in my spiritual journey that I have lived it.  I think if most of us were honest with ourselves, we would have to say that we have lived it too.  Outside of the play-by-play that we get here from Luke, there are two sentences that really stick out in this account. 

The first sentence is found in verse 54.  It simply says that Peter followed at a distance. When we are following Jesus, following at a distance is dangerous. In fact, for Peter is was dreadfully painful.  Peter had committed the previous 3 years of his life following Jesus everywhere.  He saw things that very few others, including some of the other disciples, ever got to see.  He would be likened unto Jesus' right hand man.  It is almost as if when you saw Jesus, you saw Peter too.  What would cause Peter from following so closely to following at a distance? Fear for one.  Jesus had just been betrayed by Judas into the hands of the Pharisees.  Peter feared that he, too, might be arrested for his association with Jesus.  When we are afraid because of our association we will follow at a distance.  I think, curiosity as well.  Peter did not want to get too close but he wanted to see what was going to happen with Jesus. When we are just curious about Christ, we are not committed to Him. Commitment is how we set ourselves apart as disciples of Jesus. We cannot be a committed follower of Jesus and follow at a distance.  Disciples follow so closely to their master that they get covered with he dust of their master's feet. There is a closeness of relationship that only comes from following Jesus closely. If you are not experiencing a close relationship with Christ, you are not following Him close enough.

The second sentence that carries great weight with it is found in verse 61.  After Peter's third denial of knowing Jesus, Luke's account says that Jesus turned and looked at Peter. Can you imagine? Just a few hours earlier, Peter said that he would go to prison or even die for Jesus.  It was after this prideful statement that Jesus warned Peter of his denial.  Peter had become so caught up in the events of the night and the perceived need to protect his identity that he had forgotten the warning of his Master.  When we do not follow closely to Jesus we forget the importance and weight of His teaching. In the very moment that Peter uttered his last denial of knowing Jesus, Peter's eyes lock with Jesus'.  The next thing Peter hears is the rooster crow.  There is only one response to this -- brokenness. In that moment, Peter realized all that he had done and what following Jesus from a distance had done for him.  He responded the only way he could.  He runs outside of the city and weeps bitterly.  When we realize what following at a distance costs us and the person that it turns us into, our only response is repentance.  Luckily, the story does not end there. In John 21:15-19, we see that Peter is restored, forgiven and commissioned by Jesus. Even when we fail, there is forgiveness and restoration available from the master.

So, how are you following Jesus today? Is he just someone you follow via Twitter?  Do you know about Him and what He's doing, but do not know Him personally?  Are you following Jesus from a distance, hoping that you will not be spotted?  Are you following Jesus so closely that you are covered with the dust of His sandals?  Jesus desires followers/disciples who follow Him closely.  Follow on!

Live with No Regret



Picture from ngiley.com

So...I wonder if this guy has any regrets? I don't think his tattoo artist has spell check, that's for sure. Just think, this guy is stuck with this forever or until he can afford a "correction".

Many of us live life in this way.  We say we have no regrets, when in all actuality we do. Granted, our regrets may not be as visible as a misspelled tattoo, but we have them none the less.  There are decisions we wish we would have made differently.  There are words we wish we could take back or have never said at all.  There are times we wished we would have been bold and courageous as opposed to timid and cautious. Regret is something that touches every life.  The question is: do we have to continue in that regret?

I simply answer that question with a resounding NO!  There are times innumerable that I made a bad decision, said the wrong thing or was passive when I needed to be active.  Wallowing in the wash of missed opportunity does nothing to get me ready for the opportunity that is just around the corner. We face opportunities to excel and succeed every day.  Many times we miss them because we are consumed by all of the opportunities we have missed while others are passing us by.  Miss enough opportunities and, pretty soon, you just stop trying. Misery sets in and makes good company for mediocrity.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 90:12.  For me, this is the key to living life without regret.  Daily ask God to help you number or count your days.  As I have been reading about what Jesus says in the last day, over and over he says that we must be ready for His return.  It is imminent.  It is coming.  His disciples must be ready.  When we live our lives with the expectation of Jesus' return, we will live life without regret.  When we ask God to help us count our days, we understand that our time on earth is limited and we want to seize and take advantage of every opportunity.

The second half of that verse carries with it the reward of seeking God's guidance.  We will inherit a heart of wisdom. When we ask God to help us count our days, His wisdom will insure that our days count.  I think at the heart of every follower of Jesus is the desire to make our days count for the Kingdom.  When we make our days count we live without regret. When we live wisely our lives are effective.

So now what? Ask God to help you count your days so that your days will count for the Kingdom.

