Refreshing Waters

Making Fun of God, Really? (Daily Reflections on 2 Chronicles 30:1-14)

2011-08-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more exciting for me than to watch someone come alive with enthusiasm for God and a relationship with him. I especially see this with new converts who have suddenly discovered the love, grace and forgiveness of God. There is a freshness to their new found passion, a fire within their souls that is captivating and contagious. That's why I love hanging out with new believers. They haven't learned to tone it down yet and live mundane lives like many long term believers. These novice followers of Christ are eager to learn and apply their learning and truly hunger for God and His righteousness.

As I was reading about King Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 30 and 31, I felt his enthusiasm for God. Like a new follower of Christ, Hezekiah was eager for others to embrace his passion for God. He decided to make a big push for celebrating the Passover Feast the way God intended. Since it hadn't really been celebrated by the nation as a whole in recent years, he called together his leaders to get them on board with his idea of having the biggest feast possible and even inviting the kingdom of Israel to join them.

A spiritual renewal started in Jerusalem and Judah. They began tearing down the idols of foreign gods and tossing them in the Kidron Valley to be burned. Hezekiah sent runners throughout the land of Judah and Israel with the call to come to the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. But an interesting thing happened to the messengers. The Bible says that "many" people just laughed at the idea and made fun of the runners. Now I remind you that the Passover Feast was THE major feast/celebration that God had instructed the Israelites to follow. It is THE key reminder of how God brought them as a nation out of bondage from the most powerful nation on the planet at the time, Egypt. And these people were laughing and mocking the idea of coming back to God and worshipping him.

I could possibly understand someone not from the Israelite nation laughing and not understanding the invitation. But someone who is where they are because of the grace and power of God, that's a different story. It was their heritage. They would have still been living in slavery had not God intervened. Yet here they are making fun virtually of God and His passion for them.

Unfortunately, that attitude is way too prevalent today. I see plenty of people mocking God. They laugh at His calling and passion for them. They make fun of His followers or messengers. They don't just ignore His invitation to join in relationship with Him, they ridicule it and deride those offering the invitation. Wow, really? Mocking God's invitation to know Him deeper and celebrate life with Him, and for eternity? Is that wise? Those who do are eventually going to be in for a rude awakening.

To be honest, I watch people not just ignore God, but mock Him all the time by their behavior. They laugh off their life killing and aberrant behavior. They jokingly make fun of their own sinful lifestyles and continue to pursue the things that will lead to eternal death or separation from God. But I have also witnessed many older believers slough off young, exuberant believers with their new found passion for God and the things of God. They ridicule any potential for spiritual revival or expression of passion for God. They make fun of people who stretch their hands upward to God in celebration, praise or surrender. They downplay enthusiasm and a deep heartfelt pursuit of God.

As you continue reading 2 Chronicles 30 and 31, there were many people who did respond to the invitation to celebrate the Passover Feast in Jerusalem. And a true spiritual renewal took place when these people began to truly worship God. Lives were transformed. A renewed passion for God and the things of God broke out across both nations. People went home and got rid of the false idols in their communities and turned many back to God. Passion for God and deepened relationship with Him became the norm.

God, I am sorry for the way we mock and ridicule you as a nation or society. Our treatment of you is atrocious. Forgive me for any part I may have had in this obnoxious behavior. I want to pursue you with all my heart. I want my passion for you to rub off on the people around me. I want to see my neighborhood and community transformed as they discover you and your grace. I want to be like King Hezekiah who issued a call to return to God and started a revival among his own people.

Everybody Needs a Reset Button (Daily Reflections on Rom. 6)

2011-07-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves a fresh start! It's so refreshing, so liberating to look at a brand new canvas. Everything is clean. No marks, no smudges, no history of past mistakes or reminders of days gone by clutter the page. It's clear sailing ahead for as long as you can see. Endless opportunity lies before you. Nothing inhibits or holds you back. There's a new optimism, a new energy as you approach this virgin venture.

Recently I had the fortune of winning an iPad in a drawing, for which I am extremely grateful. But I have found that my wife, my girls, my nieces like it a lot too. In fact, I'm not sure who has it the most. One of my daughters downloaded the game app, "Rush Hour." She got my wife hooked on the game who is normally repulsed by anything computer related or high tech in any way. My wife loves the game because it has this one little feature on it, "reset." She can make tons of moves, but when she gets stuck or exasperated, all she has to do is hit reset and the game clears out all the previous moves and you get start over. Since the object of the game is to clear a certain car from the traffic jam with the least number of moves, starting over relieves the pressure of past wrong moves and enhances the odds of winning the game with a low score.

Wouldn't it be great if life had a reset button? Whenever you messed something up all you to do was press reset and you could start over with no penalty. And better yet, you could screw up dozens of times, press reset every time and it would be like it was the first time you were facing your challenge. Man, I'd be using that button on a daily basis.

I got some good news for you. There is such a button. It's not like Staples' "That was easy" button. It's real! And it's not exactly a button, it's a person, Jesus Christ. And guess what, He offers it to us free.

I love the book of Romans for its clarity on this issue. No matter how good we think we are, we are never good enough to stand in the presence of God. Our hopes of Heaven went out the window with our first sin, screw up, misdeed, whatever you want to call it. Unfortunately, being good isn't good enough, because God's standard requires perfection. That means we are all up a creek without a paddle.

As Romans clearly states, as do other Bible passages, the only avenue for reconciliation with God, our only chance at heaven is through the gracious act of God. Jesus, God's Son and God Himself, paid the penalty for our sin. Now all we have to do is accept Jesus by faith and surrender our life to him. It's like hitting reset. My past is gone and a new life has begun.

Romans 6 talks about what happens after we hit the reset button. Paul describes what happens when we are baptized into Christ. He says that we die to our old life when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior; that we're buried in baptism and raised to new life in Christ. RESET!

But it doesn't stop there. In our new life in Christ we have something that helps us stay on the right path. There's another button on the Rush Hour game that my older daughter likes. It's the "hints" button. By pressing the hints button the game will make the next move for you. After you hit reset, you can keep hitting the hints button until the puzzle is solved guaranteeing you the lowest score possible. Now you can chose to keep trying to do the puzzle on your own, but it's very likely you will make another mistake and or have to start over again.

Same is true in our spiritual journey. God has provided the "hints" button through His Word and the Holy Spirit whom He puts within you when you become a Christ Follower. We can chose to use that power or we can chose to go it alone. Paul uses the terms that we can either make ourselves a slave to sin or we can walk in the power of God. Our quality of life is determined by our own actions or choice of path.

Paul says in verses 12-13, "Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God." In other words, don't put yourself in situations where sin can take over and control you life once again. If you play with fire you will get burned. Once again Paul's words in verse 16, "Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."

He goes onto say in verse 22, "But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life." If we have both the "reset" and "hints" buttons, why do we continue to go through life doing the same old things that got us into trouble in the first place? Doesn't seem very bright to me. That's like hitting the reset button, solving the puzzle up to the very last move and then going back to make dumb moves on our own again. But it's you choice! If you screw up again, ignoring His hints, it's not His fault that your life is a mess! Paul concludes this chapter by saying that the wages of sin lead to death, but that the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!

God, first of all I want to say thank you for the reset button of grace that you offer us through Jesus. I'd be lost forever without it. I don't deserve it, but you freely offer it at a great cost to your Son. I also want to thank you for the hints button you give through you Holy Spirit and your Word. I don't know why I ignore those so many times. I'm just thankful for the fact that no matter the mess I get myself into, your hints can get me out and help me win the game! Keep me from presenting my body as an instrument of evil and keep me focused on following you!

My Wife, My Treasure (Daily Reflections on Proverbs 18:22)

2011-07-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was a confirmed bachelor, or so I thought. I had dated a young lady for about five years for some of my high school and nearly all of my college years. I loved her family, but it became increasingly apparent that she and I could not be life partners. I felt too confined, restraining the essence of my personality. It was a difficult break up. Although I've never been divorced, I think I have a pretty good idea what it must be like.

After that experience, I was convinced that I would be like the Apostle Paul and remain unmarried. Being single gave me more time and focus on ministry. Sure there were several churches that wouldn't give a young single pastor a chance, but I knew God would open doors for me since I had answered His calling. Besides, I enjoyed dating various young ladies and as an eligible, young, athletic bachelor, finding a date was not difficult. In fact, I wondered if I would be able to make a life long commitment to any single person. I had even announced to my younger sister that I didn't think that I would ever marry.

That was before she walked through my door, literally. I was cleaning my apartment when a knock at the door introduced me to my now wife. She had come to meet me at the insistence of her best friend and one of my youth sponsors. Somehow I knew that day that she was destined to be my wife, although it was over a period of months that our relationship developed. That knock has changed my life.

Prov. 18:22 says that a man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the Lord. I must say that my wife is certainly a treasure. I feel lucky to have someone as loving, patient, dutiful, industrious, accepting, gorgeous as she. She is a light to me, my encouragement, my confidence, my lover. Right now in this season of life, she is my comfort, sustainer, my friend, my everything. I cannot imagine life without her.

Not everything has gone smoothly in our relationship throughout our years together. We've definitely had our share difficulties and tense moments. But our commitment to one another has helped us persevere through those struggles. I am not perfect and neither is my lovely wife. Had we given up on each other in earlier years, we would have missed out on the joy we experience today. I have learned that my wife is a treasure whether we're into it or not, whether she's on her own agenda or we're focused together, whether she's attentive to my needs or flat out ignoring me (okay, sometimes I need ignoring). She's worth fighting for and I should always treasure her, protect her, care for her, celebrate her, encourage her, esteem her, love her, and pray for her. She's God's favor on my life.

God, thanks for giving me my wife. She's more than I could have imagined. I certainly do feel blessed. Lord, she is worth fighting for. I know that I'm not the perfect husband by any stretch of the imagination. I need your wisdom, your grace, your guidance in holding up my beautiful wife. I'm selfish sometimes and irritable and irritating and downright unpleasant to be around. I need you to help me be the kind of husband my wife needs each day, to be sensitive to her needs and to act on those insights in the proper way. Help me to treasure my treasure.

Let's Stop Planting Churches and Start Planting The Gospel (Acts 18-19)

2011-06-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

I grew up "going to church." My dad was a preacher so I didn't really have much of a choice. It was a way of life. Our family life was intertwined with the lives of the "church folk" and for the most part I enjoyed the relationships and bonds we formed with those people. We moved about every four years or so which increased the flow of lives in and out of ours.

Church was our social circle. We did everything with friends and families from our church. We had meals together. Picnicked together. Hung out together. Went to ball games together. Virtually everything we did was in and around church activities or church friends.

Since I grew up in the church culture, I adopted the values of that culture. It shaped my thoughts, attitudes and even schedule. I was an adult before I ever saw "The Wizard of Oz," because it always came on a Sunday night during evening service. I never really understood what non-church goers thought, did or why they didn't go to church. I felt very comfortable only associating with my church folk. It was almost as if those "pagan" people might infect me with a horrible disease if I spent any time with them. I would get some sort of spiritual leprosy and become an outcast in my own community. After all, the Great Commission was about sending missionaries to Africa.

Unfortunately there are many today who carry the same mentality. They cut themselves off from the world, which God made and loves intensely by the way. They quote verses like "friendship with world is enmity with God" as proof for steering clear of any non-church goer. They don't want to be stained or corrupted by the world. Only the scripture also says to be in the world but not of it. Churches have built walled fortresses to keep the world out.

The mentality has been to create our church clubs where we talk about the evils of the world, hold our own celebrations, keep to ourselves,and virtually stick our heads in the sand. Our idea of reaching the lost has been to invite people to join the club. We develop programs and events to hopefully entice non-church goers to check us out. Our idea of being salt and light is to develop such attractional bait that we will lure people to us so we can hit them with the gospel message.

As I've been reading through Acts, I've notice that Paul and others didn't go to the various communities to plant churches. They went to plant the Gospel. That's a big difference! Peter didn't stand up on the day of Pentecost and announce that he and the other Apostles where planting a church. He preached to them Jesus. The church formed as the people responded to the Gospel. Jesus told Peter that He would build His church on the foundation that He was the Christ, the Deliverer, the Messiah.

If God's people are going to impact the world as He intended, then we must come back to our calling of proclaiming the Good News, of planting the Gospel wherever we go. Let's stop inviting people to "join the church" and start asking people to embrace Christ. Perhaps the church has lost its influence in the world today because we have been more focused on our clubs than on our mission. Salt is useless just sitting in the shaker. Bottom line, isn't our calling, in the words of my friend Dave Ferguson, simply "to help people find their way back to God?"

God I really enjoy the church culture. Sometimes I get so focused on church stuff that I forget your calling. I want to start being more effective at planting your Gospel. I'm done trying to plant the church. The church doesn't transform lives only you do! I just want to be a messenger of your Good News.

Has God Lost His Power? (2 Kings 4:42-44)

2011-06-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite miracles that Jesus performed was the feeding of the five thousand. I think it is so cool how Jesus took the few loaves and fishes and fed so many with all those baskets full left over. Trying to picture how that went down in my mind stretches my imagination. How did He do it? Did He just keep breaking the loaves and it grow back? Did He just break it in half and start passing it out and as each person broke a piece off and passed it down did the loaves keep extending? And how did He do the fish? I can kind of see the bread but how do you break fish? Fish is flaky when cooked and I don't think Jesus was serving sushi. Besides the scripture doesn't mention anything about cubing or rolling the fish. I guess He could have made fish sandwiches but even that seems like it would take a lot time to prepare especially for five to as many as twenty thousand people. And you know that some where going to have seconds. The Bible does say that they had their fill.

This isn't the only time God performed this type of mass feeding miracle. Yes, there was another time Jesus fed three thousand. We also know that God fed the Israelites with manna and quail. But do you remember the time that God fed hundreds with only a few barley loaves through Elisha? You will find the account in 2 Kings 4. Jesus didn't just pull one out of his hat when He fed the five thousand. Of course what Jesus did was on a much grander scale, but the principle was the same. God took a few loaves and fed a mass of people.

In 2 Kings 4 there was a famine in the land. A farmer had brought the first of his harvest as an offering to God, giving it to the prophet Elisha. Seeing the need of the people, Elisha ordered that the loaves be given to the hungry mass. His servant freaked out. I'm sure he was thinking, "Do you know what will happen if I show up with a few loaves in front of that hungry mob? It will be pandemonium! People will be fighting over them. A riot could break out. You take them out there!" Obviously that's only my speculation. But being a keen observer of typical human behavior, I doubt that I am too far off.

Jesus was keenly aware of God's patterns throughout biblical history. He often quoted scripture to explain or challenge His listeners. I don't know if Jesus said anything to His followers that day reminding them of the time when Elisha fed the hungry masses, but I know it was in His mind. Jesus throughout His ministry demonstrated faith in God for His disciples based on the past actions of God portrayed in biblical history. It's a lesson for us. As we read and study and meditate on God's Word, we should look for and trust in His principles. If God could and would part the Red Sea and let His children cross on dry land in the past, why couldn't or wouldn't He today? Has God's power diminished? Is He weaker today than He was back then? Does He care less about people today than He did in Moses' or Elisha's or Jesus' day? Does He love us less today? Is He less interested in a relationship with us today than He was with those living in biblical times?

God, why do I have the tendency to minimize your power? Why do I often read the stories of your interaction with your people in the Bible and discount your involvement today? Where's my faith? Have I just brought you down to a philosophy of life? Do I even believe you're real? I want to see your power in my life! I want to have the faith of Elisha. I want to hear your voice. I want to be known as a man of God and not just a spouter a life philosophy. I want to see lives changed through your power. I want to see your miracles.

Need Some Refreshment? (2 Kings 3)

2011-06-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Why is it that many people never acknowledge God or turn to him until they're in trouble? And then when tragedy or a difficulty comes their way they blame God or cry out wondering why God would let something like this happen. Why is it that even self proclaimed followers of Christ chose to live however they want throughout the week without a thought for God? Some have referred to this phenomena as "practical atheism," living as if God doesn't really exist. I think it is more like "practical deism," God exists but He has left us alone to figure everything out.

Routines of life seem to take over the most well meaning of people. Our perspective shifts from focusing on God to day to day stuff. Somehow God just gets left out of the picture. For some that's purposeful. For some it's not. No matter the intent it still happens. Then when trouble seizes us panic or depression or at least major frustration occurs. But it seems like it's not until despair hit us that we turn and cry out to God.

That's exactly where King Joram was in 2 Kings 3. He convinces King Jehoshaphat to go to war with him against Moab. In their attempt to be coy, they plan on sneaking up on Moab catching them by surprise. However after 7 days through the wilderness without water, King Joram starts to panic and he reaches the desperation phase. Luckily King Jehoshaphat has the wisdom to go seek out the prophet Elisha. Elisha's first response is to blow them off telling them that they should go seek advice and help from their pagan gods since King Joram worshiped them all the time. But because of the faith of King Jehoshaphat Elisha helped them.

God provided for the armies of Israel and Judah by filling the dry barren wilderness with pools and streams of water without making it rain. No storms, no flooding, just the welling up of water from the ground in ample supply. Not only did God do that for them, He also gave them an easy victory over Moab.

There's nothing like a cool drink when you are thoroughly parched. The image here in this text describes what God can bring to our parched lives. We try to do life ignoring or simply without acknowledging God's desire to be actively involved in our daily lives and then wonder why we're exhausted, stressed out or why things are going awry. We're thirsty and we need God's Spirit to well up within us. We need His "living water." We need to draw from His well spring, His life spring.

Here's the good news! Even though we've ignored Him intentionally or unintentionally in the past, God is always willing to satisfy our thirst, to step into our lives when we humble ourselves before Him and turn to Him.

God, life gets so crazy sometimes. I don't mean to leave you out, it just kind of happens. I want to drink from your well of life. I want your living water. Pour out Your Spirit on me. Fill my cup, my life with your presence.

Messin' with Sasquatch (1 Kings 22)

2011-06-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

There's a series of commercials that air usually during certain sporting events hawking a brand of beef jerky. They all revolve around the theme, "Messin' with Sasquatch." Each of the episodes revolve around usually male characters trying to trick or play a practical joke on the mythical man-beast character of Sasquatch. The ads generally portray the characters as smart and fun loving and the more powerful Sasquatch as lacking intelligence or simply naive. The end results are always the same, the much stronger Sasquatch kicking the butts of the practical jokers.

I'm not really sure of the implication of the commercial to the product, but it sure reminded of the way many arrogant leaders viewed and treated God in the Old Testament. Take King Ahab for instance. Instead of humbling himself before God and fearing Him, he treated God as almost bumbling idiot. Ahab seems to think of himself as superior in intellect and sophistication to God. Although he doesn't try to pull a chair out from under God in physical sense, as portrayed in one of the commercials, Ahab does try to pull throne out from under God.

In 1st Kings 22, King Ahab invites King Jehoshaphat to go to war with him against the Areameans. Jehoshaphat agrees on conditions that the prophets guarantee victory for them. All the prophets but one, Macaiah, tell Ahab that he will have victory. Macaiah tells Ahab that if goes to war against the Areameans that he will be killed. Ahab is so angry that he has Macaiah arrested and thrown into prison and put on bread and water and then Ahab heads off to war.

To hedge his bet, Ahab disguises himself as just regular soldier and has Jehoshaphat wear his royal robes. As the battle ensues, the enemy come after whom they believe to be King Ahab. When they discover that it wasn't Ahab, the battle is enjoined. During the fighting, an arrow from the bow of an enemy archer is randomly launched. It strikes Ahab between the joints of his army. Ahab dies later that day as a result of the wound and his army is routed. Random shot? Lucky Shot? Messin' with Sasquatch.

Many today have the same arrogance as Ahab. They think that they can ignore the teachings of God and avoid the consequences. They think God's commands are archaic, out dated, irrelevant in today's world or society. "We are much more sophisticated today and God's teachings are old fashion." They live the way they want to live, trivializing the truths of God. They view God as almost a benevolent benefactor who is out of touch with today's world. He maybe powerful, but He's a little naive. Messin' with Sasquatch.

I'm not saying that God is a mean, angry, powerful pontificate ready to squash anyone who crosses him. I am saying that there are consequences to not following God's truths. God is interested in our well being, our relationships, our marriages. He wants the best for us, for us to experience a healthy life, an abundant life. To ignore his truths, his teachings is a detriment to us and the world we live in. God's truths are TRUE! When we choose not to follow them, we crash and burn.

God, forgive my arrogance. Forgive me when I ignore or trivialize or manipulate your teachings to accommodate me. In the words of the psalmist, I love your precepts. I want to hide your truths in my heart. They are a light, a guide to my path. I want to follow your ways. Guide me today, each day.

I Want the Good Life (Ps. 128:1-6)

2011-06-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants the "good life." That probably means different things to different people. For some that's riches. To others it means notoriety or fame or position. Still others it might mean a life without stress and worry, not necessarily filthy rich but comfortable. That would include good jobs, nice home with all the modern conveniences and creature comforts, relatively new vehicles, a couple of kids doing well in school and whatever extra circular activities they have chosen. Good neighborhood with great neighbors. Life going smooth with no hiccups.

Psalm 128 paints the picture of what I would consider the good life. Dad has a good and secure job in which things are going great. His wife is fulfilled and happy with her home and life position. The kids are healthy and growing and doing well. Meal times are enjoyable as the family gathers round the dining table each evening. Life couldn't get any better than this. The psalmist goes on to talk about a long healthy life in a community that is prosperous.

That sounds good to me. That's the life I want! So where is this place and how do I get it? The psalmist does add this caveat, those who have a deep relationship with God and follow His ways enjoy these things. He's not saying accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and all your problems will disappear. What he is saying that living by the principles and precepts laid out by God will lead to the happiest most content form of life.

Following God's principles for finance are going to keep you out devastating debt. Following God's principles for business will keep your company strong. Following God's principles for relationships enhances all your interactions. Following God's principles for marital relations will maintain a healthy vibrant marriage and sex life. Following God's principles for raising kids leads to bright, healthy, obedient, solid children. Following God's principles in how you treat neighbors, strangers, and even enemies transforms those relationships. Follow God's principles on eating leads to a long healthy life. Following God's principles on drinking will keep you out of trouble. Following God's principles for our community and poor and widows and orphans ensures a prosperous society.

Do I believe that we could live in this utopian society? Probably not. Somehow our selfish human nature always gets in the way. However, I do believe that pursuing God and his precepts would bring our world, our country, our community, our workplace, our neighborhood, our home, our dining table, our marriage a whole lot closer. God desires for us to live a full, abundant life, free from many of the worries of this world. By following Him and His truths we can minimize the pain and damage and destruction we face in life and maximize the "good life."

God, the good life sure sounds good to me. I would love to live in world with the least amount of headaches. I want to enjoy each day. I want to enjoy my life and family and wife until I die an old man. I want to experience your blessings, your prosperity. I want healthy long-lasting relationships. I want to live in a wonderful, gracious, caring and prosperous community. I know all that starts with me pursuing you. Transform me, Father, as I seek you and your ways. Let me be a catalyst for my family and neighbors to pursue you as well.

Whatever Happened to Wisdom? (1 Kings 3:3-15)

2011-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

If there is a commodity missing among today's political leaders it seems to be wisdom. As I pen these lines another political leader is caught in a scandal involving poor judgment at best if not outright lewd behavior. The phrase, "What was he thinking?" comes immediately to mind. I imagine things are going to get a lot worse for him in coming days, and rightly so.

With scandal after scandal happening, many sexual, among today's political and world influential leaders, it shows an enormous deficit of wisdom. Otherwise intelligent people just making unwise, immoral, decisions in their lives should give us all cause to worry about the direction of our world. Sometimes it seems like the inmates are running the asylum. World banking and monetary leaders, presidential candidates, prime ministers, members of congress all demonstrating a lack of practical wisdom paints the picture of a world run amok.

When young Solomon took the throne from his father, David, he knew that he was green as a gourd. The enormity of the task of ruling the most powerful nation on earth at the time no doubt overwhelmed him. In 1 Kings 3, Solomon knew that job was bigger than he was and so he turned to God as his father had done. God rewarded Solomon by offering him anything he wished. Solomon chose wisdom or understanding in governing his people. God granted him his wish and gave him the bonus of riches and long life.

Wow, that's refreshing, a leader who wanted wisdom above everything else. You mean you can rule/lead without pollsters, marketing, image consultants and PR teams? Unheard of! No one can get elected, appointed, etc. these days asking for wisdom can they? Did I mention, lost commodity?

But to be honest, is there a really a cry for wise leaders among us? Is wisdom something that we hold up as a desirable value these days? Have we just fallen into the trap of just listening for what our itching ears want to hear? We blame our politicians and banking CEO's for the economic mess we're in as a country. But isn't it true that our own lack of wisdom has led to the housing and banking meltdown? We have lusted after things so much we have failed to exercise practical financial wisdom. Outgo cannot exceed income. The numbers will eventually catch up to us. You spend more than you make and eventually things will come to a screeching halt. Doesn't work for us individually, it's not going to work for us as a country.

Our poor execution of wisdom effects every aspect of daily and personal life. Don't exercise wisdom and you will eventually have to pay the price. It's true in our relationships, family life, business life, and personal life. Too often our own selfish desires and impulsiveness and sense of entitlement override our wisdom meter and we find ourselves digging out of a mess of our own creation.