Wake Up and Stay Awake

Picture from: http://jordanrivas.com/?p=908

One of the things that I have challenged myself to do this year is to read through the Bible chronologically. While I did this last year in less time, I asked some folks to join with me this year.  Currently I am reading about the last week of Jesus' life. In Mark 13:32-37, you read a very passionate plea from Jesus to His disciples concerning the end of days. With the recent earthquakes in Oklahoma and the unrest around the world it would seem to reason that we should pay attention to what Jesus is saying here.

Jesus warns us four times in these six verses to keep awake or stay awake.  I don't know about you, but I think He is trying to tell us something.  In verse 33 Jesus couples His warning against spiritual slumber with the command to be on guard.  When Jesus warns us to stay awake He is also commanding us to be doing something. I don't think Jesus just intends for us to be present. I think He intends for us to be about His Father's business like He was.  Jesus said He came to seek and to save the lost and we would do well to do likewise.

I think this is a very timely message for the American church.  For generations preachers have been warning the church of Christ's imminent return. After hearing this for years and years, when a preacher says it now it falls on deaf ears.  It's kind of like the pre-flight instructions on a plane.  If you have flown very much, you've heard the spiel the flight attendants go through as you are taxiing out. They talk about seat belts and oxygen masks, exits and exit procedures. Most people on the plane are not really paying attention because they've heard it all before. In both cases, flight attendants and preachers, important and life saving information is being shared but few are truly listening. The attitude on the plane toward the pre-flight instruction is the same attitude the church takes about the return of Christ. However, I think we are seeing, first hand, the very things that Jesus said would be prevalent in the days leading to His return.

Jesus illustrates his point by comparing His return to the return of a master of an estate.  The master instructs his servants to stay awake until his return.  It is far better to be found awake and working when the master returns than to be found sleeping, especially when you consider the instructions of the master.  In Matthew's account Jesus says the servant who is found asleep will be cast out to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Trust me...you don't want to go there.

So what does all of this mean for you and me? Very simply, I think we need to wake up and pay attention to the things that are going on around us.  I think we need to study the Scriptures so that we can give an answer to those who have questions.  I think we need to be men and women of prayer, seeking God's discernment and direction.  I think we need to be giving a clarion call to the Church to wake up so as not to be found slumbering at Jesus' return.  I think we, as the Church, need to get back to the root of our history, to study the life of the disciples and do that which they were doing in the days following Christ's ascension. I think we need to be warning those around us of Christ's return with the same message He preached -- Repent! for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Finally, I think we need to take our commitment to Christ seriously.  When we take our commitment to Christ seriously we will be doing all of these things.

Reflect on This



Picture from: http://mtcministry.wordpress.com

The closer Jesus got to the end of His life, the more the Pharisees seemed to hassle and question Him.  The result is that Jesus teaching toward them became even harder.  In Matthew 22:16, one of the Pharisees' disciples comes to question Jesus about taxes.  Before he asks Jesus his question, though, he makes an assertion that is true, profound and challenging.  In a nutshell, the Pharisees' disciple states that Jesus has shown Himself to be who He says He is regardless of what others say or think.  He goes on to state that Jesus is no respecter of persons.  What that means is that it does not matter where a person is from, what they look like, what they do for a living, or how they dress, Jesus treats them all the same.

As I read that verse this morning, I was deeply challenged in my own faith walk.  How many times have we asserted that we are to be like Christ to people?  How often have we heard from pulpits the necessity of reflecting Christ in our community?  I've heard it and I have preached it.  All of that aside, the question remains, are we living it?  I want to spend some time today unpacking the assertions of this verse and what impact it has for our daily life.

You are True

Jesus is who He says He is.  Can the same be said for me?  To be true, we must walk in truth.  What that translates to for us as disciples of Jesus is that we are to walk in the Truth.  Jesus makes it very clear in John 14:6 that He is the Truth. So for us to walk in the truth, we are to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Paul adds to this in Galatians 5:25 saying that as we are in the Spirit (or as the Spirit is in us) we are to keep in step with the Spirit. To be true, we must stay rooted in the truth.  An additional way that we are to do that is to be steeped in the Word of truth, which is God's word.  If we, as Jesus' disciples, are not spending time in the Scriptures daily, we are missing the mark and standard that Jesus has set for us.

You Teach the Truth

Jesus was uncompromising when it came to teaching God's Word.  But His teaching extended beyond just the words that He said into the way He lived His life.  We've long heard it said in the church that we may be the only Bible some people ever read. That points directly to how we live our lives before an unbelieving world. If our life does not match the words we speak concerning Jesus, then we have missed the mark that Jesus set for us.  When we teach the truth about Jesus, we must live out that truth as well.