I am sure that if I was in Solomon's shoes I would have asked for wisdom too. There was a lot pressure following a dad who was known as the greatest king of all time. Those were mighty big shoes to fill, especially when you never faced off against a giant with only a sling let alone conquer your neighboring enemy nations in routing victories. But as I look at my own life, I have to say there's a lot out there to handle. I'm not sure that I'm bright enough to deal with all the stuff I've got to deal with. I may not be making decisions that will determine the direction of a country or effect world trends, but I sure need God's wisdom in my day to day life. Perhaps the wisest thing that I could do would be to do the very thing that Solomon did at the beginning of his reign and that is to pursue God and ask for His wisdom as I begin each day.

God, I confess that I'm not that bright. I don't have all understanding or all knowledge or all anything. I need your wisdom in my life. I need your wisdom as a husband and father and even son. I need your wisdom in my finances. I need your wisdom in my personal life. I need your wisdom as a pastor and as a friend. I need you wisdom in the simple day to day things of life. Lord, I'm asking for your wisdom today.

Leadership, Pride, Confidence and Humility (2 Sam. 24)

2011-06-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

No one is perfect! Even the best of leaders make mistakes. Some of those mistakes cost them personally, professionally and can even involve the fate, well being or even the lives of others. I have definitely made my fair share of mistakes in my own life and most certainly as a leader. In my latest ministry, planting a new church, many of my decisions turned out to be monumental mistakes from location sites to personnel. It has cost the church significantly and me personally.

I have been intrigued studying the history of various military leaders and their battles. Conditions, motivation, timing, intuition, savvy, courage, risk, arrogance, planning, resources, opportunity and much more all seem to play a part in the success or failure of a campaign. Bad decisions or miscalculations often had devastating effects that cost the lives of hundreds if not thousands and changed the course of history.

The same could be said of various political and business leaders. The decisions made by these leaders have either made or broken a country or company. Collins, in his book, "Good to Great," listed several companies who's practices and leadership decisions made them great, lasting and profitable. But some of those very companies have tanked or failed in the latest economic downturn. Even some of the brightest leaders can crash and burn.

King David sure made his share of mistakes. Sometimes with all the success, leaders can become a little over confident and some can get down right cocky. Pride has a way of blinding our weaknesses. Overwhelming success can lead to a sense of entitlement which generally leads to dumb, erroneous decisions. Just ask Tiger Woods or Jim Tressel about their recent falls from grace.

One of the very basic things that David forgot was who was really in charge. David had had so much success as a military leader that he grew to find his confidence in his military might. That misplaced confidence cost him and his people dearly. In 2 Samuel 24, David decided to take a census to virtually gauge his power. A census seems like something every commander would do to measure his resources before heading off to battle. Only David wasn't heading off to battle, he was just flexing his muscles and patting himself on the back.

God wasn't very pleased with David and after David confessed his sin, God gave him three choices for punishment. Three years of famine and three months of foreign invaders didn't appeal to David, so he decided on three days of plague. None of the options seem very appealing to me. Over 70,000 people died as a result of the plague. But at that point, David had had enough (as had God) and stepped up to the plate. He offered his own life if God would stop the killing spree of his people. He had made a monumental mistake that cost his people, individuals, families an enormous price.

The prophet Gad told David to build an altar and make sacrifices to the Lord. But when he got to the place that Gad had instructed him, the man who owned the property offered it and his oxen to David for free. But David refused and paid well above market price for both the land and the sacrifices. He stated that he would not offer a sacrifice to the Lord that would cost him nothing. That's leadership! That's integrity! He took ownership of his mistake and dropped the entitlement attitude. It cost him something. It had already cost others plenty. It would have cost his kingdom and his people a whole lot more had David ignored or tried to cover up his sin. David had been down the entitlement path once before and learned the pain of cover up. This time he rose to the occasion by humbling himself, a tough thing for very successful and powerful leaders.

God, too often I feel like the Apostle Paul in Romans 7. The very thing want to do I find myself doing the opposite. Recently it seems that I've made more judgment mistakes than Carter has liver pills. It's humbling. But I know Lord, that humbling myself before you is exactly where you want me. I need to be in a constant state of dependence on you. You said that when we humble ourselves before you, You will lift us up. My confidence is in you Lord, not myself. Direct my steps. Guide me in your path. I'll trust you to supply my needs.

2 Sam. 22 (Contentious Relationships)

2011-06-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

I was reflecting on the life of David today. He seems to lead a life of contention. From virtually the time we meet him he's contending against someone or some thing. He confesses that he's fought off lions and bears in his duties as a shepherd. He apparently had lots of practice with his sling because it only took him one stone to bring down Goliath. As the youngest he had to endure the berating by his older brothers. That relationship is never so evident than when David shows up on the battlefield to bring supplies to his older brothers who are with the Israelite army. I'm guessing the whole anointing thing with Samuel didn't sit well with his older siblings.

Of course one of his most famous confrontations was with the giant Goliath. David the shepherd boy took nothing from the well seasoned behemoth. David could trash talk with the best of them. But he also backed it up. Goliath ended up dead and the Philistine army fled.

King Saul invites David into his palace, gives him one of his daughters for a wife, but because of David's prowess on the battlefield and his corresponding popularity with the people of Israel, Saul became insanely jealous. The contention was on as Saul tried to kill David numerous times, even sending his army after him.

So David had strained relationships with his brothers, his father-in-law and king and was hated by the Philistines and other neighboring nations. But that wasn't the end of his contentious encounters. His household dealt with constant turmoil, partly the result of his own sin with another man's wife. He has one son that rapes his sister. Another son who kills his rapist brother and then later overthrows his father's thrown. David has to do battle in which many lost their lives for him to reclaim his thrown. We also see that David got into with his wives on occasion as evidenced when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back into Jerusalem and David danced in an undignified manner much to his wife' chagrin.

It's no wonder that many of David's Psalms are about delivering him from his enemies. He sure seem to have a lot of them. David's biggest dream was to build the temple in Jerusalem, but God wouldn't let him because he had "too much blood on his hands." Yet in spite of all the contention in his life and broken relationships, David is the only guy in the Bible that's referred to as "a man after God's own heart."

David is considered the greatest king of Israel and the first messiah. It is through his lineage that the true Messiah came into the world. The greatest warrior king gives rise to the King of kings and Prince of Peace in Jesus. Jesus does bring peace and love and joy and harmony and restored relationships. But Jesus is also known as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He did spiritual battle with the Ruler of the Air and came out victorious for all of us. Jesus made it possible for us to have a lasting peace with our Heavenly Father and an inner peace with ourselves. By the way, David's life of contention brought about the greatest peace Israel has ever seen.

God, I know that a lot of my contentious relationships are brought on by my own selfishness. But I also have noted that any time I am pursuing your path for your people I experienced resistance, rejection and opposition. I've realized that we aren't contending against flesh and blood, but are engaged in a spiritual battle that will continue until you return. God, I don't want to be a contentious person, but I do want be a man after your own heart. Give me the strength and wisdom to always follow your precepts.

Everyone needs a Joab (2 Sam. 18-20)

2011-06-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

As the oldest male in my family growing up I felt the responsibility to watch out for or protect if needed my younger brother and sister. I don't ever remember being told I had to do it by my parents. It just seemed like a natural thing to do. That isn't to say that I never tormented, teased or got into it with them, because I did. But as the older brother my instinct was to look after the younger ones. My guess is most older siblings assume that role.

Although David had plenty of older brothers, it doesn't appear that they did too much to look after him. In fact, the only real interaction we see that David has with his older brothers is somewhat contentious. They seem to treat him as an irritant or with disdain; that is before he slew Goliath. Once David became King of Israel, we don't really hear anything about his brothers or their relationship.

But David did have a brother, so to speak, who looked after him. Joab was a man of action. He was a military man and a man with some savvy. Joab did a lot of behind the scenes work. He eliminated many of David's enemies, including David's own son. He did the dirty work that was necessary for David to be successful. Not always a pleasant task, but someone had to do it. Joab protected David from himself at times, sometimes even going against David's direct orders. And there where times that Joab got in the face of his leader and friend, challenging him or confronting him or giving him a swift kick in the old behind.

Much of David's success could be attributed to the work of Joab. I would love to have a friend like Joab in my life; someone who was that loyal, who had my best interest at heart, who protected me, who cleaned up my messes, who kicked me in the seat of my pants when necessary, who encouraged me, who stood by me, who gave me great advice, who would literally go to war for me, who would protect me from myself.

According to the Bible, we have someone who sticks closer than a brother in Jesus. And Jesus promised us that he would send His Holy Spirit to be that Joab for us. For all of us in Christ, we have an advocate, a comforter, an advisor, a counselor, a guide, a protector in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is there to convict us when necessary. He won't make us do anything we choose not to do, but I can tell you from experience He can sure put the heat on. I may not have a person like Joab in my life who is flesh and blood, but I do have the Holy Spirit in me and with me. And I am so thankful for that!

God, I confess I would love to have a real flesh and blood person like Joab in my life; a partner, a comrade in arms, a loyal friend, a defender, and much more. But I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit whom you gave to me. Thanks for not leaving me to my own demise. I need the empowerment that only your Spirit can provide!

Ever Have One of Those Days (Ps. 86:14-17)

2010-07-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days when it seemed liked the world was against you? Everyone grouches at you. You can't get your contacts in your eye. You spill coffee on yourself getting in the car on your way to work. You hit every light red. Your cell dies. And things just go downhill from there.

I sure have had my fair share of those days. What makes those days worse is when you feel that everyone is conspiring to make your day miserable. Confrontations with people at work, an angry customer, a demanding boss only ratchet up the frustration. It's those days that make you want to tell everyone where to get off while you escape to some tropical paradise or quiet mountain retreat.

King David experienced a lot of those days himself. He writes about it frequently in the Psalms. Only, he really did have people trying to kill him or overthrow him, including family members. I think it would be hard not to develop paranoia or least a huge sense of inferiority or inadequacy. You know he had to have faced depression on a somewhat regular basis.

David found his solace in God. On those days when he felt the world was against him, and probably was, he reached out, cried out to God. He sought to find his rest, reassurance, hope, encouragement in the grace and mercy of his heavenly father. David knew that even when he screwed up that God wouldn't get bent out of shape with him. And David pulled some major blunders that should have alienated himself completely from God. He had felt God's discipline in his life, but also experienced God's graciousness and compassion even in those moments.

I think that David also knew that sometimes he deserved the pressure he got from others. He wasn't perfect. So not only did David ask for protection and encouragement, he asked for wisdom and strength. I confess, some of those days in which I think the world is against me, I am the one who declared war. Maybe I'm tired, maybe I just got up on the wrong side of the bed, but it's my attitude that created the confrontation. That's when I need forgiveness. That's when I need His grace the most to invade my life, take control of my spirit, my heart and begin to flow from me. I need for God to fill me with His mercy, so that I may reflect His goodness and character.

God, some days I feel like the world is picking on me. I feel frustrated, alone, abandoned and empty. That's when I need your comfort and compassion the most. I need for you to reveal my heart, my attitude to me. I need your forgiveness and grace and peace and reassurance and encouragement and love. Pour your presence into me so that I might reflect you.

"This is not the Change I was Looking for" (Isa. 26:1-4)

2010-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

When our current president campaigned on the slogan of "change," I didn't know that he meant that that is all we'd have in our pockets. I can't ever remember things being quite like this in our country. I'm not old enough to remember the Great Depression, but these have got to be the toughest times since then. Unemployment continues to be a big issue with some predicting it to go as high as 12% this next year. Foreclosures continue at record levels. State and local governments are cutting back, laying off and eliminating services as tax revenues continue to decline. With all of this stuff going on, one could get really depressed.

Reading through Isaiah I came across a little reminder that our hope shouldn't be placed in our circumstances or government. Isaiah reminds us that we have a strong city and that God is the provider of salvation. As a believer the strong city that I dwell in is the city of God, the Kingdom of God, the presence of God. Oh sure, I have to make my way through streets and obstacles of this world, country, community, neighborhood that surrounds me, but it's not my residence. I don't have to get caught up in its politics or economy or pressures because I am a citizen of the city that "makes glad the people of God."

Isaiah says that the gates of that city are open to the people who keep the faith. I don't know about you, but I headed toward those gates. I am looking at the world economy right now, congressional and presidential powers and seeing a whole lot deficiencies. Has anyone noticed that the world's a mess? There is nothing or no one in whom to place your trust. I am not just headed that direction, I'm running there in a full sprint.

With all the unsureties out there, I want something, someone that I can count on. I need some peace of mind. The only place I can get that, the only person who can provide that is God inside the gates of His city. I'm not talking about going to heaven. Living in His presence, living in His Kingdom is possible right here on earth. You don't even have to move to a monastery or go off to a remote place in the mountains. I can enter the gates to His city the moment I awake in the morning. It's really where you choose to live.

Isaiah says, "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord" and then he repeats himself for emphasis, "the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Peace of mind, security, hope is all found in the Lord. Jobs, health, houses, suvs, governments can't always give you what you really want. Those things are not permanent. They can be gone at any moment. But God is eternal. God never runs out of funds or resources. He doesn't rack up deficits. He is steadfast. He isn't threaten by economic crisis, world calamity or strife, or political pressure. And the only change He requires, is that we change our thinking to His way of thinking and place our trust completely in Him.

God, these are scary times. I look out at the horizon and all I see is more difficult days ahead. The nation that I once knew seems to be lost forever. The spiral seems to be headed downward. I'm tired of putting my trust in something that can't provide true peace of mind, true security, true hope. I running into your gates. I want to live daily in Your strong city, Your strong presence. The enemy is right on my tail. Open the gates. Here I come! I putting my faith in you!!!

Investing (Eccl. 11:1-6)

2010-06-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Investments are fun when you can see the return. Waiting on those returns or slow results drives us crazy. I remember as a kid planting seeds in a cup or small planter, giving them a little water and then expecting to see them grow before my very eyes. Funny, no matter how long you sat there you could never see those things emerge from the soil and begin to grow. I expected things to happen quickly, like watching a time lapse video. But it never happened.

Eventually my plants would emerge from the soil and slowly begin their growth. But it never happened the way I wanted it to or thought it should. I'm still amazed today at how plants grow when you're not watching them. I planted my cucumbers a month ago. It fascinates me that they send out those feelers and how they wrap them several times around my wire trellis as they grow. I never see them do it. But some time they reach out grab onto it as they begin to climb. How do they know that the trellis is even there?

The things of God baffle me. His design and how the universe operates is so complex yet so interesting. It's how God works in all of life. Sometimes I think I've got Him figured out or how the formula works, only discover things don't work quite the way I think. I get confused with how God works or why He does or doesn't do things. He messes with my mind and there are times I think He does it on purpose.

Several times in scriptures God explains to us that His ways are not our ways. So why does my faith get rattled when I come up against it. I've got everything figured out and God decides to do things in a very different, sometimes opposite way. That jars me. It sets me back a little bit. I grow frustrated and even irritated.

Since I don't know how God always works, I've learned that I just have to keep plugging away. I can't stop investing my life into Kingdom work, no matter what my situation. This Ecclesiastes passage is indicative of how God does work and what He simply wants from us. He tells to cast our bread on the water and after many days we will find it. Many days in my mind is like a week or so. But it God's timing it could be years. Don't you wish that God would give you the timetable? But He doesn't.

A lot of people wait on God to give some spectacular sign or speak to them before begin to invest their life or resources or extend themselves. Ecclesiastes says that those people who are looking for the perfect conditions will never reap anything. When I was younger people would tell me not to wait until everything is perfect before you start having kids or you won't have any. The same is true about Kingdom investing. Conditions will never be perfect, so just start sowing. According to verse 6 you sow in the morning and sow in the evening, because we never know when it's going to take root.

Some people are like me planting the seed in a cup. They sow their seed and expect to see immediate results. When it doesn't happen they stop sowing and watering and lose all expectations. Since we don't know when or how that seed will germinate, we have to keep that hope alive and trust God that He knows what He's doing.

Everybody wants to enjoy the fruit of the harvest, but not everyone gets to. Paul says the he plants, Apollos waters, and God gives the increase. Somehow we think we're should get to do the harvesting, but all God asks us to do is the planting, cultivating, nurturing, watering, etc. He reserves the harvesting for Himself. God may just have us doing nothing but weeding. It's not a very glamorous job, but one that has to be done.

For those us results oriented individuals, God's methods and God's way can sometimes be exasperating. I get depressed when things don't go the way I think they should or the way I've planned it. It makes it hard not to just through our hands in the air and move on. But God calls us to keep investing, morning, evening, noon, etc. because we never know what's He's going to use to His glory.

God, I like to see things happen. I'm a dreamer. It's discouraging, even depressing when you invest so much and see little return. Yet I know this isn't about me. It's about you and your Kingdom. As your servant all you ask me to do is to give myself fully everyday for you. God, help stop worrying about the results and just be your servant. Strengthen me God for today. Show me what you want me to do today. Let me see with your eyes and let me act with your heart and hands and voice.

God Are You There? (Ps 62:1-8)

2010-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Read through the Psalms and you can't help but see that David had his share of detractors that gave him plenty of grief. Surrounding nations, people in his own administration, and even his family made his life miserable and at times tried to kill him or dethrone him. Whoever said it's lonely at the top must have experienced the life of David. David constantly is talking about those who are out to get him in one way or another.

Maybe growing up the youngest of several brothers caused him to be a little paranoid. I mean, after all, you have to think that he got picked on. Typical sibling rivalry would tell you that. What his older brothers thought of him was very evident when he came to delivery supplies to them the time he eventually fought and defeated Goliath. Maybe that's why David developed his scrappy personality.

There is no doubt in my mind that David felt many times that it was him against the world. The only one David had learn to count on was God. Ps 62 is a reflection of David's heart and emotion. He talks about the fact that God is the only one in whom he can find rest, refuge, solace. God was the source of David's strength. He was his salvation.

For David, I think salvation was more than eternal life. Salvation was immediate. He had his enemies. People had and were trying to kill him throughout his life. People, including his own sons, were trying to dethrone him. He even had some very difficult moments with at least one of his wives. Salvation to David extended to his life, his position, his kingdom, his family and his sanity. God even saved David from himself.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I have and do feel abandoned by God. He seems so far distant as things are falling apart all around us. Where is His voice? Where is His direction? Why doesn't He do something? Is He even there? Does He even care? I want to run into His gates, His tower, but the door seems locked.

My guess is that David had those same emotions. Things didn't always go smooth for him. He didn't get everything he wanted. There was apparently a lot of tension in his own family. Yet, somehow he hung onto the fact that God had come through for him in the past and would do so in the future. When you can't trust your co-workers or peers or even family, who do you trust? David found that God was reliable and always aware of his predicaments and needs.

That's why he kept pursuing God. David's own wealth, power, accomplishments, wisdom, reputation, good looks, talents, brashness, boldness, will power, charm wasn't enough to deal with everything he faced. He had to trust God. That's a hard place to come to for some of us. And sometimes God knows that we have to be stripped bare before we turn to Him and recognize that He alone is the only one that we can trust for our salvation, and I don't mean just eternal life.

God, when you're quiet it's hard to trust you. I want immediate action. I want immediate clarification. I want immediate relief and resolution. Waiting on you is really tough. I don't understand why you don't just do something. Sounds a little childish, I know. I really want to trust you. I really want to believe that you will act. I guess it's the silence that's so disturbing. I don't really have any place else to turn but you. I need your salvation. I'm crying out to you. I pouring out my heart to you, because I know that you alone are my only true refuge.

Ever Felt Worthless? (Ps. 139:13-16)

2010-06-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ever felt worthless, like you life doesn't really amount to much? Boy, I have. There have been times when I really wondered why I was even on this earth. I think most people go through those emotions at some time in their life. In this tough economy with unemployment at ten percent and under employment is at twenty percent, I am sure there are a lot people pondering their self worth. Losing a job can sure mess you up, especially if you have been unable to find a new one.

Of course losing a job isn't the only reason for a deflated self image. The loss of virtually anything can have the same effect whether that's losing a house, a family member, a long time friend or group of friends, a chunk of your savings or investments, a long held position of service or something as simple as a sporting event. Self worth is a complicated thing. A poor self image can effect our mood, our productivity, our motivation, our health, our sleep patterns, our attitude, our outlook, our relationships, and our confidence.

To those of you who, like me, have had some recent rough patches that have damaged your self esteem let me remind you of a passage from Psalm 139 that has refreshed me. Verses 13-16 are a reminder that God is totally aware of your situation. He saw it before you knew what hit you. You're whole life was laid out to him before even one day of them ever happened. He was there before you got there or where you are right now. He knew before you were born what you were going to need today in terms of strength, comfort, guidance and resources. He also knows what's in store for you tomorrow.

Your value is not determined by your job or what material things you possess or what level of status you have or by who likes you or who doesn't. Your value has been determined by God. YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE. I used to keep a poster in my office during my youth ministry days that simply said, "God don't make no junk!" Not very grammatically correct, but you understand the point. You have been cosmically and custom designed by God to be who you are. Everything God creates is good, because HE sees to it.

That's not to say that we're perfect or that we'll always choose to the right thing or even the good thing. Part of the goodness that God created in us is personal choice. Sorry, can't blame God for our bad choices and there are consequences for the choices we make or have made. But even in our bad choices, God is there to redeem, restore and renew because we are valuable to Him.

If God truly did "knit me together in my mother's womb," as Psalm 139 says, that means that He must have a special purpose for me in His Kingdom and on this planet. He didn't just throw me down here on this planet to take up space. Everything God creates He does so with plan and purpose in mind. Sometimes I'm not always clear what that specific purpose is for me, but I know what His general purpose is for me and that is to bring glory to Him. And as His child in Christ, I am to bring a blessing, His Good News, to the people around me.

I don't have to have a specific job or position or talent or looks or economic level to do that. I simply have to extend myself in behalf of God to others. The Apostle Paul said that he learned to be content in all situations. When you look at Paul's life you realize that if someone had a right to feel down on himself or defeated or all alone or abandoned or rejected or friendless, he certainly did.

But Paul discovered that his value was in God alone, Christ alone. That and God's grace was simply enough for him. Stripped of everything earthly, sitting in a prison cell, he found reason to praise and celebrate and enjoy his life in Christ and to be a blessing to others.

When I center my focus on things of earthly descent or standard, my personal value can get tattered, torn and pretty roughed up. Depression creeps in and steals my joy. But if I can focus on the fact that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, created uniquely by God for His special purpose and pleasure, it changes me. No matter your circumstance, you are still of eternal value and have incredible things to offer to those around you. Just go bless somebody and do it today.

God, it's real easy to start feeling sorry for myself when things don't go my way. I don't why I put so much value on my job or position or economic status. I guess in my desire to be loved and recognized by others, I lose sight of what really gives me value and significance. I get more worried about me than about being the vessel you created me to be as your representative. Thanks for creating me, me. I know that I'm far from perfect, but I'll have to wait for you to do that in me at the resurrection. Give me the courage and confidence to just bless someone else today. I'm trusting in your plan and that you'll take care of my needs and that of my family. I recognize my inadequacies and fallacies, but I put my life in your hands.

Refreshment and Giving (Prov. 11:19-27)

2010-06-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

There is a saying, "What goes around, comes around." I'm not sure that is always true, but if you read through Proverbs you'll realize that there is wisdom in pursuing the things of God. In chapter 11, Solomon states some practical and reassuring principles about investing your life. He says things like, "the righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death;" the Lord detests men of perverse heart, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless;" and "Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished."

Those are some great truths by which to live. But the verse that caught my eye in this passage was twenty-five, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Generosity tells a lot about what is going on in the heart of a person. Oh sure there are people who are generous so that they may gain something in return, whether that's future favors or consideration or simply an attempt to promote their own name.

But the second part of this verse is the telling factor, "those who refreshes others." There it is, a true heart of giving; those who chose willfully to sacrifice of their own resources to the benefit of others. The goal isn't personal gain. It's all out giving.

Giving isn't always just financial or material things. It's using your life to bring a blessing and refreshment to others. It's about pouring yourself out like a drink offering to God. It's watching the neighbors kids so they can do some shopping or run necessary errands or just to give them a break. It's mowing the neighbors lawn. It's lending a hand to someone. It's bringing laughter to those around you. It's ministering in a time of need. It's bringing God's Good News to the downcast.

There are many other verses in the Bible that support this giving heart or mentality, but some of those also bring a promise. Jesus says in Luke, "Give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will pour into your lap." Ecclesiastes says, "Cast your bread on the waters and after many days you'll find it or it will flow back to you." 2 Corinthians says, "whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

Solomon here says that those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. That's a great promise. It's in giving that we are truly the ones who are blessed. Jesus said that it's better to give than receive. It's in our giving that we closely resemble the heart of our God. For God so loved the world that he GAVE. Not only is there an altruistic sense of personal joy when we give, there's an awareness that we partnering with our creator. In some sense we're becoming like him in that moment.

Yet I think that there is more to the promise here. God promises to refresh those who refresh others. As you pour out, you empty yourself, God's promise is to refill you, renew you. Those who pour out need to drink in once in a while otherwise there is nothing left to pour out. He refills our cup through his word, his spirit, his power, his resources. Some of those resources includes the very ones to whom you as the giver refreshed. People will give back to you. Other servants of God will come along side of you and pour into your life.

I've experienced that in my own life recently. There have been many who have come along side of our church and my family personally and financially. It's been refreshing just to see God's family at work. When you pour your life out to refresh others, it's not a vain exercise. Yes people will always take advantage of you. But if you read the rest of this proverb you will discover that they will get their just reward. Rest assured, God is fully aware of your situation. He will dole out in due season the appropriate response. But the choice comes down to us. Give generously or focus on yourself.