You Don't Care

When our lives are intensely focused on Jesus, His opinion is the only one that matters.  At this point in Jesus' ministry, there were many detractors, but He was unfazed by them.  He continued to carry out His life's mission - to seek and to save that which is lost.  As His disciples, we must live our lives in the same way.  Too often we are overly concerned by what others will say or think.  We cannot be concerned with the things of the world.  If we are concerned with the things of the world, that means that our focus is misplaced there instead of on Jesus.  When we care more about what people think as opposed to what Jesus thinks ,we have missed the mark that Jesus has set for us.

You are Unswayed

Jesus was not swayed by the status of those around Him.  He brought low the high and elevated the low.  He leveled the playing field for people.  He was not impressed by titles, symbols, incomes or gadgets.  People were people to Him.  If there is one thing that we must learn from Jesus as His disciples, it is this.  Often we get caught up in who people are or, worse, who we think we are. People are people. It does not matter if they are rich or poor, powerful or powerless. At the heart level, people are all the same.  If we treat people differently because of an external appearance, we have missed the mark that Jesus has set for us.

These words have challenged me deeply. They will cause me to think and live differently.  They have brought into perspective the life that Jesus expects me to live as His follower, and that is crashing into life.



Just Ask

Exhibition of Jean-Michel Folon.
Forte Belvedere, Firenze.

I want to go back and look at Matthew 20:32-33.  Yesterday we dealt more with the question that Jesus asked and how we can ask that question of Jesus -- what we can do for Him.  Today, I would like to deal more with how the blind men respond to Jesus.

Think about this.  Jesus basically says to them that they can ask for anything and He would essentially do it.  Can you imagine that?  Jesus is standing right in front of you and says you can ask Him to do anything for you.  What would you ask for? I know that some might have treated Jesus like a genie in a bottle.  These men don't even seem to ponder what they want from Jesus.  In that moment they could have asked for anything, but they ask for their most immediate need.  They say, "Lord, let our eyes be opened."  Without hesitation, they make their request to God, and He answers just as quickly.

We are not much different than the two blind men who stood before Jesus that day.  We, too, have blind spots.  There are areas in our life that either cause us blindness or we are blind too.  What do we do?  Just like the two blind men who stood before Jesus, ask Him to heal you.  I know it sounds so simple, but that is what is necessary. I love what David writes in Psalm 139:24.  He simply asks God to show him any way that may be offensive to God.  Lord, show me my blind spots. 

Be warned, this is a dangerous thing to ask because God will do just that.  He will give you sight.  He will cause you to see the things that are keeping you from being completely His. Keep this in mind though, Jesus will be the first one that you see.  At the moment that Jesus says their sight was restored, as their eyes were opened, He was the first one they saw. They saw their Healer first.  When we ask God to open our eyes, we immediately see Him and then we see the things in our lives that have been keeping us from Him.  When God opens our eyes, He shows Himself to us first so that we know where to fix our gaze from that point forward.  When we look at Jesus and then see the other things we have been focusing on, those things pale in comparison to seeing Jesus.

Know that when you ask, God will answer. So, as you stand before Jesus today, what will you ask Him to do for you?

In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus encounters two blind men on the side of the road as he is leaving Jericho.  These men call out to Jesus when they hear that He is passing by (they were blind, remember, so they couldn't see Him). The crowd tries to quiet them, but they only get louder trying to garner the attention of Jesus.  Jesus stops, right in the middle of the road and turns to look at them.  I'm sure many in the crowd thought He would be on their side and tell the blind men to hush.  They didn't know Jesus.  The Master calls for the blind men to be brought to Him. Can you imagine what must have been going through the minds of these two blind men.  They have been summonsed by Jesus.  As they are brought to Jesus and now stand before Him, He asks them a simple question:  "What do you wnat me to do for you?"  Seriously?  Jesus, that's what you ask.  Isn't it obvious?

Jesus never assumes, even though He knows. He never imposes His will upon us but lets us choose it.  This question very clearly demonstrates that.  The men say to Him that they want to see.  Jesus touches them and immediately they see and begin to follow Jesus (wouldn't you?).  Throughout the life and ministry of Jesus, we see Him as a servant.  Several times throughout the Gospels He instructs His disciples about the first being last and those who seek greatness must be a servant.  Jesus demonstrates this in His own life.  Besides, why instruct your followers to do something that you are not willing to do yourself?

Think about that question though.  What would happen if we turned that question around?  What if we asked that question of Jesus?  What if, when we prayed, we simply asked what we could do for Him?  So often we just assume that what we are doing is what Jesus wants us to do.  Are we sure?  Have we asked Him? Or, is it that since this is what we want to do that Jesus must be okay with it.  Afterall, if Jesus didin't want me to do something, He wouldn't have given me the desire to do it.  And so begins the slippery slope to pride, selfishness and self absorption.

I think the reason we do not ask that question is because we are afraid of what Jesus may answer us with.  It could be that we already know the answer but we don't want to do it.  There are a myriad of reasons why we don't ask Jesus what He wants us to do for Him.  The problem is that none of those reasons are good enough.

When we fail to ask Jesus how we can serve Him or where we can serve Him, we reveal the true identity and nature of our heart.  We are not humbled before Him.  We are not surrendered to Him.  We are not submissive to Him.  We are not obedient to Him. If we are not asking Jesus this one simple question, then do we belong to HIm at all?

Finding Faith

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"  Luke 18:8

What a great question, and one I think needs to be asked. So often we do not think about what the future holds.  We are creatures of today.  But this question from the very heart of Jesus prods us to stop and take stock of what is happening in our world.

Today is Reformation Day (it's Halloween too).  Today is the day when Martin Luther tacked his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenburg thus igniting the Protestant Reformation.  Luther was concerned with some things that were happening within the Catholic Church.  I wonder who the next Luther will be for this generation?  Who will stand upon the Word of God (which is exactly what Luther did) and oppose the practices of religion in our nation?

You see, when we take the Word of God seriously, we must deal with the question that Jesus poses in Luke 18:8.  If Jesus were to return today, would He find faith in America?  I think our immediate reaction would be yes, but once we begin to think about faith in the terms that Jesus does our answer may change. Do we see a biblical faith in the American church? That's a hard question. How do we answer that?  I think we must go to the Bible and see.  When we look at the book of Acts, particularly in the opening chapters, we get a vibrant picture of biblical faith.  There are thousands of people who are becoming disciples of Jesus.  The church, literally weeks old, is growing and thriving.  There is an utter dependence on the Holy Spirit.  The Word, pure and unadulterated, is being preached.  The culture is being challenged and the church is persecuted because of its radical message. Now, when we look at the church from Acts and compare it to the church in America, what do we see?  I think we see a radical difference.  Now the church is centuries old. We are dependent on the paid professionals.  The Word is sometimes preached but done so in a way that is palatable and acceptable.  The church has embraced the culture as opposed to challenging it.  No one is really persecuted or suffers for being a disciple of Jesus.  The church today has become more concerned with making Christians and members than making disciples.  The differences are HUGE.

As we consider the question that Jesus asks concerning faith when he returns, how has your answer changed?  We must return to a biblical faith. We must cling to Christ, as He is truly our only hope.  We must proclaim His message for it is the only hope of man.  We must dedicate ourselves to the teaching of Christ (namely we must devote ourselves to the reading and practice of the Scriptures).  We must serve and not seek to be served.  We must adopt a biblical agenda and leave our personal agendas aside.  We must make Christ our King and unseat ourselves.  We must pray for healing in ourselves and in our land.  We must be the conduit of love from Heaven to Man.

Understanding all that needs to be done, where do we start?  As simply and as honestly as I can put it, it begins with you.  It is easy to point to all of the changes that need to be made to make things better, but it is totally different when you become the catalyst for change.  For our churches to change, it takes changes in the lives of those who make up the church.  Let today be your Reformation Day.  Let today be the day that you commit to the change that God longs to bring to you and your church. Reformation is about transformation. Be transformed by allowing the Holy Spirit to change your heart, mind, soul and let Him be the source of your strength.

The Politics of Evangelism

Photo from rebulicandefined.com

Over the weekend, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced his run for the presidency.  I'm not sure how you feel about that, but it really is immaterial.  I'm not going to write about politics here, I really try to shy away from that discussion in this forum.  However, I was listening to the news this morning and the commentators were discussing that tactics that Governor Perry is using in his campaign.  Perry has his sights firmly fixed on his biggest opponent in the Republican primary and on the incumbent President of the United States.  One commentator noted that Perry was completely ignoring the candidate who won the Iowa Straw Poll over the weekend.  Even so, why is Perry already focused on the President?  Here's why.  Perry wants to win.  He has the attitude that he will win.  He is thinking like a champion.  He is already visualizing himself in the White House.  While some may think that arrogant, isn't that why you run in the first place?  Your run to win.  If you don't think you can win or don't want to win, get out.


Now, some of you are wondering what this has to do with evangelism.  In a word, everything.  We must approach sharing the gospel with people the same way that Governor Perry is approaching his run for the White House.  So often, when it comes right down to telling someone about Jesus, we bow out of the race because we don't think we can win.  When we approach evangelism with a winning attitude, we will win people to Jesus.  It's not arrogant.  It's essential.  Many times we feel defeated and that people to not want to hear about Jesus.  Last year some research revealed that nearly 70% of unchurched people were willing to sit down with someone and talk about Jesus.  The unbelieving world around us wants to know what we have to say.  It's time to enter the race to win.  In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul exhorts us to run in such a way as to win or obtain the prize.  Win today!