God, I want to be known as one who refreshes others, not as one who drains the life out people around me. I want to model your character as a giver. I know that I only have the resources that you bless me with. I want to use them wisely for you, to bless the kingdom, the world you created. Refresh me so that I may continue to be a blessing to others and refresh others in your name.

Overwhelmed (1 Pet. 5:6-10)

2010-06-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I go I hear people talking about being "stressed out" over something. Work, school, relationships, kids, circumstances, finances, you name it, we're stressed out about something. Sometimes we get stressed over small issues. Sometimes we're stressed over big issues. Sometimes we're stressed over a combination of things whose culmination leads to not enough time to get it all done.

A counselor friend of mine once told me that the world would be a lot better place if we would put Celexa (a mood elevating drug) in the water supply. That might be an idea, but something tells me that wouldn't eliminate all the stress we experience in life.

Peter instructs us to cast all our anxiety/cares on God, because He cares for us. That too seems easier said than done. With unemployment still about 10%, the economy still in the tank, taxes going up, oil filling the gulf, war still raging, pressures building, casting my anxiety on God is a difficult thing to do. The "don't worry, be happy" Bobby McFerrin mentality is hard to come by. We're thinking, "God, you're stressing me out by not sticking your finger in the dike. Plug the hole in the economy, the oil leak in the gulf, MY checkbook."

Too be honest, I've been facing my own personal test of living this truth. In addition to what's been going on in our economy, I've been facing one of the most difficult challenges of my life. Earlier this spring, we discovered that our treasurer had embezzled multiple thousands of dollars from our church. He left us in debt and significantly overdrawn at our bank. The effect has been devastating to our church family. We lost the lease on our facility and have virtually been forced into closing.

The personal toll for me has been high, emotionally, spiritually and financially. No income, no church, no job, no clear vision of the future. Talk about anxiety. Bills continue. Vehicles need repairing. Mouths have to be fed, including mine. I find myself crying out, "OK God, I'm casting all my cares on you but can you hurry up and do something about this? And don't give me that stuff about those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. I'm drowning here."

Casting your cares on Him is easy to say and preach and tell others. But when you're in the throes of a crisis, it's dark and you can't find your way clear, casting your anxiety on Him is cry of desperation. We want, we need God to do something NOW because the strain is unbearable. It's hard to keep going when you feel that Job had it easy. It rattles our faith and we certainly find it hard to believe that God truly does care for us as the scripture asserts.

I know that I'm just a whining wimp. I haven't had to suffer anything as severe as many. My uncertainties and circumstances are nothing compared to the many martyrs of both scripture and history. Yet deep in my heart I long for that place of security, and value, and calm and relief from the pressure. I keep clinging to the promise that "the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."(v.10)

God, I don't like being in a place of insecurity. It's hard to take the next step when you can't see where you're going. The stress is only building as each day brings with it more pressure, more uncertainty and the hole just seems to keep getting bigger. I'm casting my cares on you. Show me that you care. Show me that you are aware of my need, my pain, my desperation. Expand my faith. Renew my spirit. Make me aware of your presence. Give me hope. Resolve the issues that seem insurmountable. Restore me. Make me strong, firm and steadfast in YOU.

Reconsidering and Reminscing Life (Eccl. 7:1-12)

2010-05-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

With my oldest daughter just graduating from college, memories of my college graduation flooded my mind. I don't remember much about the actual event. What I remember most is that my grandmother's house burnt down that day. My family all left me to rush to the scene just an hour away. I was left to pack my final belongings, including my fish tanks, all by myself. Her's was an old boarding house with a coal oil floor furnace. My grandmother was recouping from an injury at my aunt's several hours away and wasn't even home. The old coal furnace exploded igniting the house.

There were a lot of memories in that old two story place. The floors were uneven. Bathrooms had been added. And it had a flat roof. As kids we used to stand on that grate of that old coal furnace and the soles of our shoes would be branded like a waffle. But oh the living that went on in that place. It was place where stories were exchanged and embellished, meals shared around a big dining room table, songs sung, family gatherings held, people welcomed. That old boarding house was a huge part of my heritage and growing up memories.

I suppose it was a place where I learned a lot about life and relationships and family and faith. I learned about giving to others, laughter, love, responsibility, creativity and healthy family relationships. Anyone was welcome to drop in, pull up a chair and join us at the table. It was a unique place, a safe place, an accepting place.

After my grandmother passed several years later, I inherited her latest Bible. She had opted to give up her King James Version for a New International Version which she read every day. Throughout the pages she begin to highlight and under portions that spoke to her. One of those passages comes from Ecclesiastes 7, especially keying in on verses 1 and 12. It's a section on wisdom as is much of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. But Ecclesiastes gives a great deal of focus to the vain things of life and really zeroes in on things that really matter.

In this passage Solomon writes about how a good name is better than perfume. We have to remember that he writes this long before deodorant soap and Axe was invented. It's also before washers and dryers and of course air conditioning. People walked everywhere or rode beasts of burden. I'm guessing perfume was a REAL necessity. The implication is that a good reputation, good character was a whole lot more pleasantly aromatic to others than those with a poor reputation. In other words people with a bad reputation stink and are repulsive.

Solomon talks about the day of death being better than the day of birth. He couples that thought with the folly of living a party filled, meaningless life. He counsels us to focus our life on the things that really matter and the destiny of our life. It's a reminder that life is really short and what we do with our life makes a difference in eternity.

I watch students and adults all the time who give no thought or consideration to the opportunity, the gift of life. There are many who just fritter away their life and opportunities. They don't see or simply just fail to take advantage of the gifts God places before them for a full and meaningful life. There is a laissez-faire, ambitionless attitude toward life persisting among many that pursues only temporary pleasure without thought to consequences or long term implications to their life. One episode of Judge Judy will quickly demonstrate the mentality of our society today.

By the time Solomon hits verse twelve, he proclaims that wisdom is a shelter because it preserves the life of the possessor. Those who have a clue have a much better chance of making something positive out of life than wrecking their life and falling into pits from which some never escape.

I'm grateful for the times in that old boarding house for more than my shoes were imprinted as a I stood next the dining room table. I gained tons of wisdom and perspective from the lives of older, wiser family members and friends. My life was shaped in part by those gatherings. I learned how to really live and the significance of each life. It's why my grandmother's Bible is so precious to me. Because the basis of what I absorbed, of what was lived out before me was God's Word.

God, I don't want to waste or squander away my life. I want to see your big picture for me. I want to enjoy every minute of the life you've given to me. I want to learn from the good and difficult moments. I want to laugh more robustly, live more fully, celebrate more vigorously, enjoy the people in my life more deeply. I want your wisdom. I want the life to full that you promised in Christ.

Where's the Sense of Awe? (Isa. 6:1-8; Acts 2:42-47)

2010-05-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

It's the only time the word "holy" is used three consecutive times. We're talking about "holy" in reference to God. Holy is used numerous times in the Bible but, the only times you ever see "holy, holy, holy" is when it describes our Heavenly Father. Isaiah 6 draws me, entices me, challenges me, motivates me, thrills me, encourages me. In time of depression for Isaiah and the country, the death of King Uzziah, God speaks to Isaiah in a vision. It's a life changing vision that takes Isaiah on a prophetic journey; a journey that ultimately impacts the world with the promise of the coming Messiah.

The picture of God painted here reminds me a lot of vision the Apostle John depicts in Revelation; God seated high on a throne, being exalted by seraphs/angels who fly back and forth proclaiming His praise. Throughout the Old Testament and of course Revelation, the image of the glorious majesty of God is portrayed over and over again. People bow, tremble, shake, fall prostrate as they experienced the presence of God in their midst.

I wonder where that sense of awe has gone today. Rereading the second chapter of Acts recently stirred my heart. I noted that something was missing from today's corporate gatherings. I have long been associated with an ecclesiastical leaning that has prided itself on restoring New Testament Christianity to its practices. Acts 2:42 has been a staple of this movement. They (the first Christians) continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. We've have hammered those four elements as the key for a New Testament Church to employ.

What has always been a little bothersome to me and has struck me more deeply recently is why stop there. If restoring New Testament Christianity is the goal, what do we ignore verses 43-47?

Like Isaiah and many of the Old Testament encounters, the early Christians experienced a sense of awe and many signs and wonders were happening in their midst. My question is, "What happened to the sense of awe among today's believers?" I don't mean awe of the service or worship team or video composite or speaker. Where is the awe of God? Where are the truly changed lives? Where is the awe of the majesty and glory and GRACE of God.

There was a transformation that happened to Isaiah when he encountered God's Holy, Holy, Holiness. Isaiah was immediately aware of his sin, his inadequacy, his unrighteousness. But God in His holiness extended grace and cleansing and restoration to Isaiah, touching his unclean lips with a purging coal from His altar.

The awe for Isaiah dramatically soared.The majestic God just removed Isaiah's sin and guilt in one fell swoop. In response, Isaiah poured out his life to be used by God.

The same is true for the early Christians. Through the blood sacrifice of Christ and His resurrection, the early Christians were now freed from the bondage of sin and the guilt of not being able to keep the law. What? Jesus paid it all? Wow? I'm free? I'm cleansed from my unrighteousness? Amazing? Then all to Him I owe! And they sold their possession giving to anyone who had need. Lives were being changed, transformed by the power of God and His holiness.

And what's amazing is the early Christians became in the words of Elton Trueblood, an incendiary fellowship which drew thousands of more lives to the cross of Christ. Daily, Acts 2:47 says, changed lives were being added to their numbers.

God, why don't I experience awe of you when I gather with my fellow believers? Why is there so much focus on the order of service and what time we get out? Why do we skim through your teaching like we're perusing a self help book? Lord, I want to experience awe of you. I want to see lives truly changed by the power of your truth, your spirit, your grace. I want to be a part of people who are truly immersed in your spirit, your life, that make such a difference in their community that lives are changed and people are added daily to YOUR church, YOUR kingdom.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 4:1-13 (I Need to Get More Wisdom)

2009-08-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

I just dropped my youngest daughter at college last Friday. It's her second year. Each year is a challenge of figuring out how to pay for school. I'm proud of both daughters who are paying their own way through school. They couldn't do it without student loans. My older daughter is in year five of a five year/dual degree program. When she graduates this spring her student loan debt will be about $30,000. Probably not as bad as some and not as good as others.

College is expensive. Even with grants the financial burden of getting an education is severe. Pursuing a dream is always costly. Getting the tools necessary to accomplish dream exacts a cost. There is always an investment required.

Solomon talks about the cost of gaining wisdom in Proverbs 4. People spend a lot on education these days. But education alone isn't enough. You need wisdom to apply your learning. Solomon exclaims, "Get wisdom, get understanding." Later in chapter four he says that wisdom is supreme, get wisdom even if it cost you all you have, get understanding.

When Solomon talks about understanding, he's not just talking about getting information. Although information helps in discernment, he is talking about gaining the insight of wisdom here. It's the insight to know what to do with the information you have acquired. Lots of people know computer programming and understand computer technology, but Bill Gates had the insight or wisdom that very few have. There are a lot of financial investors, but few with the wisdom of Warren Buffet.

The advice that I would give all college students and truly all students of life would be to heed Solomon's words here in Proverbs 4 about getting wisdom. Wisdom adds so much more to your life. The quality of your life will improve. The hardships will decrease. The path of wisdom may seem different from that of the world's, but it's the safest, most profitable path to take.

God, in this confusing world, I need wisdom. I don't need the wisdom of man. I need your wisdom. Give me wisdom today. Give me the wisdom I need to handle today's challenges. Give me the wisdom to understand the steps I need to take today to get to where you want me to be tomorrow and on down the road.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 10:14-42 (A Tribute to Pauline)

2009-08-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

This past week my wife's great aunt passed away. She was 99. A lovely lady with great grace. She was an encourager, a helper, a servant. By the time you reach 99 you learn a lot about life. And her guide throughout her years was the Good Shepherd. One of ten kids up and then starting life in the depression, marriage and the premature death of her spouse, Pauline learned how to follow her shepherd.

All good relationships are fueled by trust. Our spiritual relationship with God is fueled by learning to trust Him more. The more that I learn to trust Him in all areas of my life, the deeper my relationship with God will be. The more I learn to trust Jesus on a daily basis, the deeper, the more satisfying, the more enjoyable my spiritual life will be, not to mention my daily life.

If I'm going to learn to trust the Good Shepherd, like Aunt Pauline, and build my relationship with Jesus, I have to learn to trust Jesus' character. If I learn what Jesus is really like then I know that I can trust Him. As we examine His character we will realize that we can cast our cares on Him, as Peter says, because He cares for us.

Sometimes we struggle with issues or events thinking that God has thrown a monkey wrench into the mix just to mess us up or to punish us. We find ourselves questioning not only the event, but we find ourselves questioning God. We say things like, "God, why are you letting this happen to me?" But that's not the character of Jesus that we see in John 10. As the Good Shepherd we have to remember that Jesus knows us, personally. That means he knows what we're facing, feeling, going through and He's there.

According to this passage Jesus says that He is willing to lay down His life for His sheep, that's us. No one takes His life from Him. He willing lays it down for us. Those aren't just words. He proved at the cross, laying down His life for mine and yours. And it's through that sacrifice that He can invite us into the security of His fold. He invites us because He loves us.

It's one thing to trust Jesus' character, but it's another thing to trust His power. Even if I trust His character and understand that He cares for me, so what if He can't make a difference in my life? But as you peruse the pages of the Bible, you realize that as God, Jesus is all powerful. And if Jesus is all powerful then instead of holding onto all the issues in my life, I should release them into His hands. I've learned through my limited years that God won't rip anything out of my hands. He always waits for me to give it to Him. I end up struggling half the time because I've not let it go and put it in His hands.

Perhaps that's because, sometimes I forget to trust in Jesus' promises. Sure I know He cares and that He's all powerful, but I forget that His promises are for me, not just stuff written in a book for me to read. If you read through this passage in John 10 it becomes obvious that Jesus promises for all who will come to Him and place their trust in Him to give them eternal life, that they'll never perish and that no one can snatch them out of His hand. Those basic promises are foundational in our relationship with Him learning to trust Him in the daily things of life.

God, thanks for the example of Aunt Pauline who lived her life following, trusting the Good Shepherd. Help me grow in learning how to trust you daily for even the most basic things of life. I want that abundant life that Jesus talks about and I know that's only possible as I relinquish my daily schedule, agenda, struggles, challenges to you.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 10:14-21 (I Want In)

2009-08-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after church services my wife exclaims, "I want you to preach that at my funeral." Later in the afternoon as I watching Y.E. Yang's amazing come from behind win at this year's PGA Championship over Tiger Woods, she sat down on the couch and said proclaimed the same message, "I mean it. I want you to preach that at my funeral."

That morning I had spoken on John 10:1-13. It's the passage where Jesus announces that He is the Good Shepherd and that He is the Gate or the Door. I had gotten a clearer understanding of that passage when I was in Israel in the year 2000. In my western way of thinking, when the Bible talked about folds or pens, I imaged a fenced in area with barb wire, swinging gate and the whole bit. I didn't realize that folds were actually caves with only one entrance/exit and that literally the shepherd was the door. He would sleep in the entry way so that nothing could pass in or out without his knowledge. Everything went through him.

Sure makes a lot more sense than my imagery. It's a lot easier to understand how the Good Shepherd would know each sheep if they had to pass through virtually one at a time as they entered the cave.

But if you keep on reading, beginning in verse 14 and following, you realize that there is more to the story. He talks about the intimacy that Jesus has with us if we're a part of his flock or part of His fold. We can have the same type of relationship with Jesus that He enjoys with God, the Father. There's a oneness that is only possible when we enter through the gate, Jesus.

When Jesus was teaching this life lesson, He mentioned that He had other sheep that were not of this particular sheep pen. What's He talking about? Some have erroneously suggested that Jesus was referring to life on other planets. Not so. He's talking to a Jewish crowd at the Feast of Tabernacles. Jewish feast. Jewish people. Jewish pen. So who are the other sheep "not of this sheep pen?" Those of us who are not Jews, more commonly known as "the gentiles."

If I were to draw an imagery that compared to today, I think a parallel would be church folk and non church folk. Many people act as if Jesus only came to save good, clean living, respectable church going people. It's like there are two classes, the acceptable people and those sinful pagans. Many church people make it a point to steer clear from those non church people for fear of contamination. We don't call them unclean, we just think of them as such. We have as little to do with them as possible.

Yet Jesus says, "Hey, you know those people whom you consider unclean, they belong to me too." He talks about that fact that we'll be one flock with one shepherd. News flash: the flock or pen is not ours! We're HIS flock. He came to die for all people, Jews or gentiles, church going people and non church going people. And by the way, just because we're church going people doesn't automatically get us into His fold. We ALL have to enter through the gate, Jesus, individually. We all have to claim Him as Lord and Savior. We all have to listen to His voice, obey His voice and follow Him with complete trust. Your actions give you away as to whom or what you're really following.

God, thanks for providing a way out or rather a way in through Jesus. Thanks for your grace, guidance, protection, love, security, salvation, satisfaction. I know that, Lord, my life isn't so abundant when I fail to listen, obey and follow you implicitly. Thanks for making it possible for me, an unclean gentile, to get into your fold. Help me to realize and remember your flock is broader than my perception and that you died for ALL people, not just for the ones like me.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 8:12-30 (A GPS for Life)

2009-07-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

GPS is a great device to have in your car. It makes life a lot more convenient and gives you a lot more confidence when heading out to parts unknown. I bought one for my oldest daughter last Christmas. She had used one the previous summer as she traveled for her college and fell in love with it.

Before then she carried an atlas in the car to get her from point "A" to point "B." And of course when all else failed she would call me from the road and ask me to Google maps her position and tell her where she should turn, exit, etc. I was her mapping system in an emergency even though I had no idea where she was half the time. Since the GPS, I rarely receive a call asking for directions. She doesn't need me. It's at her fingertips.

I've been doing a series on the Gospel of John in our Sunday morning services. There is so much to learn from the book of John. Sunday we started into chapter 8 which is the passage of the woman caught in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus to be stoned. This is the passage that Jesus tells the crowd, "You without sin, cast the first stone." It's also where Jesus said to the women, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

It's the annual Feast of the Tabernacles, the one where the Jewish people celebrated God's involvement in their lives through the wilderness wanders on their way to the promised land. As part of the celebration, they erected monstrous lamp stands in the court of women outside the entrance to the Temple and lit them as a reminder of the pillar of fire that led them on their journey.

Right after the scene with the adulterous woman, Jesus stands before these lamp stands and declares that He is the light of the world and that whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness. Over the next few verses, Jesus has an interaction with the religious leaders about the idea. They want to know why He said that and how it could be that He indeed was the light of the world.

Jesus tells us in this passage that He knows where He is going. The rest of us, well, we think we know but we really don't have all knowledge to make ALL the right calls in life. Sometimes we're just guessing. Jesus never guesses. He knows. He doesn't gamble. He knows. He doesn't just pick a direction. He knows.

In the Old Testament, whenever the pillar moved out in front of the camp, it was time to pick up and move. Whenever it stopped, it was time to stop. Wherever it went, that was the direction to go. Jesus is saying that He is that light for us. Since He knows where He is going, I can follow Him in confidence knowing that wherever Jesus leads is the right direction.

He knows where He is going because of His relationship to the Father. As I follow the path of Jesus, the more I begin to know about the Father and the closer I actually become to Christ. I'm listening more intensely. I'm paying more attention. I'm more attuned to His voice, His direction, His attributes, His character, His love. The more I follow Him. The more I find myself drawn to Him.

Following Jesus is like having a GPS for life. I never have to worry about getting lost. He'll guide me turn by turn. He gives me speed, direction, weather updates, traffic updates, and alternative routes when necessary. Of course, I can turn Him off at any time and go it alone. But before long, I'll need to turn Him on again. I can also ignore His direction. But He'll continue to give instruction on how to get back on the right path again.

God, it is so great to have you guiding my life. I don't know why I ever ignore your direction and take wrong turns. I don't why I ever turn you off. You always have the right path to take. Help me turn down the radio, the outside noise and focus on your leading throughout my day. Thanks for the confidence and clarity for my life.

Daily Reflections on Col. 1:9-13 (No Wonder We're Floundering)

2009-07-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

My small group has decided to do something novel. We decided to take a break from our study of Romans and go and pray with various families or individuals in our church. We started this week. It was amazing to see what happened to our group. We ended up hanging a few pictures as well as sharing a little more with each other. It was almost like we drew closer to God than by just opening His Word.

I was reminded again of Colossians 1, where Paul talks about praying for this church. He had heard about their growing faith and begin pouring out his heart in prayer for these people. There were some specific things that Paul prayed for that seem relevant to every Christ follower today.

The first thing to note was that his prayer was continuous. Too often we say that we'll pray for someone, and either we just spout out a quick prayer or we never actually pray for them. Paul's prayer wasn't just a one time flash prayer. It was an urgent, ongoing prayer for this church.

He prayed that God would fill them with knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He says that he prays this so that they may life a life worthy of the Lord and that they may please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God and being strengthened with all power according to God's glorious might. The reason? So that they may have great endurance and patience.

That's a little different than just praying for physical needs or specific situations. It's a prayer for spiritual growth. It's prayer for a full life in Christ. It's prayer for Christ's followers to become more and more aware of the presence of God in their life and to live acknowledging the presence and power of God in their life on a daily basis. It's a prayer to live an exemplary life, free of temptation, following God's will moment by moment. It's about being a light to the world, community, work place, classroom around us. It's a prayer that calls for the recipient to be a true representative of Jesus.

To be honest, I don't think that I've prayed specifically for each member of my congregation through the years that way. I have prayed for them as a whole. I've prayed for health, healing, jobs, relationships, to overcome certain temptations, but I really haven't prayed continuously for the things Paul prays for this Colossae church. But I'm starting today. I'm getting out my membership list and I'm praying through it. Join me. Reread Colossians 1:9-13. Jot the list down and start praying for those closest to you. And be sure to pray this for your pastor and staff.

God, I don't why I haven't really prayed this for my church family specifically in the past. I've read these verses time and time again. I'm gonna start praying this way today. Give me the insight into how to pray more specifically for them. I recognize it's not just about my teaching or counseling or involvement in their lives. It's about you and your involvement in their lives. I want to see my church family filled with the knowledge of your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. I want to see them live a life worthy of you, pleasing you and bearing fruit in every good work. Give them the endurance and strength and patience each day. Let them rejoice with thanksgiving for the opportunity to share in the inheritance with the saints.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 17:6 (Parental Pride)

2009-07-23T07:59:00.001-07:00

Ever since the death of my father in February of this year, I've thought a lot about the legacy of his life and my own. Seems like my dad made a lot more contributions to the development of the Kingdom of God, than I have. By the time he was my age he had already been a major influence in the writing of teen and college age study materials, helped to launch the concept of campus ministry, been involved in leading hundreds of adult Bible school or study leaders in new and effective ways for bringing enlightenment of God's Word.

Me, I haven't had that kind of impact. I've held several located ministries that are seemingly of inconsequential impact. My biggest accomplishment was leading a church to grow enough to purchase and relocate to an abandoned Wal-Mart building. Not quite the same impact. Oh sure, we average about 70 additions a year during my nearly 13 year tenure. And we launched an Hispanic church that was doing quite well at last report. We did raise up several young people who are now involved in missions, but I can't say that that equates with level of my dad.

Right now I'm involved in a struggling church plant. It's been uphill all the way with lots of set backs and challenges, more disappointments than victories. The spiritual battles have been relentless. The satanic attacks almost unbearable. Yet, we march on in God's power, pursuing God's call.

As I've contemplated the difference in the calling and Kingdom impact between my dad and me, my daughter has shared with me the pressure she felt to live up the impact both of us have made. I'm thinking, I don't know what you're talking about because I certainly haven't made that much of impact in the overall development of the Kingdom.

Proverbs 17:6 talks about how grandchildren are a crown to the aged. One of the joys for both my dad and mom have been the number of grandchildren they have that are involved in full time Christian service. The heritage and passion for the God and His Kingdom lives on. The legacy of my parents is that their kids and grandkids are pursuing a passionate relationship with Christ. Forget all the other accomplishments, that's the one of greatest significance to them.

But in that same verse Solomon also talks about the fact that parents are the pride of their children. I look at my parents with a great deal of respect for all they have done in impacting this world for Christ. There is no way I could ever live up to them. I'm sure my daughter feels the same way. Yet, I know that I'm not perfect, nor was my dad or is my mom. I want to be proud of my parents, it's only natural. I am proud of my parents. But their calling is not my calling.

I don't have to be a world changer with lots of recognition. All I have to do is make a difference in the world around me. To bring joy to my grandparents, who have long since passed, and to my parents is to serve God with all my heart and to instill the same desire in my children. If my children have the same passion to serve God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, then I've brought joy to my parents.

Although I'm not a grandparent yet, I long to see the day when my grandchildren will grow to embrace God and His Kingdom. I pray that through my children, their children will find themselves involved in expanding the Kingdom of God and sharing the Good News with others.

God, sometimes I feel like I'm letting my parents down and letting you down for not achieving some great accomplishment in your Kingdom. I want to live up to my dad's heritage, but I really feel inadequate and even a failure at times. Yet I know that I'm following your calling on my life for me right now and that's all you ask me to do. Use me God to your fullest. Take my talents and gifts and multiply them to maximum effectiveness for your Kingdom. I pray also for my children to grow in their passion for you and desire to impact their world with your wonderful Good News and grace.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 62:1-12 (Why Do I Get So Stress Out?)