Consumed

From modernsurvivalblog,com

We are consumed by so many things.  We are consumed with desires to succeed.  We are consumed with desires to win.  We are consumed with fear.  We are consumed with the fear of failing.  We are consumed with consuming and being a consumer.  All of this consumption can be a bit overwhelming.  We strive for the next thing or the next best thing or the biggest thing.  We have our eyes focused on things that will eventually wear our, break or become obsolete.  What gives?  Yesterday I preached a message from Matthew 6, verses 31-33 specifically.  I am not going to rehash it all here, but I do want to delve into the heart of what Jesus warns us about here.  


Jesus says that we are not to be anxious for anything.  He notes in verse 31, specifically, what we eat, drink or wear.  Now that may seem like funny things for Jesus to point out, doesn't it?  Not really.  The things that Jesus points out are things that we consume and, conversely, consume us.  I made the statement yesterday that we will spend all of this energy trying to pursue the perfect meal, the perfect restaurant, the perfect pair of jeans or the perfect pair of shoes, all the while bypassing the perfect God.  We have become consumers and are consumed by the wrong things.  We are consumed by the temporary as opposed to the eternal.  We want more stuff but we don't want more God.  In essence, our stuff has become our god.  While we are consumed by a god, it is not the God that we need to be consumed by.


So the question is, how did we get here?  We reach the point of being consumed by becoming overwhelmed.  When we are overwhelmed by something we will either surrender to it or escape it.  When we surrender to it, that thing now consumes us.  We become so overwhelmed by it that we finally just give in to it.  If you think about the things that consume you, I think you will discover that you were first intrigued.  That intrigue led to becoming infatuated.  Infatuation leads to being overcome.  Being overcome leads to being overwhelmed.  When you are overwhelmed, you will either succumb or escape.  If you succumb then you will be consumed.  For those of us who are disciples of Jesus, this is exactly what leads us to a life of radical obedience to God.  If you follow the progression you will see the work of the Holy Spirit at each of these points in your life.  My hope is that as you were overwhelmed by the Spirit that you surrendered to Him and became fully consumed by Him.


Being consumed is not all together a bad thing, so long as you are consumed by the right things.  When you are consumed with the Holy Spirit, led by Jesus and being obedient to the call of your Heavenly Father, that is crashing into life.  CRASH ON!

Being Boastful about Right Things

^"23Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV)


I've been reading through Jeremiah as part of my chronological journey through the Bible this year.  Jeremiah is such a timely book for the days in which we live.  I read this passage again just the other day and have been marinating on it.


We are such a people who boast about what we have accomplished.  God nails us in verse 23.  We boast about our wisdom and knowledge.  We boast about our strengths.  We boast about our wealth.  There is nothing wrong with any of these things, so long as they are not the object of our attention.  We must realize that God alone is the one who has enabled us to accomplish, succeed, grow, profit and excel.  This is why verse 24 is so important.  Our boast as a Christ follower is in our knowledge of Christ as Savior/Redeemer and Lord.  It is God who has enabled us, gifted us, saved us and positioned us for greatness according to His will.  Our boast is in God alone.  We are to boast in our knowledge and understanding of God.  It is not that we just know God but that God knows us.  It is not just that we understand God but that He understands us.  We are to boast in the greatness of our God.  He is a god who practices a steadfast, enduring and everlasting love for all of mankind.  He is a God who practices justice.  He is a God who is perfectly righteous.  As God is, so He creates us to be.  We, as His disciples, are in the process of reformation.  We must allow God to reform us into His original intent for our lives.  At the very end of verse 24 we read that God delights in these things.  


If we are only calling attention to ourselves, our church, our ministry or our denomination, we have missed it.  None of those thing exist apart from God.  Because God is God and I am not, He alone is worthy of my praise.


How will you boast in the Lord today?

With the Wind

We're spending a few days at the coast.  I was out running this morning when I saw a flock of pelicans flying just overhead.  Flying in a "V" they were really gliding more than they were flapping their wings.  As a watched them as I ran down the seawall, it got me to thinking.  They were not trying to fight against the wind that blew in from the Gulf.  Instead, they were gliding along with it.  They knew the wind would take them to their destination.  In the New Testament, the word we translate Spirit is pneuma or wind.  When the wind of the Spirit blows over our lives, we would be best served if we just go with it.  We know that when we follow the Spirit's leading we will end up where we need to be. What happens often times is that we waste all of our energy fighting against the Spirit, trying to end up where we want to go and end up going nowhere.  Follow the Spirit today and just see where you end up.

Ready to Pounce

Picture provided from funnycatsite.com

As I was out running this morning, I ran past a vacant lot.  I had all the marks of being vacant.  The grass was grown up, weeds had overtaken a large part of it. The "For Sale" sign was no longer visible.  And then...there were cats.  My eye was drawn to little black and white cat, that I obviously startled as I ran by.  In the moments before being "discovered" the cat was hunched down, slowly creeping through the grass, stalking its prey and was ready to pounce.  As I ran by, the cat jerked its head around to see me pass, maybe giving just enough time for its prey to escape.  For the rest of my run I could not help but think about that cat and the spiritual lessons God was teaching me through it.

1 Peter 5:8 reminds us that our enemy, Satan, stalks around like a roaring lion seeking someone to destroy.  That cat was obviously on the prowl.  It had prey in its sights and was ready to destroy.  I'm sure that the prey was not even aware that the cat was even around.  How aware are we of the enemy who lurks around us, seeking to destroy us?  Most of us live our lives absorbed with the events of the day and little else. We pay little attention to what is going on around us. All the while, we very well may be walking into our demise.  Satan is real and he seeks to destroy you.

That cat this morning also taught me about my focus on Christ.  There are times that we are focused on Christ, but at the critical moment we get distracted by something that is just passing by.  In that moment we remove our focus from our goal and give our attention to something of less importance.  How often does that happen concerning Christ? In that moment that the cat looked at me and took its eyes off its prey, the prey could have escaped.  Romans 8:5 reminds us that if we desire the Spirit then we must set our minds on the Spirit.  We pursue the things that our mind is set on.  Set your mind on Christ and pursue Him.

The Cost of Worship

"I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing."  2 Samuel 24:24

As read this verse this morning, a question popped into my mind -- What is my worship costing me?  That question was quickly followed by another one -- What sacrifices am I bringing to God?  David did not want his worship to be without cost, sacrifice or meaning.  He was vested in his worship to God.  It has been my experience that when we have something vested in our worship it becomes meaningful.  We have missed this.  I have missed this.  Worship has become too comfortable.  It has no meaning because it does not cost us anything.  There is no sacrifice involved in our worship.  Some would say that it does cost time, but what is time?  For the average Christian, worship has become what they do on a Sunday morning.  It is not a part of their daily life.  What has happen is we have relegated worship to a compartment in our life.  Worship goes alongside the God compartment and the church compartment.  It is another part of our life but it is not our life.  When we do this, we suck the life out of worship and quench the Holy Spirit.  Because we are unwilling to give all of ourselves to God through worship, we suffer in our intimacy with our Savior.  We have reduce worship to a feeling or a style as opposed to a response to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Fasting by Scot McKnight

Fasting is a disappearing discipline in the lives of the modern American church.  Many today think that fasting has gone by the wayside or is only for the super spiritual.  Scot McKnight sheds new light on this old discipline and breathes new life and purpose in it for the modern believer.  Having studied other works by Dallas Willard and Richard Foster on spiritual disciplines, I was intrigued to review this book specifically on fasting.  The approach the McKnight took was unique.  I think overall, the book nails the reason to fast.  In a nutshell, McKnight suggests and biblically supports that fasting is a response to God's activity.  I had never thought about fasting in this way.  I had always taken the "traditional" approach to fasting that says you fast in order to hear from or become more focused on God.  McKnight spends considerable time discussing the different aspects of fasting as well.  I think this is a great book to get exposed to the practice and discipline of fasting.  He goes to great lengths to discuss the practice of biblical fasting as well.  In this discussion he talks about duration and frequency.  That alone is worth the read.  I highly recommend this book to those who are looking to go deeper in their walk with God.

I received this book for free to review from Book Sneeze.

Pujols: More than a Gamy by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

Even if you are not a baseball fan, this book is a good read.  For the baseball fan, it is filled with facts, figures and stats on probably the greatest baseball player of the modern era.  If you are not a baseball fan, you will be captivated by the story of Albert Pujols and his meteoric rise to the big leagues.  From the sandlot fields of the Dominican Republic to the confines of Busch Stadium in St. Louis to hoisting the MVP and World Series trophies, Lamb and Ellsworth spin the tale of the consummate Christian athlete.  This book offers you the opportunity to peer behind the curtain into the life a major leaguer.  What you find will surprise you.  Albert Pujols is a man, gifted by God, to play the game of baseball.  Even amidst all of the stardom and celebrity, you find a humble man who is rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ.  While many big league players spend their off seasons in luxury, Pujols is found bettering himself and making a better place for the people of his homeland, the Dominican Republic.  While the stats get a little wearisome at times, the action that is captured in these pages makes it worth the read.  It is good to read about a man who loves Jesus and has a big stage to make Him known.  Pujols sees baseball as a platform to make Jesus known to the nations.  If you're not a fan of baseball or even the Cardinals, you will be a fan of Pujols by the end of this book.