2009-07-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

Why do I get so stressed out when I know that God is in control? Is it lack of faith? Is it my desire to be in control? Is it downright ignorance? Is it I think that God is not really interested in my problems, situations or circumstances? Is it my stupidity? Or is it a lack of awareness of God's presence in my life?

At the National New Church Conference in Orlando, aka Exponential 09, this spring, I sat in on a workshop led by John Burke from Austin, TX. The workshop had to do with helping messy people become holy people. Mr. Burke shared an idea God had pressed on his heart for his congregation, that I've been seriously thinking about employing at my church. For 60 days he had his congregates set an alarm on their watch, cell phone or computer to go off every 60 minutes. When the alarm went off he told them to say a short prayer acknowledging the presence of God and asking Him what He wanted them to do at that moment.

It worked and a soul revolution was begun in his church. People became more aware of God's daily presence and found themselves more actively living their life to Him.

In this 60-60 experiment the people of Gateway Church discovered what David discovered in Psalm 62. David says, "my soul finds rest in God alone." In verse 8 he writes, "Trust in Him at all times, o people; pour out your heart to Him for God is our refuge." Recognizing and living in the daily presence of God has to change me. It changes my perspective. It changes my attitude. It changes my work ethic. It changes my thought process. It keeps me balanced. It makes me a better time manager. It improves my relationships. It keeps me focused on what really is important. It relieves my stress.

Sounds like the way to live. Without God, I think I'm one of those messy people. If I'm not focused on Him, I get so wrapped up in things of little to no consequences and those are often the things that mess with my mind. It's not unmanly to depend on God. It's wise to seek His advice, His direction, His strength, His insights. It's not weakness to depend on God. It's about productivity. And not only am I being more productive in business life, I'm being more productive in my personal life.

God, I don't know why I get so freaked out sometimes over things that I don't have any control over. I know to look to you and to depend on you. But for whatever reason, I seem to lose track of your presence and involvement in my life. I need your wisdom, strength, protection, direction, etc. I'm trusting you. I'm pouring my heart out to you.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 11:21-31 (Attitudes)

2009-07-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Attitude, mindset, disposition, whatever you want to call it does make a difference in life. It's not how much you have in resources, talents, abilities, or even your surrounding circumstance that really make a difference. It's what's going on in your heart.

In this series of proverbs in chapter 11, Solomon makes clear that those looking for trouble will find it and those looking for good will find that. Those who are generous are received with fondness and the tightfisted are looked upon with disdain.

I think I've found a new verse to add to my list of favorites. Verse 22 says, "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion." Wow, does that have lot to say to the young ladies in our culture today where sexting has become the latest rage and sex on the first date is the norm. It has a lot to say to all women of all ages quite frankly who so easily trade indiscretion for false security or approval.

Solomon talks here how troublemakers, the selfish, the negative, the self-absorbed all get what they have coming to them in the end. The more open our heart is to others, the more cheerful, the more generous, the more optimistic, the more good things come to our life.

To be honest, I get tired of all the nay sayers and negative and cold water throwers. The contentious, doomsdayers, and pessimistic wear me out. I've sat in countless board meetings, committee meetings and even staff meetings where the "that won't work" mentality overrides any potential opportunity and dowses the entrepreneurial spirit of the group.

I have heard it said that generous people live longer. I don't know if that's true or not but my bet is that they live happier and have a much more enjoyable life with a lot more friends. And my guess is that virtually no rags to riches story has at the center a pessimistic or negative or miserly person. I'm positive that no healthy, happy family has a troublesome personality that dominates or keeps things stirred up all the time.

There are so many scriptures that come to mind, ie. "give and it shall be given to you...," "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," "He is able to do abundantly, immeasurably more that what we can think or imagine." But the one that really seems an appropriate crescendo to these Proverbs comes from Phil. 2, where Paul instructs us to have the same attitude of Christ, taking on a servant's mentality.

God, in this negative, pessimistic world, it's easy to develop a negative, pessimistic or even cynical attitude. I know that in you I have victory. I want to have your mind. I want to be a servant like you. I want to extend grace like you. I want to remain optimistic. Let me be a blessing to others today.

Daily Reflections on Isa. 50:10-11 (Dark Consequences)

2009-07-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking that's the world's a mess right now. I know, you're thinking, "Great insight, Dave. That's really deep. What a keen observer." Okay, I know that that isn't world breaking news. We all know that we're in a mess. And there are a lot of opinions on how we got here and how we get out. Expert testimony and analysis differs widely. But I figure the experts aren't looking to the right solution or at least the person with the right solution.

I don't claim to be an expert on any or all of the world's issues. I don't think I'm even an expert on my own life and why I do what I do. I get confused over that too. But one thing I do know for sure is that everything has its consequences. No matter what I say or do, there is consequence for that. Sir Isaac Newton said that one of the laws of nature is that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. That principle can easily be applied to our behavior, thoughts and actions.

Without trying to sound pessimistic, I'd say the Bible is right when it describes the world as dark or darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. If God is light, there's a lot of places where He is absent. Not by His choice, but by our exclusion of Him. Yes, God is everywhere, but He doesn't push His presence when He is uninvited. He won't intervene where He is not asked or included. He is perfectly willing to let us crash and burn on our own.

Isaiah asks the question in verse 10 of our text, "Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant?" Good question. Fear isn't about being terrified here, it's about respect and reverence. The bottom line on dealing with darkness is simply to trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God. Trusting and relying is more than just acknowledgment. It's about being totally submissive to God's direction and truths.

However, our tendency is try to handle the dark episodes or issues or occurrences on our own. We break out our handy dandy little flashlight and try to dispel the darkness. Even with the flashlight, we can't see everything. You can still stay lost in forest with a flashlight.

Isaiah says, "Go ahead, light your torches, follow your own path, but you can't see down the road like God can. It may seem right to you now, but you're on the wrong path and that path is going to lead to greater trouble and you're really going to be in a mess." I tell people all the time that we can choose to do whatever we want, we just can choose our consequences.

God, I don't know if there is more darkness in this world than ever before or not, but right now there appears to be a lot of darkness out there. What makes it seem worse is that there are a lot of people, influential people who apparently have adjusted to seeing or living in the dark themselves. Darkness has become the norm in society. That scares me a little bit and saddens me even more, because the darkness is becoming heavier, thicker, and spreading into all areas of life, including your church. I want to walk in your light. I'm extinguishing my torch, I'm turning off my flashlight and completely trusting and relying on you.

Daily Reflections on 1 Jn. 5:13-21 (I Just Want to Know)

2009-07-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

There's a tabloid that makes it's living off the phrase, "Inquiring minds want to know." Being inquisitive is basic human nature. We want the latest gossip. We crane our necks to catch a glimpse of an accident as we drive by. We read the section in our local newspaper of the court records to find out who did what to whom, who got caught speeding, who's divorcing, who's getting married, etc. Celebrity gossip shows or websites get lots of viewers, because we just want to know.

As John pens the lines of 1 John, there are some things he wants us to know. He notes as he closes out the first of his three short epistles four basic "We knows." He tells us that he writes this first letter so that WE may KNOW we have eternal life. That's great information. WE can KNOW we have eternal life. We don't have to worry about. We can be assured. In his Gospel, John records Jesus' prayer in the garden in which Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ. Knowing is not knowing about God and Jesus. It's not a casual acquaintance with them. Knowing, in the context of John 17 is an intimate oneness with them.

John goes onto say in 1 John 5, that WE KNOW that anyone born of God does not continue to sin. Now when John says that he's talking about our attitude. It's really similar to what Paul writes in Romans 8. It's about our choice to really allow God ultimate control of our life. If we allow ourselves to walk in God's Holy Spirit, which He places in all His followers who surrender their life to Him and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we would never have to sin again. It's an attitude of choosing to pursue Christ on a daily basis.

He also says that WE KNOW that we are children of God (if we're born of God) and that we live in a world where the devil is in control. We're in foreign territory. We're behind enemy lines. The world isn't, non-Christians aren't our enemy, Satan is. God has allowed Satan dominion over this world, which mean as long as we're still on this planet, we have to live with, endure, overcome the nature of this broken and dying world. We can expect difficulties, trials, temptations, hardships, injustice and even moronic thinking.

He concludes this book by saying that WE KNOW that the Son of God has come to give us understanding, that WE may KNOW him who is true. We can't forget that we are in HIM who is true and in HIM is true eternal life. God really wants to have a deep, personal oneness with us. He reveals more and more of Himself as we our relationship with Him grows. The more we know Him and understand Him and His truths, the better equipped to deal with the travails of this life and the greater assurance of victory is ours.

God, I long to know you more and more, deeper and deeper. Enlighten me. Empower me. Give me the tools and insight I need on this journey of life. Protect me. Strengthen me. Give me perspective. Give me greater understanding of you and your truths. Assure me. Do this so that I may bring you glory and reveal you to the darkened, lost world around me.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 90:1-17 (Enough Is Enough, Already)

2009-07-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy day and I'm not even in Georgia. But it sure feels like it's raining all over the world, at least in my life. This has been one tough stretch in my life. Church planting definitely isn't for cowards or the weak of heart. Weak yes, weak of heart, no. Right now, not only is it raining on the outside, it's raining on the inside of me. My tears are welling up in me and I long for God to wipe them from my eyes.

The news has not been good the last couple of weeks for me personally, actually for the last few years. Not that any one thing is so devastating, it's the culmination of things building. We're losing income, especially from outside support both as a church and me personally. We're losing personnel at church due to job changes and various personal reasons. Seems we're battling against a lot of stuff. I'm battling a lot of personal stuff. I'm really feeling more and more like Elijah all alone in the wilderness or Jehoshaphat facing the vast army of the Moabites and Ammonites or even Gideon up against the Midianites that were "as thick as locust" and their camels that "no more could be counted than the sand on the seashore."

On top of all the challenges upon us, upon me, I heard on the radio this morning a DJ talking about his experience with an elderly gentleman at the gym. He went on making excuses for the inappropriate social behavior and out of touch attire of this OLDER man. Then he revealed the that this aged person looked to be in his mid fifties. Hang on just a minute. Mid fifties is a long way from geezerhood.

With all of this stuff weighing on my heart, the Lord led me to Psalm 90 today. What a perfect passage for me. Not only does it reaffirm my mortality and my inadequacy, it celebrates the majesty and power of God. In this Psalm, noted as a prayer of Moses, the psalmist notes the brevity of our lives and the toll life takes on us through the years. He cries out to God to teach us to "number our days aright" so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Okay, my days are waning on this earth. If the psalmist is right, I've got about fifteen to twenty-five years left if I'm lucky. Every day from here on out can't be wasted doing ineffective things or piddling around. Every day has to count for Him.

Yet, the cry of the psalmist in verse 13 is the cry of my heart today. Relent, O Lord! How long will it be? Have some compassion on your servant. Satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days. Make me glad for as many days as you have afflicted me, for as many years as I've seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servant, your splendor to my children. May the favor of the Lord, my God rest upon me; establish the work of my hands for me--yes, establish the work of my hands.

God, I don't how much more I can take. I need to see your hand moving. I need to experience your presence like never before. I give up. I'm crying, "Uncle." I'm broken and dishearten. God, I know the psalmist didn't say satisfy me with success. He said satisfy me with your unfailing love. I need that unfailing love. You promised, Lord that you would not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick. I'm feeling pretty bruised today and I'm just smoldering. Renew my flame. Heal my spirit. Fill me with your joy. Give me the victories of Elijah and Jehoshaphat and Gideon. Not that I deserve it, but for your glory.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 6:60-69 (Choices, Choices, Choices)

2009-07-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

It had to be a weird moment. One day the disciples are enjoying the adulation of the massive crowd as they strolled through their midst picking up the leftovers from the feeding of the 5,000 and the next day they were trying to slink into the background as Jesus confronted the hungry mob looking for seconds. I've always wondered what was going through the disciples mind as Jesus proclaimed that He wasn't giving the people anymore bread; that if they wanted bread or manna from heaven, they were going to have to eat His flesh and drink His blood.

I have kind of a wild imagination, but my guess is that the disciples were thinking to themselves or even talking among themselves something like, "Man, He's ruining the whole thing. Why can't He do that Sermon on the Mount thing. He really awed them then. He's even dissing their hero, Moses. Come on Jesus, you're killing us here. Lighten up. Eat my flesh and drink my blood, give me a break. Surely you can come up with something better than that."

This whole passage has caused me to do some thinking. What kind of bread are most people choosing today. If Jesus is the bread of life, what kind of bread do we reach for on a daily basis. Seems to me that many people reach for their own plain white bread. It's a staple at most households. But metaphorically speaking, I have a tendency to butter my own bread. I'm not reaching for Jesus. I'm perfectly capable of providing for myself. In fact, I'm going to prove to you Jesus that I belong with you. Everything is based on us, trying to prove our worth to ourselves, to others and to God. It's really about performance. But the problem is how much is a enough to please God or others or even myself.

Others seem to choose an alternative bread. They reach for the whole wheat variety. Now this is different. It's not mainstream. But it's ultimately still about buttering my own bread. I can try meditation, self help, organic, or whatever, still is about proving my worth through my efforts. That's still a form of performance in a different package.

Then there's the pumpernickel eaters. Now that's really unique. This is the "I just want my freedom" connoisseur. I don't want any rules. I'll just want to do things my way, how I feel. I want to approach people, God, everything based on my own feelings, desires and wants. Unfortunately, this isn't very unique and it certainly isn't free. It's really costly. You can choose to do whatever you want, you just can't choose your consequences. If everyone did whatever they wanted when they wanted it'd be total anarchy, total chaos. God isn't interested if fakes or shows. He's all about authenticity. But unless you do things His way, you're out of luck and you're hurting yourself and others too.

Next in the bread line are the rye takers. Not rye in the sense of humor, but rye in mindset. "If I could just get into a new environment, then things would be better." "If I could just get a new husband or wife, then things will be better. If I could just get a new job...If I could just get a new house, car, etc....If I just had different parents...If I was just in different circumstances...If only...If only...If only." And so the beat goes on. The problem with that thinking is that wherever you go, there you are. You haven't changed. You're still the same person, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. The only person who can give you a new life, make you a new person is Jesus.

My favorites in the bread section are Raisin Bread lovers. I say favorite, because I think this really is where many people are, especially those who claim to be followers of Christ. These are the individuals who decide that since God is love, that I can disobey Him in just this one area, that tastes so sweet, and get away with it. God's gonna forgive me for this. It's only one area and I'm not hurting anyone. Sin always affects others. It damages your reputation. It prevents you from ever knowing what God could or would do with you if you'd only surrendered to Him completely. You drive that little wedge in that keeps you from growing deeply with Him.

Jesus said that He was the bread of life. He is the manna or bread from Heaven. He said to eat His flesh and drink His blood. That may seem difficult in this world, but it is the only way to life now and life eternal. The crowd walked away. The disciples were thinking about walking away. And when Jesus asked them if they wanted to go too, Peter said, "Lord, where would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. You are the Holy One, the promised one, the Messiah, the answer from God."

God, there is certainly a lot of bread to choose from in this world. But I choose the Bread of Life. I could choose another type of bread, but I know it wouldn't be satisfying. There's really only one choice that leads to you and life. I'd be back for you. And although following you is sometimes extremely difficult, I still choose you. I want to consume you. I'm hungry for you.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 22:1 (I Don't Get No Respect)

2009-07-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Aretha Franklin sings about it. Rodney Dangerfield longed for it. Athletes crave it. Everybody wants it. RESPECT. Sometimes respect is an illusive thing. I was taught as a youngster to show respect for my elders, parents, teachers, government leaders, church leaders, authorities (including police officers) and others in general. But in our society today respect is something that seems to be disappearing. Irreverence, suspicion, cynicism seems to prevail.

It's hard to respect politicians today with all the scandals that seem to be revealed on a regular basis. Corruption is the word most associated political figures. The list is endless but most recently news of South Carolina Governor Sanford's affair with an Argentinian woman and Illinois Governor Blagojevich's attempt to sell President Obama's senate seat exemplify the pattern in American politics. In my own area, local clerks and public officials have absconded with hundreds of thousands of public funds.

The steroid and various cheating scandals rock the sports world. There are more stories about A Rod's off the field escapades than his on the field heroics. Michael Vick's arrest for dog fighting, Plaxico Burress' gun charges, Donte Stallworth's sentencing for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk, Adam "Pacman" Jones' various club scene incidents only reinforce that fact that sports don't necessarily build character.

How many high profile church leaders and pastors have fallen from grace over sinful and seductive behaviors in recent years. But the high profile preachers and spiritual advisers aren't the only ones who prove to have feet of clay. In my own community in recent years, several church pastors have been dismissed for affairs, homosexual liaisons, embezzlement, child abuse and more.

I don't have to start in on corporate and banking leaders do I? Or how about teachers having sex with underage students? With all this going on it's no wonder respect has gone out the window. It's no wonder cynicism is high. Whatever happened to integrity?

Obviously not all politicians, preachers, leaders, teachers, athletes, etc. are corrupt. But the pattern of many causes us to distrust those in positions of authority period. Respect has to be earned and earning that respect seems to be harder than ever. I've recently considered changing my title to Life Coach, simply because of the negative connotations of the word, "Pastor." Even Spiritual Adviser is somewhat suspect these days.

If we want to earn the respect of our peers and others, Solomon has some simple advice. Live a life worthy of respect of others. He says that a good name is more desirable than riches and to be esteemed is of more value than silver or gold. He's right. To be honest, I'd much rather be appreciated and respected for what I do than make millions or even thousands of dollars. It's not that I'm interested in performing for people, it's that I want people to recognize my heart and service in a positive way. I don't have to have a church of 20,000 or live in an extravagant house or drive luxury cars. Just give me a little respect, recognition and maybe some honor.

But in order for me to get that, I have to earn it. It starts with my character, my sincerity, my authenticity, my humility, my heart of genuine service. It's not about my eloquence or talents or abilities or good looks. It's about what's going on inside of me, my consistency of positive behavior, my acts of responsibility.

God, I want a good name and a good reputation. I don't want to disgrace you by my actions or words or behavior. I want to bring glory to you and your Kingdom. I know that sometimes I'm inconsistent. I need your Spirit to work within me. Fill me with your character. Pour out of me. Touch others through my life, Lord, for your Kingdom.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 13:4 (I Need a Good Job)

2009-07-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

These have got to be the worst of times economically that I've seen since the days of the Carter administration in the late 70's. We don't have the long gas lines or double digit interest rates and inflation, but unemployment is every bit as high or higher. Getting a job with no job skills was really tough back then. I can remember going to 13 places in one day looking for a job, and nobody was hiring. That was depressing to a young over achiever.

Everyone is affected when we face a deep economic downturn. With the challenges facing the US auto industry and their restructure, I expect that we're going to see a depressing ripple affect throughout the country of suppliers feeling the cutbacks and layoffs. Some will be forced to take drastic measures themselves. The downward spiral continues.

Whether the economic times are good or bad, Solomon has some practical advice for us. He says that the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. What he means is that a lot of people have big dreams or aspirations, but dreams and aspirations aren't enough. Just because you would like to do something or become something doesn't necessarily mean it's just going to happen. It takes effort and imagination and more effort and persistence.

I hear the voice of the sluggard in phrases begin, "If only...." It's always about circumstances and luck and the excuses never end. The responsibility is almost always passed to someone or something else. This person often times claims to be a giver when in fact they are really takers and manipulators and users. And as the word implies, they are just lazy. Now not everyone obviously fits into this category, but at best they tend not be self initiators or self motivated.

However, the diligent, Solomon says are fully satisfied. Notice that he doesn't say the super intelligent or the multi-talented or the creative or the really lucky are satisfied. He says the diligent, those who work hard, who hang in there, who stay with it, who do the tough stuff to get to where they need to go. Diligence is more than just working hard, putting your nose to the grindstone and never looking up. It's not about not taking time to enjoy life. Diligence involves working smarter, persistence and flexibility.

Satisfied doesn't necessarily mean filthy rich either. It means satisfied. There is something fulfilling about accomplishing something that you set out to do, even if it's not perfect. I don't have to be the highest paid person or the most successful person in my field to obtain satisfaction. I do have to be willing to work for something while trusting God to give wisdom. If I'm just sitting around whining or complaining or lamenting my circumstances, I'm not going to be satisfied with myself.

I finally found a job that summer. It wasn't glamorous. I bagged groceries part time. I also got another job, unloading and delivering furniture. It wasn't my dream job and I rode a bike to work when I couldn't get a ride, but I was satisfied. I knew it was only a means to an end. I still served God. I was able to share my faith at work. I was glad that God had provided the opportunities.

God, you know I'm not satisfied with everything in my life right now. You know I would love to see our church explode and make a huge impact on our community. I don't want to be a sluggard. I want to be diligent in my efforts and my time. Make my energies profitable for you. Use me to accomplish your will for me. More than anything, I want to be diligent in serving you.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 6:25-59 (Having My Cake and Eating Too)

2009-07-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

I was recently talking with a friend of mine, an elder of another church, about what was happening in his church. He was recounting the sad story of a fallen staff member and the troubles that the church and leadership had endured over the last year. After a series of probing questions about the nature, make up, identity of the church, I asked where he thought they were going as a church. They had seen some growth which was obviously stymied for the time being. He wanted to see the growth continued but wondered how it effected the differing contingents of members, new and old. He finally said to me, "I think our leadership would like to have their cake and eat it too."

Boy, wouldn't we all. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people tell me, things like, "I'd like to have a large active church with a small church dynamic or feel." "I'd like to see lots of people come to Christ and keep the intimacy of a small church, where we know everyone." "I'd like to reach out to young people and keep things exactly they way they are." "I'd like to have a contemporary service with old time gospel music."

Basically, I'd like to have my cake and eat it too. Many of us approach our faith that way. We'd like to see God's will happen in our lives or in our church, but we'd also really like to have it our way. God's I'm all for it, as long as I like it, as long as it please me or meets my approval. Let's compromise God. I'll be faithful to you as long as it's according my standard, likes or preferences.

In John 6, the people following Jesus wanted their cake their way. Actually they were looking for an endless supply of bread. After the feeding of the 5,000, the crowd hounded Jesus for more food. They proclaimed that Moses fed the people with manna from heaven, why couldn't Jesus do the same thing for them. Follow Jesus around, enjoy the fellowship and get a free meal every day. Not a bad gig. I'd be doing my spiritual thing, listening to Jesus teach, hanging out with Him all day, don't have to work, get filled up. Have cake and eat it too.

The parallels are so striking to us today, especially among the churches of the US. "Feed me, feed me," is the cry heard from the pew. "Dazzle me, entertain me, send me manna from heaven with your amazing communication skills." "Bless me, give me a moving experience." Cake and eat it too.

When the crowd pressed Jesus, he told them, "You want bread sent from heaven? You're looking at Him. I'm bread sent from heaven. I'm the bread of life." What? How can Jesus be the bread of life, the bread sent from heaven? That was their question. It's not exactly what they had in mind. In fact, they started grumbling. Hey, we came to watch God do His thing, get wowed by a miracle or two, grab lunch on you. How 'bout it Jesus?

Sorry, no cake and eat it too. Jesus went on to say that unless they eat His flesh and drink His blood they didn't have any life in them. Ultimately what happened was that since they weren't going get what came for they weren't having any part of it so they decided to go back to their old ways. Instead of jumping in full bore with Jesus and experiencing something greater than their ancestors did, they decided their plans, their ways were more comfortable. They walked away. Lifeless. Empty. Hungry. Thirsty.

If you want real life, everlasting life, if you want to connect with God and enjoy real fellowship with Him you got to give up your cake and take a slice of the bread of life. And once slice isn't really enough. You have to eat it everyday. Jesus has to become you're exclusive diet.

God, I'm guilty. Having my cake and eating it too sounds awfully good, but I know it isn't very satisfying. I like things they way I like them. I'm interested in my comfort and my pleasure. I can't help but wonder where I'd be in the crowd that day. Eating your flesh and drinking your blood is hard sometimes, yet just like the disciples, I know that you alone have the words of eternal life. There's really no place, no other diet I'd rather have than you. Give a slice of the bread from heaven today.

Daily Reflections on Heb. 2:5-18 (The Arrogance of Some People)

2009-07-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've never claimed to be a genius. But the more I look at the relationship between God and Jesus the more confusing it seems to get. John says that in the beginning the Jesus was with God and was God. Okay that seems easy enough. He goes on to say that Jesus became flesh, a human being. Got that too. I don't know how all that is, but I can get my little mind around that part.

But the part that starts stretching my mind is this father/son thing. If Jesus is God, and He says Himself, "whoever has seen me has seen the father," why the father/son designation? Seems a little odd in light of the fact that Paul talks about the fact that equality with God was something Jesus could easily grasp. Now tell me that doesn't confuse you just a little. To further add to my confusion, how can Jesus call me a brother if He is God and I'm, well, plain ol' human, flawed me?

Throughout Jesus ministry, from the time we find Him in the temple at 12 years of age, He talks about doing His father's business or will. He defers to the father regarding various teachings and miracles. He prays to the father. And here in Hebrews 2, He puts His trust in Him. Why would someone equal with God, the father, creator of the universe, put His trust in the father? Does this strike anyone else as a little perplexing?

Yet there is a great lesson here. If Jesus, God in the flesh, equal to God, creator of the universe puts His trust in God and defers to Him, what does that say about me? Why wouldn't I do the same thing. Instead, I often times rely on my on wisdom, ability, ingenuity, resources, etc. to do things. If Jesus, who had the right to go off on His own agenda, submitted His daily agenda to God, why shouldn't I? Why is it I think I have the audacity to live however I want and give God only partial input into my life? Why is it that I think I can take God when I want Him and ignore Him the rest of the time? Why do I think that my time, my money, my resources, my gifts, my life is actually mine? Who do I think I am? And who do I think God really is?