**Disclaimer:  I received this book for free review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Lights Out

Last night, as part of the hard and fast grip of Old Man Winter across Central Texas, we lost our power for about 3 hours. Needless to say it was "interesting". We were trying to get the kids and early bath so that we could enjoy some time together. One of them was in the shower when the power went out. Total darkness. Trying to keep the calm in the house, I quickly reassured him that everything was okay. My wife and I scurried and stumbled around for a flashlight (which was not where it was supposed to be...figures) and candles. After a few minutes we were able to shed some light on the matter. At one point, I was standing in a room all alone, in the dark trying to light a candle. When I struck the match, the room exploded in wonderful light. I could see the things clearly that were once hidden by the shroud of darkness. I was amazed at how one little match could literally light up an entire room. This morning, I was reflecting on the events of the night before. In the midst of the recollection, my mind was drawn to that moment when the light of the match exploded into and pierced the darkness. In that moment, I heard God say, "See?" That match was a picture of what happens when Jesus enters into the life of a person. They were groping in darkness and in need of a great light. The simple message of the gospel of Christ, that Jesus died on the cross for the sin of all people, was buried in a borrowed tomb (because He wouldn't need it long), and rose on the third day that true life could come to all who believe, is like the match. Though simple and small, it rips through the darkness of a man's soul and illuminates all that is there. Jesus brings to sight all of the things in our lives. John reminds us that men love darkness and avoid the light as much as possible. And as I thought about that little match, the light it brought to the room and what God had spoken to me this morning, it brought me to my knees. "Father, I surrender to your glorious light!" Whether you are a believer or not, will you pray that prayer sincerely and honestly? Understand, though, that when you do, God will answer. He will enter in the fullness of His glory and illuminate all of your life and show you the things that will trip you up if you remain in darkness. When we surrender all of ourselves to Jesus, Jesus crashes into the darkness of our life in the fullness of His light.

Admiration

There are many people that I admire. Each of those people have had a tremendous impact on my life. Some of those folks have had a personal impact on my, challenging me to better myself personally. There are others who have challenged me to be a better minister. My father-in-law, Dan Wooldridge, is the pastor of Crestview Baptist Church in Georgetown, Texas. I admire Dan for many reasons. He was my pastor for 10 years in Kingsville. He has been a spiritual and ministry mentor. Not to mention, he is the father of my wonderful wife of the past 12 years. I say all of this to say that he has never stopped learning. Dan has been a pastor since he was 19 years old (today is his birthday by the way). In all of that time of studying and preaching the Bible, he has never lost his love for learning. Over the weekend, he told me of an upcoming sermon series that he was preaching from the Song of Solomon. He confessed that he had never preached through the book (not a surprise considering the content). What he said next did not so much shock or surprise me, but revealed to me the freshness of God's Word. He was excited to preach from this seldom preached from book. When I saw him later in the day, there was a commentary on the Song of Solomon in his hand. Here is a man that I thought knew everything there was to know about the Bible who was still studying more. I admire that. It has challenged me to bring my very best every time I speak the Word. It has challenged me to spend ample time not just adequate time in preparation. It reminds me that no matter how many times I have read or studied a passage, there is always something new to learn. We can never know it all. When we become life long students of God's word we are truly crashing into life. Dan Wooldridge is a life crasher. Crash On!

The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns

The Hole in our Gospel is a book about the need for the church in America to wake up to the needs of people who are suffering around the world. As much as I tried to like this book, I found that it just fell short. This is another in a line of books that has come out trying to enliven the church to taking on social issues around the world. Honestly, I had read David Platt's book Radical just before this. With that said, I think Platt said the same thing Stearns was trying to in a more succinct, direct and effective way. I was more captivated by Stearns rise to World Vision than what he had to say about social ills in the world and how the American church can serve them. I understand this is an award-winning book, and I applaud Mr. Stearns for his work at World Vision and the completion of this book. I just never connected to the book or the what the author wrote. I did connect to the author and would like to hear more about his journey.