God, I'm pretty arrogant concerning my own life. It seems that I just go about doing whatever I want whenever I want with little to no regard for you. Instead of seeking you daily, hourly, minute by minute of my life, I have a tendency to check in with you whenever I feel like. It's almost like I show up to visit you on occasion or when I'm in dire straights. Forgive my arrogance. I recognize you as Lord of my life. Here I am. I put my trust in you.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 25:11-13 (It's All How You Say It)

2009-07-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's really all how you say it. Recently we had a congregational meeting or as I prefer to call them, family meeting. We had some encouraging news to share and some challenges to lay out. Just like everything else in our economy, we're facing some tough economic times at our church. Several have lost jobs and on top of that, summer attendance and giving is down.

We could have gone into the meeting with a depressed attitude, sharing the doom and gloom over which we had no control. But instead we decided to focus on what God was doing in our midst. I thought our meeting would be relatively short, but in fact it lasted for about 45 minutes or so. Even when we got to the toughest stuff, we had to celebrate what God was doing, because even in a down economy our giving had nearly doubled this year over year to date last year.

The downside was that because of getting into a new, more permanent facility, our expenses had doubled too. And the challenge of what was ahead was no less daunting with outside support declining and rent going up. Our treasurer was phenomenal in praising our people for giving even though several had lost jobs. He was clear and concise on our battle ahead. And with all the other good news, we came away with a positive attitude about our future.

There have been plenty of times that I blurted out the wrong thing at the wrong time. I have this disease that if something is in my mind, unfortunately it's in my mouth or should I say coming out of my mouth before I've really had time to process it appropriately. Maybe it's just a male affliction. And since I live in a household of all girls, except the dog, I've received my fair share of disdainful looks and harsh reactions. It's a wonder they haven't attacked me wrapping my mouth in layers of duct tape.

How and when you say something makes all the difference in the world. I'm not saying you don't have to confront or be honest with others. But the manner in which you disclose the truth is really important if you honestly have the other person's best interest at heart. Sugar coating something doesn't always benefit the other person, but a gentle, honest tongue does. It's not just the words themselves, it's the attitude in which they are presented.

Nobody likes to be criticized. But I would be a fool not to listen to the observations of others and correct the error of my ways. It really boils down to the relationship we have with another person. The more I trust a person, the easier it is for me both to listen and receive news, good or bad, and to deliver information, both good and bad.

Solomon's advice is simple on this subject. How you say something will affect the response of the listener. It would be foolish not to listen to a friend, a wise counselor, or a person who has your best interest at heart.

God, help me to choose my words, my tone, my manner careful as I share with others. I don't want to come off as demanding, condescending, arrogant, aloof, cold, abusive or demeaning. Slow my tongue down. Mix truth with your grace in my words. Help me also to listen humbly and openly to others. Help me to be an encouragement to others.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 7:1-5 (This Is Really Tough)

2009-07-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

When I was in college we had to follow Kate Turabian's format when submitting papers. Everything had to follow form. Back in those days we didn't have computers that would automatically footnote, justify margins, enumerate pages. It all had to be done manually, which took a little bit of work. Not only did you have to know how many lines it took for the footnote, you had to have everything figured out on the page because you had to have the proper amount of lines on each page.

Since it was impossible to memorize everything in Turabian's manual, you had to keep that book handy. Every rule on how a paper should be typed and submitted was in there. And most of the professors held you to it. You could lose grade points simply for wrong forms. I loved Kate Turabian and I loathed Kate Turabian. I loved it because it held all the answers to writing a correct paper. I loathed it because everything had to follow that format precisely. After struggling through my freshmen year, I either paid someone to type my long papers for me or I talked my girlfriend into it.

Following God's forms for living is tough. God gave ten basic commandments to follow, then the teachers of the law added about 600 more to it. By Jesus day you needed an expert in the law just to interpret what you could and couldn't do. It was a terrific burden on the average person. And let's not forget the consequences of violating the law. Some of the punishment was death.

Jesus summed up all the law into two simple commands; love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. It's tough enough just to do that. From the time Moses introduced God's ten commands to this day, no one has been able to keep them. Nor will anyone ever be able to keep them. The only way that I'm going to be able to keep from getting my grade reduced, which is pass fail, is pay someone else to do it for me.

That's exactly what God did for me at calvary. Jesus lived His life perfectly for me then He paid the penalty for my screw ups on the cross. The weird thing is that I never had to pay for them. I didn't have to beg God to do me a personal favor. He did it on His own. Grace. And on top of that He enables me through His Spirit that He placed inside me to live out my life as He intended.

There is no way that I could ever memorize God's Word in its entirety. But I don't have to. That's what the Holy Spirit is for. He helps me know and act properly, as long as I'm listening to Him. Solomon talks about totally investing yourself in God's teaching so that you won't be lead astray. The more I focus on God's Word and His teachings for my life, the easier it is for the Holy Spirit to guide me. It takes an intentional, daily focus on God's truths to permeate your heart, soul and mind and to make following those truths second nature.

God, I confess that with all the stuff that I've got to get done in a day I sometimes lose track of you in my thoughts. I'm not really trying to ignore you as much as I'm just distracted by the routine and pressures of life. Help me zero in on you throughout my day. Help me to pause and bring my thoughts back to You.

Daily Reflections on Eccl. 3:8-12 (Lonely Days)

2009-06-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

It's hard to be alone today. With facebook, myspace, twitter, IM, Skype and texting one can be connected to someone virtually 24 hours a day. You can be involved with others lives all day long. It almost seems strange to talk about loneliness or being alone in this day and age.

Yet loneliness is very much alive today. It's possible to be in a crowd of people and still be lonely or alone. Just because you are surrounded by other human beings, just because you can contact friends and family at a moments notice, doesn't mean you can't be lonely. Some people actually choose to isolate themselves. Some people are isolated or ignored by others. Couples who live in the same home, share the same bed can drift apart and end up going in different directions.

I once heard Randy Phillips, then president of Promise Keepers, asked the 50,000 plus men assembled if they had 6 other men in their lives who would carry their casket. As we talked about it among the 60 men in our group, very few could actually name 6 guys that they were really close to. In fact, most of the men had more than one or two guys. I had to ask myself if I was close enough to 6 guys to have them carry my casket.

Many guys, especially, don't have that many close relationships with which they interact. The older one gets, it seems that there are less of those relationships in a man's life. It's easy to slip into the "I'm a self made man" mentality. Don't show a need for others in your life is the mantra. It's as if as a man, we don't need relationships.

This morning as I was lying in bed listening to the thunder and lightening, before my alarm went off, I was just thinking about our church family. I realized that there are only three guys in my church that are older than me. A new church that is probably to be expected. I have found myself hanging out some with our younger men, 15 to 20 years my junior. I still think of myself as that young, even though my body doesn't. I can keep up on the golf course, but other athletic events, I'm a little behind.

But it's not the keeping up that matters. It's the relationships that matter. And although we are at different stages in life, we benefit each other. I bring some wisdom of life experience and they keep me thinking young and teach me lots of things. I need them probably more than they need me. But there is no question Solomon is right when he talks about the advantages of friendship and partners in Ecclesiastes 3. Two are better than one because; they are more productive together, they can protect and encourage each other, they can strengthen each other.

But the real power in any relationship is when these friends, partners are joined together as brothers or sisters in Christ. When God is at the center of each friend or partner's life, the bond between the two or more is deepened and strengthened.

God, I know that I have a tendency to just want to do things on my own. But my relationship with you is missing something without the companionship and encouragement from other brothers and sisters in Christ. It's tough going it alone. I've tried way too much in my life. Keep me involved, Lord, in the lives of other men. Bring other men into my life too. I need them. Help me to honestly show my vunerability. Make me sensitive to my brothers needs.

Daily Reflections on Rom. 3:21-26 (Give Me the Bad News First)

2009-06-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes bad news, but we sure have been getting a lot of it over the last year and a half or so. The housing bubble burst, the banks are in trouble, the stock market tanks, the big 3 US auto makers about to go under, the big government bailouts leaving the country in trillions of dollars in debt, the rising unemployment rate all lead to a depressed society in more ways than one. Just the past week we've had more bad news concerning the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcet, Micheal Jackson and Billy Mays. That's not to mention the daily accounts of service men and women being killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Enough with the bad news already. I'm ready for some good news. I don't need anymore bad news. But some how or another I can't seem to escape it. My dog greets me this morning with a huge "hot spot" on one of his legs, which means another trip to the vet, more antibiotics, more unnecessary bills just when I took a pay cut from the church due to declining income and rising expenses. Will it ever stop?

Romans is one of those books that not only lays out the good news but it also delivers some bad news. In Romans 1:16, Paul says that he's not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation. The word Gospel means good news. He goes on to say in verse 17 that in the Gospel a righteousness of God is revealed. As Martin Luther read those words he declared the Gospel not to be good news but bad news. How could anyone live up to the righteousness of God?

A few verses later Paul quotes from the Old Testament declaring that no one is righteous, not even one. That's not good news. Then here in Romans 3 he states that all, as in everyone on the planet, has sinned and is far away from the glory of God. Great! That rules out any chances I had of getting into a relationship with God or the hope of heaven.

But the Gospel truly is good news. Luther finally realized that although he didn't stand a chance with God on his own merit, through faith in what God did for us through Jesus Christ made it possible to live in intimacy with God today and in heaven with Him for eternity. He wrote on his monastery walls "Faith alone."

In today's verses, Paul clearly tells us that a righteousness from God is available through believing in Jesus. Even though we are all sinners in God's eyes (the only one who's opinion counts), there is justification and redemption in Christ substitutionary death on the cross. Justification simply means that God made things right for us with Him by paying the penalty of our sins through Jesus' death. Redemption simply means that God bought us from a life of slavery to ourselves and the burden of a sinful life. He paid our sin debt so that we could be free.

The good news is that I'm free in Christ to really live. I have a righteousness from God draped over my life. As Charles Swindol has said, I'm not 99.9% righteous otherwise the Bible would have to be rewritten to say, "though my sins be as scarlet, they will be light pink." As a believer in Jesus I'm considered 100% righteous in the eyes of God. In fact, that is the only way I can have a relationship with God and enter into the gates of heaven.

God, thanks for the GOOD NEWS. I know that I'm a mess without you. Thanks for clothing me with Christ. Thanks for loving me. Thanks for renewing me. Thanks for giving me hope for this life and beyond.

Daily Reflections on Isa. 30:15-18 (Why Do I Get So Tense?)

2009-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Since my accident several years ago in which I injured my knee, I've had to give up running. But I have recently taken up walking just to keep off the abundance of extra weight that seems to be collecting around my waist and elsewhere. I walk for about thirty minutes each day at a fairly rapid pace to get my heart rate up a bit. Being the competitive type that I am, I have a tendency when I walk to try to beat yesterday's distance. I attempt to get just a little bit farther than the day before.

As I'm pushing myself to get that extra distance I've noticed that I have a tendency to strain and tighten up just a bit, especially down the home stretch, the last five minutes or so. Instead of staying relaxed, I find myself tensing muscles. Every runner knows that it is important to stay relaxed when you run for maximum effect. Tightening up can shorten your stride and puts you at risk for pulling or injuring something.

Throughout my life I've found that instead of staying relaxed when the pressure is on to accomplish something, I bear down. I've apologized to my staff in advance every Easter for my tenseness and intenseness. It's just like my walking, I tighten up down the stretch. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I push myself. Not only am I shortening my spiritual stride, I put myself at risk of injuring myself and more importantly the relationships around me.

In today's passage God gives some clear instruction. He says in repentance and rest is our salvation, that in quietness and trust is our strength. Yet He also notes that His people have a tendency to have none of that. Rather they rely on their own strength, resources, ingenuity, etc. to deal with life's biggest challenges or even daily issues.

So God leaves us to our own devices. Therefore the problem only gets bigger and the challenge more intense and the frustration only more aggrivating. Yet, God longs to be gracious to us. Waiting on Him brings a blessing to us. As long as I insist on striving myself, I can expect a tense life.

God, I'm really tired of striving on my own. I want to change my thinking daily to your way of thinking. I want to rest from my incompetence and trust in your power and ability. I don't want a life of constant turmoil. I could use the stillness you provide, the strength you provide. Waiting on you Lord is really tough. I still find myself wanting to push forward on my own. Help me to readjust my focus onto you, your will, your plan, your strength.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 8:22-36 (Give Me Wisdom)

2009-06-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Some say that wisdom comes with age. Others claim that wisdom is the result of experience. Several years ago the makers of Tootsie Pops picked up on the idea that wisdom comes from wise old owls. How many licks does it take to get to the chocolate chewy center of a Tootsie Pop? According to the owl as he unwraps the pop and begins licking, three. He then bites into the hard candy to get to the chocolate morsel in the middle.

But if you read through Proverbs 8, you realize that wisdom was birthed by God and comes from Him. Earthly wisdom and Godly wisdom are not necessarily the same. What seems wise to man, God often thinks of as foolishness. In fact, God's wisdom many times confounds the so called wise of this world.

And let's not confuse wisdom with intelligence or education. They are not synonymous. Common sense maybe closer to wisdom than intelligence. I'm not insinuating that education can't contribute to wisdom, but wisdom is something totally different.

If Godly wisdom is the most desirable, how to I get it? Solomon's advice is to pursue it, listen for it, watch for it daily. Don't slough it off or take it lightly. Wait for it. Long for it. It comes down to reading and meditating on God's Word, opening yourself to the leading of God's Spirit that He places within all believers in Jesus. To gain God's wisdom you have to be attuned daily to Him.

God, I admit that sometimes I think I'm pretty bright or clever or wise in my own rights. Usually that's when I crash and burn. I realize you're perfectly willing to let me pursue my own path and watch me falter on the way. Your wisdom is so beyond me. I need your wisdom. I want to have the life Solomon refers to and also Your favor. Show me your wisdom for today. I know I'll need more for tomorrow.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 139:13-16 (What's My Value? What's My Purpose?)

2009-06-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Father's Day has changed for me in recent years. My girls are in college these days and my oldest hasn't been home for Father's Day in a few years. This is the first year that both my wife and I haven't had our fathers. Her's passed away last June and mine this past February. Seems a little odd how life changes.

When my girls were little they used to make special cards or gifts for me for Father's Day. They might color me a picture or write a note. But things have changed. Today I'm lucky to get a phone call.

Memories of past years still flow through my mind. I often find myself commenting to my wife that our girls aren't little any more. They both have boyfriends and I soon realize that I will be replaced as the man in their life. For the time being, they still need me and I occasionally find an unfamiliar charge to my credit card.

As simply a steward of my kids lives I realize that God has a purpose for them. My job has simply been to craft their hearts to pursue God and His will for their lives. It's not been nor is my job to mold them into what I want them to become. It's been and continues to be to plant the things of God in them and cultivate their thoughts with the precepts of His Word.

It was God who knit them in their mother's womb. Oh sure I contributed the sperm, but it was God who wove into them their talents, passions, skill sets, personality and vision to accomplish a task specially designed for them. All I did was offer a little genetic material and God did the rest. As a parent, I have had the responsibility to feed, nurture, teach, guide, protect, enlighten, encourage, challenge, and point them toward the path to follow God's leading. Hopefully I haven't screwed up God's purpose and plan for their life or steered them from Him.

God has a plan for each of our lives. He formed us in our mother's womb with that purpose in mind. He injected all the right ingredients for us to fulfill that plan. He sees our whole future before one day of them happens. That ought to say something of our value. But the kicker is will we choose to allow God to truly direct and lead our life to accomplish that unique mission He has for us. That's why seeking Him, His thoughts, His heart, His plan is essential to living a truly fulfilled life.

God, sometimes I question my existence. I wonder why am I here. I don't seem to have a lot of significance according to the world's standards or probably even my own. Yet I know you created me and my life has meaning to you. I just want to be in your will. I just want to accomplish what you placed me here to do. Keep showing me the path to take daily. I'm listening. I'm looking. I'm anticipating.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 62:1-8 (God, Please Speak to Me)

2009-06-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a doer person by nature. I really don't like to just sit around much. I'd much rather being hanging with people or working on some project. I have a tendency to get a little mopey when I have nothing to do or no one with which to hang out. In fact, I struggle with maintaining a regular quiet time because I spend much of my time in study for sermons and lessons anyway.

Recently I've been wresting with some direction for the church and my own life in various areas. So I knew that I needed some extended alone time with God. Our temps are ranging right now in the mid 90's, a little unusual for Missouri this time of year. I decided to go hit the links late in the day yesterday since my evening appointments had canceled. Alone time on the golf course is one of my favorite retreats. No phone. No intrusions or interruptions. Just a couple hour walk in nature with God.

When I need this time of refuge I always walk and play alone. God had pressed on me the passage from Genesis where God comes to walk and talk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, which I interpreted to be dusk. I reasoned that no one in their right mind would be out playing golf on a Monday evening when the temps were over 95 degrees and the humidity was nearly that much. I love late afternoon and early summers eve. The sun slowly sets. The wind stills. Nature starts its wind down from the day. I simply wanted to be still and hear the voice of God.

As I strolled up on the first tee my prayer was, "God, I'm coming to you in the cool of day. Walk with me. Talk with me. I want to hear your voice. Speak to my heart. Give me your wisdom and direction. I just want to be alone with you for a couple of hours."

But that's not what happened. Instead of a time with God that was encouraging or enlightening or inspiring or directional or even a time of face to face confrontation, what God sent me was seemingly torment. Instead of a still small voice I got constant irritation. There was a five-some of golfers three groups ahead of me that refused to let anyone play through and they were horribly slow. I was planning on taking my time but this was ridicules. I couldn't have alone time because we were stacked up four deep on every hole. I was standing around with two other groups of people on each tee box listening to them complain and be frustrated at the rude group in front of us.

Normally an 18 hole round of golf would take about 3-4 hours. I stepped to the first tee at 5:30pm. I stepped up to the ninth tee at 8:20pm. Three hours for nine holes is slower than a snails pace. We waited on EVERY agonizing, hot, sweaty shot. No rhythm to the golf. No voice from God.

As I FINALLY finished the front nine and the other groups in front of me headed off the golf course, I decided to push on and finish as many holes as possible before dark. Maybe, just maybe, I could get some alone time with God yet. Since I'd been stalled for so long I was hoping to finish my round. I started out pushing the pace to make up for lost time. I played the first three holes on the back side in about 15 minutes or so. But I was pressing and not listening. I made up my mind I was going to listen knowing that I wasn't going to finish the round.

I cried out to God again asking Him to speak to me, explaining to Him that I really wanted to hear His voice. I asked Him to come to me, to fill my mind and my spirit. Darkness was creeping in faster than I had hoped. As I quieted my spirit, listening for God's voice I hit the best drive of the day and followed it up with another pretty good shot just short of the green.

By this time the golf course attendants had pulled the flags for the evening. Just as I went to chip the ball onto the green, I was attacked by some bees. Now I have a phobia of bees. Although I've never been stung, I'm deathly afraid of them. It's nearly 9pm. It's getting hard to see. I've got angry bees after me. I went swatting and running all over the fairway. I finally had to rip off my shirt and went to flailing. It work for a while, but not for long. I grabbed my ball and clubs that I had flung and started in a quick pace for the clubhouse. I happened to be on the back side of the course, the longest distance to the club house.

Here they came again. I started swinging my shirt wildly and tried running with my antique pull cart. It kept falling over side ways. And everytime I stopped to right my cart and bag, back they came. I couldn't get away. In near tears and frustration with my cart on its side and handle in disarray and bees still after me, I screamed, "God, please protect me!!!!"

Fortunately He did. I never received one sting. The bees left. I hurriedly made my way to the empty parking lot where my van stood alone. After I nervously loaded my cart into the van fearing that they might have taken up refuge in my bag, I sat down on the open tailgate and nearly begin to weep like a school girl. Once again, I cried out, "God, I just wanted to hear your voice and you sent me irritating people and bees. I just wanted to walk and talk with you in the cool of the day." I felt truly broken and helpless at that moment.

I never did hear His voice which I still long for today. It took an hour or so and a cool shower for my pulse rate to subside. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness and lots of questions as I lay on my bed in front of a fan.

God, I'm still listening. I want to hear your voice. I believe you alone are my refuge and my rest. I'm worthless. I have no hope without you.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 5:19-20 (My Dad)

2009-02-16T02:40:00.000-08:00

My dad died a week ago, on a Sunday evening of a massive stroke. He had been a pioneer and an innovator in ministry throughout his eighty years of life. In the early 60's he envisioned a new approach to teaching teens God's truths and was snatched up by a Christian publishing company to write a new curriculum which unbelievably is still being used in some circles today. In the mid to late 60's he saw a generation of baby boomer students hitting the college campuses and losing their hope in Christ. He helped formulate a new kind of ministry, Campus Ministry, to reach, challenge, encourage, shape college age young people for Christ.

In the late 70's and early 80's my dad envisioned a new ministry to Senior adults who were leaving the workplace. This "Greatest Generation," as termed by Tom Brokaw, was the most successful, had the most available resources, the most experience, the greatest work ethic of any generation heading into retirement. My dad saw the potential to the Kingdom of God. He sought to mobilize this vast army of talent, heart, wealth, experience to action and thus launched Christian Seniors Fellowship.

I learned a lot from my dad. It's weird the memories that suddenly pop into your mind at such a time of loss. I can picture my dad teaching me to ride a bike as he ran along side. He taught me to play baseball in the back yard and enrolled me in Little League. He gave me my first taste of sports. He taught me how to pick cherries from our trees, to plant roses and how to care for them. He taught me to drive in all sorts of traffic and weather conditions. He gave me the confidence to try to fix things around the house or on the car when they broke down. I learned to be "me" no matter the environment or company in which I found myself. Growing up in Cincinnati, he taught me to hustle, to give my all and run out every play like Pete Rose. I learn how not to camp from my dad. I learned to be a giver from him.

For all my dad taught me, my love for God is first and foremost. It was his life. Just as Deuteronomy instructs fathers to teach their kids formally and informally, my dad did that for me. Whether it was working in the rose garden, family devotions, riding in the car or around the campfire, he found ways to point me to God and His truths.

My dad loved people. The coffee was always on at our house. There's nothing he enjoyed more than sitting around the kitchen table with friends and family eating, laughing and sharing well into the evening. It was no reclining to the living room at our house, the dining room table was relaxing enough as the laughter and stories went on for hours. It was party wherever he went. He realized the value of relationships and how much people mattered.

I wore my dad's shoes to his funeral. Filling his shoes is probably not possible. He accomplished more in his lifetime for the Kingdom of God than I ever will. I'm not him. I've developed some of his mannerism and am working on his profile, but I'll never be him. However, I am a part of his legacy and so are you if you're reading this. I developed my passion for people and ministry through the example he set for me. And although I can't fill my dad's shoes, I can follow in his foot steps, allowing God to use my gifts and talents for Him.

God, thanks for the example of faith and service my dad was not only to me but to many. I'm a follower of Christ because of he and my mom. I feel so blessed. I pray that I can be as an effective servant for you as he was. I'm so thankful for heaven. I look forward to being in your presence and being united with my dad for eternity. Thanks for the hope beyond the grave, God, that you made possible through Jesus Christ.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 27:14 (Dealing with Irritating Neighbors)l

2009-02-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

Neighbors can be a blessing or a curse. For the most part I've been blessed with decent neighbors. However, in one place I lived, I had a neighbor who wasn't very sensitive to her neighbors. It's not that she was obnoxious. It's that she had a some dogs that were out of control and she did nothing to control them.

Her adult children struggled with relationships and keeping jobs. So they would be in and out, staying with her for various periods of time. They would buy dogs and since they had no place to keep them, they would bring them to mom. Max, a mutt with some apparent German Shepherd mix, was an irritant. He didn't like staying in his own yard so he, on a daily basis, would dig out under the fence in her yard run around my back yard and eventually dig out under the fence in my yard. My girls were terrified and for years wouldn't play outside, especially the back yard because Max could be on the loose. I tried staking and tying down the fence, unsightly railroad ties to no avail.

As irritating as that was, Garth was a very energetic dalmatian. Hyper was an understatement. But, he had his days and nights mixed up. Every night he would sit in the corner of the fence next to my bedroom window and bark and howl at the moon and everything else all night long. When day break, he'd be quiet. He was so loud and obnoxious that my neighbors on the other side complained vigorously that he kept them awake. I tried everything to get that dog to shut up, but once again to no avail. I learned to sleep with two fans running in the room just to cover some of the noise.

Although my neighbor acknowledged the problem, she didn't do anything to resolve it. She just blamed it on her kids. I thought of a few solutions, like antifreeze and a twenty-two, but my wife wouldn't let me. Wouldn't that be great news, preacher gets arrested for poisoning or shooting elderly neighbors companion. So I did without sleep and my girls played in the house.

This Proverbs passage talks about being sensitive to your friends and neighbors. Nobody likes a loud or boisterous person first thing in the morning. It's too much to handle. Some people don't like anyone in the morning, at least until they have their coffee. But sensitivity goes beyond just being noisy. Obnoxious behavior drives people crazy any time of the day.

Why is it that the people we're closest to are the very people with whom we have the least manners or around whom we have the most obnoxious behavior? Why is it that people we are closest to we have the least sensitivity for? We are the least concerned about offending our own family than anyone. We say what's on our mind with little regard to the affect it has on our listeners. We show the least respect for members of our own household. Why is it we become the most selfish with the people we love the most?

God, I know I'm selfish. It's apparent in my home the most. Help me to be more sensitive to my wife, to consider her and her needs.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 139:17-18 (Keeping Focused on the Right Things)

2009-02-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

There's just something about looking at the stars at night. On a cloudless night, away from all the city lights, gazing into the starry heavens is just amazing. I remember when I was kid, my dad got me a telescope so that I could gaze more deeply into the universe. I had gotten into space from the time I listened to John Glenn orbiting the earth. But my interest heightened after the first landing on the moon. My dad and I got out the telescope to look closely for the astronauts landing site.

It was easy to see the moon and some of the terrain, but my little telescope didn't allow me to see any of the stars real close even at maximum power. They still were so far away. It really hit me how vast the universe really was and how really small I was in comparison. It got me thinking how vast God must be to have created it all. I was in awe of Him. The expanse of God's power and thoughts blew me away.

The psalmist talks about the vastness of God's thoughts in Psalm 139. God's wisdom, His understanding, His knowledge is unfathomable. Like the universe there is no end to them. It dawned on me one day that God understood and knew all about nuclear fission long before we discovered it, because He laid out the principles. We have may a hard time with quantum mechanics and string theory, but God just smirks at our quandary over it. There is nothing He doesn't know. The most complex questions of our universe is child's play to God.

Yet of all the things God knows, the focus of His thoughts are on us. Now that blows me away. I keep going back to Psalm 8 and crying out, "O God, how majestic your are. What is man that you think about us? about me?" Yet He does. I'm the object of His thoughts. That's incredible. He's got a whole universe to consider and deal with and He is thinking about me first and foremost. He knows the number of hairs on my head. He knows when I have a hang nail. Unbelievable! He's thinking of me and He's thinking of you this very moment. He knows my thoughts right this instance.

If with all that God has to do in the universe He's focused on each of us, on me, then how can I be too busy to think about Him. And better yet, how can I be too busy for my spouse or my family? God has a whole lot more on His plate than I do. And if He can stay focused on us, individually, what excuse do I have not to focus on the people who are closest to me? I know that I'm not God and have physical limitations, and after all there is only so much time in the day. However, it ought to help prioritize what's really important in my life. My responsibilities, my stuff, my agenda isn't nearly as involved or important as God's, so if God thinks that focusing on the people He loves above all else is vital, maybe there's a lesson for me.

God, you are so awesome. I'm am drawn to your majestic nature. I'm drawn not just because you have unlimited knowledge and power. I'm drawn because you're focused on me and demonstrate that love to me. Help me to have the same kind of thoughtfulness and focus on my wife and family. Give me the insight, wisdom, strength, timing and love I need to express to my loved ones.

Daily Reflections on Rom. 12:10 (Honoring Others)

2009-02-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday, I challenged our congregation to take the "Love Dare" by Stephen and Alex Kendrick. It's a forty day devotional and lifestyle challenge especially focused at married couples, but has some profound implications to all relationships. We're doing it in correlation with a series I'm doing on marriage and family. Each day the Love Dare has a basic scripture followed by some thoughts and then finally a love challenge for the day. There's a place to keep a journal of what's happening in your relationship. So for the next 6 weeks I have decided to use the basic scripture as a basis for my own reflections.

My first observation is that each day as you digest the scripture and thought for the day and then take the challenge, that something happens to you. It changes you, your attitude, your behavior patterns. It's easy to get into destructive behavior patterns without even knowing. The more familiar we become with our partner over time, there is a tendency to just let our relationship hover. The routines of life take over and before you know it the thrill is gone.

Day to day it's hard to stay focused on your relationship. Before long many marriages are more like a drudgery than a joy. Things get said or don't get said that begin to create small fissures in a marriage. Over time those fissures grow and if nothing is done can be devastating. But if proper steps are taken, those fissures can be repaired.

When we got married we promised to love, honor and cherish our spouse till death. Unfortunately the honoring and cherishing dissipates rather quickly. Mistake. Honoring our spouse is the key to a healthy a relationship. Sunday, I talked about the importance of husbands honoring their spouse from 1 Peter 3:7. There's a tendency among men to want their wives to honor them, to build them up, to have their wives support them while they build their own careers or accomplish their own goals. Yet, God instructs husbands to honor their wives and build them up in the same way Christ does the church.

But the truth is honoring our mate has to happen by both marriage partners. As I honor my mate, my spouse is moved toward me. Who wants to be criticized, critiqued or made to feel subservient all the time. But if someone honors you, you are drawn to them. And something strange happens to me, as I focus on honoring someone, especially my spouse, my heart and attitude change toward them. I find myself rooting for that person and wanting to invest more into that person.

God, I want to honor my wife in practical ways. I realize that when I honor her I'm honoring you. Give me the insight and wisdom to help her become all she can be. Help me rid myself of my selfishness and sometimes critical or demanding or demeaning speech.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 119:66 (Give Me Wise Discernment)

2009-01-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

I'm bewildered. Why is it that we know the right thing to do and choose to do the wrong thing? We know you can't put a square peg in a round hole, but we'll give it the good ol' college try even to the point of exasperation. We'll pound and squeeze and manipulate to get that sucker in there. We do that with life all the time. We know the right thing, but we try to make our way work anyway.

"Christians" aren't any better than non-Christians when it comes to this subject. I guess that's why the hypocrite label gets attached so quickly. I'm going to go party with my friends, but I'll be there Sunday morning. I'm gonna move in with my girlfriend but I still plan to play in the worship band. I'm gonna join the prayer team, but not stop my verbal abuse of family and coworkers. How is it that we blatantly ignore God's truth and teachings and still expect everything to be hunky dory in our spiritual life, walk with God or even everyday life?

The psalmist says in our passage today, since I believe in God's commandments, teach me good discernment and knowledge. In other words, God I believe in your Word, teach me how to live it practically in my everyday life. Many people believe in God's Word, they just refuse to do it. The Bible's definition of sin is whoever knows the right thing to do and doesn't do it. Sin breaks our relationship with God. Jesus said you can't serve two masters, either you hate the one and love the other or serve the one and not the other. So when we purposely decide to do what God said not to do, we alienate ourselves from God. We are choosing to sever our relationship with God at our own risk.

However, if we truly believe in God and trust Him, then we will do as He asks, instructs, teaches us to do. God isn't interested in being a killjoy to rob us of our fun. He's interested in our well being emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally. It only makes sense to seek God's specific instruction on life issues, daily issues. I'd be a moron not to follow His ways. And since God knows all things and I don't, seeking His direction in the practical areas of life only makes sense.

God, I pray the psalmist's prayer. I believe in your truths. Teach me GOOD discernment and knowledge today and tomorrow and the next day. I want to be in step with you.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 89:15 (There's Nothing Like Corporate Celebration)

2009-01-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Super Bowl plays for the 44th time in just a few days. It's always more fun to watch the game with a group of people, especially when half the crowd roots for one team and the other half roots for the other team. It's great fun. There's something special about the group atmosphere. There's more excitement, more fervor, more celebration, more intensity. Go to any sporting event and you'll experience an environment that elevates the passion for everyone. Announcers often talk about feeling the excitement in the air. Home field advantage is more than just knowing the dimensions of the arena. It's about the crowd and emotions of those in the stands.

The same is true about corporate worship. I love getting out my guitar and singing worship songs during my alone time with God. It is a personal time for me, but somehow it just does match the time of corporate worship at our church or better yet a huge conference with several thousand voices and full instrumentation. The full sound of everyone singing takes me to a different level. The environment stimulates my passion for God and what it means to be a part of His family. It's a taste of heaven.

The psalmist talks about how blessed are those who know that joyful sound of worship or even to the call to worship. They know that the experience is going to bring them closer to the presence of God, emotionally and spiritually. It's through corporate worship that our barriers and distractions are eliminated and we open our heart and mind to God. We feel less inhibited in our expression to God and our intimacy with Him deepens. It's really the closest thing to being in Heaven.

I've tried to picture what it will be like singing around the throne of God. I've read the descriptions in Revelation and the closest thing I can come to it is the 90,000 men I gathered with at a Promise Keepers Rally a few years back. To hear that many men singing praise to God was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. Standing on the stadium floor as the songs echoed across the stands was unbelievable.

I look forward to our worship time every Sunday morning. I can't imagine not having it. I can tolerate poor preaching, oh wait, that's me. I can endure a less inspiring message as long as there is energy in our worship, that it's a true time of celebration. I find that I'm generally more challenged and inspired when our corporate worship opens my heart to God.

Thanks God for loving me. Thanks for allowing me to be in your presence through song and praise. I don't understand why some people choose to miss the corporate celebration of praising you together. It's such an awesome place to meet with you. I can't wait for Sunday.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 146:8 (Seeing Clearly)

2009-01-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

Psalm 146:8 reminds me a lot of Isaiah 61 and Luke 4. In Luke 4, Jesus, speaking in the synagogue in Nazareth, picks up the scroll from Isaiah 61 and begins reading, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD" Then Jesus added that today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

It's apparent that the promise of Psalm 146:8 is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Opening the the eyes of the blind or recovery of sight to the blind appear to have more of a spiritual meaning than a physical meaning. Yes, Jesus did heal the blind physically, but the greater meaning has to do with those who are blind spiritually, emotionally. Those confused by life and/or its questions. Those who come to God or Christ begging for sight, for understanding, for truth will find it in Him.

When we do humble ourselves before God and seek Him, He lifts us up and out of our plight. Now, getting to the point where we are willing to ask God for help can be an interesting journey. For many of us we have to be at the breaking point in life before we're willing to turn to God. Like a two year old, we would rather do it ourself. So we wrestle it ourselves, worry, get frustrated, angry, destroy a few relationships before we're willing to consider submitting it to God.

As long we hang onto our issues, our life, our agenda we miss the greatest promise of this passage. The verse says that God loves the righteous, that means has an intimate relationship and bond with those who've surrendered themselves to God through Christ. Righteousness only comes through Christ, not from ourselves. As long as we keep holding on to our issues or our life, we can never experience the joyful relationship with God.

God, thanks for loving us. I admit that I have a tendency to try to handle everything in life on my own. I know I need you, but I also know I'm stubborn sometimes, ok a lot of times. Give me your vision. Give me your strength. Lift me up. Embrace me as I turn to you and release my life and ministry to you.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 23:12 (Indulgence)

2009-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

We've gone from being an obese nation to a morbidly obese nation. In others words, experts are saying that we've gone beyond a nation with a lot of overweight people, to a nation of people who are really fat. Indulgence is the name of the game. Walk into any restaurant and you'll be served up a meal with three times our daily necessary calories. We've even turned calorie free coffee into a sugar laden, gut busting latte. Oh and don't forget the extra whip.

Overindulgence pretty much marks our culture. We have very little discipline. Something new comes out and we have to have it. That's why our credit cards are maxed out and our personal debt looks like Mt. Vesuvius. We can't control our spending any more than we can control our waist lines. But the same thing is true when it comes to virtually anything else from sex to video games. We're an addictive society. We just can't seem to know when to quit, to lay off, to walk away, to push back.

Our habits have created health problems, financial problems, relationship problems, perspective problems, time problems, emotional problems, and spiritual problems. Our self-gratification gene and our lack of self-discipline has our life spiralling out of control.

Recently I picked up Dr. Michael Roizen's book, "You on a Diet." It's an interesting and informative albeit sarcastic read on eating and health habits of most Americans. It's not so much that we're all a bunch of couch potatoes, which is probably true; it has more to do with our lack of focus and discipline. Solomon, the richest man who has ever lived, talks of the virtue of self-discipline in Proverbs 23:12. He urges us to apply discipline to our life and to diligently seek understanding or knowledge. The point being so that we won't fall into a self destructive lifestyle.

January is a great month to start new goals. Many make New Year's Resolutions but quickly fall back into old patterns. Killing old destructive or unhealthy habits aren't easy. Starting new ones and getting them implemented in our life is even harder. Self discipline isn't necessarily the simplest path to follow. Start a new exercise program and you have to deal with soreness. That's enough to throw the whole "get healthy" plan out the window. But staying with it is what is necessary to get the desired results.

I like what Roizen points out in his book, plan for failure and be ready to make a "You-turn." Discipline is about getting back on the path after your side trip. As you continue to seek knowledge and understanding from God, you'll be quicker to recognize and avoid the things that get you off-track and you'll enjoy a much healthier, stress free life.

God, thanks for Your Word and Your Spirit to guides us, instruct us, and to help us stay focused in the right direction. Thanks for caring enough about my life to give me the help I need. I confess, that without you in my life I would be a total mess. Give me the insights and discipline through Your Spirit to live a healthy, abundant life.

Daily Reflections on Col. 2:2-3 (The Rate of Exchange)

2009-01-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, times are tough these days. The economy is a mess. The stock market has tanked. The housing finance industry is a wreck. Foreclosures are at an all time high. Jobs are disappearing daily. The government is printing bailout money like it's going out of style. Not a lot of security out there right now. I have facetiously joked that my wife's 401k is now officially a 201k.

When things are good we put a lot of faith in getting, achieving, acquiring riches. But ironically, the very things we were pursuing are devouring us. Credit is impossible to get if you have any scar on your record. Everyone's job is insecure. With unemployment at a 25 year high and getting worse, bankruptcy court is going to get a lot busier.

With things so insecure in our world today, many scramble for security in whatever they can find, or should I say whomever they can find. Right after the 2008 Presidential Election, one lady interviewed loudly proclaimed, "No more mortgage payments, no more car payments. Obama is going to take care of us." Um, maybe she misunderstood his platform. Just last week, a lady from my church called me to inform me that she was moving in with her boyfriend because he was going to take care of her. Really?

Unfortunately, the riches of this world are fleeting and unsustainable. Material possessions don't satisfy. As Paul says in Romans, people are exchanging the glory of God for idols. True riches, lasting riches are found in God through Christ. Col. 2 pointedly states wealth comes from the full assurance and knowledge of Jesus. In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Why do we choose to worship created things versus the the Creator of things? Why are willing to give up intimacy with God for material things or self gratifying things? Why are we willing to purposely defy God to satisfy our personal wants, needs or perceived security? Why are willing to exchange true wealth, true security, true abundant life for temporary pleasure or a lie? Why are we willing to exchange eternity with God for the something that is doomed for ultimate destruction?

God, I'm placing my hope and trust in you, not stocks and bonds or government or people or material things. You truly have the words of eternal life. Why would I seek anything else but you? I'd rather have you, Lord that all the riches in the world, because they can't compare to the wealth I've found in you.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 10:12 (The Power of Love and Hate)

2009-01-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Fights always seem to draw crowds, whether professional or street fights. For whatever reason, people gather to watch two people pummel each other. Maybe it's just the commotion or maybe it stirs some animalistic urges in all of us, but for whatever the reason most people are drawn to the intrigue of two battling foes.

At the same time, most people hate conflict and will do anything to avoid it. We don't like tension. We don't like dissension. It makes us feel uncomfortable at best. Being in the same room where two people hate each other causes us to look for the open door to make our exit in a hurry.

Hatred is a destructive force. Not only does it affect us personally, it affects our relationships and our environment. Hatred eats us up on the inside and prevents us from really enjoying life and the people around us. It poisons our attitude and distracts us from accomplishing great things. Living with a chip on our shoulder robs us and others around us of the kind of life God would have for us.

Where quarrels and fights draw crowds, love expressed openly draws people. Who would rather be around a seething grouchy person with venom being spewed from their lips or someone who warmly embraces people around them? No brainer, right? Love takes the hit and reaches out in mercy, forgiveness and grace. Hate takes the hit and strikes back.

When Jesus went to the cross, he took the hit of our hate, disobedience, sin and offered up mercy, forgiveness and grace. But with that also comes hope and encouragement and opportunity and healing. Jesus said that others would know we were His followers by our love for one another. 1 John states that it is impossible to hate our brothers and/or sisters and love God, because God is love. God has nothing to do with hate. God is about restoration and reconciliation and life. To be a part of His Kingdom, His Family means that we too should be characterized by love.

God, please remove any hate from me. Help me to love like you love, to bring healing and hope and encouragement to others.

Daily Reflections on Eccl. 10:10 (Saving Time, Energy and Frustration)

2009-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

In high school I had a shop class focused on motors and engines. Not only did we learn how different kinds of motors worked, we learned different tools necessary for fixing them. Most of us in the class weren't mechanic material so we had a lot to learn.

One day, we had the assignment of simply cutting a pipe with a hacksaw. In fact, we had a little contest to see who cut their pipe the fastest. Guys, grabbed a hacksaw and went to blazing. Now mind you, most of the students in the class had never used a hacksaw. Most were working furiously to show the teacher how good (and muscular) they were.

After a few minutes of watching his incompetent students, our teacher stopped us. He explained how a hacksaw worked. Some of the guys had actually ruined their blades because of their violent attack on the pipe. Allowing the saw to due the work, he cut through the pipe in a couple minutes without breaking a sweat. We all stood aghast thinking, "that was easy." Once we all got the hang of it, we all could cut through the pipe easily.

I've thought a lot about that lesson in life in more recent years. It seems that many times I've attacked an issue or situation or my job much the same way we attacked those pipes with our hacksaws, with all out fury and wasted energy. I've increased my blood pressure (and others'), encountered tons of frustration (and created plenty for others), and worn myself out (and others) trying to accomplish something with brute strength.

Solomon says, "Hey you moron, sharpen the ax and use the right technique." As my energy has waned and my strength been sapped, I've finally come to the conclusion that I need to approach life and problems differently. Getting through the pipes of life would be a whole easier if I would simply deepen my connection with God and seek His wisdom and then apply His technique.

God, I really need your wisdom. I've tried to do things in my own strength, energy and ingenuity through the years and worn out a whole bunch of people including myself. I want to embrace you more, listen more, spend time with you more so that I can gain your wisdom and apply your wisdom to life, relationships, job, ministry, and family.

Daily Reflections on Zeph. 3:17 (Did You Know God Sings Over YOU?)

2008-12-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Praise and worship are a significant part of our expression to God. Music and song are important to us. Moses, Deborah, David, Mary among others broke out into songs of praise to God for His miraculous intervention or action in their lives. Jehoshaphat defeated a whole army with nothing more than dancing, singing, timbrels all pointed at praise to God (2 Chronicles 20).

Hebrews tells us to continually offer up the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Psalm 22 states that God is enthroned on the praises of His people. There is just something about singing praise to God that draws us close to Him, that stirs our heart toward Him. We talk about feeling His presence in worship. Expressing our praise to God through singing can often make us more aware of His presence than simply reading or praying.

But did you know that God sings over us? Did you know that His delight in us causes Him to break in song? Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

It's only natural for a parent to sing over their child. I remember when my first born was just a baby. She used to have a "sleepy song", a song she would sing to herself when she was tired. Whenever she would be fussing, startled or upset, I simply would cuddle her and hum her "sleepy song" to her. She would always calm down. At bedtime, she used to have Teddy Ruxpin doll that sang lullaby songs to her at night that helped her go to sleep. Many restless nights, I found myself rocking her while singing those songs to her. She would inevitably relax and fall off to sleep.

Sleeptime wasn't the only time I sang to my daughter. Throughout her life growing up, I sang all sorts of songs to her. Of course there was always "Happy Birthday." But I sang songs as we played or drove in the car. I often would make up funny songs just to hear her laugh or get a reaction.

God is with you throughout each day from the time you arise until, well, until the time you arise the next day. He knows what you're facing good and bad. He knows your stresses, your joys, your successes, your failures, your delights, your dislikes, your challenges, your moods, your temptations, your passions. He delights in you. He quiets your fears with His love. He rejoices over you with singing.

The next time you're facing that impossible challenge or feeling really depressed, nervous, anxious, defeated or afraid, remember this verse and imagine God taking you into His loving arms humming a soothing melody. The next time you have that great success or wonderful joy, picture God in full smile singing a song of rejoicing with you. And don't forget, God knows the words to "Happy Birthday," in fact He inspired them. When you sit before your cake on your next birthday, listen closely, because God is singing to you.

God, it's unimaginable to think that you take such delight in me that you'd sing over me. Of all the things and people in the universe, you would pay that close attention to me. I love to sing to you, but it rarely crosses my mind that you love to sing to me. I long to hear your voice in song and I will continue to praise you.

Daily Reflections on Dan. 2:20-22 (Relief in Anxious Times)

2008-11-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of unrest over the last couple months leading up to and since the general election. Democrats control both the house and senate. Barak Obama is our new president elect. The stock market continues to take a beating. Bankruptcies are pending for businesses and individuals alike. Big businesses and mortgage companies are still begging for bailouts. The big three US automakers are in real trouble. Foreclosures are at an all time high. The unemployment rate is at it highest in over 25 years.

A lot of people are feeling the heat (and it isn't coming from their furnace, heating oil is too high). Store retailers are predicting one of the worst Christmas seasons in recent history. A friend of mine recently had to close his business because revenue was down and banks aren't lending.

With all the turmoil going on in our country and even the world, many are dealing with various forms of anxiety. They are worried about the economy, their's in particular. They are distress about their 401K or health insurance or investments. They are anxious about a new president who may or may not be to their liking.

Daniel went through some major changes in his life. There was an extreme regime change in his country. It was conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel was carried off into captivity. He was ripped away from his home and family and forced to serve the new king. Instead of going to pieces and worrying himself to death, Daniel took care of himself physically and spiritually staying close to God. In Daniel 2:20-22, he says, "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them." He recognized that God was in control.

Daniel didn't have a collapse. He didn't lie awake at night. He didn't get depressed or have an anxiety attack. He continued to serve God no matter how bleak the circumstances seem to be. Daniel was close to losing his life. Yet, because of his faithfulness and trust in God, he was spared his life.

God, I don't what's going to happen to our country and our economy. We are in uneasy times. I'm counting on you to see me through. I want to focus on the things Daniel focused on, taking care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually. I'm keeping my eyes on you and I'm trusting you. Allow me to point others to you during these unsettling days.

Daily Reflections on Ezek. 37:1-14 (I Thought It Was Dead)

2008-11-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

As a kid with a big imagination, I loved the story of the valley of dry bones found in Ezekiel 37. I could picture this valley covered with dry bones everywhere. An arm here. A leg there. A disconnected hand. Then all of the sudden, the bones begin to rattle as the bump together in an attempt to find their missing counter parts. Before long skeleltons would be forming, some looking for a leg or an arm. Others would be looking for their head like C3P0 in episode 2 of "Stars Wars." Dogs would be chasing the dancing bones, while half formed skeletons would be trying to get away. (I said I had a big imagination.) The next thing you know these separated dry bones were coming to life again.

Normally, I was not into horror movies or skeletons. Even scenes from "Pirates of the Carribean" kind of freak me out. But for some reason, this story fascinated me and still does to this day. Modern day special effects artists would do wonders depicting this scene.

Although I think Ezekiel tends to be one of those books left to those into prophesy and end times, I think that there's a much deeper meaning to this odd story than meets the eye. It really captures the theme of the entire Bible in these few short verses. There's nothing deader in our minds than a bunch of old dry bones. No chance for life. Yet, God speaks to these dead, dry bones through Ezekiel and they begin to come to life.

That's the whole message of the Bible. Things that where dead by our standards can be revived by the power of God. It is certainly true of our spiritual life and our relationship with God. He can take the deadest of lives and revive them. And if that's true about our spiritual life, what about other areas of our life? If God can raise the dead spiritually and physically, what about a dead marriage or a dead career or dead finances or a dead relationship? If all God did was to tell Ezekiel to prophesy or deliver His message to a bunch of dry bones and they came to life, why can't He do that to these other areas of life?

What seems dead in your life right now? What seems hopeless? Maybe all it needs is God's breath blown into it or God's word spoken into it to be revived. Remember God spoke creation into existence. He has the power to give life. How about putting it into God's hand?

God, you are totally amazing. You speak and life happens. You blow your breath and things come to life. Speak into my life. Blow your breath upon me. Revive the dead areas of my life. Renew me.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 27:23-27 (Managing Finances in Tough Economic Times)

2008-11-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

It's been called the worst economic times since the depression. Since I didn't live in the depression I'd have say that it's the worst economic times that I've experienced since the Jimmy Carter days. Back then we faced double digit inflation, interest rates reached as high as 21%, gas prices had quadrupled through the decade. Things were spiraling out of control. It was an uneasy time for America.

But today's financial crisis is something that I've never experienced before. The idea of a total economic meltdown has many really worried. Poor fiscal practices at all levels have no doubt led us to where we are today nationally and internationally. Even if you had saved diligently and thought you invested wisely for your future, you are still not safe. Many 401k's or retirement accounts are taking huge hits. I like the cartoon that recently appeared in the New Yorker magazine of stock broker on the phone telling his client he needed to diversify mattress.

Solomon gives some wise advice in Proverbs 27 regarding financial security. He talks about knowing the conditions of your flocks and herds. Now most of us don't measure our wealth by our livestock these days. But there is something to be said about keeping a close eye on our assets and investments and being aware of the condition of our overall finances.

As I read these words I was just reflecting on the condition of my own finances and got out a pen and paper. To be honest, it was a little depressing. My wife and I had used up all of our reserves to invest in the church plant we are currently serving. So this last year has been especially hard. Our youngest daughter was suspected of having lymphoma. Our part of the bill was over $5,000. Our oldest daughter totaled one of our cars. The payoff on the loan was over $1,500. Within the span of six weeks I lost engines in 2 vehicles and along with other repairs and car rentals the cost was over $13,000. We made an investment to start a new business to cover some these costs of over $6,000. In just the last twelve months we have had unexpected expenses totalling over $27,000. Ouch! And that doesn't include my wife's 401k that has lost nearly 40% of it's value over the same time period.