*Disclaimer -- I received this free book for review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Neighborhood Missionaries

My two sons are like most 8 and 6 year olds. They love to play outside. The game they love to play most is Army. A couple of years ago, the befriended a couple of boys from down the street. One of those boys is a year older than my oldest, one is a year younger than my oldest and one is a year younger than my 6 year old. These boys gather together regularly to mount an offensive against the common enemy of the day. Over time, I've noticed that a few other boys have been added to the mix. Honestly, at times, I am not overly excited about some of the boys that wander in and out of our yard. This weekend as this motley crew gathered again to complete a new objective, I thought about something deeper. My two sons are neighborhood missionaries. They have engaged in the lives of those other ragamuffin boys from the block. My oldest surrendered his life to Christ a couple of years back. He is the representation of Jesus to these boys every time they get together. That is not to say that he gathers them together and the stands upon the perch of his fort and preach the gospel to them. But he does represent Jesus to them. Those boys act differently when they play with my sons. The mark of Christ is upon my oldest. He has set himself apart to be used by God. The amazing thing is that he does not even realize what he is doing. My youngest has not surrendered his life to Christ yet. He has begun to ask questions about salvation but has not come to that decision for himself yet. I pray often for his salvation. Even so, his behavior is such that it affects the lives of his friends. I am so proud of my sons. They are making an impact for Jesus in the lives of boys who need Jesus. They have invited these boys on numerous occasions to come to church. A few of them has responded a few times and come with them. Not only am I proud of my sons, but challenged by them. My sons are impacting their neighborhood, but what about me? Though I know the people who live around me, how am I impacting them for the gospel? God has called me to love those around me and that proves that I am one of His disciples (John 13:34-35).

Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

Most of us are confronted with homeless people and "vagrants" on a daily basis. Mike Yankoski was called to be such a person. He and his friend Sam spent 5 months traveling to Denver, Washington DC, Portland, San Francisco Phoenix and San Diego living on the streets. Each day was a struggle to find food, make cash, and find a place to sleep. They were confronted with the harsh underbelly of the American Church. In reading Mike's gritty account of his time on the streets is very eye opening. This is one of those books that should come with a warning label: THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE HOW YOU SEE THINGS! Mike shares his first hand account of a daily reliance upon God for everything that He had. I was personally challenged, and as I ventured out into the public, I became acutely aware of my lifestyle and those who do without every day. A challenging book to say the least that will awaken your heart to the immediate physical, emotional and spiritual needs in your community. One of the great things about this book is that it offers suggestions for the reader to become part of the solution. These practical helps offers ways to become involved with local rescue works and practical and tangible ways to serve the homeless in Jesus name. What was most revealing to me is how these men were treated by those who claimed to be Christ followers. They were turned away by many churches, but it was refreshing to see the body of Christ be the body of Christ in many others. Matthew 25 comes alive as Mike and Sam travel across the country and bring the needs of the homeless to the forefront of the American Church. This is a must read for every Christ follower.

**Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

If you are a man and you grew up in the 80's, then you know these words made famous by Hannibal on the A-Team. I stand amazed at all of the things God is doing in the lives of people. what amazes me more is that He is allowing me to see them. I spoke with a friend this morning who told me of the blessing that God is pouring out in his life because of his obedience and surrender to God. It is amazing to see and hear the freedom in the voice of a friend who has surrendered everything to God. There is a release like none other. Galatians 5:1 tells us that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. There is true freedom in the life of the disciple, in fact, it is only in the life of the disciple that freedom can be found. Freedom is not guaranteed by a document. Freedom is guaranteed only through the cross. I rejoice to see all that God is doing in me and the lives of those around me. In the words of the Doxology -- Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The Power of But

This year, I've challenged the church where I pastor to read through the Bible with me. So far, so good, 25 days in. This mornings reading came from Genesis 38-40. We are entering the life of Joseph, an amazing man who was used by God to do amazing things. Genesis 39:21 reads,"But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." Here Joseph finds himself at the wrong end of a false accusation, BUT God is still in control. Joseph could have easily tried to dissuade his accuser, BUT he knew that God had a purpose. Joseph could have grown angry with God over the whole situation, BUT he knew that God's hand was still on him. You see, so often we get consumed by the consequence as opposed to being consumed with the Creator. Joseph never lost focus in spite of the place that he found himself in. Regardless of the situation, we need to remember these simple but power words...BUT GOD. I know there have been numerous times those words have leaped off the pages of Scripture an into my mind. BUT, it wasn't until today that I saw just how powerful those words can be. BUT may just be a conjunction that brings two thoughts or ideas together, BUT in the life of the believer it is where the flesh of humanity comes in contact with the Spirit of Deity. BUT GOD is still at work around you. Though you may not be able to see it because you are blinded by circumstance, never lose faith that you God is at work. Nearly 170 times in Scripture do we see the phrase BUT GOD or some relation to it. We see that God works in the midst of human circumstance. How often do we see that though? I pray that your eyes would be open to the BUT GOD moments, to see His activity that you may give Him glory.