Depressing? Absolutely. Defeated? Absolutely not. Now more than ever Solomon's sound words make sense. By considering the condition of our finances we can make wise financial and budgeting decisions about our present and our future. Despite $4 a gallon gas and crashing stock markets, through careful financial planning we've been able to increase our offerings to our church by 20% and still knock off over $5,000 of our unexpected debt.

God, Solomon was right when he said that riches don't endure forever. It's really important in the stewardship of life and resources to pay attention. I don't need a lot of luxuries. I just need the basics. Even in a tanking economy living by your wise advice both personally and financially makes a lot of sense. I know that the only way we've been able to make it is by trusting you to supply and giving us the wisdom to manage our finances. Thanks, Lord.

Daily Reflections on Titus 2:1-8 (Relationships Are Hard)

2008-10-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

Relationships are hard these days, especially with all the role confusion. The Equal Rights Movement has pushed us deeper into a selfish mentality. Every one demands "their" rights. It's about me, what I want, what I deserve.

Paul, in his instruction to Titus, has a different take on what makes for healthy relationship and a sound society. He list some characteristics that need to be apparent among the mature figures of our communities and families and churches. He says that mature men or older men should be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, sound in their faith, love and endurance. Grouchy, demanding, irreverent, selfish behavior is not appropriate. Mature men should be models for other men to follow. The should set the standard for younger men to mimic.

Too often older men think that as head of their home, everyone else should bow to their every wish and whim and serve their every need. They bark out orders, make demands that everyone else should follow. But that's not the image that Paul paints here. Respect is not gained through demand. Respect is gained through a servant mentality and appropriate behavior. Respect is gained when I demonstrate a consistency of faith, love and endurance; when my life matches our image of wholesomeness, grace and strength. Wives respect husbands who serve them and their families and others with a genuine love that comes from an inner strength and confidence.

Society tells wives today to demand equal status from their relationships. But equal status isn't gained through demands and selfishness. It's gained through servanthood. Once again, a serving heart will gain higher status in the eyes of their husbands than a demanding or argumentative one. To make a relationship work, both persons must relinquish their rights and seek the best interest of the other. Paying attention to family needs and serving those needs is the key to a healthy marital relationship, by both husband and wife.

Paul says that the responsibility of modeling and passing these concepts on is that of mature men and women. That means older men and women have to work harder at displaying these characteristics in their own lives and marriages and relationships. Older men ought to practice temperate behavior that gains the respect of younger men. Older women should demonstrate a graceful reverence that gets the attention and admiration of younger ladies.

But Paul doesn't stop there. He makes a point of older men and women assuming the role of instructor to their younger counterparts. It can't be in a demanding sort of way. The instruction should be in mentoring role. Wouldn't it be great if within our churches and neighborhoods and communities we would see mature men, women, couples who demonstrated these characteristics in their lives, taking younger men, women, couples under their wings to encourage, teach, mentor, and love them?

God, I still have a lot to learn about being the kind of husband that honors my wife and family. I still need a mentor in my life. But, Lord, help me find a younger man that I can pass on what I've learned. Fill me with your grace, strength, insights, patience, understanding and desire. Help me to model these characteristics to others.

Daily Reflections on Ps 90 and 91 (Is Anything Secure Anymore?)

2008-10-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

Not doubt these are troubling times. Wars continue to plague us. Economic disaster appears imminent. Jobs are insecure. The housing market is tanking. Credit is hard to come by. The uncertainty of a presidential election. Medicare is in trouble. Social Security is headed for bankruptcy. The stock market is on life support. Banks are failing. Foreclosures are at an all time high. Global warming is threating our environment. Natural disasters are wreaking havoc everywhere. There's general unrest throughout the world. Terrorism remains a real threat.

It's no wonder many have a sense of anxiety. We are crying out for peace and security and things to be calm again in our lives. The basis of our anxiety is our perception of the circumstances which surround us. Things appear out of control which creates the feelings of insecurity and uncertainty.

When we base our feelings on the circumstances around us, we place ourselves in risky hands. As long as things go smooth, we're fine. But when things get a little out of kilter, the nervousness and anxiety begins to creep in and ultimately takes over.

The psalmist suggests that if we want to feel secure no matter the circumstances that arise around us, we should put our trust in God. The Bible uses terms like "refuge" and "fortress" to describe God's protection and solace. It's turning complete control over to Him of all aspects of our lives. Since we live in a society that promotes individualism and personal achievement, surrendering that complete control is a huge challenge for most of us. We're are good at saying it, just not good at doing it.

Dwelling in the shelter of the Most High sounds really cool, actually doing it is another story. We are so used to trusting in ourselves or the government or our employer or our wealth that it's hard to let go. Unfortunately all those things falter and eventually pass. Our skill and ability and health fades. Governments eventually fall. Wealth slips away. Employers shut their doors. But God remains steadfast.

Read these psalms again. Capture the essence of God's secure eternal nature and His readiness to cover us with His protective presence. Reflect on His power and awesome love. Choose then where you want to dwell, in the turmoil and pressure of the world or in the shelter of His presence.

God, I live most of my life wrestling with things over which I have no power. I often find myself in internal tension and worrying about things I can't change or impact. I struggle needlessly with the world and the things of this world resting in my own ability, ingenuity or strength. I'm worn out. My blood pressure is too high. It's sometimes hard to sleep. Cover me with your wings. I want to dwell in you. Teach me to number my days aright.

Daily Reflections on 1 Tim. 6:7-19 (Money, Money, Money)

2008-10-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Money makes the world go round. If that's the case the world must be coming to a halt or even might be spinning backward. Government bail outs, foreclosures, bank failures, stock devaluation has the world economy in a precarious position. All I know is that my wife's 401k has plummeted nearly 40% in the last year. There's now less in the fund than what we've put into it. The value of my house has also dropped significantly in the past year. The interest on my saving accounts has virtually dropped to nothing. I'm thinking about transferring my investments to my mattress.

Economies are cyclical, or so I'm told. Markets fluctuate and occasionally self correct. But the truth is that nothing financial is certain in life. If we place all our focus and energy into getting and making money or material things, we may be investing in things that are fleeting or worse. Paul tells Timothy that the love of of money is the root of all evil. Let's be honest, much of the financial crisis that we're facing today has to do with major lending companies greed. The executives love of money has led to a major disaster worldwide.

Paul challenges us as followers of Christ to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness instead of money. He said to take hold of eternal life. He says those with wealth shouldn't put their hope in it. It's uncertain. That's been apparent recently. Putting your hope in God is a much more secure place. Riches are found in doing good deeds. By doing so, we lay up treasures in heaven.

I can tell you from personal experience that financial investment don't always pay lasting dividends. Sometimes you take a huge loss, even on things that appear to be safe. The only investments that you can count on being lasting and always paying dividends are the investments you make in the Kingdom of God. God's stock never crashes. His bank never fails. His rewards out pay any here on earth.

God, I want to be rich. Not in financial terms but in Kingdom terms. I'm laying up my treasures in heaven. Help me be wise in my earthly investment, but I'm placing my hope in you. I want to be rich in good deeds.

Daily Reflections on 2 Thes. 1:4-12 (Getting Vengeance)

2008-10-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Vengeance is mine says the Lord. I keep reminding myself of that promise. Last night I learned of the tragic murder of two of my friends and former church members. I confess my heart aches deeply today and my anger is brewing under the surface. Everything within me is crying out, "It's wrong. It's wrong, Lord." I find myself longing to be at the sides of family members. I want to get involved in the investigation. I want their killers hunted down. I want God to do something.

In my frustration, God brought me some comfort in today's reading from 2 Thessalonians. In the most severest of trials, faith is of the utmost importance. It's our steadfastness of faith that makes a difference and draws us to the presence of God. In these verses, Paul reassures us that God is just and will pay back those who cause us, His faithful, trouble. He also promises to give us relief from our trouble. In the end, God will punish those who don't know Him or obey His standards. He will bring on them everlasting destruction and ban them from His presence.

But for those of us who are faithful and remain in Him and trust Him, God promises to be glorified in us. We experience His majestic power. God will right things in the end. Evil will be punished. His faithful rewarded. I have no question in my mind of the eternal fate of my friends. Today they are in the very presence of God. I look forward to embracing them again because of Jesus.

Yet, my heart still aches for my loss, for the family of my friends and my former congregation. So what little comfort I'm able to bring to them, I'll offer it. Like Paul, my constant prayers will be for them; that not only that God brings them comfort but through them God will fulfill an even greater purpose because of their faith.

God, I need your comfort and reassurance today. I know the family of my friends need your comfort and reassurance today. I'm asking that you bring your punishment upon those who did this evil. Show your mighty power. Remove any vengeful spirit in me and the family. Pour out your grace on us.

Daily Reflections on Col. 3:18-4:6 (A Key to Healthy Relationships)

2008-10-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

We have encouraged our church to read through the Bible in a year and have prepared little booklets for them to help them keep track of their progress and record their thoughts and insights. In fact, part of the purpose of this devotional blog is help them them with their reading. This morning my wife came in early and woke me telling me that I needed to be sure do today's reading because it tells me to love my wife. I haven't called her at work yet to tell her that it also tells her to submit to her husband, a part that she obviously omitted to mention.

Actually, this text goes on to talk about several relationships such as parent/child and slave/master (employee/employer). In his discussion on these relationships, Paul talks about whatever we do, work at with all our heart as working for the Lord. He goes on to say that it is actually the Lord Christ we are serving. The context would imply that employees/slaves should work with a sincere and reverent heart toward the Lord in doing their job.

Yet, in the total context of this passage there appears to be more here in intent. A few verses later when he is talking about dealing with non-Christians, he says to let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt. He is talking about how we treat one another. Submitting, loving, obeying, not embittering, working, providing, speaking are attitudinal issue. It's not about self. It's about others. Relationships thrive and are healthiest when there is mutual trust and respect. But that has to start with me. I have to have a sincere, caring, respectful heart toward others including my wife, my kids, my parents, my boss, my employees, my neighbors, my co-workers, even strangers.

Bottom line is that I should treat others as if I was treating, serving Christ. That mean wives submit to/serve their husbands like they are serving Christ. Husbands are to love their wives like they are loving Christ. Children are to obey their parents like they were obeying Christ. Parents are to raise their children as they would Christ. Employees are to work for their bosses like they are working for Christ. Bosses should supervise their employees like they were supervising Christ. Sounds weird and almost awkward, yet that's what in fact we are doing.

God, help me remember to love and serve my wife and children and parents like I would you.

Daily Reflections on Phil. 4:8 (Winning the Battle Over Temptation)

2008-10-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

My mind is the battlefield of sin. When we’re focused on the things of the Spirit, we’ll do what the Spirit wants. We’re new creations; the old self is gone. Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you knew that you shouldn’t be involved in and an alarm kind of goes off in your head? That alarm goes off in you because it’s not right, because it’s not your nature anymore. Your nature is now love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control.

The real battle is not the moment of temptation itself. Some think temptation comes at us and in that moment we’re going to decide whether we sin or not. That’s not where the battle is. The real battle is the mind, when we’re entertaining thoughts. When Satan puts that thought into our mind, we have a choice of what to do with that thought. We can reject it OR mull it over and over and over. The moment we start entertaining those thoughts, we’re sunk.

Satan’s not worried about time. He doesn’t toss out the temptation at the same time he gives you the thought. He’ll just toss the thought your way. He may do it several times. Then we have the choice of whether or not we’re going to entertain it. The moment we decide to think about it, Satan has us. He’s going to let it stew a little and let that thought grow. And then at the opportune moment, he’ll present the opportunity to us and we take it hook, line and sinker.

The choice was made the moment you decided to entertain the thought. You were done the moment you told the Holy Spirit to back off because you wanted to think about this one. That’s when the battle is being fought. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that that battle is being fought on a daily basis. We make decisions all day long.

I’m not saying that just because you have an evil thought you’re going to sin. But that’s how Satan works, by simply tossing thoughts your way. The more we entertain those thoughts, that’s when we’re sunk.

If we’re in a daily spiritual battle then we can’t put our mind into neutral. We must be ready to face those decisions. The mindset we come to things with is the mindset we’re going to perceive things through. If we think it’s going to be a great day, if we’re chipper, then our body language tells it all. And the same is true on how we deal with sin. We have to get our mind ready. This is a daily battle so get ready; prepare your mind in Christ. Set your mind on spiritual things.

Remember, the battle is in your mind, not at the moment of temptation. So if we’re focusing on these things mentioned in Philippians 4:8, then we’re able to resist sin, resist temptation when the opportunity presents itself. It’s amazing how many people tell me that they can watch all sorts of stuff or be around all sorts of stuff and it not have to worry about sinning themselves. And I can guarantee them that if they start entertaining those thoughts, it’s only a matter of time before they fall.

God, I don’t want to live a defeated spiritual life. I want a joy-filled, abundant life of victory in you. I know that I can’t overcome temptation and sin on my own power. I need your Spirit at work in me, empowering me. Thanks for forgiving my sin through Jesus and giving me the full measure of your Holy Spirit when I accepted you as Lord and Savior.

Daily Reflections on Isa. 65:17-25 (Better Days Ahead)

2008-10-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

The 2008 presidential election is about a month away. Media pundits have decried this to be the most important election of our time period. The hopes of many are that things will drastically improve in our economy, in our world situation, in stability of life. Yet, the truth is that nothing is going to change that drastically immediately following the election. Political changes may bring some minor changes, but honestly no one imagined how the world would change after 9/11 in the first year after George Bush's election. Elected officials had little impact. The tragedy of events would have happened whether Gore or Bush would have won.

The world we live in is a fallen world full of pain and tragedy and hardship. No matter the political changes, we will still face the same issues. No one has the power over hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. No one can take away the tragedy of a fatal accident or illness. The cruelness of people will go on. Unnecessary words will still flow from lips, probably our own.

The world we live in is a mess and always will be. And that's what makes the promise of heaven even richer. Reading Isaiah 65 is a lot like reading Revelation 21. We get the picture of what heaven will be like. There will be no more weeping; no infant deaths; fullness of life; incredible dwelling places that won't wear out or need repair; no meaningless toil; no misfortune; peace on all sides; no separation from family; no temptations.

Heaven has a lot to be desired. But the best benefit of all is being in the presence of God Himself and seeing His full glory. It will be a time of rejoicing and delight. But the only way to enjoy what God has prepared for us is to surrender our life to Him, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior of our life and living in Him. You cannot say, "I'll take the salvation thing," and then continue to live your life ignoring God. Reading through Isaiah, it's apparent that God will simply turn His back on those who turn their back on Him.

God, I'm putting my hope in you not politicians or governments. I'm looking forward to the rejoicing and delight of heaven. I'm fixing my eyes on Jesus and placing my trust into your hands.

Daily Reflections on Isa. 61:1-2, 10 (Release Feels So Good)

2008-09-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Jesus strolled into his hometown synagogue with His building prominence. He had been making quite a name for Himself throughout the region with His teaching. He was asked to speak out of courtesy or perhaps curiosity. After all, He was the son of a carpenter turned rabbi. He asked for the scrolls from Isaiah and began to read from chapter 61, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD." Then He told the crowd listening, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Jesus' proclamation about this Himself and this passage tells us that this chapter is prophecy about promise of God's Messiah. Not only did Jesus make this assertion, the religious leaders and others in the synagogue believed this passage was about God's Deliverer as well. They were so incensed by Jesus' claim to be the Messiah that they wanted to throw Him off a cliff.

If everyone in Jesus' day understood this passage to be about God's promise to deliver His people, then it only makes sense for us to interpret these verses in light of God's promise. Look again at the words Isaiah uses; bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. They are promises regarding the victory Jesus brings to our spiritual state.

The message of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection is good news to us who are struggling in our own humanity. He brings hope for those who have no hope. He releases us from the burden and captivity of our sinful nature. The favorable year of the Lord is a reference to the Year of Jubilee when all debts were forgiven and things restored to the original owners. The favorable year of the Lord is symbolic of God's forgiveness of all our debts, sins, or as the KJV Bible says, trespasses.

If this passage is about the deliverance God brings through Jesus, then the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness referred to in verse 10 is a direct parallel to Galatians 3:27 which says, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." When I accept Christ and are baptized into Him, God puts on us the garment of salvation or the robe of His righteousness. That means that when God looks at us, He no longer sees our guilty, sinful lives; He sees Jesus. No wonder God remembers our sin no more.

God, thanks for doing for me what I can't do for myself. I'm trapped in my own sinful, corrupt, human nature. There's no way out except for you. Thanks for healing my spirit. Thanks for opening the locks to the fetters that hold me down, that enslave me. Thanks for your wonderful forgiveness. Thanks for the renewal and restoration.

Daily Reflections for Isa. 57:14-21 (From Mourning to Praise)

2008-09-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

As the leaves begin to turn and fall enters the scene, lining up a put gets a little more challenging. The greens are still manicured as usual, but the wear and tear of of all the ball marks, traffic, new hole placements begin to take their toll. On top of that, the leaves don't stay on the trees and come floating down onto the once smooth verdant surface. And with the falling leaves often come various other debris like twigs and acorns. It makes putting a little more difficult.

I have often thought about bringing a leaf blower with me to the golf course in the fall, but that means I would have to take the chain saw out of my bag that I normally use to get rid of inappropriately placed branches and trees. The little things on the green that cause your ball to hop, change directions or even stop are an irritation at best. They can cause your score to go up and in fact make it difficult to get the ball in the cup. The only chance you have of making the put is if you remove the obstacles.

That's exactly what God does for us through Jesus Christ. He removes the obstacles that lead to Him and lasting relationship with Him. God really isn't into punishing they way many people think. Yes, God will and does punish us for our sin. He has to because He is just. But God's desire is to restore, to renew, to create.

According to Isaiah 57, those who are contrite of heart and return in complete dependence upon Him, God will revive their hearts, forget His anger toward them, heal them, guide them, comfort them, create an inner joy for them, renew their hope, bring inner peace to their life. If we show an inkling to come back to Him, God makes it possible. And when we do come to Him in full surrender, He embraces us with His fullness, love, mercy, grace and riches.

God, I don't want to be like the wicked who can't find peace. I want to experience your renewal and refreshment and peace in my life. Remove the obstacles that keep me from you. Prepare the path that leads to you. Look deep into my heart and see my contrition. Remove my curses. Show me your face. Heal my heart. Turn my mourning into praise.

Daily Reflections on Eph. 4:17-32 (Sensuality, Selfishness and Sense)

2008-09-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Barak Obama's recent comment of putting lipstick on a pig reminded me of the statement Jesus made about casting pearls before swine. The implication that Jesus was making was that pigs have no appreciation of something so valuable. Their only concern is is it eatable. They are only interested in satisfying their basic instinct.

The point Paul makes in Ephesians 4 is similar. He tells followers of Christ not to live like unbelievers anymore. There is a stark difference between the world's way of thinking and God's way of thinking. And as a child of God, my thinking should resemble that of my heavenly Father. The world's way of thinking is similar to that of the swine described by Jesus, who cannot value the things of God and are only interested in pursuing their own basic desires.

It seems that the world has three basic desires; self, sex and cents. That's cents as in money not as in common sense. All of life is centered on those three things. Nothing seems to stand in their way. Morality has simply become what feels right to me in order to get what I really want.

God calls us to a higher standard than that of the world. Since we've been made new in Christ and have God's Holy Spirit living in us as followers of Christ, the natural desires of our old life have to be put away. Even though we still live in a world that has lost all sensitivity, we must allow God to transform our minds and practices by immersing ourselves in Him. As a human being, my fleshly nature wants to take over. As a new creation in Christ, God's Spirit is forging me. The battleground is my heart, mind and attitude.

Putting off the old self with all its desires and tendencies is a daily challenge that I can never accomplish on my own. The only way that will happen is for me to give in to the Spirit. I must live my life in submission to, under complete control of the Holy Spirit. That's what it means to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

God, I struggle daily with my old self. Just when I think I'm getting a handle on it, my old self presses through. I need your Spirit to seize me. I need to immerse myself in your Word and thoughts. The corruption of the world tries to desensitize me to your values and truths. Renew my thinking daily, Lord. Draw me to your presence. Allow me to taste of your righteousness and holiness.

Daily Reflections on Isa. 43:18019; Eph. 3:14-21 (I Can't Change)

2008-09-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

"That's just who I am. I've always been this way." "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." These are among the phrases I've heard throughout my years of ministry regarding why people can't change. I could give you an endless list of excuses and rationale many people use for staying in the same destructive pattern of behavior. Any objective observer sees through facade.

Yet many of us are so shaped by our past or are so haunted by our past that it makes it hard for us to enjoy or even to live in the opportunities of the present and future. I love this passage from Isaiah 43:18-19. God tells us to forget the former things and not to dwell on the things of our past. He says that He is going to do a new thing. He tells us that He is making a way in the desert and refreshing streams in the wasteland.

Living in the mistakes, circumstances, oppression of our past can make us feel like we're in a desert. We feel trapped and worthless. It saps our dreams and leads us to depression, anxiety, guilt and probably a myriad of other emotions and mindsets. It's really hard for us to imagine how God could do anything significant in our lives or how our lives could be anything different.

If anyone understood the imprisoning power of past life, it had to be the Apostle Paul. He like many of the Bible heroes had his fair share of skeletons in the closet. There were plenty of dark moments that Paul would have just as soon faded away into oblivion. I'm sure the echoes of cries and screams of persons and family members he put to death haunted him each night as he placed his head on the pillow. As he closed his eyes he could see the faces of desperate mom's, wives, children of the men he ordered to die.

Yet, Paul found relief, hope, direction, refreshment in Christ. Perhaps that is one of factors that drove him to share the message of the Good News of God through Jesus. In Ephesians 3:14-21 he shares a prayer of restoration and relief and hope for others. He prays for us to find that inner strength that comes through the Spirit of God. He prays that we would discover the incredible depth, width, breadth of God's refreshing, forgiving, redeeming, restoring, empowering love. The kind of love that truly transforms us.

For those who say, "I could never change," or "I could never amount to much," or my situation is hopeless," Paul proclaims, "Now to Him is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."

God, you said that if anyone be in Christ Jesus he or she is a new creation, that the old is gone, that we have been made new. But it's hard for me to escape my past. It's filled with disappointment, devastation, blunders, pain that keep me chained and burdened. It's hard for me to see anything but that. I want to see your new thing. Give me a glimpse. Work your change in me. Free me the old things of my past that hold me down and prevent me from enjoying life with you.

Daily Reflections on Isa. 4:2-6 (Personal Devastation, Disaster, and Restoration)

2008-09-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Facing disaster is demoralizing. Last night a friend and former co-laborer in Christ shared with me the devastating news with me that he had a form of bone cancer. My heart sank. I saw the deep grief in his eyes and felt his emotional pain as we embraced to pray. Most people, at some point in their life, will face a disaster of their own. It may not be cancer, but it most certainly will be just as demoralizing. It could be anything from a broken relationship to a lost job to the death or ill health of a loved one to a rebellious family member. It could be a natural disaster like Katrina or a tornado. It could be a financial collapse or a foreclosure. No matter the personal disaster, our joy of life and hope are drained from us in those moments.

Let's be honest, those are bitter days that none of us want to face. Nobody looks forward to personal devastation. Yet, in those moments of utter darkness, when we wonder if God really cares, there comes a glimmer of light in the distance. God certainly is aware of our plight and deeply cares. It's in our deepest hour of grief we discover God is there. And it's in those moments the promise of Isaiah 4 becomes so rich.

Isaiah writes about the impending disaster that is coming upon Jerusalem and Judah for their sinful practices. He talks about the destruction and personal pain all will feel when God brings judgment upon them. The devastation will be all encompassing. No one will be spared because of their behavior. And just when all seems lost, God will throw them a life preserver, a branch of the Lord. Isaiah talks about the cleansing and restoration that will occur. He talks about how the presence of God will be seen and felt.

The prophecy appears to be a picture of Christ's redeeming, restoring sacrifice. It's a view into what God will do for us who are hopelessly lost and facing personal eternal disaster. In our moment of greatest distress, God extends to us a branch to pull us from our quicksand through Jesus and His Holy Spirit.

Some of the disasters we face in life, okay, many of the disasters we face in life are because of our own action, attitudes or behavior. We fail to heed God's instruction and warnings and thus end up in the pit of despair. We feel depressed and defeated with no way out. But still He doesn't abandon us. He's still there holding out a branch.

He is willing to rescue us from even the deepest, darkest hole. But we have to seize the branch. Just like Peter had to take the hand of Jesus when he was sinking in the sea of doubt during a life threating storm, we have to reach out to grab the hope of God.

I'm not sure we can really appreciate fully the hope and goodness of God and His presence until we've wallowed in the depths of despair and darkness. It's not until we are able to clear ourselves from the muck by taking the hand of Christ that we experience the true joy of life in Him. Only after a disaster, when God brings restoration to us, do we fully appreciate His grace and redemption and security and nature.

God, sometimes it seems that I go from one disaster to the next. The shoe keeps dropping and it lands on my head. I can't seem to escape. I know, Lord, that some of the devastation is brought on by my own actions, attitudes, and behavior. God give me the wisdom and ability to see the branch you're extending to me. I need you. Restore me. Refresh me. Surround me with your goodness and grace and presence. I long for the light. Help me watch out for the pits and traps that lead to darkness and disaster.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 22:26-27 (Getting into a Financial Mess is Easier than Getting Out)

2008-09-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

These are depressing times. The economy is slowing down. Unemployment rates are going up. Gas prices are through the roof. The stock market is volatile. Foreclosures are at an all time high. Home values are plummeting. Banks are failing. And today, two of the biggest backers of home mortgages, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, were just seized by the government. Can things get any worse?

Perhaps, things wouldn't be so perilous financially for people today had we listened to the simple advice of Solomon in Proverbs 22. A lot of people today are in a quandary financially because of the failure to heed Solomon's practical instruction. Banks have failed and gone into receivership due to their less than prudent actions regarding lending practices.

In verses 26 and 27 of this chapter, Solomon states that we shouldn't pledge a debt that we don't have means to pay or else we'll lose our bed, or in more modern terms, our house. In other words, if we can't afford something, don't buy it. Don't borrow money you have no way of paying back.

In the past few years, the sub prime mortgage offers enticed a lot of people into purchasing homes they couldn't really afford. Most people reasoned that they could get into a nicer home at a lower payment and then refinance later. That lower payment looked awfully good. But most didn't consider the exploding balloon payment that got there sooner than they expected. When the housing values begin to fall, many found themselves owing more on their house than what their house was worth. And just like Solomon said, "if you lack the means, your very bed will be snatched from under you."

As the amount of foreclosures have risen, the value of homes have been driven even lower. That has put more people into upside down situations and into financial peril. Banks and lending companies, eager to make a profit through seductive offers, are now suffering the consequences of their own greed. Many of them are now over extended and experiencing huge losses.

But this type of mentality isn't limited to mortgage lenders. Credit card debt has long since taken the lead in heaping debt on the average consumer. Many of us buy things or charge things that we have no ability to repay. Now add growing interest and the debt becomes unmanageable. And with new bankruptcy laws taking affect, getting clear of our debt is even harder.

If only we could get a grasp on the wisdom of Solomon in this simple financial matter. Don't borrow beyond your means to pay back. I don't care how good your are at manipulating your cash flow, it will catch up to you and you will always be scrambling. Financial struggles bring on tension. Tension often leads to disagreements. Disagreements sometimes kill relationships. (Did I mention that financial issues are listed as the number one cause of divorce?)

God, please help me live within my means. Credit offers, easy payment plans, makes things seem so enticing. I confess, I have an "I want" syndrome. Give me the wisdom and the discipline to use sound financial and budgeting principles. I don't want to put my family in distress and I don't want to take away from giving to your Kingdom.

Daily Reflections on 2 Cor. 4:5-10 (I'm Not That Capable)

2008-08-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

In the mind of many followers of Christ, the responsibility of sharing the Good News or discipling the nations is really not for them and should be left to the professionals. Yet a quick study of the New Testament proves that although Paul and the other Apostles were key figures in proclaiming the Word, the church grew exponentially because the average persons were sharing their new found faith with their neighbors, coworkers, family members and so on.

Alan Hirsch has said a study of the New Testament brings one to the conclusion that every Christian is a church planter and every church a church planting church. By that he means that every believer should naturally be sowing the message of Christ into their community of relationships. In time, as that community of relationships becomes followers of Christ, it inevitably becomes a "church" that "meets in the house of" the original follower, just like the church that met in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. That church then becomes a church planting church because the individual members of that "newly formed church/biblical community" all have relationships other than those of that newly formed church. The cycle should then continue to repeat itself.

However, the average church goer doesn't feel qualified to share their faith or to extend Christ to their community of relationships. Most feel intimidated to even bring up the subject of their faith in Christ. Yet, it's obvious here in chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians that Paul says that's when the gospel is the most powerful. Sharing our faith or the Good News isn't about selling ourselves or our eloquence. He says it's simply a process of allowing the light that God shined into our darkened heart to illuminate His glory to others.

Paul likens us to jars of clay that contain an incredible treasure. Sure we're not worthy to encase such a valuable commodity. That's what is so powerful. Our inadequacies only allow God to shine all the more for more people to see His glory. If people see us, then God and His message of victory gets lost. But if people experience the love of God through us and see the transformation God has made in our life, they will be drawn to the life changing power of God for their own lives. So what if we take a few shots or a little abuse for our faith once in a while, as long as God is seen and glorified?

God, I confess I feel pretty inadequate as a messenger of your Good News. I'm so inconsistent in my own life. How can I ever be effective in proclaiming your truth? I'm an old clay pot for sure. In fact, I probably have plenty of cracks. I'm just a nobody with no talent and no special skills. I'm definitely not a people magnet nor am I eloquent in speech. All I can do is let people know that I care because Jesus cares. So God, I'm making myself available to you. You're gonna have to shine through me because I'm pretty dim myself. Thanks for bringing light to my life. Let me be a reflection of your light to someone else.

Daily Reflections on Job 31:1-12 (A Covenant with Your Eyes)

2008-08-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

A couple is sitting at an outdoor cafe. An attractive young lady walks by, but he never glances her way and never loses eye contact with his wife. The announcer states, "Give that man a Klondike Bar." In another scene a different couple is sitting at an outdoor cafe. As an attractive young lady, the man zeros in on her. As she passes, he takes out his new shiny surface cell phone and watches her reflection. He receives a text message from the girl he is sitting at the cafe with that says, "U r a pig!"

One of the toughest temptations a man faces from the time he reaches puberty is his visual attraction to the opposite sex. It doesn't take much for most men to be visually stimulated. The stimulation is a natural response that God wired into men. Yet, the visual stimulation by itself isn't the problem. It's what one does with about the stimulation.

Prostitution has often been called the world's oldest profession. Seductive dress or attire has always seemed to be a part of that trade. Although I'm sure prostitution is still very active worldwide, the pornography industry has no doubt surpassed it in participation. The internet has made viewing pornography easy for anyone to access while still maintaining a sense of privacy. In fact it's hard to avoid it on the internet. Various spam and personal filters have help, but doesn't make you immune.

My guess is that many men, who claim to be followers of Christ, struggle with the temptation to view porn. My guess is that there are many Christian men who actually have an addiction to porn. They may never visit a prostitute or have an affair with a coworker or neighbor. But they regularly are drawn to porn sites.

I think we men would do well to do as Job did, make a covenant with our eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. Job said he wouldn't let his heart be led with his eyes and that he wouldn't let his hands be defiled. He said he wouldn't allow another woman to entice his heart or go lurking as his neighbor's door. Why? Because Job knew the consequences for his own relationship with his wife. He knew that it would lead to disaster and destruction. He confessed that someone else would no doubt end up eating his food and sleeping in his bed.

Even though we might think that viewing porn doesn't hurt anyone and no one is else is watching us, we're wrong. First of all, God is watching and we will hold us accountable. Second, it does impact our relationship with our wife whether she finds out or not. Third, continued viewing will destroy you. Job says it is a fire that burns to destruction.

Guys, we need a covenant with our eyes. If you're married, you already made a covenant with your wife. If you're not married, you have an obligation to your future wife. Besides, if you get hooked on porn before you meet that future wife, it will affect your future relation.

God, just like every other guy I struggle with visual stimulation. Remind me of my covenant to my wife. Help me to keep my covenant with my eyes.

Daily Reflections on 2 Cor. 2:12-17 (Did You Smell That?)

2008-08-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

There are certain aromas that just grab you and entice you. There's nothing like the smell of someone grilling out. One whiff and our mouths are salivating. We are magnetically drawn to the wafts of that steak sizzling over the charcoal. Wow that smells good. Have you the seen the Taco Bell commercial where the girl puts a burrito in her purse to attract men. Or how about the one where the less than attractive young lady rubs a cashew behind her ears and on her neck and then walks down the street with men following her. Certain scents are powerful.

While some aromas draw us, there are others that repulse us. Rotten eggs, sour milk, skunks or decaying trash certainly can do a number on any olfactory receptor. Instead of being drawn to that scent we cover our nose and look for a way of escape. "That stinks," are words that immediately pour from our lips.

Americans go to great deal of trouble to keep ourselves from emanating repulsive or offensive odors. We shower and bath with perfumed enhanced shampoos, soaps and body washes. We slap on the antiperspirant or deodorant. Then for added effort we apply the perfume, cologne, or aftershave. We put on clothing that has been washed in some sort of fresh scent laundry detergent. One last touch, we brush our teeth and gargle for that minty fresh feel and to ensure that our friends, family and coworkers are blown away by our bad breath.

The Apostle Paul talks about a different aroma in 2 Corinthians that we give off as followers of Christ. According to Paul, the aroma of Christ has a powerful affect on both those who are being saved and those who are perishing. He says to some it is the smell of death. To others it is the fragrance of life.

I have to ask myself the question, when people encounter me, what do they smell. Do they draw in the fragrance of the knowledge and presence of Christ? Or do they smell my humanity, my selfishness, my apathy, my piety, my legalism, my dogmatism, my sectarianism? Unfortunately, I have to answer that question with a qualified, "depends." It depends on the day, my mood, my circumstance. I'm sure that some days people are drawn to the aroma of Christ upon me. And I'm also sure that other days people say to themselves, "He stinks."

Allowing Christ to constantly flow through my pores is a daily challenge. I'm still growing in that area. Too much of me seeps through. Somehow, I don't think I'm alone. My encounter with other believers gives me a sense of why many who are perishing are repulsed by Christianity and/or churches. The odor isn't the fragrance of Christ or the fragrance of life.

God, I'm so inconsistent. Sometimes I really smell. I need to be showered in your cleansing presence. I need you to apply the fresh scent of your spirit upon me and in me. I don't want to look like one of those white washed tombs that may look good on the outside but smells like rotting flesh on the inside. I want people who encounter me to be drawn to the scent of your glory and hope and promise and love. I want to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ throughout my world.

Daily Reflections on Job 23:1-7 (How Did He Do It?)

2008-08-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

I'm impressed. After losing his family, his house, his business, his income, his status, his life savings, the respect of the community and also his wife, his health, and his friends Job still says that he is hanging onto his faithfulness and integrity before God. Wow. I get kicked around by a few life circumstances that don't compare in intensity to anything Job experienced and I'm a mess.

Here Job is sitting in an ash heap, covered from head to toe with nasty boils just trying to find relief from his physical misery and he is maintaining his passion for God. Me? I'd be throwing a temper tantrum at best. After all he'd been through and yet his so called friends are hammering Job telling him what a lowlife he really is and that he deserves his plight. I'm afraid I'd lose my integrity at that point. Somebody else would be feeling pain.

Job admits to the bitterness of his plight yet still believes that eventually God will bring him relief. He still trusts God and believes in His justness. He won't give up or give in to his circumstances even though he doesn't understand why he has to suffer so much before God intervenes. It's no wonder that God said to the Devil, "consider my servant Job," in the opening chapters of this book. Job is a standout guy with great love for God and great faith.

I wish I were Job. Not that I'm inviting calamity on or in my life. I don't seem to have to invite it. It just shows up on a regular basis. I wish I had Job's faith and steadfastness. I wish I could endure the hammering by friends and associates, church members and pagans, even family with the integrity of Job. I have God's Holy Spirit in me and I get depressed when someone questions my teaching or motives or actions.

How did Job do it? How did he hang in there through it all? Why didn't he just walk away? Why didn't he just tell everyone where to get off? I think it's because his faith in who God was was greater than his understanding of the circumstances he faced. He really trusted God to ultimately make things right, to rescue him, to redeem him, to restore him. Not just because he was a righteous person and innocent of all accusations being thrown at him. It was because he knew in his heart the character of God.

God, I can't say that I've ever experienced all the Job did in such a short order. I can say that I have experienced many of the things and emotions Job did over the last few years. It's painful and depressing and hard to keep going at times. I guess I need a shot of Job's endurance and faith. I get really tired at times and feel all alone. It's a rough place to be. I'm trusting you to rescue me and redeem me and restore me. Not because I deserve it or have earned it, but because you are a great God of grace and mercy. In fact, I could use a shot of assurance today because I'm sitting here in the ash heap scraping off a few personal, spiritual and emotional boils.

Daily Reflections on 2 Cor. 1:3-11 (Comfort in Our Struggles)

2008-08-26T07:53:00.001-07:00

Struggles are a part of life. We all endure them from time to time. Some struggles are obviously more severe than others. I love the promise in this passage in 2 Corinthians. Paul, who had more than his share of struggles, praises God for being the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. He proclaims that God comforts in all our troubles with His own personal comfort. In other words, God is always there personally bringing us comfort.

But God also has a purpose behind His comfort. He comforts us personally so that we can comfort others with the same comfort we have received from God. God is concerned deeply about each and everyone of our needs no matter how great or small. Jesus said that God has the very hairs on our head numbered. If God knows when a sparrow falls, why wouldn't He be involved in our lives. God is always there and willing to extend His comfort. But sometimes I'm not paying attention to God's comfort.

If God is so concerned about the issues and needs of all us, as a follow of Christ, then I should be my concern too. God expects me to bring comfort to others who are struggling. The comfort that God brings to us in our time of suffering gives us the ability, knowledge, insights into bringing comfort to others, especially those who suffer from a similar plight as ours. Having been through the ups and downs, ins and outs, trenches of spiritual, emotional, physical, relational warfare, we can lend a hand to others that brings true understanding, encouragement and comfort to them.

God is able to use all of our experiences in life, even the painful disasters to minister to someone else. He never lets those experiences go to waste. What I've found is that I receive even greater healing when I extend myself to others to comfort them in their time of personal struggle. I have a greater assurance of God's presence in my own life. If I were to sit around and wallow in my own grief and struggles, the comfort that God brings to me is of little value or help. I only grow deeper in my depression and pain. But when I take even the smallest amount of comfort I've received and pass it on to someone else, my comfort gets multiplied and I have greater strength to endure.

God, I can't say that I'm thankful for my struggles and pain in life. But I am thankful for your constant presence and comfort. It'd be easy for me to just sit in my corner and pout and cry and whine. To be honest, Lord, I'd really prefer to do that, but I know that only pushes me deeper into my own suffering and makes life even darker. Help me to pass on to others what I have received. Help me be a comfort to others.

Daily Reflections on Job 19:1-7, 14-22 (Friends; a Blessing or a Curse)

2008-08-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Are friends' advice a blessing or a curse? I suppose it could be both, depending upon your friends. One thing for sure is that advice from friends or acquaintances can vary widely. Some advice is sound while other advice is probably questionable. But sometimes a friends' advice can only complicate matters.

Reading through Job the last few days reminded me how important good friends are to managing life. After Job experienced all his tragedy, his closest buddies really weren't much of a help to him. His wife tells Job to curse God and die. His closest friends tell him basically that if he weren't such a sinner, he wouldn't be suffering so much. They tell him he should either repent from his evil ways or face the punishment.

To be honest, I'm not really sure what caused Job the most pain, the loss of his wealth, health and family or the abuse he took from his friends. Losing all that Job lost was certainly devastating and painful. But the accusations of his friends left Job completely alone. Instead of bringing comfort to Job, they brought even deeper pain.

As I read through these chapters I get a sense that Job wasn't really looking for answers to his plight. All he really wanted was comfort and assurance that somebody cared. He would have probably been content if those who were closest to him would simply sit in the ash heap with him and cry with him. Of the hundred plus funerals that I've performed through the years, I've never yet found the magic words to make the pain or feeling of loss go away. I've never been able to satisfactorily been able to answer the question, "why?" I've given away lots of hugs, held lots of hands, wiped plenty of tears and shed some myself, but I've never found the magic bullet that makes everything alright.

All the advice in the world doesn't mean as much as a friend who will come along side of you and sit with you in the ash heap. You ultimately have to make your own decisions, take your own steps, call your own play. Listening, empathizing, caring means a lot, especially if you're the one struggling. I just need to know that there is someone in my corner.

God, I know that you are always in my corner no matter how dark it appears. But it really helps, Lord, to have some flesh and bone there with me too. I just need someone to encourage me, comfort me, cry with me, agonize with me, listen to me. I don't always need advice and I definitely don't need someone telling me, "I told you so." Lord, help me to be that person to others. Help me know when to confront and when to comfort. Help know when to offer a hand and when to give a nudge. Give me your wisdom and your heart and your spirit.

Daily Reflections on 1 Cor. 14:18-25 (Understanding)

2008-08-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Recently in the news was the tragic story of the bus crash that killed several on its way to a Vietnamese religious celebration in Carthage, MO. Every year thousands of Vietnamese from across the country make the trek to the small Ozarks town of Carthage to celebrate Marian Days. Carthage is home to the largest Vietnamese Catholic Seminary in the US. The town of twelve thousand residents swells to a population of sixty to seventy thousand people for that first full week in August.

I pastored in Carthage for nearly thirteen years. The seminary was located directly across from our church. The roads leading to our church were always closed that week, including Sunday. Every year we took our girls and walked through the gathering. We would pick a food tent and experience the cuisine and the culture. The menus were in Vietnamese. The waiters and waitresses and crowd spoke Vietnamese. The music was Vietnamese. As Caucasian Americans, we were definitely a minority on the grounds. One of the first years we went, my oldest daughter remarked, "Dad, this doesn't feel like Carthage." It was always a surprise what we got to eat and drink.

In this passage in Corinthians, Paul gives some sound advice to the Corinthian church regarding speaking in tongues. Paul isn't anti speaking tongues, however he notes that if some unbeliever comes into their midst and everyone is speaking in tongues, they are going to be freaked out, thinking everyone is out of their minds. The likelihood of those people coming to Christ is going to be slim to none. He goes on to say, if there isn't any interpretation to the tongue being spoken, keep it to yourself.

On the other hand, Paul encourages prophesy. Prophesy in biblical terms isn't telling the future. It's sharing a message from God. Sometimes a prophesy comes with a warning, as often seen in the Old Testament. But the heart of prophesy is about speaking God's truth. Paul says that he would rather speak 5 intelligible words that teach people about God than 10,000 words in a tongue. Why? Because Paul is more concerned about people coming to Christ, learning about Christ, growing in Christ than about some personal experience.

It's amazing to me how many believers today want to experience something that makes them feel something special. They want some ecstatic experience or to be wowed or something that makes THEM feel alive in Christ. Although those experiences are great for us, what about those outside of Christ? What about those struggling in sin or confusion or loneliness or with direction for life? What about the people with real life questions?

People need to hear instruction to grow. They especially need to hear God's Good News if they are outside of Christ. The ecstatic experience only adds to the confusion of people seeking answers. It's like walking through a strange culture where you don't understand anyone and can't read the menus. The food or drink may not satisfy your need or nurture your soul.

God, as a believer it would be easy for me to just focus on soaking you in and experiencing more of you on a daily/weekly basis. Yet, God you called us to be your light, your messengers, your ambassadors to a world who needs to hear your message of hope and victory in Jesus. Help me, Lord, to speak your word clearly to those surrounding me, especially my neighbors, friends, acquaintances who need to hear your Good News.

Daily Reflections on Ps. 33:12-22 (Voting for Hope)

2008-08-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

It's a famous passage, one that has been claimed by many US citizens for generations. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." It seems that every four years at the time of the presidential election, the awareness of this verse is raised by religious leaders. It's used often times to gain support for certain candidates and to repel support for others. As it gets closer to November, the rhetoric will get louder.

The promise was originally directed at Israel. It was part of their promise. God promised certain provisions and protections if the Israelites would remain faithful to God. The second part of this verse is generally not quoted. It says, "the people he chose for his inheritance." Obviously the reference is to the nation of Israel not the US. So to claim this promise as a US citizen is actually a stretch.

However the principle of this promise is applicable to God's people. If you look at nation as a people group, the interpretation changes slightly. It concerns me that today many people put more faith in the government than they do the Lord. They rely on the government to provide everything thing for them, to form the safety net for them, to solve all their problems. Alan Hirsch, in his book, The Forgotten Ways, notes that the rise of the nation-state as the mediator of protection and provision has led to the secularization of culture in the Western world. In other words, the church in the West has been taken from the center of the culture and increasingly pushed to the margins by the reliance on government to provide for all one's personal needs. Thus the church loses it's influence and God is lessened in our daily life.

The psalmist goes on to say the size and strength of a king's army can't save him. A soldier's strength or weaponry can't save him. He also says the the eyes of the Lord are on those who place their hope and faith in Him. I learned a long time ago that if you put your hope in people or governments get ready to be let down. The last few years many followers of Christ placed their hope in Republican candidates for national office only to be disappointed by the results.

The answer isn't placing our hope in a political candidate be it Republican or Democrat. The answer is placing our hope in the Lord, waiting in hope for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. Our hearts will rejoice when we place our full trust in God. The government will never show you love or even make you feel loved. But when we allow God to receive our full focus of trust, we will experience His presence of genuine love.

God, forget the government or people, I'm placing my trust in you.

Daily Reflections on Prov. 21: 9, 21 (Dealing with a Quarrelsome Wife)

2008-08-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

The last few days my wife and I took our oldest daughter to college. She is in her fourth year of college working on a dual degree. This year she moved into an apartment. The tough part for mom is that she's about 6 hours away from home. So in two short days we had to scrub down the apartment and set up everything to her satisfaction (Mom's more than my daughter's).

As we worked, dear old dad, begin to take a lot of unnecessary ribbing. They picked on my hair, my shirt, my physique and my mannerisms. They were having a lot of laughs and fun at my expense. As a father of two girls, I'm used to being the odd man out and I'm also used to being the object of jest. But sometimes as a man you just have to stand up for yourself.

As the good natured harassment continued, by day three I enjoined joke fest. Being the quick wit that I am, I got off a few volleys of my own. All in pure defense, mind you. As we sat down for a very late lunch, I was factiously commenting on how abused I was a husband. My wife was quick on the response. Then my daughter laughingly said, "You guys are really mean to each other." Although our humor was meant in fun, it did have a cynical nature to it.

Solomon has been said to be the wisest man ever to have lived. Some have to question that wisdom since he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. If anyone had an insight on wives however, you'd have to say it was Solomon. I figure he must have had his rounds with all those women in his household too. (It's been three against one for me the last 18 years. I can't imagine 1000 to one.)

It must have been one of those days when Solomon wrote Proverbs 21. Twice in the middle of his discourse in this chapter he inserts comments about a wife. First in verse 9 he says that it is better to live on the corner of a roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. Then later in verse 19 he says that it is better to live in the desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

Let's face it guys, when your wife is in a quarrelsome or ill-tempered mood, you are in real trouble. I just go ahead and tell the dog to move over because I know before the nights over I'm going to be in his house. The corner of a roof may be a precarious place to be but according to Solomon it's a more desirable place to be in those moments.

Men, we generally have two choices under those circumstances. One, run and duck for cover. Two, stand and fight. Neither end up with the best results. There is a third option but it is toughest road to take. 1 Peter 3 tells husbands to live with your wife in an understanding way. Let's be honest, no man on the planet understands women. We just don't get it.

But Peter said it's about attitude not knowledge. He said "understanding way." More often than not when a wife is on a terror, something has caused the negative response. Our job as husbands is to demonstrate loving concern in those moments. The furor may continue for a while, but an understanding approach will before long quell the storm. It takes a big heart, lots of patiences, strong arms, a steady equilibrium and a loving determination.

My wife's onslaught the last couple of days had more to do with separation from my daughter than my own idiosyncrasies. From the time we left her apartment, tears flowed freely for several miles. At that moment, she didn't need me making defensive jabs. She just needed me.

God, after all these years, I'm still working at being a good husband. I need your wisdom and strength. Help me be the kind of husband, lover, mate, friend to my wife I need to be that allows our marriage to grow deeper and richer.

Daily Reflections on Ezra 7:1-10, 27-28 (How About a Hand, God?)

2008-08-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

I had shared a message one Sunday about the direction of our church. At the close of the message I asked the congregation to pray for God's hand to be on us. I received an extended note by one of our young ladies chastising me for not asking us to seek God's face instead. She was insistent that asking for the hand of God was "unspiritual." I wrote her back and agreed that we should seek the face of God. But I also noted that as we read through the Old Testament that it was the hand of God that caused things to happen.

Several times in today's passage, Ezra notes that he was able to secure what was needed to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem because the hand of God was on him. Verse 6 says that the king granted Ezra everything he asked for because "the hand of the Lord his God was on him." Verse 9 says that Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in a timely fashion because "the good hand of his God was on him." Verse 28 says that Ezra received favor from the king and the king's advisers and all the king's powerful officials because, in Ezra's own words, "the hand of the Lord my God was on me."

I need the hand of the Lord on me. I need to have the same attitude as the Apostle Paul who said, "When I am weak, then I am strong." The problem is that too many times I put my own hand on me or rather try to accomplish something by my own power, resources, smarts, energy, insights, ideas, or abilities. Sometimes things work out all right and sometimes they end in major disaster. When it comes to doing life and relationships and pursuing the things of the kingdom of God, I'd much rather do things with the hand of God on me.

Deferring to the hand of God isn't a weakness, it's actually wise. In Ezra's case, he was blessed beyond imagination. Everything he could have hoped for and more happened. Ezra could have tried to do some political maneuvering to get what he wanted, but no doubt he would have had to comprise something to get what he wanted. By trusting in God and allowing Him (His Hand) to go to work for him, Ezra saw not only a victory, but overwhelming favor in everyone's eyes.

God, help me keep my hands out of your business. I want your hand at work in my life, in the life the church you allow me to pastor. Forgive me when I get in your way. I want people to see you hand working in my behalf so that they can glorify you and come to know you. I just want to be your vessel, your humble servant. Place your hand upon me.